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Auria visited me the next morning, perching on the edge of my bed. “How are you feeling?” She smiled at me, her eyes alight with her usual good humor.
“Ready to get back to work.” I almost winced when I said it. Calling my days of following the queen around work was an insult when Auria practically broke her back in the laundry.
“I think the queen probably wants you rested. Especially because the Gods Day ball is so close.”
Just days away. Blood rushed into my ears at the thought. “Setella?”
“Sorry, mind wandering.” “I’m glad you’re okay.”
“Thanks.” She was studying me, and I raised one brow. “What is it?” “The entire castle is talking about you and the prince.”
I winced, and she just laughed.
“I’ll leave you to rest.” She scampered out the door before I could reply.
I spent the rest of the day in bed, visualizing leading over three hundred prisoners out of the king’s tunnel only days from now. The tunnel he’d
created to put them to death. My body broke out in a cold sweat, and I shuddered beneath my blankets.
By the time it was dark enough to risk going down to the dungeon, I felt more like myself. A little shaky, but ready to help Tibris hand out food. Since Tibris wanted to check Asinia’s and Demos’s wounds first, I got to work slipping pieces of bread, hunks of meat, and stolen fruit between cage bars.
Laurel held out her hand for her share, angling her head as she watched
me.
She was a couple of years younger than me and had told me she thought
she’d been here for at least six months. “Why are you doing this? At least when I was iron-crazed, I didn’t know how bad this really was.”
“Would you rather I didn’t?”
She narrowed her eyes at me. “I want out. But…”
I understood. Now, she knew the reality of her situation. And it was grim. When she didn’t know what she was missing, she didn’t dare hope for more. The iron had kept her weak, dazed, easy for the guards to manage. Now, her eyes burned with retribution.
“Eat,” I murmured. “And walk as much as you can. We need you strong.”
She nodded, and I finished doling out the last of the food, making my way back toward Asinia.
“Finished sulking?” Tibris asked.
I winced, slowing my steps. That was the tone he most often used when speaking to either Lorian or Demos.
Shuffling sounded, as if someone was sitting down.
“My mental state is none of your business.” Demos’s voice was so cold, I almost shivered.
“What is your problem?”
Tibris had never been able to leave anything alone. When I was angry as a child, he would poke and prod at me until I exploded. Then he would laugh. Most of the time, his amusement would shake me from my fury. Or at least ensure I trained that fury on him instead.
“My problem?” Demos asked.
“You’ve found your sister. After all these years.” “She doesn’t know me.”
“So, spend time with her.”
“Easy for you to say. You grew up with her. You got to see her turn from a child into a woman. You were able to be there for her. To protect her. To keep her safe.”
My throat tightened, and I stopped walking completely.
“I wasn’t able to protect her from the guards. Our mother tried and died for it.”
“That woman—”
“I know how you feel about that,” Tibris said. “And I can understand why. But that woman raised Prisca. She was the one who dried her tears after her nightmares. The one who taught her to hide her power and keep herself safe. My mother may be the villain in your story, but she died to protect our sister.”
A long silence followed. Finally, Tibris sighed. “I need to see your shoulder.” He let out a humming sound. “It looks good.”
I resumed my footsteps, finding Asinia standing in her cage, stretching her legs.
“It’s so good to see you moving.” She still needed to gain her weight back, but she looked stronger than she had since I’d found her down here. And she practically radiated determination.
“I have to be ready to run if I need to.”
I nodded. “I have a question. It’s about your…power.”
Her mouth curved in a faint smile. “You want to know what I can do.” Tibris and Demos stopped their sniping at that, and I glanced at them.
Both of them had turned toward Asinia expectantly.
She rolled her eyes. “If you’re hoping for some incredible offensive power, you can keep hoping. My power heightens my precision. I make incredibly neat stitches.”
Tibris nodded at that, while Demos continued to watch her. “Precision can mean many things. Let’s put a bow in your hand and see if you can let those arrows fly.”
She raised one eyebrow. “I tried learning to use a bow when Prisca did.
I was almost as bad as her.”
