“What about the Mirror?” I ask.
“A harder conundrum to solve,” he muses. “Gut instinct says we need to start researching books that might mention the creation of our kingdom and hope that knowledge of the Mirror is mixed up within that as well.”
“That will take forever.” Cass sighs before looking to me. “Unlessyouknow somewhere to start?”
I shake my head and cross one ankle in front of the other. “Not off the top of my head. I’ll have to search the library—”
“Elora.” All heads swing towards Nox, his gaze still fastened on the ring. He curls his fingers around it, encasing it in his palm before letting his hand fall to his lap. “Elora has worked in the palace library for years next to Rayna. She knows that place inside and out. At the very least, she can point us in the right direction.”
“And you trust her with all of this?” I ask, gesturing broadly. I have heard the name and, if memory serves me correctly, believe it to be attached to a woman with bright red hair and a voice entirely too loud for a library setting, but I haven’t interacted with her enough to know if she is someone we can rely on to keep information quiet.
Nox answers without hesitation. “Rhea does.”
I suppose that has to be reason enough. The rest of our plans come together quickly. While Cass and my father work to unsuspectingly weed out whoever hurt Daje and Rhea in our guard, Nox and I will partner with Elora to try and uncover any information we can about repairing the Mirror. I’ve also been tasked with tapping into the gossip network through Haylee, something I find mildly abhorrent.
“No one is more in tune to the workings of the court than she is,” Cass says in response to my frown. “The woman always knows what’s going on and with who.”
“Fine.” While I’d rather spend my time with my experiments or getting nicked relentlessly from a dull blade than speak about the whispers amongst my peers, I understand that—given the circumstances—it’s necessary.
“We work quietly and check in weekly. The council will have to know that we are actively seeking information on how torepair the Mirror, but anything elsemustbe kept secret for as long as possible. Only when we have the information we need do we approach them about bringing Rhea home.” Everyone nods in agreement at my father.
Nox is practically hunched over himself by the end of our conversation, so we all begin to file out of the room in favor of letting him rest. I’m nearly across the threshold when my brother calls my name. Looking at him over my shoulder, I take in the hard planes of his face. “Yes?”
“I know you don’t know Rhea and that you are only doing what you always do—objectively looking at things to find the truth.” He lifts his chin slightly, his gaze boring into mine. “As my sister, you will always receive grace that I would never allow anyone else. But”—he drops his voice to something darker and more serious—“don’t ever question her strength or the magnitude of her love for me or mine for her again. She has been through more than anyone has ever given her credit for, and I will be damned if my own family looks upon her with anything other than the respect she duly deserves.”
Silence stretches thick and awkward between us, a million sharp retorts battling for the chance to be released behind my teeth. I let none of them slip through, instead giving my brother a small smile. “Don’t do anything stupid.” Shutting the door between us, I can only hope that the dread I feel is temporary.
I had expected to be summoned by the council to continue their inquisition, but as the evening bled away to morning—my steps pacing restlessly in my room—no such call arrived. I wondered if they were already speaking with Nox, if he was adhering to our plan of making the council believe he wasn’t suspicious of them. Or mourning Rhea’s absence. I thought of his parting words, ofthe look that transformed his face from one that I knew to a version that I didn’t. Part of me was curious to know if he also saw someone different when he looked at me. If I wanted that to be true for myself.
After spending entirely too much time stuck in a loop of hypotheticals, I managed to get some sleep, only to be awoken by a nightmare of dark dungeons and rattling chains, warm blood coating my skin and golden eyes piercing me down to my very soul. I needed a distraction, so after showering and dressing and checking on Nox—who was thankfully still in his room asleep—I headed towards the palace library to speak with Elora.
It’s quiet as I enter, a comfort in the lack of noise that only a place filled with books can provide. While I spent my early childhood hiding within the labyrinth of shelves here, as I grew older, I came to prefer the Galdr library instead. I think it had to do with its size—the way it was so easy for me to slip into any obscure aisle and lose myself in whatever story or history I was reading. Perhaps it went even deeper, like being able to physically remove myself from the palace that represented my family. Their magical strength the antithesis to my own.
Muffled voices draw me out of my annoyingly introspective thoughts, and as I round a corner, I find their owners. The aisle is long in front of me, an ornate rug centered on it with windows on one side and a maze of books on the other. At its end are the librarian desks, and perched in front of one of them, her hip leaning against its edge is Elora. Her hair is pulled into a braid that lays over one shoulder while her glasses catch the light of the morning sun that filters in through the treetops, occasionally causing a little flare to dance on the rug in front of her. But it’s who she is speaking to that momentarily halts my steps. He stands with his feet hip width apart, his body partially turned so that I see more of his back than his front. But I’d recognize him anywhere.
I can’t say why I just stand there and watch them talk, Elora speaking with more animation than Daje. He runs a hand over his head, letting it linger there before it falls abruptly to his side. She reaches out—tentatively, gently—and curls her fingers around his arm, leaning in a little closer to say something. It occurs to me then that perhaps this is something private or intimate or, at the very least, worthy of not having someonewatchingover, but as I pivot, intent on hiding within the bookcases for a few moments before making myself known, my name is called out, title included.
“Princess Bahira! What a lovely surprise.”
Fuck. Plastering a smile on my face, I straighten myself out and force one foot in front of the other as I head towards them. I look at Daje for a moment, only to find that his eyes are on the ground in front of him. Elora’s smile is bright, however.
“I hope I’m not interrupting,” I say by way of greeting.
“No, not at all! Welcome home, Your Highness!”
“Just Bahira is fine. And thank you.”
She nods, her gaze swinging from mine to Daje’s. At his clear avoidance, her brow arches momentarily before she drops it and looks back to me.
Irritation begins to simmer beneath my skin, an angry inner voice shouting,These are the fucking terms you set! At least respect me enough to stop pretending I’m not here. But with a clearing of my throat, I shut the thought down. “I want to talk with you about something.”
“With me?” Elora confirms, her voice growing higher pitched.
At that, Daje finally looks at me, his dark blue eyes meeting mine with hardly a glint of familiarity. Is it truly that easy? To simply decide decades of friendship is worth sacrificing at the expense of a love that does not—cannot—exist?Is it really that easy to just let me go?
Worthless. Kai’s voice ricochets in my head unbidden, taking me off guard.
I scoff, knowing I should be more understanding and give Daje time to process…this. To mourn in whatever way he needs to because, despite his façade of indifference, Iknowhe cares about me. I have always known that. But I’m angry. At him. At Kai. At myself. So instead, I bark, “You should go find Cass. There have been some developments, and he has a new task for you.”
