I sit numbly beside the fire, enveloped in its heat.
The blood coating my dress and hands is nearly dry now, as are the tears that streamed down my face. Now there is nothing left but a slow, simmering rage as I sit silently in this study.
Hushed voices seep around the cracked door, stealing my attention from the trapped flames. “Where is she?” I sit up slightly at that voice. “I want to see her. I haven’t even been able to since—”
I move quickly, tripping over fumbling feet. I’m suddenly standing before the door, cutting off his words with nothing more than the mere sight of me. The smile that slides to his lips is a sad one, filled with an abundance of apologies while looking like a sigh of relief.
I fling myself into Calum’s arms without a second thought. He holds me tight, cradling the broken pieces of me with gentle care. “It’s good to see you, too,” he whispers into my hair, making me smile against his shoulder.
I pull away, looking him over. His pale eyes shine, searching mine and likely the mind behind them. This theory is only confirmed when he nods slowly, blond hair dull in the dim light. “You’re welcome. It was Kitt that discovered the truth. I simply helped him get there.”
I smile, relieved to know that he heard every echo of gratitude bouncing around my skull. Because I’m not sure I could put it into words at the moment. He has helped change everything, helped turn my father’s hope into a reality.
Well, not quite my father. Just the man who raised me.
At that sudden thought, Calum’s brows rise slightly in surprise. I sigh, shaking my head. “I’ll explain later. But for now… thank you. For everything.” I return his nod with another small smile. “I just wanted you to hear me say it out loud.”
My eyes trail over Calum’s shoulder, finding Kitt and Kai conversing softly. I step aside, gesturing for them to continue their murmuring in the study behind me. Kitt nods in silent agreement, striding past to take a seat behind his desk. Calum follows quietly, leaving only Kai standing before the doorway.
He had carried me up into the castle, started the fire that warmed my numb limbs. Then he’d kissed my forehead and slipped out the door, likely dealing with more pressing Enforcer duties than the crumbling queen-to-be.
He watches me now, an ache in his gaze that mirrors my own. I want nothing more than to be held by him, enveloped in the comfort of his arms. He is a weakness I am not supposed to indulge in. Not in this life, at least.
I can’t imagine what he sees in this moment. Likely running makeup and dirt-stained cheeks. Tangled hair and blood-drenched skin I’m struggling to ignore. And yet, he looks at me with a relieved sort of adoration, ensuring I’m all right with a lingering swipe of his gaze.
Our fingers brush as he steps past, leaving me standing in the doorway. I take a long, steadying breath before turning to retake my seat beside the fire. Only then do I allow my thoughts to stray back to the horrors I’d seen. My sharp words cut through the men’s conversation with ease. “What the hell happened out there?”
Kai leans against the desk, shaking his head. “The explosions came from man-made bombs. Six of them. I haven’t seen those since—”
“The first Trial ball,” I finish for him. My gaze lands on Calum. “Only the Resistance had use for those. Why go through all the trouble of making bombs when an Ignite could do just as much damage?”
Lowering himself into a chair, Calum sighs. “If I had to guess, I would say that this attack was meant to be a message more than anything.”
“All that for a message?” I hiss. “Innocent people died.”
Kitt coughs into his fist, likely due to the inhaled smoke. “How many casualties, Kai?”
“Nine. So far.” My eyes fall shut as he adds a low, “But dozens are injured and being tended to by Healers.”
My eyes flutter open to the sight of Kitt rubbing a hand down his face. “Do continue, Calum. I’d like to hear this theory.”
“Well, it wasn’t an attack on the royals themselves.” Calum gestures around the room to our very much alive bodies. “Which leads me to believe that this was an attack on the meaning behind the parade. On… well, the future of this kingdom.”
“There won’t be a future if our borders remain closed, and Ordinaries remain banished,” Kitt huffs under his breath.
“The people don’t want Paedyn as their queen.”
I swivel toward the foreign voice, finding a minty head of hair in the doorway. The court’s spokesman steps into the room, his clothing finely pressed against dark skin.
“Ah, Easel, welcome.” Kitt gestures toward him while addressing the rest of us. “As head of my court, I figured it best to hear what he has to say on the matter. Or rather, what the people are saying.”
“Your Majesty.” Easel tips his head toward the king. “The people are in a state of unrest.”
“They don’t want an Ordinary as their queen,” I say bitterly.
“Well, you did kill the king that ensured an Elite society,” Kitt mutters.
Calum, his voice distant, adds, “And that is not the only royal you have killed.”
My eyes dart to his. “What are you talking about?”
He opens his mouth quickly, folding stiff arms behind his back. “A piece of Kitt died that day, did it not?” Gesturing in the direction of the west tower, he adds solemnly, “Along with the king’s wife, now sick with grief.”
Guilt sinks its teeth into my chest, gnawing at my conscience. For the first time, I feel a twinge of shame for bestowing death upon the king. Not for his sake, but for those around him.
“You’re right.” Swallowing, I glance over at the brothers, having wounded them both in very different ways. “I am sorry, again. For the hurt I caused you, Kitt.” My gaze flicks to the Enforcer beside him. “And for the grief that has sickened your mother.”
There is a long, contemplative pause from the three of them. Kai nods his forgiveness as Kitt breaks the unbearable silence. “Thank you, Paedyn.” The words are stiff, but spoken, nonetheless. And within the next breath, he’s returned diligently to the conversation at hand. “So, why not go after Paedyn if she is what they see as the problem?”
It’s Easel who answers. “This is now much bigger than her, my King. The whole kingdom has been suddenly told to welcome Ordinaries when they now barely tolerate the multiplying Mundanes. No matter the reasoning, most refuse to accept this.”
“Do they not realize what is at stake here?” I scoff. “Ilya will fall without resources.”
“They realize.” Easel nods slowly. “But ignorance was their bliss. Some admired the late king’s persistence in ridding Ilya of Ordinaries rather than saving it from collapsing.”
Kai crosses his arms, the sleeves hugging them dried with blood. “The Defensive and Offensive Elites are turning against the entirety of the slums. I’ve seen the shift over the past few years. It’s not just Ordinaries they want out of the city.” His eyes meet mine. “The entirety of the slums is beneath them now.”
“Well, that is no surprise to me,” I breathe. “Anyone in the slums has known that for years. My father even wrote about it—how the Mundanes will soon become the new Ordinaries.”
Calum’s eyes meet mine, seeing right through me to learn of my father’s journal. I’ve never been more thankful for his mind reading ability than in this moment. I don’t even have to address the questioning look in his eyes—he can go right ahead and find the answer within my mind.
“They already are.” Kitt states this evenly. “Their numbers are growing and the rest of the Elites only see them as a weakness—”
“Just like the Ordinaries,” I finish for him.
Easel nods. Kai stiffens. Calum remains stoic as ever.
“So,” Kitt says slowly, “do we have any idea who exactly is behind this?”
“Likely a group of Elites who think they’re doing the kingdom a favor.” Kai’s tone is dry. “And also think they have a sense of humor by copying the Resistance bombs.”
“Handmade bombs are harder to trace than an Ignite,” I realize softly. “There is no one to interrogate. No way to know who threw them.”
The study fills with silence until Kitt dares to break it. “What does the court want us to do about this? How do we get the people to accept Paedyn as their queen?”
A lock of Easel’s long hair slips over a broad shoulder. “Paedyn must prove herself to all of Ilya. Prove she is strong enough to rule, even as an Ordinary. That is the only way we believe they will accept her.”
I almost laugh. “And how do we plan on doing that?”
His silence is ominous. And when he finally speaks, I understand why. “The people want to send you back into your own Trials.”
