Evil Twin

Because he hadn’t been Tamas. Instead, she’d been in accord with the finest of all men.

If Echo had the choice of marrying anyone, without care for kingdoms or being the mistress of her own fate, she would have chosen General Bane. She’d heard so many stories of his courage, his kindness. Though in every description she’d heard and every sketch she’d seen, he’d worn a beard. She’d had no idea he was also Tamas’s twin…though even that might have made little difference in recognizing who he was. She’d never met Tamas before, either. She’d only seen his portrait, so she couldn’t have known the man who’d come to her was his twin brother.

And Bane still kneeled at her side, but she couldn’t bear to look at him. She could not bear that—just as she’d heard stories of him—now he would hear stories of her. She couldn’t bear that General Bane would know what she was.

But of course, her parents were happy to tell him.

“Listen to nothing bad that she says of her sister,” her father said. “She’s pure evil, Tamas. You only have to look at her to see. Their features are the same, but skulking within Echo is a darkness that was apparent even as a babe.”

“A murderous schemer,” her mother agreed, “born under a blood moon as a raven cried and a wolf howled. She will do anything to further her ambitions. Look what she has already done.”

Brows arched, Tamas regarded Bane with amusement. “Did you truly foil a scheme, brother, or did you hope to take my bride?”

Unable to help herself, Echo glanced up. Bane’s jaw clenched as he stared back at his twin. His anger burned the air between them.

But he didn’t deny that he wanted Tamas’s bride.

Heart aching, Echo looked away again.

This had been a fine plan. But she’d hurt one of the few good men of whom she knew, though she’d only known of him from afar.

But he wasn’t afar now. She couldn’t get closer to General Bane than she had tonight. She could still feel the lingering ache between her legs and deep inside. It matched the ache in her chest, her throat.

When Bane gave no response, Tamas smirked. “You are welcome to marry the sister you took to my bed.”

“Oh no!” The horrified cries came from both her parents. “We would not ask that of you, General,” her father continued. “We would not wish her upon anyone.”

“Echo is our burden to bear.”

“She might already carry his child,” Tamas pointed out.

“Conceived with evil intent, the babe would be worse than she—”

Bane interrupted. “I will take her to wife.”

Pain slashed through Echo’s chest, ripping free a harsh laugh. “For what purpose? We are neither of us heirs. I will not be the queen you wished for.”

He growled and yanked free the sheet covering her legs. “What purpose?” Roughly he gestured to the blood and seed still painting her thighs. “That is a vow we made, Princess, never to let them part us.”

Such a good man. Her heart felt as if it would shred apart. Holding his gaze, she whispered, “You need not hold to that vow. I did not intend to trap you. I only wanted to be Gocea’s queen.”

His jaw set. “It matters not. I will have you.”

“I will not have you,” she said and turned to say more loudly, “I will not marry him.”

From beside her came Bane’s implacable, “You will.”

“General Bane, you need not sacrifice yourself—”

“Oh, he will,” Tamas spoke over her mother. “Because his marriage will solve a problem for me, as well.”

The problem that his brother was in love with his bride.

Echo lifted her chin. “I will not.”

“Then we will have to return you to the rose chamber,” Sapphira said sweetly. “After this, we could not trust you to ever roam free again.”

Fear shrank Echo’s skin. Never would she return to that chamber.

“But where will she live?” Her mother looked from her husband to King Tamas. “You should not trust her in Gocea. We cannot trust her in Phaira.”

Her father scoffed. “Here, there. It matters not. General Bane will keep her in line.”

“I would rather my brother not remain in Gocea.”

“Give to us Crolum as a wedding gift.” Bane’s deep voice filled the bedchamber. He glanced down at Echo, and took her hand, enfolding it within the massive strength of his. “You wish to be a queen. I will see you become one.”

Such a kind man. Her heart would not survive him.

“Crolum?” Tamas laughed. “Why should we give that wasteland to you?”

Why shouldn’t even be a question. Echo gave the obvious answer. “Because he has earned it. And because although both Gocea and Phaira have laid claim to Crolum, neither want the responsibility or the expense of governing it. So give the kingdom to General Bane as reward for leading the army against the scourge.”