“You were suppressing your power then, though, weren’t you?” Demos asked.
After a moment, she nodded.
“Worth a try,” I said. “As soon as you’re free, you need to begin training and see if that precision can be used to aim.”
She gave me a cool look, and I realized I was giving her orders. “Sorry.”
She just smiled. “It’s okay. You know, sometimes I barely recognize you.”
I winced, and she reached through the bars and grabbed my hand. “In a good way. Some people break under pressure like this. You’re using it to become strong.”
I thought of Lorian and all the ways he’d prodded me into doing exactly that. “I’m working on it.”
Tibris stepped out of Demos’s cage. “We’ve been down here for a while now. We should go.”
I nodded, and I squeezed Asinia’s hand. “Not long now.”
Glancing at Tibris, I gestured for him to follow me. He frowned but complied, and we walked toward the stone staircase. Hands on my hips, I examined it.
Tibris caught on immediately. “You think this is the tunnel entrance.” I held up my lantern between us. “My source insists it is.”
He rolled his eyes at my source.
I scowled at him. “I’ve been down here every night, looking for this entrance. You can dislike Lorian as much as you want—and I can’t blame you for any of it—but he helped us with this, Tibris.”
“Fine. I guess I can thank him for that at least. I wouldn’t have thought to look here.”
“Me neither. He even told me how it works.”
“You’re not an idiot, Pris. He’s playing his own game here. If he gave you any information to help you, it’s because it benefits him somehow.”
“I know. I’ve spent more time with him than you have, after all. That doesn’t mean we can’t benefit from whatever he’s up to.” I circled the stairs and crouched in front of the second step from the bottom. The catch was tiny, created to look like just another crack in the stone. Shoving my finger into that crack, I pressed on the tiny metal latch.
Tibris pulled me off the stairs, and we both watched as a door slid open.
Completely silent.
We glanced at each other and stepped into the tunnel.
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As usual, I made my way to Lorian’s rooms after I left the dungeon. This time, I was feeling exultant. The tunnel had led us all the way out to the main market. Just days from now, every person in the dungeon would be free.
I wanted to thank him. I knew Tibris was right. But Lorian was still helping us save the hybrids’ lives.
My power came to me easily tonight, my mind on the mercenary. Lorian had the ability to both calm me and infuriate me. Either way, he was a distraction from the way my skin constantly felt too tight in this place, and I longed to run just to burn off some of the tension that consumed me.
The moment Lorian opened his door, it was evident he was in a filthy mood. He even seemed bigger somehow, like he was done hiding away and pretending to be the prince. It was a good thing no other courtiers were in this room right now.
I opened my mouth, but he was already speaking. “Tell me where the amulet is.”
My heart stuttered at the threat in his eyes. Once Lorian had what he wanted, he would have no reason to work with us to get the prisoners out. And we needed all the help we could get. I forced myself to raise my eyebrow with a smirk. “I don’t think so.”
“I could make you tell me.” This time, I didn’t think he was talking about the pleasurable kind of torture. I gave him the look that threat deserved.
“And I could leave you frozen at any time,” I reminded him.
“For now.” He smiled, and I barely suppressed a shiver. It was a scary smile.
Lorian had just confirmed all my suspicions. He had power, but I’d never seen it. And somehow, that power was tied to the amulet he wanted me to find. If I gave him that amulet, he could abandon all of us to our fates.
“How do I know you won’t just kill everyone?”
“Oh, Prisca,” he purred. “I would never kill you.”
He was trying to unsettle me. Trying to ensure he had the upper hand in these negotiations. Unfortunately, it was working.
The blood pounded in my ears as we stared at each other. Finally, he sighed.
“We will make a blood vow.”
My mouth dropped open, and his gaze dropped to my lips. “You’ve been spending too much time with the fae.”
He gave a languid shrug. “They taught me a few things.”
I’d heard about fae blood vows. The rumors about them had made it even to our tiny villages. The cost of breaking a blood vow was…death. If I was wrong, and the amulet wasn’t where I thought it was, I would die screaming, begging for someone to end my suffering.
