“Yes. My magic is similar to Edris’s, though it’s a touch different. However, we still must follow the same rules. I can only provide bits and pieces—never the whole of what I see. So, I keep what I see mostly to myself, to keepothersfrom asking too many questions.”
I huffed at the slight in her tone. “Why did you tell me about my death, then? You had to know I would ask more about it.”
The book Queen Cassia was reading slammed shut, though she was quiet. Finally, she said, “You came to this palace so lost in your despair that you were acting foolishly. You were naive, not listening to the warnings fate sent you. I know what it's like to be lost in the confines of your mind. I know how messy your thoughts can become, and how easy it is to believe every terrible thing those dark thoughts whisper to you. Your fear set you back. It brought all of your juvenile anxieties to light. You needed a push in the right direction.”
“And?” I asked. “Do you think it helped?”
“I guess we shall see. Now, go to sleep.”
The restof the days went by slowly. Queen Cassia eventually tossed me a book from her stash after growing frustrated with my questions. I was reading about Nemain, an ancient goddess of death and war, when I felt a tug from my center before Samian’s voice echoed in my mind. I closed my eyes, letting his presence calm me.
“Are you okay?” he asked softly. Loneliness seeped through his tone and into the bond between us.
“I’m okay,” I murmured back. “The queen gave me one of her books, saying I was grating on her nerves and disturbing herpeace.” His deep laugh rumbled down the bond, making my toes curl, but I swallowed, hating how anxious I felt about my next question. “How’s Kieran?”
“He is as good as he can be,” Samian sighed. “He will be fine, though.”
“Have you heard anything about his plans for helping Queen Cassia escape?”
“No, the rebels are…” Samian’s voice trailed off, as if he didn’t know how to word the rest. “They are in disagreement about how the mission should go.”
I hesitated but knew I needed to know. “What do they want?”
“They want to attack the palace. They are angry about what happened at the colosseum and are pushing for revenge. They want to attack the palace, not caring about who gets harmed in the process.”
I sighed, my heart clenching as I understood the reason for their anger. “Do it,” I said back, my back straightening with determination as I stared at the queen, quietly reading. “Have them attack the palace.”
“What about you? Ivara and Daelan?”
“We will sneak away before they do anything to help Queen Cassia escape.”
The dayof the ball finally dawned. Two female servants and a guard came to take me to my room. Their noses wrinkled at my smell, and as soon as we entered the room, they forced me into a bath, scrubbing my skin raw to wash the dirt from my hair and body. I grimaced, hating how they wouldn’t let me take care of it myself, but settled into a quiet resolve as they shoved me intomy dress and laced up the back. My fingers gently slid down the deep green fabric that was beautifully mixed with gold, while one servant curled and pinned my hair, and the other one pressed powder onto my face. Once they finished, I stood in front of a mirror, blinking at the sight in front of me.
The bodice of the gown was fitted tightly, plunging into a deep V. Vines and leaves were embroidered along the fabric, trailing down to my hips. From there, the skirt flared, layers cascading over one another as they flowed to the floor. The sleeves mirrored the same vine-and-leaf detailing—fitted at my shoulders before gradually loosening down my arms, billowing around my wrists until they felt more like a flowing cape than sleeves.
Stunned, I studied myself in the mirror. I looked enchanting, the deep green pairing nicely with my skin tone, matching my now fully green eyes. Stepping closer, I looked for any hints of the brown that had been there before, but found none. I released a breath, not sure how to feel about the change, knowing that my human blood was probably nonexistent at this point.
A knock at my door pulled me from my thoughts, and I backed away from the mirror. A servant opened the door as Ambrose stood on the other side, his disgusting grin curling up his face. His eyes dipped down my body, seemingly impressed. I swallowed down my resentment and met him at the doorway. He held out his hand, waiting for me to place mine on top. I gingerly gave it to him, holding back my grimace as his fingers curled around my hand, guiding it to link with his arm.
“Is there a problem?” Ambrose asked as he led me to the ballroom.
“No, I just thought the servants were going to take me,” I answered, keeping my face blank. My heart pounded in my chest, and I willed it to slow. I couldn’t give him any hint of my plan tonight.
“I thought it would look better for the citizens of Volmire to see that you were ontheirside. We wouldn’t want a public uproar over your supposed affiliation with the rebellion.”
“No,” I mused, “we wouldn’t want that at all.”
Ambrose gave me a pointed look, and I fought the urge to meet it, forcing myself to keep looking forward. Ambrose abruptly stopped walking, his free hand gripping my arm hard to pull me close.
“I will not allow any problems tonight,” he hissed. “We have incredibly important guests visiting for this celebration. You will behave. Is that understood?”
I stared at his chest, biting my tongue hard enough to bleed. Ambrose snarled, his hand moving to my face, forcing me to look him in the eyes. The dark blue of his irises gleamed, full of menace and warning.
“I won’t say a fucking word,” I said through gritted teeth.
Ambrose held my gaze for a moment longer before letting me go to pull me toward the large double doors of the ballroom. We stopped and waited as the two servants pushed the doors open, revealing the revelry inside. Stepping into the room, my eyes widened, unable to hold back the amazement washing over me. Candles, lanterns, and chandeliers lit the entire room, casting a warm glow. The entire room was styled with white flowers, and silken drapes hung from the ceiling, tumbling down the walls. Glamorous faeries were dancing in the middle of the room; all exquisitely dressed in splendid gowns and tailored outfits.
As soon as we entered, the faeries stopped dancing as everyone turned their eyes on us. My face flushed at the attention, but Ambrose flashed his most charming smile, as if he wasn’t in the process of losing his mind. All the faeries bowed, and Ambrose laughed, drinking in their devotion before telling them to continue the party. I stayed quiet while Ambrose led us to Arianna, who was waiting for him along the wall.
