“Maybe he’s in there,” Sansu whispered, not wanting to broadcast our worry to the guards escorting us.
A group of at least three hundred fae, many of them soldiers, stood a couple hundred yards away, waiting. My gaze scanned the crowd. I couldn’t find a single person who remotely resembled Henri. And if he saw us, I was positive that he’d catch our attention.
My last hope that he’d make it back in time for the creatures challenge vanished. I broke out into a sweat.
“There’s that horrible witch,” Dee growled from her perch on my shoulder. She pointed to one of the two witches.
Both wore striking emerald cloaks that made them stand out in the sea of red and white. To add to their air of superiority, the two women stood on either side of the Red Queen.
“We can sink our fangs into her when she’s not paying attention,” Dum replied, her voice as venomous as her sister’s. “With this large of a crowd, it would be easy to slink away after.”
Henri was gone. Both the witches were present, as weremanymore soldiers than before. The hair at the nape of my neck lifted. Something was very wrong.
“Actually, girls,” I whispered. “I have a bad feeling about Henri. I know you want to watch the last trial, and get revenge on the witches, but can I persuade you to take on a different mission?”
“For Henri?” Dee stood up. “Of course!”
“Okay.” I paused and squatted, earning looks of annoyance from the guards escorting me, which I ignored.
I gently set the pixies on the sand, and brought my face close to theirs so no one else would hear. “Henri wouldn’t miss this. Something is wrong—I just know it. Find him, save him, and, if you can, bring more of our people back to the beach with you.”
I glanced at their wings. “This’ll be harder now that you can’t fly. You’ll have to be much sneakier. Are you sure you’re up for it?”
“Girl, we might not be able to fly, but don’t underestimate us pixies,” Dee replied, her chin jutting out. “We’re on it.”
“Ahem.We’re on a bit of a schedule here,” a guard said.
I didn’t reply to him, only held my fist out for the pixies to pound. “I have the ultimate faith in you,” I said when their fists hit mine simultaneously, and opened into explosions. “May the aether light your way.”
The girls scampered off down the beach, their tiny feet leaving small indents in the sand. I watched them go and hoped that I wasn’t too late. Or better yet, that my gut was wrong and Henri would show up at any minute.
But when I stood and caught sight of the smug expression on my aunt’s face, I couldn’t find it in me to believe that.
“Arlan. Sansu. Stay close.”
The guys flanked me as I strode toward the gathering on the beach, as upright and proud as I could, with my feet slipping in the sand. When I got there, I saw that there were even more soldiers than I thought. Well over one hundred, from both the Diamond and Heart battalions.
My mouth dried up. The Red Queen expected something to happen here, and she had to know that my experience with creatures wouldn’t require so many soldiers.
No, if I had to guess, I’d say that my aunt expected to win. And if she expected to win, there was only one reason to have such a large guard.
She thought I’d do what I came here to do, anyway. Assassinate her.
“I see you’re one crony short,” the Red Queen said, her voice low. “Did he decide he chose the wrong team?”
There was something in her eyes that made me think she knew exactly where Henri was. I was glad I’d had sent the pixies to investigate, and frustrated that I hadn’t considered it sooner.
“He had to go help someone he loves,” I snapped back. “I don’t expect you to understand that.”
The Red Queen snarled, but Herald cut off her retort when he hopped through the soldiers to stand between us, and called the gathering to order.
“The contestants of the Trial by Aether have arrived.” The white rabbit gestured for me to come closer. “And the third competition will take place forthwith.”
I watched him, impressed. So far, Herald had performed his tasks unflinchingly. Even now, when he knew this was the last trial and he would die once it was complete, he was all business.
I had to be more like him—to keep my eye on the prize. I had to trust that the pixies would find Henri.
I had to be Alice the Dagger one last time.