But if I was right…
I knew Lorian. If he agreed to get the prisoners to the city walls, that was what he would do. He and the rest of the mercenaries. If I died, it would be because I couldn’t find the amulet. That would mean Lorian wouldn’t have whatever dark power it would give him. I’d just have to warn Tibris and Vicer about the possibility, without letting them know about the death part. If I didn’t appear, they would know to make sure the prisoners fled.
It would mean my life for over three hundred others. A good deal.
“You look uncertain, wildcat.”
“I’m not. We’ll make the blood vow.”
He studied me. “I will trust you to get the amulet.” A flash of what might have been surprise flickered over his face at his own words. “But if you betray me…” His voice turned colder than I’d ever heard it. “None of your prisoners will live unless you give me that amulet.”
I stared at him. Sometimes I’d forget who he was, until he reminded me.
He caught my chin in his hand. “Don’t look at me like that. Lives
depend on me.”
“So you’d threaten over three hundred innocents?” He leaned closer. “In. A. Heartbeat.”
“Well.” I swallowed. “I’m glad to know where we stand. From what I’ve heard, blood vows can’t be broken anyway.”
“They can’t. But you’re sneaky. Cunning. If anyone could betray me, it would be you.”
I didn’t know if I should feel satisfied or worried about that fact. Especially when it looked like Lorian was shaken by that little admission, and his expression had turned calculating.
“I agree. We’ll vow right now,” I blurted before he could change his mind.
Anyone with magic could complete a fae blood vow—as long as they’d learned the right steps and the correct incantation.
I swallowed. “You definitely know how to do this, right?” Lorian just sighed. “Hold out your hand.”
In the end, it wasn’t as terrifying as I’d imagined. Lorian cut both of our palms, a thin slice that still stung and burned. He clasped our hands together, murmured a few words in a language I didn’t know, then told me to repeat those words.
“I’m not vowing to anything I don’t understand.” He gave me a slow smile. “A good choice.”
I shivered. Would he have made me vow to something terrible?
“I could have made you my slave for the rest of your life,” he whispered in my ear. “And you would have liked it.”
I swallowed, my mouth bone-dry. “Switch to the common tongue.”
He did, and I analyzed every word as he laid out our bargain. He would take the prisoners to the city gates, along with Rythos, Cavis, Galon, and Marth. They would wait for me there, and when I handed over the amulet, our deal would be complete.
Lorian said several more strange words, and I cried out as pain erupted from my hand, spreading up my arm and into my chest. He slid his hand to the back of my neck, holding me in place. When I looked down again, both of our cuts had sealed, leaving nothing but a thin line behind.
I went to step back, but he easily held me in place. His gaze examined my face, and then he was lowering his head, his mouth finding mine.
I sighed against his lips, and he let out a growl, backing me toward the wall.
“I have no desire to watch you scream as you die,” he growled. “So you better be correct about where that amulet is.”
I didn’t want to think about that. Not now. All I wanted was for Lorian to make me forget. Just for a little while. I gazed up at him, and he cursed,
his mouth capturing mine. Gods, he tasted good. Wild and a little feral and… I whimpered against his mouth, and he growled.
“You were designed to make me insane.”
He flipped our positions, and this time, he was pushing me through the sitting room, toward his bed. I stumbled, and then I was in his arms, my back hitting his soft bed.
“Dreamed of seeing you here,” he admitted, pressing a tender kiss to my lips. “Better than I could have imagined. Tell me you don’t want this, wildcat, but tell me now.”
I gazed up at him. He looked half crazed with lust. But beneath the lust was something else. Something we were both trying to pretend didn’t exist.
“I want this.”
“Then this needs to go.”
His hands found the clasp to my necklace, and he placed it on the bedside table.
Our eyes met—mine no longer hidden—and his mouth crashed down on mine. I slid my hand down his chest, unfastening his pants. Within a moment, I was stroking him, and he bucked into my hand. My stomach fluttered at the feel of him. “You’re…big.”
He just smiled against my lips. “You can take me.”
