But as I consider these notes and the magic that’s tormented Syhl Shallow for years, a scene from that dream flares through my thoughts again. The scraver descending on Callyn, claws ripping across her flesh. I shiver.
No, as much as I hate to admit it, my true worry isn’t for the queen at all. It’s not even for Syhl Shallow.
It’s for Callyn herself.
As head of one of the five Houses in Syhl Shallow, I’m usually admitted to the palace without question. Thanks to King Grey and his worthless little minion, Tycho, I’ve been greeted with suspicion and scrutiny from time to time, but today, no one even looks at me askance.
The palace is quiet and somber, however, which takes me by surprise.When I request an audience with the queen, servants and guards exchange glances, which is uncommon.
No one says a word tome, however. The servants here are as discreet as my own.
To my surprise, Queen Lia Mara does not answer my summons. Instead, her younger sister, Nolla Verin, does. She strides into the salon in black training leathers, fully armed from head to toe. Her hair is in tight braids pinned to the back of her head, and the expression on her face is certainly not joy over my arrival.
That’s mutual.
“Verin,” I say flatly. “It seems that every time I wish to speak with the queen, I am offered you instead.”
“How lucky for you,” she says.
“Is it?”
Her lips purse, but I say nothing and stare at her. She stares back.
If she thinks I’m intimidated, I’m not.
As heir— and now head— of one of the Royal Houses, I’ve called at court since I was a boy. I’ve known Verin for as long as I can remember, just as I knew her mother. The former queen was ruthless and brutal and attempted to raise her daughters to be the same. Lia Mara is the elder sister, but she resisted right from the start. She has always been kind and thoughtful, and even though I’d never call herwillful, she was certainly determined in her refusal to lead through brutality.
So instead, the old queen raised Nolla Verin to be her heir. Everyone expected the younger sister to rule, until Lia Mara claimed the crown for herself— through that same brutality she has always eschewed.
To my knowledge, the sisters have always been close, and I have never heard a single rumor spoken at court to indicate that Verin resents her sister’s place on the throne.
But I remember how brutal Verin was when we were growing up, the way she could break an opponent’s fingers or crush their windpipewithout hesitation. The way her mother would praise her efforts every time, calling Lia Mara away from her book or whatever quiet activity she was engaged in, saying, “Why can’t you be more like your sister? Nolla Verin knows what is required of a ruler.”
I’ve often wondered how easily Verin was able to dull the edge of her ruthlessness after Lia Mara took the throne. Others have marveled at it, noting how gracious Verin must be to put her own expectations aside.
But I never marveled.
Instead, I never quite believed it.
As she stares back at me, I consider the way Verin has never fully protected the queen from these recent attacks— neither from the Truthbringers nor from the scravers.
I consider Lady Karyl and the note that was delivered this morning.
I have discovered a way to ensure success for our family, and it is only a matter of time before everyone is safe.
Could Verin be involved in this somehow? In a way, the thought seems ludicrous. She has complete access to the queen at all times. By law, she could kill Lia Mara and take the crown for herself.
As soon as I have the thought, I’m struck with another: I wonder if it’s not loyalty that’s stopping her, but fear of retaliation. We all saw what King Grey did during the Uprising— and I’ve already heard about what happened when scravers attacked him right here on the palace grounds.
If Verin killed his wife, he’d burn the world to ash until he found her.
Regardless, I can’t stand here and make accusations about the queen’s sister. That’s a quick path to treason.
That doesn’t mean I can’t yank her chain. “This is boring,” I say to her. I make a shooing motion toward the doorway. “Won’t you be a good girl and fetch your sister?”
She doesn’t move. “What do you want, Alek?”
“I’m fairly certain I’ve been clear about my purpose here.” I glance toward the doorway. “I am seeking an audience with the queen.”
