I sit. The woman sets the glass of water beside me.
I drain the whole thing. I feel everyone’s eyes on me the whole time.
He pulls another chair toward me. “May I join you?”
As if I care aboutmannersat a time like this. “Yes,” I say.
He eases into the chair. “About the matter of your . . . ?ah,surrender,” he says.
My eyes flick up, and my chest goes tight at once. All of a sudden, I’m worried he’s going to have someone shoot me right here, or Sallister will, the instant he arrives and discovers part of his plan has been thwarted. My entire body goes cold, and I feel like I need to say everything at once. “If I may—please spare my guards. Thorin and Saeth. They should not be punished for their loyalty. Quint as well. Could I possibly write a letter to my—”
Jonastsksand lifts a hand. “I don’twantit.”
I go still. “What?”
He looks up, past me, then lifts a hand in a gesture. I follow his gaze to discover a girl Tessa’s age rising from a chair. She looks as tired and haggard and travel-worn as I feel.
“Karri,” I say in shock.
“It took me so long to deliver each letter,” she says in a rush. “The other consuls kept saying there was too much proof, and they sent the night patrol after us. They killed my escorts. No one would listen until I got here.”
Now I’m staring atherthe same way Jonas was staring at me.
The consul clears his throat. “I wassupposedto be at the palace tonight. But as fate would have it, Your Majesty, you actually aren’t the first person to arrive at my gates with a wild story of people in need.” He pulls my folded letter from his jacket pocket, the one I wrote with desperate hope that one of the consuls might listen.
“As I said, I don’t want your surrender.” Jonas looks between us both, then taps the letter. “This girl has spent the last few hours convincing me to be yourally.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Corrick
For as hard as Rian fought to conspire against me, he’s remarkably quick to let me go when his country is under attack. Within minutes of learning that Oren Crane has abandoned me and Lochlan here in favor of attacking the palace at Tarrumor, Rian and his people have departed, taking soldiers and horses with them. It leaves me free in the house with Tessa, as well as Lochlan and Rocco, which would seem ideal—until I realize there’s a woman with dark spiral curls pulling desperately at Rocco’s arms.
“Let me go,” she’s saying. “Let me go, Erik. I need to get him.”
“I’ll go with you,” he says. “I’llhelpyou. Let me saddle a horse—”
“We can take the wagon,” says Tessa briskly. “We’ll go after them.”
“It’s tooslow,” the woman wails. She slips free of his grip and bolts from the house, the door slamming open behind her.
Rocco doesn’t even glance at me. He makes a sound of pain, presses a hand to his waist, and runs after her.
“Corrick.” Tessa takes hold of my hand and squeezes tight. Hereyes are gleaming in the moonlight. I can’t believe I’m here. I can’t believe she’s with me. I want to take hold of more than her hand. I want to inhale her breath until the end of time. I want to make sure no one ever takes her away from me again.
But she says, “We have to go. We have to help Olive.”
“We just got free,” says Lochlan. “You want us to rideintotheir war to help some girl we just met?”
“Yes,” she says, but she’s not looking at him. She only has eyes for me. Every emotion I’m feeling, I see echoed in her gaze. Love. Desire. Need. Relief. Hope.
But there’s also a plea there.
I remember the very first night she looked up at me in the Wilds, the very first time she needed my help—how badly I wanted to give it, no matter the risk. I think of all the nights since that she’s begged me for action, for revolution, for change.
I have no idea who Olive is, or why any of this is so important to Tessa. I just know itis, and I’m done failing her.
I bring her hand to my mouth and kiss her knuckles. My mind is already making plans. I know Tessa can’t ride well, and I rather doubt Lochlan can. “You said there’s a wagon? Do you have any weapons?”