I squeezed him lightly, and he let out a rough groan, hauling me to my knees on the bed. He turned me, slowly unfastening each button, in between kisses to the back of my neck that made me want to beg him for more. He pulled down my dress, trapping my arms at my sides, and that hot, wicked mouth kissed up the side of my neck until he gently nipped at my earlobe. I gasped.
“I like you like this,” he purred. “Helpless against me.” “I’m never helpless,” I reminded him, and he laughed.
“Oh wildcat, I plan to make you so insane with pleasure, you won’t even know where to find your magic.”
My skin prickled at the dark promise in his voice. He seemed to lose that control he valued so highly, and my dress was suddenly gone—victim to his clever hands. He let out a rough groan as he took in the scraps of lace I was wearing beneath it.
There was something incredibly arousing about hearing that groan.
About knowing it was for me.
He flipped me, and his lips trailed down, across my breasts—distracting me while he did away with my underwear. And then I was bared for him, and he held my gaze as he ran one finger over the peak of my nipple.
“Do you like this?” He smiled at me. “Or this?” He roughly tweaked my other nipple, and I let out a choked moan.
“Ah,” he said. “A little pain with your pleasure?”
I shook my head, and he smiled. My breath caught in my throat, and I raised my hand, cupping his cheek. His smiles were so infrequent—and usually tinged with sarcasm. Or they were the feral kind of smiles that warned me something vicious and cutting would soon come out of that mouth. But this smile…
He smiled at me like I made him happy. “What are you thinking?”
“Nothing.”
“Mm-hmm. Let’s see if I can really make that busy little mind blank.”
He lowered his head, taking one nipple in his mouth, sucking and rolling it until I was holding his head to me, writhing beneath him.
“So sensitive,” he murmured, moving to my other breast and giving it the same attention. My core clenched, desperate, needy in a way I’d never felt before.
“I want to touch you,” I demanded, pulling his shirt up.
He ripped off his shirt, and my mouth watered at the smooth expanse of skin. I let my hands wander, learning his body the way I’d fantasized about that day when I’d watched him bathe.
“These too.” I tugged at his waistband. He laughed against my breast. “Demanding creature.” But he stripped them off, and my body heated
further at the feel of his skin against mine.
I attempted to twine my legs around him, desperate to finally feel him inside me. He cursed as I rubbed myself against the thick length of him, too needy to feel even a hint of shame at the act.
“I don’t think so. I need to get you ready.” “I’ve been ready.”
He ignored that, kissing his way down my belly. And if I’d thought the sight of his head between my thighs was erotic before, this was…
This was…
His naked back, his skin so warm against mine, the way he perused the heat of me as if I was his and he was deciding just how he’d best use me.
I gasped. He slowly lifted his head. “I haven’t touched you yet, Prisca.” “I need you.”
“I know.”
I would have scowled at his smug tone, except I could see the way he touched me with such careful restraint. The way he closed his eyes as his fingers found my slick core and he pushed my desire higher. And higher.
“Lorian.”
“Gods, when you beg. It’s the prettiest sound I’ve ever heard. Do it some more for me, and I’ll give you what you want.”
My cheeks blazed, but I met his gaze. He waited for me.
“There’s no shame between us,” he murmured. “Never. Now, tell me what you want.”
“I want you inside me.”
He smiled, flicking my clit with his finger. I clenched, and his smile widened. Then that same finger slid inside me. Gods, he made me want to beg.
“You want me here?” “You know I do.”
“Then you’ll have me here. And you’ll know no other man can make you feel the way I do.”
He slowly kissed his way back up my body, until our lips met. I trembled as he positioned himself at my entrance, slowly thrusting inside me.
He got about halfway in, and I was suddenly too full. Maybe this was a bad idea.
“Uh, Lorian.”
He just raised his head. Those green eyes were so dark, they were almost black, his pupils blown. “Take me, Prisca.”
His hand slipped down to stroke me, and I opened for him, writhing at the dual sensation.
