If his father said this, if he admitted such a thing aloud, then it had to be true. And Magnus needed to know more.
“How is Lucia the key?” he asked evenly.
“This I don’t yet know.” The king’s brows drew together slightly. “All I know for certain is she will wake.”
“Then I believe you.”
The king’s eyes lit with approval and he reached across the bed to pat Magnus’s scarred cheek. “Very good, my son. Very good. Together we will find the Kindred.”
“With Lucia.”
“Yes.” He nodded. “With Lucia.”
Four crystals holding the essence of elementia. Magnus saw their worth, just as his father did. Such incredible and endless power and strength. If he possessed them, even one of them, he would feel equal to Lucia in more ways than he did now. He would be more than just a prince, more than just a brother. They would have magic in common and she would see and appreciate this. Appreciate him. And such strength would show the king that Magnus was not a boy any longer; he was a man who went after what he desired most, no matter the cost.
It was everything he’d ever wanted.
Mira had approached to refill the water jug, making eye contact with neither Magnus nor the king. She moved quietly as if hoping to remain unnoticed.
“What is your name again?” the king asked her, his voice soft.
Her shoulders went rigid as she straightened, and her gaze moved from the ground next to the bed to meet the king’s directly. “Mira, your majesty.”
“You haven’t, by chance, been listening to anything my son and I have been discussing, have you, Mira?”
“No, your majesty,” she said immediately. Her brows drew together, as if surprised by the question. “I focus on the room, cleaning, and tidying, and taking care of the princess. That’s all. I don’t listen.”
The king nodded. “I’m very glad to hear that. With the rebels so active now, we must be very conscious of what we say and to whom we say it. Spies could be anywhere, couldn’t they?”
“Of course, I completely understand.” Her shoulders relaxed ever so slightly. “Was there anything else, your majesty?”
The king scratched his chin, as if considering. “I’m curious to know if my son believes you.”
Magnus tensed.
His father easily wore the mask of indifference that Magnus currently struggled with. “I know you’re familiar with servants who develop unhealthy habits of overhearing information by accident,” the king continued, “so I’d like your opinion on the matter.”
Magnus remembered the icy walls of the tower where Amia had been restrained, beaten, and questioned about her crime of eavesdropping—which she’d done on his orders. He’d sent the girl away so she’d have the chance at a better life—at any life—but his father had her hunted down and killed anyway. Magnus chose his next words very carefully.
“We were speaking quietly and this girl was on the other side of the room. I believe she heard nothing that would cause any problems. Besides, even if she did hear something, she would take it no further if she knew what was good for her. Am I right, Mira?”
The girl glanced at him, distrust in her gaze that he might say anything to defend her. “Yes, your grace.”
The king let out a long sigh. “Of course you’re right. Listen to me. I’ve become an old man convinced that enemies are hiding in every shadow.” He laughed as he moved around to the other side of the bed so he could pat her cheek affectionately, just as he’d done before to Magnus. “Mira, my dear girl, please accept my sincere apologies for alarming you.”
The hint of a smile appeared on her pretty face. “No apology is necessary, your majesty.”
The king regarded her a moment longer. “However, I do believe in taking certain precautions.”
With unexpected speed, he took hold of her head with both hands and twisted sharply. The girl’s neck broke with a loud crack. She crumpled to the ground, her wide eyes now blank and glazed and absent of life.
It had all happened in an instant.
Magnus stared at his father, unable to conceal his horrified shock. “You didn’t have to do that!”
The king wiped his hands off on the front of his black surcoat. “Meaningless servants can be replaced. She was nothing special. I’ll find another to attend your sister.”
Nothing special. Only a friend to Princess Cleo. Only a sister to Nicolo Cassian. Only another whose life had been snuffed out by the king while Magnus stood idly by.