“The King ordered us to do it.”
“I heard. Keys.”
The guard swallowed and looked from Semmena to Sol, then surely at Sawyer who stood behind her with the heat of an inferno radiating from her.
As the King turned to walk back into the ballroom, his Court in tow, the guard dropped the keys into Sol’s open hand.
She merely tossed them back to Sawyer.
“Let us gather outdoors, Noblemen and Noblewomen!” King Semmena continued his walk into the crowd, stopping only briefly at the entrance to motion them forward. “We have fantastic antiquities and things to showcase outside.”
“We will come inside for beverages and dancing once the room is cleared.” Gina clipped the last of the words with a glare at Sol.
The clatter of the lock and keys resounded through the room as Sawyer pulled the door of the cage open.
“Cas,” her cousin whispered, followed by a sob from Nina.
Both the women crowded into the cage, Alix full of stone, primal fury beside them.
“Why,” was all the Water Dancer said.
Sol flicked her gaze to him, pursing her lips and shaking her head. She didn’t have an answer for him.
The kingsmen remained in the room as the rest of the people filed out. Penny looked back at her uncle with a tear-stained face, ushered forward by Poppy Niome and the boy she spoke to before—the boy Sol now realized was one of her marriage prospects.
Oh gods.
She willingly signed up to participate in what seemed like a death sentence. Did her rash decision gain her allies? Or enemies?
She traced the scar on her palm, wishing with all of her will that her aunt Lora would walk through the throne room doors and embrace her, tell her all was okay, and she would get them out of this.
No.
No, that didn’t seem likely to happen.
Sol turned around.
Aside from the blood and bruises, Cas seemed slightly better now that Nina and Sawyer were beside him. Sawyer ran her hands gently over his face, presumably to warm him. Nina materialized plants—Sol recognized the aloe vera leaf the Earth Caller harvested salve from. She smoothed it over Cas's face.
He met Sol’s gaze and gave her a weak smile. “The one joy of being beaten almost to death is the way it brings out their nurturing side.”
Sol shook her head as Sawyer and Nina protested.
“Is that why you pick fights so often, Cassie?” Sawyer snickered. “To feel the touch of a woman?”
Despite her tears, Nina laughed. “We will hug you more, Cas. I swear it.”
“Why didn’t you call for help?” Alix knelt beside the cage, wrapping a palm around a rusted bar. “Why just lay here?”
Cas shrugged. “I’m tired. Plus, I was very entertained by the Princess’s speech.”
Sol knelt in front of him, her dress spilling around the rusted cage.
She searched his face for a hint of sincerity, or emotion. But it was cold. Vacant.
And she understood. So, she only said, “He will pay.”
The three of them looked at her, the two women cautiously surprised. But Cas grinned. “Welcome to the Yarrow court, Princess.”