“That’s it, wildcat,” he murmured. And then he removed his hand, slowly thrusting once more. His pelvic bone hit my clit with each thrust, and I wrapped my legs around him, already on the edge.
Oh gods, the feel of him. It was better than I’d imagined in even my most secret fantasies—and yet, not enough. I needed more.
“Harder,” I demanded.
“Made for me,” he purred. But he complied, thrusting so deep I saw stars. There was pain, simply because he was so big and it had been so long…but the pleasure…
I had no words for the pleasure. For the way my body was already tightening around him. For the way my every nerve seemed to cry out for more. For the way my breath caught in my throat, and every muscle in my body clenched, on the verge of something incredible.
“Come for me, wildcat.” Lorian leaned down to nip at my bottom lip. “And let me feel it.”
I had no choice. My body was already tensing, my breath catching. He cursed as I clamped down around him. My climax roared through me, so strong, the edges of my vision darkened until all I could see was Lorian and the possessive lust in his eyes as he watched me fall apart for him.
When I was limp, he continued to move, his eyes still filled with that feral lust. “We’re not done.”
He might not be, but I certainly was.
He gave me a slow smile. Obviously, he knew exactly what I was thinking, because he pulled out of me and flipped me onto my knees, thrusting into me once more. He felt even larger in this position, and I clenched around him.
“So fucking beautiful,” he growled in my ear.
He wrapped one of his hands around my throat. Not squeezing, just a dark threat. His other hand had slipped down until he thrust in time with that hand as it caressed my clit.
And just like that, I was on the edge again. “Come for me,” he ordered.
And I did. I let out a moan so filthy, he laughed. But it was a strained laugh. And then he was slamming into me, ensuring my climax went on and on, until he held me close and shuddered, emptying himself inside me.
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I was strangely content, lying here in my enemy’s castle, as Prisca watched me with those eyes that were hers once more. I’d found myself missing their strange color, but the calculation in them, at least, was always the same—whether disguised or not.
Her gaze turned intent. “Why did you leave me that day? At the river?” She’d never asked me that before.
I wasn’t a man who was used to feeling emotions like guilt or regret. And yet, when I thought of what could have happened to her, all alone by that river…
I quashed the urge to give her a glib answer. I was quiet for so long, she looked away. Finally, I sighed.
“I have been doing the kinds of tasks that would break many men for a very long time. When you live such a life, you eventually have to make a choice. Allow your deeds to stack up on your shoulders with every movement, crippling you with their weight, or turn that part of you—the part that cares about right and wrong and good and bad—off. When I first saw you, I didn’t see a person. I saw a problem I had no answer to. And then you looked at me, and I knew you’d survive.”
“How could you know that?”
“You forget—I’m older and wiser than you.” She rolled her eyes at that, and I couldn’t help but smile. “It wasn’t just fear and desperation in your eyes that day.”
She snorted. “Is that right? Tell me what else you believe you saw.”
I caught her wrist. It was so small in my hand. So fragile. And yet, this woman had already gotten closer to the king than any rebel before her.
“I saw a burning rage. A wrath and retribution within you, just waiting to be freed. You killed two men.”
She flinched and attempted to free her hand, but I held on. “You fought for your survival. You made it through that forest until you found me again. When I saw you—and your poor attempt to sneak up on us—I wanted you so badly, I was enraged. So I buried it down deep, vowing to never even
think of acting on it. And then I realized what power you had, and even as I loathed myself for it, I was relieved.”
Her brow creased. “Why?”
The words were difficult to say, but she deserved to hear them. “Because I would get to keep you for a little while. And I vowed that even if you hated me for it, I would make sure you were able to survive.”
She was quiet for a long time. Then she leaned down and pressed a kiss to the hand I had wrapped around her wrist.
“Can I ask you something?” Her voice was drowsy. “Yes.”
“How much power do hybrids have?”
“Hybrids are more powerful than humans. Which is one of the reasons why they are a threat to the king. They recover faster from injuries and sickness. If you’d been human, you would have died from that poison.” Ice spread through my veins at the thought. Even with her hybrid blood, she’d come incredibly close to death.
