The Serpent's Chains

Chapter 55: Bloodlines

Sabine

The prince reached across the table and grabbed one of my books. His eyebrows shot up as his green eyes scanned the page.

"You're studying spelled slave collars? You do know that the collars were spelled centuries ago and no one knows the original spells, right?"

"I know." I grabbed the book back from him. "I don't need to know the original spell to unweave it but any research is helpful."

"You're unweaving slave collars now?" The prince smirked and leaned back in his chair.

I shuffled my notes together and folded the stack of parchment over itself. "Wyatt extended an offer for me to help him free slaves. He says until now, the opportunity to free magical slaves hasn't been available to him. I can help."

Cole nodded slowly and clicked his tongue. "I figured you'd want to help him."

"It doesn't bother you?"

"Why would it?" he arched an eyebrow. "You can do whatever you want in your free time."

I cleared my throat and shifted the books around. "I meant... well, you're the Crowned Prince of a country that condones slavery. You're not concerned that your general and a royal mage are undermining the trade?"

"Ehh." He shrugged one shoulder. "Everyone needs a hobby. Especially to deal with what we have to do."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "What's yours?"

The prince chuckled. He leaned across the table and fixed me with an intense, bright gaze.

I squirmed and leaned away. It was like he could see straight through me.

"You should know that by now," he muttered in a husky voice.

My cheeks flared with heat and I twisted my hands in my lap. The thought of his body covering mine wove its way into my thoughts. The memory of the heat of his breath on my neck sent a shiver through me.

"I should get back to work." I grabbed another book and pulled it closer.

"You're blushing." The prince chuckled.

I sucked in a sharp breath and slammed the book closed. "Why are you here? You already told me you don't care that I'm helping Wyatt, so what else do you want?"

Cole leaned back and slouched in his chair. He scratched his eyebrow. "My father's been asking questions."

"About us..." I shook my head, "About what?" I stammered slightly.

The prince's lips twitched. "About your family."

My hands automatically tightened around the book I held, my knuckles turning white. I felt the prince's eyes on me, studying each reaction.

"I don't have any answers for him. I don't know anything about my family. My mother died... and well, I never knew my father."

"Speaking of your mother..." Cole licked his lips. "What was her name?"

My hands tensed again and a cold sweat trickled down my back. I swallowed, a lump in my throat rising.

The prince chuckled and nodded. "That's what I thought."

I scoffed. "What do you think you know?"

This was getting dangerous. I suspected the king would ask questions about my family but I could always fall back on the fact that I never knew anyone in my family but my mother and she died when I was young. It was my best defense.

He would never be able to prove otherwise.

Had I been too quick to share details of my childhood with the prince? I knew how smart he was and now he was putting the pieces together, so it seemed. I had to know what he knew.