“I know why I’m here. And you’re putting it all at risk,” I remind him.
“No, you’re the one putting it at risk with that revenge talk. You find out where the emperor is. You find out how he’s stayingalive so long. Then you tell us and let the rest of us do our jobs.” He steps closer, and his expression softens. “I know it’s been hard on you. I hate that you’ve had to live like this. I hate that you lost them. I miss them, too. Your brothers were like brothers to me, as well. Remember that. Remember that you’re not the only one hurting.”
I clench my jaw to keep from pointing out his condescending switch in tactics. At this point, I just want him gone. And then I can figure out where the emperor is, what’s keeping him alive, and how to put a blade in his heart myself. I don’t care what Lee says. This is all about revenge.
He pulls a red gemstone from his pocket and holds it out. “Take this. As soon as you find what you need, place it on that windowsill. It’ll glow in the sun. We’ll watch for it.”
“Fire ruby?” I ask. The stone will shine like a beacon from my window once I put it there.
“The only one we have. But tell them some story about how it was a gift from your family or something to remind you of home. They’re mined in Iskvaland. They should buy it. Tell them you’re homesick.”
“Got it. But now you need to leave. Before they come in here and find you.”
“Be careful, Tay. You know how important you are to me.” He smiles the way he used to when he’d say sweet things to me. Back when I believed his kind words and empty promises.
Before I knew who he really was. I won’t fall for it again. “Right. Go. I can do this. But it will take time.”
He nods, then turns and rushes away, disappearing into a secret passage in the bathroom.
Well, that’s going to give me nightmares. No more long baths for me. I wait a moment, letting him get some distance, before I follow him. There is no way I’m not going to find out where thatpassage leads. Just as I press against the wall, a knock sounds on my door.
I remove my hand and hurry back to my bedroom. “Who is it?”
“Princess, I need to check your room,” Brevan calls from outside. “Are you decent?”
I’m in a nearly sheer nightgown, so no. “One minute.” I find the robe near the vanity and pull it on as I walk to the door.
I hardly open it a crack before Brevan pushes his way inside. Startled, I scramble away so I’m not knocked over. “Excuse you.”
“Emergency, Your Highness.” He unsheathes the sword that hangs at his hip and holds it by his side, then storms into the bedroom. He checks under the bed, behind the tapestries, inside the wardrobe. He investigates every crevice and every corner.
My blood runs cold.
He’s looking for someone hiding in my room. They know Lee was here. I didn’t even make it one night in the castle. They’re going to arrest me and hang me. I will haunt Lee for the rest of his life for sneaking in here like this.
I follow Brevan at a distance, expecting him to enter the passageway in the bathing chamber, but he doesn’t even pause near the wall. He does another pass of each room, checking every corner a second time, then returns to my bedroom, stopping in front of me. His jaw is clenched, his grip on his weapon tight. He’s wound as tight as a spring, and I’m certain he’s about to unload all that tension on me.
“Did you find what you were looking for?” I ask.
“There’s nobody here,” he says.
“Did you expect someone else to be here besides me?” I’m impressed with how condescending I make my tone.
“There was an incident. Rebels tried to scale the north side of the castle. Two made it past the legionnaires and were headingin the direction of your rooms.” He peers around again, as if he doesn’t believe his own investigation.
“But your men caught them, right?” I ask.
“No. Not all of them. But I will remain with you until they’re found,” he says.
“That’s not necessary.”
His eyes narrow. “It’s not? Do you have some kind of training I’m unaware of?”
That’s when I remember I’m supposed to be afraid of the rebels. I can’t afford to keep making these kinds of mistakes. Especially now that I know Lee expects me to fail. I have added proving Lee wrong to my list of reasons for being here. “It’s just that my door locks and there’s so many legionnaires here and they all have magic. They can’t possibly get into my room.”
“I’m glad you feel confident in our men,” he says. “But the prince has informed me that you have a habit of taking clandestine midnight strolls. I can’t risk you doing that.”
“That was in my home. Where I was familiar with things. I’m not going to do that here.” The real Sabina’s habit of sneaking out might end up making things harder for me. Covert exploration of the castle is part of how I plan to figure out the information I need.