And it had taken all my self-control not to slaughter the woman responsible. My instincts urged me to remove the threat she still presented.
“What about the fae? How much more powerful are they than humans and hybrids?”
“The fae are their own creatures. But there are so many different types of fae that it would be difficult to compare them accurately. Some of them are so long-lived, they’re almost ancient compared to humans. They see humans as little more than pests that should have been eradicated long before they became a threat. I’ve met fae who enjoy humans—not just sexually and not to eat, as Sabium likes to suggest. But as friends.”
She thought about that. “Do you consider the fae your friends?”
“Some of them,” I said honestly. “Some of them, I stay away from as much as possible. But you asked about their power. Most humans have one gift. One ability. Hybrids have the same, but that one ability can rival the fae.”
“And the fae?”
“They have one main ability, similar to the hybrids. But they also have various small magics. Simple things that would seem incredible to humans.”
She was quiet for a while. “You’re so knowledgeable. Clearly, you’ve been traveling for a long time. What’s it like?”
She meant what was it like being a mercenary. “I enjoy the freedom.
But it can be…lonely.”
“Even with Marth and the rest keeping you company?”
I chuckled. “We’ve been together for so long, we’re mostly tired of one another.”
She yawned. “I should get back to my room before I fall asleep here.”
I tamped down my instant denial. Becoming possessive of this woman would be a mistake. Even if I wanted to soak up her scent and chain her to this bed where she would stay safe.
So I helped her dress, distracting her with long kisses and murmured suggestions, until she was laughing, her eyes lit with lust.
Then I practically pushed her out of my room before I could do something stupid like order her to stay.
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|
The next two days flew by. Vicer was making his plans, and I was making mine. Lorian spent most of the time away with the king on another hunting trip, and I’d spent my time helping Tibris in the dungeon, going over and over every part of our plan.
Meals with the other ladies had become…awkward. Caraceli’s usual seat was empty, but since she’d taken to sitting next to me so she could hiss threats in my ear, I wasn’t exactly upset about that. Lisveth had taken her seat back, although even she was quiet.
Pelopia and Alcandre sent me occasional wary looks. Obviously, Caraceli had managed to convince them of my scheming ways.
But I could barely focus on them. Instead, I was continually daydreaming about the way Lorian had taken me the other night. I’d been right about one thing when I’d fantasized about his body—even as I’d
loathed him. He’d likely ruined me for any other man. And yet I couldn’t find it in me to regret it.
Lorian was currently lounging next to the king, laughing at something Farrow said. I couldn’t help but be entranced by the way he’d transformed from mercenary to prince.
He caught my eye, and I swallowed at the hard glint in his eye. Something was wrong. I gave him the tiniest nod and went back to my food.
But I could no longer eat.
By the time I met him back in his room, my lungs were heavy with dread.
“What is it?” I asked when he opened the door.
His expression was serious, and he kept his eyes on mine. “I just learned that Sabium has filled in the tunnel to the market.”
A dull roaring sounded in my ears. Lorian cursed and pulled me farther into the room, hauling me onto the sofa.
“I’m sorry, Prisca.”
“The king knows of our plans.”
“If he did, we would all be burning. But it’s possible someone reminded him that the tunnel was still there and unused. Perhaps a guard noticed dust disturbed near the entrance. Or Sabium had simply always planned to fill it in and it’s a coincidence.”
“You don’t believe in coincidences.”
He just shook his head. “You’d be surprised what I believe in. But there’s another possibility.”
I nodded. “That Sabium knows someone was in his dungeon and he’s setting some kind of trap.” I got up to pace. The tunnel wasn’t the only way. It couldn’t be. “I’ll figure something else out.”
“Prisca.”
“This isn’t the end.”
Lorian caught my hand. For the first time, his eyes were dark with sorrow. I wrenched my hand away.
“Don’t look like that. You promised to help if I found your amulet. You
vowed it.”
He frowned. “And I’ll complete my vow. But right now, you don’t have a plan.”
