This time, when he sighs, it’s less performative and more genuine. “Really, Callyn. What would you have me do? Locate Tycho? He has returned to Emberfallwith the king. Ironrose Castle is a four- day ride from here— and that’s if we set a hard pace. Shall we saddle a horse you cannot ride and go galloping off across the countryside?”
“We could send a courier,” I say.
“Ah, yes. And what would the message be? ‘Dearest Lord Tycho, your presence is required at once to save the life of a scraver who may or may not want to kill the king. But he promises to be good.’ ”
“No— of course not. But—”
“But nothing! Do you not understand that the entire reason Tycho had a job at court was because the courier channels are not secure for something of international importance?” He pauses, and his voice drops. “Do you not understand why I needed to pay you and Jax to secure messages for the Truthbringers at all?”
I inhale sharply, then stop. No, I reallydidn’tconsider that. Even when Alek was paying me and Jax, his messages were in code.
Jax.Again, I desperately wish my friend were still here. He used to be a short walk down the lane, and we talked almost every day. Now it’s been months.
“The queen could summon Lord Tycho,” I say to Alek. “Surelyshecould send a secure message.”
“Have you seen the queen?” he says pointedly. “Do you truly want to ask her to send a message to her absent husband asking him to send his devoted little minion back to Syhl Shallow to heal ascraver?” While I consider that, he adds, “Especially when the whole reason he left was to take magicawayfrom the Crystal Palace?”
It’s my turn to heave a sigh. “So the queen sent us out to find information, and now we can’t do anything with what wehave.”
“Of course we can,” he says. “We can tell her what we’ve learned. We can share everything that happened.”
“And then what?” I say, feeling powerless.
“And then we await her orders,” he says, as if it’s obvious— and I suppose it is. “For she is the queen.”
Somehow I forgot about Nora.
When I return to the palace with Alek, I expect to find my sister engaged with little Sinna, maybe playing games in the nursery or out in the gardens. In other words, I don’t expect to find my sister at all.
Instead, when Alek and I seek the queen, we find her in the royal suites. The young princess is nowhere to be found, but Nora is sitting at the small table with the queen. She hasn’t changed out of her sparring gear, and in fact weapons are still strapped to her body, making her look like a young soldier who’s here to give a report, not a girl I was chiding about licking frosting off a knife a few months ago. Her hair is still in those tight braids that she’s fashioned to mimic Verin’s, and her face has taken on a few angles that it never used to have.
When she turns cool eyes my way, I almost feel like I need to salute.
But then she takes in Alek. If her gaze was cool when she looked at me, it turns downright frosty when she looks at him.
Alek doesn’t miss it. “Your Majesty,” he says, deferring to the queen first. But when he turns back to Nora, his eyes go just as cold. He folds his arms. “Look, Callyn. I’m clearly your sister’s villain, too.”
Nora doesn’t flinch. “Verin taught me how to rip an ear right off someone’s head. Want to see?”
“Nora!” I snap.
But Alek grins. “You’re welcome to try.”
“No,” says the queen, though her tone is long- suffering, as if she’s used to this kind of verbal parry from Alek— and maybe her sister. “Save your bloodshed for the arena. Not mynursery.”
“Yes, of course.” Alek gestures toward the door. “Lady Nora? After you.”
She’s actually getting out of her chair, so I step between them and smack him on the arm. “Both of you. Stop it.” I hesitate, glancing at the queen. “You are in the presence of thequeen.”
Queen Lia Mara simply picks up her cup of tea and takes a sip.“Honestly, Callyn, I don’t mind the bickering.” She pauses, and a heavy note enters her voice. “It’s a bit nice to have a distraction.”
That throws a pallor over the room, and it’s as if we’re all affected— even Alek.
The queen sighs, and it’s a sound full of remorse and resignation. “Ah. There it is.” She gestures to the other chairs at the table. “Sit. Both of you.”
The other two chairs are across from each other, so we both end up next to my sister and the queen. Alek moves to the opposite side and sits without hesitation, and my sister almost immediately reaches for his head.
Quicker than thought, he catches her wrist. “Now, now,” he says. His voice drops. “You’ll have time to kill me later.”
