He stares at me, his eyes wide, but he nods as well. “I will. I swear it.”
My heart won’t stop pounding. I look at Arella and Roydan. “Go. I expect a report back by midnight that he accepts.” Mythoughts are spinning now, and I barely know what I’m saying. “Consuls, if you’ll excuse me, I need to spend the evening preparing.”
I don’t even wait for a response to this; I simply stand and head for the door. Quint and the guards follow me, but my pulse is a thundering rush in my ears, so I have no idea if they’re speaking.
Despite everything, I’m somehow still shocked when Quint follows me right into my sleeping quarters. I brace my shoulders against the wall and run my hands through my hair and try not to scream.
He catches the door before it can slam shut, then eases it closed. He stops right in front of me and takes hold of my wrists.
“Breathe,” he says. “You don’t have to go alone.”
“I do,” I say. “Ido. He’s not going to imprison me. He’s going to hang me, Quint. He’s going to do it as publicly as possible. He’ll hang anyone who comes with me, youknowthat—”
“I do know that.” His voice is so quiet, his hands so gentle against my wrists. “I’ll go with you.”
I stare into his eyes. I wasted so much time.
“Tell me what you need,” he whispers.
“I need you to stay,” I say, and my voice breaks. “I need you to stay for Corrick.” Quint is shaking his head, and I add, “You told me you would deny me nothing, Quint.”
He goes still. He sighs.
“Please,” I say. “Please.” I swallow tightly, and it hurts. “It—it would help me to know that my brother wasn’t alone.”
Quint stares back at me, and finally, he nods. “Yes, Your Majesty.”
Out of anything he could say,thatjars me out of my emotion for a fraction of a second. “Oh, for goodness’ sake, Quint,still?”
He blinks, and I realize his eyes are gleaming with tears. “But this is the most regal thing you’ve ever done.”
“Lord.” I press a thumb to his cheek and brush away the first tear that dares to fall. “No tears yet. If I’m going to die at dawn, there’s work to be done.”
He blinks in surprise, then pulls his little book from his jacket. “All right. Go ahead.”
I take the book from his hands, but gently this time, no tussling. Then I kiss him softly. “No,” I say. “No book, no notes.Yourest.”
He frowns. “You know I won’t sleep.”
“Very well.” I step away, moving toward the desk in the corner of the room, which has been stocked with a rather impressive set of fountain pens and papers and an entire array of wax seals. “Tonight, it’s my turn to write.”
I have so many things to say to Corrick, and my thoughts can barely contain them all. He’ll be returning to a country that’s still divided, on the brink of war yet again. He’ll have to rule. He’ll have tolead. I tell him everything that’s transpired, but a lot of other things, too. A lot of things I wish I’d told him when he was here. A lot of things I’ll never have the chance to say.
Quint sits with me and writes a few letters of his own, but I keep going, well into the night, and eventually he does rest. Despite his promise not to sleep, he drifts off, too, his breathing slow and even.
I write on.
As I near the end, I look out the window at the darkness, thinking back on every moment I spent with my brother at my side. Every moment we’ll never have again.
And it gives me an idea.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
Tessa
This journey by ship has been much more enjoyable than the last one.
It helps that Corrick doesn’t hate anyone on board. Rian remained behind in Ostriary, but most of his crew is manning the ship with Olive. Mouse is traveling with us, too. I was uncertain about that at first, but Corrick was worried that in his absence, the man would still be abused by those who remained from Oren’s followers. Olive expressed her worries as well, but since we shoved off, Mouse has been quiet and reserved, working with the crew and doing what he’s told—though he still refers to Corrick as Weston.