“I will.” I attempted to keep my voice steady, but from the pity in Lorian’s eyes, I wasn’t successful. He stood and brushed my hair behind my ear. My eyes burned at the tenderness, and I pulled away, unable to handle kindness from him right now.
“I’ve got to go.” “Prisca.”
I stalked out. With the tunnel no longer an option, how was I going to get the prisoners out? The Gods Day ball was in just four days, and the king was clearly being careful.
My mind raced with possibilities. The servants’ halls connected to the back exit of the castle. But anyone leaving the grounds still had to go through the front gates. Even with the amount I’d practiced with my magic, I couldn’t freeze time long enough for over three hundred prisoners to make their way down the paved road leading to the gates.
Maybe Vicer could arrange for the rebels to steal whatever conveyance they could find and meet us somewhere close enough to the castle that we could load the hybrids into that transportation.
I snorted. Even if they could somehow steal enough for everyone, what were the chances that the guards wouldn’t notice hundreds of horses, carriages, and carts all heading toward the castle? I’d seen the guards stationed at various points throughout the city. Paid attention to their alert demeanor and the random searches they insisted upon. The city guards were bound to be on high alert for Gods Day, especially with so many prisoners due to be executed at dawn.
A hollow ache settled in my stomach, and I couldn’t hear anything over the ringing in my ears. I’d already failed Wila. Failed Asinia’s mother. Failed my own. I couldn’t fail anyone else. Couldn’t let anyone else die because of me.
I took a deep breath and buried my shaking hands in my gown. Right now, I had to get to the queen’s chambers before she noticed I was missing. After my poisoning, she would likely pay closer attention to all of us, and the last thing I needed was for her to begin asking questions.
My mind raced as I walked toward the queen’s chambers. There was a way to free the prisoners. I knew there was. This couldn’t be it. It wouldn’t be it.
The queen was withdrawn today. Servants brought in tea, along with tiny, perfectly crafted pastries, but the queen was staring out the window.
So many lives on the line, and I was watching the queen daydream.
“Is everything all right, Your Majesty?” Lisveth asked, after at least an hour of us making stilted conversation while she ignored us.
The queen gave Lisveth a small smile. But it immediately disappeared, and she heaved a sigh. “My husband has been absent lately. He refused my request for our son to come home for Gods Day.” Those freckles stood out on her pale face as she turned her head to the window once more. Clearly, that was as much as the queen was prepared to divulge. “Oh, you don’t need to sit in here all day with me,” she sighed again. “Go take one of the carriages to the market or take a walk around the grounds.”
Her tone was almost accusatory, as if our presence—at her request— was an imposition.
I was on my feet before the words finished leaving her mouth. She raised one eyebrow, and I merely bowed my head. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Madinia caught up to me the moment we left the queen’s chambers. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
She caught my arm, and I shook my head. “Not here.”
Madinia followed me out of the castle and onto the grounds. Even more guards were stationed than usual. To our west, across what had to be several hundred foot-spans of grass, the royal stables were situated next to the sprawling brick building where the carriages were stored.
“We can’t use the tunnel from the dungeons to get the prisoners out.”
Horror slid into Madinia’s eyes as she stared at me. “What do you
mean? That’s how we’re getting out.” “Not anymore. The king filled it in.”
“What will we do?” To her credit, the words weren’t dripping panic. It seemed to be a genuine question, and the frown on her face told me she wanted to talk options.
“I don’t know.” My voice broke. Admitting such a thing when Madinia had put her faith in me…when they’d all put their faith in me…
“You have some scheme up your sleeve, I know you do. Prisca, I want to help.”
As usual, her voice was haughty. Because Madinia wasn’t used to asking for anything. Even when we wanted something from the queen, it was usually Lisveth who asked.
I opened my mouth to snarl at her, and something moved in the corner of my eye. I turned, feeling Madinia do the same next to me.
Davis stood outside the stables. He lifted his hand in a wave, that easy smile on his face as if we were all good friends. I glanced at Madinia, who was struggling not to curl her lip at him.
“You want to help?”
She sighed. “I’m not going to like this, am I?”
