“Yes, Mama.”
The queen sweeps the little girl into her arms, then presses a long kiss to her forehead. While she’s doing that, I turn to my sister, who’s already astride Jax’s horse, Teddy.
“He’s steady and capable,” Tycho said when he led him out of the barn, “and the best one for an inexperienced rider.”
Nora nodded, her eyes as clear and focused as if she were being sent into battle.
I sure hope she’s not.
Just now, I look up at her. She’s got a sword on one hip and a dagger on the other, along with the training armor she wore out of the palace— the same armor she’s been wearing in her sessions with Verin. It won’t hold up to a determined swordsman, but it’ll stop anarrow, and we can’t ask the soldiers to give up theirs. For now it’s the best we have.
The queen has told Nora not to return to the palace. We still don’t know who’s involved— which means we don’t know who we can trust. “It’s past daybreak,” the queen said. “Soon, they’ll discover I’m gone, if they haven’t already. If there are Truthbringers in the palace, I don’t want to think of what they’ll do to you and Sinna to get to me.”
“What about Verin?” said Nora. “What if we could get to her?”
For a moment, the queen looked stricken, and I consider how many times we’ve wondered whether Nolla Verin was loyal. “I don’t . . . I don’t know.”
My sister nodded fiercely. “Don’t worry, Your Majesty. I’ll keep Princess Sinna safe.”
“Don’t stray far from the road,” I murmur now so the princess won’t hear. Before we moved to the Crystal Palace, Nora had rarely left Briarlock. “You don’t want to get lost in the woods.” My throat feels thick, and I swallow tightly. “If you’re questioned, say you’re wearing your mother’s old gear from the war. You’re playing a game with your sister.”
She nods. “Don’t worry, Cally- cal.”
Cally- cal.Oh, Nora. I try not to think about the fact that I might never hear my sister say that again.
The queen passes little Sinna up to her, and Nora situates the princess in front of her, somewhat wedged between the pommel and her lap.
“Here,” says Tycho, handing over a length of fabric. “Tie this around your waists so you don’t have to worry about her falling.” As my sister does that, he unhooks a pouch from his belt and holds that out, too. “This is all the silver I have,” he says. “But those are Emberish coins, so you’ll have to be careful where you spend it, or people might question you.”
Nora nods sagely, for all the world looking like a soldier taking orders from a commanding officer.
Alek must overhear, because he strides down from where he was standing with the soldiers, discussing the plans for the day. “Take mine, too,” he says. “Then you’ll have funds you can spend on either side of the border if you need to.”
Nora goes a little pale at that, and I can tell that she hasn’t considered crossing the border with the princess until this very moment.
“I don’t speak Emberish,” she whispers, and her voice trembles, just a bit.
“I do!” Sinna chirps. “I can teach you!”
A tear blooms in my sister’s eye, as if she’s only just now understanding everything at risk. For an instant I want to leap onto the horse behind her, because this is insane.
But I don’t want to leave the queen— and Nora swipes that tear away immediately anyway.
“Tuck the money under your armor,” Alek says briskly.
“And if you need to spend it,” says Tycho, “draw it out a coin at a time so no one ever knows how much you have.”
Nora’s eyes widen further, but she nods, tucking the pouches under her breastplate, then buckling it securely.
Alek takes a step forward. “And if you stop at a tavern—”
“I think that’s enough warnings,” says the queen. She pushes past Alek to look up at my sister, putting a hand on her knee. “Hide out until it’s safe,” the queen says softly. “Don’t come back here.”
Nora nods. “Yes, Your Majesty.” Then she looks at me. “I love you, Cally- cal.”
Without waiting for an answer, she gives the horse a swift kick, and they’re off.
My breath catches in my throat. “I love you, too,” I say, but the words only come out as a whisper.
