"But you are wrong."
The words rasped from the cell, thin and parched, and both Rowan and the Queen snapped their heads toward the sound.
Riley blinked at them from behind the bars, slouched against the wall as if he were on his last breath. He looked convincingly weak, though honestly, the only things that hurt were his wrists. Everything else felt mostly fine, which was odd. Maybe he had a knack for looking pathetic.
"Riley…" Rowan's voice caught. He had not expected him to wake, much less to speak.
His mind spun with panic. How much had he heard? Could he still be convinced that all of this was just their mother's desperation?
But instead of raging, instead of demanding answers, Riley tilted his head and murmured, "I don't know what is happening, or why I am here. But I woke up hearing that Kael would throw me away because I'm defective?" His voice sounded wistful, almost resigned, though in truth, every nerve in him wanted to screech until the whole chamber collapsed.
