Total pages in book: 158
Estimated words: 145341 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 727(@200wpm)___ 581(@250wpm)___ 484(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145341 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 727(@200wpm)___ 581(@250wpm)___ 484(@300wpm)
“Aunt Olga, why are you doing this? I don’t understand,” Grigor said. “We were always close. You loved Mom and Dad. You loved us. How could you turn on us?”
Olga’s face twisted into an ugly mask, one Afanasiv thought revealed the real woman. “You’re supposed to be the royals who know everything about the land, about your people, yet you couldn’t see what was right in front of your face. I played my part on the greatest stage there is. My sister stole Vasili from me. He wanted me, but Bronya just couldn’t let me be happy. She was so jealous of my dancing. Men flocked to me, and she wanted the attention for herself.”
Vasilisa shook her head but expressed her denial only to Afanasiv. That’s not so, Siv. My mother loved her. My father loved my mother. I never felt jealousy from my mother. She was proud of Olga’s dancing. She always spoke of her with pride.
Let her talk, my lady. And remember, this is not the woman you loved.
I am beginning to worry that I didn’t know my aunt at all.
Afanasiv was certain none of her family really knew their aunt. When he looked at her, he didn’t see a woman who had been compromised by a mage or influenced by one the way Rudlof had been. He had been in the world far too long and fought too many battles with evil. He knew rot when it came from the inside out. She had been ripe for corruption. She would have run toward it, wanting every advantage.
Do not respond, Vasilisa, no matter what she says to slander your mother. Your brothers need to hear for themselves what and who she really is. So does Rudlof. He is not an evil man. He has been twisted by mage magic, and I do not believe it was easy for them to do it.
It wasn’t Vasilisa who responded to Olga’s accusations; it was Grigor.
“Seriously, Aunt Olga? What the hell are you talking about? Our mother was never jealous of you. She admired you and took pride in your accomplishments.”
Olga’s face darkened with fury. She clenched her fists so tight her nails pierced her palms. “Lies. Those are lies. She reveled in the accident that took away my dancing. She taunted me every chance she had. She made certain to destroy my friendships, especially with Vasili. She pulled away from him, and I tried to comfort him, but she wouldn’t even allow us to be friends. She didn’t want him anymore, but no one else could have him. She didn’t care if he was miserable.”
“That’s a lie,” Andros snapped. “They loved each other. You know they did. If anyone was jealous, clearly it was you or you wouldn’t be talking like that.”
Olga’s harsh laughter seemed to reverberate through the room. The longer Afanasiv looked at her, the more her features began to change subtly. Her perfect complexion was no longer as smooth as it had been. There were blotches, dark smudges appearing and creases showing around her mouth and eyes. Her eyes appeared to sink in just a little bit.
“How would you know?” She sneered. “You believed everything I said to you. How do you think those men got into the palace that night? How do you think they knew where to find your parents? My precious sister died, but she gave up her secrets to me. Vasilisa carried the soul of a Carpathian male. Of course she did.”
She glared at Vasilisa, looking as if she might leap on her and rip out her heart. “You,” she accused. “Just like your mother. Everything going to you that should have gone to me. He should have been mine. The Dragonseeker should have been mine.” She all but screamed the last.
Afanasiv could feel the shock in the room. Vasilisa and her brothers had never expected Olga to confess to being part of the conspiracy to kill their parents.
“You fought to save us,” Garald said. “We saw you.”
“Yes, I was so heroic.” Olga tossed her head. “That ensured I was always going to be revered by you and everyone else. It was simply a matter of you rounding up the conspirators and killing them quickly before anyone could figure out who allowed them into the palace.” She studied her fingernails with a malicious smile.
Grigor stepped toward her, but Andros caught his arm to hold him in place. Grigor tried to shake off his hand. “Didn’t you hear what she just admitted to? She was behind our parents being murdered. She let those men into the palace and showed them the secret room.”
“So she claims.” Andros sneered at his aunt, pure contempt on his face. “Anyone can say anything, Grigor. You must learn that and not believe everything. She wants us to believe she despised our mother, and yet how many years did we have with her showing just the opposite? Either this woman is an impostor, or she is lying to us now. I doubt she has Alyona or even knows where she is.”