“No.”
“And did you give the emperor information regarding us or your mission?”
“No,” Rose answered firmly.
“Do you want to pursue any sort of relationship with him that would create a conflict of interest?”
“No. I don’t want anything to do with him.”
Rissa took another bite. The apple’s sweet, tart scent filled the air. “Do you still want to work with us? To carry out the plan?”
“I want to figure out how to end the curse,” Rose said. “And I want him gone.”
Another bite, followed by more silence.
“Alright,” Rissa said.
I blinked. Next to me, Rose said, “Is that all?”
“If you’re being honest, yes,” Rissa said with a shrug, pushing off the counter. “And if my dear brother here hasn’t chewed your head off already, then that’s a good sign. I have to ask, though, why didn’t you tell him this last night when he had his littletrystat the palace?” She shot me a sharp look, and I scowled.
“Like I told Leo, I was just…scared. Shocked and a little ashamed to be related to this man who’s caused so much harm. Angry that I didn’t know sooner. I should have said something, but I wasn’t thinking clearly.”
Rissa nodded in understanding. “I’m glad you told us now. Because I think this is the perfect opportunity.”
“You do?” I asked, wondering what my sister was up to. She had that cunning look about her, one that spoke of plans taking shape and lines being crossed.
“Do you think you could meet with him again?” Rissa asked Rose.
Rose looked at me out of the corner of her eye, almost as if she needed reassurance. Then her gaze flitted back to Rissa. “He said he wants to see me again. To—to tell me more about my father.”
“That’s good,” Rissa said, her excitement mounting. “He trusts you—or at least, wants to get to know you. To keep you close. If you’re willing, Rose, this could be our opening. Your way in without having to sneak around the palace. If he’s keeping a closer eye on the Sentinels, we can’t take as many chances, butyouhave already gained a footing. Meet with him, get to know him, make him trust you. Who knows what information he’ll willingly hand over?”
She had a point. This was a kind of advantage we would have never seen coming.
Rose didn’t answer immediately. She seemed to be warring with herself, her brows knit tightly together, her eyes searching Rissa’s face as if she might find something there. Was this too much to ask of her? To exploit this brand new part of her heritage and put herself into a different kind of danger?
I didn’t know if I’d be able to bear seeing her body added to the list of ones we’d lost for the sake of this empire. Seeinganyone'sbody added to it.
But Rose’s features hastily fell into determination, and she gave my sister a curt nod. “Yes,” she said, eyes shining with resolve. “I’ll do whatever you need.”
36
Rose
Ifinished braiding my hair for the challenger’s feast and wrapped it around the crown of my head, securing it with a couple of pins. The reflection in the mirror showed a woman ready for combat, of sorts. A tight, sleek black dress as armor; rose-tinted cheeks and darkly lined eyes as a shield; deep red lips and sharp tongue as a sword. This dinner would be a battle, just not in the same way the trials were.
The reflection didn’t show everything, though. It didn’t show my guilt. It didn’t show my unease. It didn’t show my fear.
I’d lied again. I’d kept more from Leo than he could imagine.AndI had agreed to keep helping them, to use my relationship with Gayl to our advantage, all under the premise of finding some Grimoire I knew would do us no good.
Despite everything, they still trusted me.
When you look in the mirror, what do you find? A rose in full bloom, with thorns on the vine?
I was beginning to see those thorns now.
And it didn’t help that Leo had been sounderstanding. I’d expected anger—anger, I could handle. I was used to that. But it was like he was a different person from the man who’d been so quick to write me off. Even when I’d given him every reasonto walk away, when I’d warned him against getting too close, he didn’t back down. He said Ichallengedhim. He didn’t see my brashness as a flaw, but a strength.
