“I need the keys to my father’s study.”
“Go cause chaos somewhere else, Sawyerlyn,” Samara said, extinguishing the lantern she held as it became useless. “I wish no part of your schemes. I am busy.”
Sawyer scoffed. “You used to love scheming.”
“And then we grew up. Get over it.”
Sawyer and Samara had been friends at one point, perhaps just as close as she was now with Nina. She was closer to Sawyer’s age, both being five years Cas’s junior. Their mothers had gotten pregnant at nearly the same time, ironically, and gave birth mere weeks from each other.
When Sawyer arrived in Rimemere at thirteen, Samara and Cas had been her only escape from her father. Nina had been ushered away to distant family in Romalia after her mother’s death, then returned to Rimemere when it was time for them to join the Wielding academy. Samara graduated into the Semmena Court and grew to hate the friendship Sawyer and Cas built, blaming Sawyer for Cas’s desire to continue his devotion to the Yarrows instead of joining his sister, despite Irene being responsible for their father’s demise.
It all became too complicated to heal.
“Regardless,” Sawyer said, clearing her throat. “I am not scheming. I left something important in there.”
“Like what?”
“A notebook. With notes.”
“You didn’t study in the academy, yet you expect me to believe you want to do so now?’
Sawyer sighed, her patience wavering. She jumped to her feet and walked to the table. Samara’s violet eyes watched her every movement.
Sawyer studied the maps, tapping her fingertips along the wooden edge. “You’re trying to ally with northern territories.”
After a few moments of hesitation, Samara Guided Shadows over her plans. “I don’t have the keys. I’m afraid you are wasting your time.”
Irritation made Sawyer incredibly tired. “Who has them?”
A small smirk bloomed on the Shadow Guider’s lips. “Who do you think?”
Sawyer looked at her for a long time before turning on her heel. “Start with the Driodell territory if you want allies. You can at least bribe them with Earth Callers.”
Thirty Two
WINDERLYN’S TRIAL
SOL SAW STARSthe second she set sights on what they were expected to do.
There was no way.
None.
Zero.
This was where she died, surely.
Cattya slid past her, a cocky smirk on her stupid face. “Scared,
Princess?”
Sol bit her cheek to keep from screaming.
They stood near the edge of a cliff. Pure sandy stone floated beneath them, behind them the remnants of a patchy forest and their carriages. She could tell they were far up on a sort of mountain by the proximity of the clouds and the seas of green the horizon danced with far below the apex of the jagged, looming stone ledge.
On that ledge was a thin wooden bridge connecting their edge to another about thirty paces away. As they walked closer, the bridge became thicker, maybe the length of both her feet pressed together. It swayed lightly, taunting them with its instability.
It was almost like a parapet, except nothing held it up other than luck and wind.
