"His name…" Her voice shook. "His name was Balfour Finlay."
A siren went off in Brand's head.
For a long moment—many long moments—Brand could not recall where he was. A deafening silence prevailed after the siren, pulling him into the dark waters, except it was not comforting. It threatened to drown him.
But he fought. Against the waves, against her voice and perhaps against madness. When he finally surfaced, he saw her, and he saw him: the green eyes. The dark hair. The shared soul of people who could and would hurt and hurt him again for absolutely no cause.
Nausea and rage rose in him.
"Get out," he murmured. How he had managed to keep his voice sane remained a mystery.
She stared at him, stricken. "Your Highness, please, I—"
The sanity was lost.
"Get out!" he roared, unable to keep himself whole. There was only pain, rage and hatred.
Madelyn fled.
