Kingdom of Ash

Maeve let out a hum, well aware of his lie.
But she said, “The collars are one of his more
brilliant creations. Neither of his brothers was
clever enough to come up with it. But Erawan
—he always had a gift for ideas.” She leaned
back in the chair, crossing her legs. “But that
gift also made him arrogant.” She nodded to
him. “That he let you remain in Rifthold with
your father, rather than bring you here, only
proves it. He thought he could control you
both from afar. Had he been more cautious, he
would have brought you to Morath
immediately. Begun work on you.”
The collars flashed before his eyes, leaking
their poisoned, oily scent into the world,
beckoning, waiting for him—
Dorian heaved again.
Maeve let out a low laugh that raked talons
down his spine. His temper.
Dorian mastered himself and twisted