Darius remained on his knees in the dust, the heavy iron cuffs clattering against the stones as he lifted his arms. He rubbed his torn, bleeding wrists, using the friction of his palms to soothe the fierce, burning pain left behind by the silver-veined iron.
His breathing was ragged, his broad shoulders heaving under the weight of his exhaustion and the sudden, devastating truths that had just been laid bare.
Yet, as he looked up at his brother, the vulnerability in his eyes hardened into an unyielding stone.
"What manner of trickery is this, Ronan?" Darius hissed, his voice scraping past his teeth like a rusted blade. "Why would you go through the theatre of using a traitorous wizard, poisoning our trail, and chaining us in the dark just to force me to fight you? If you wanted my life,
