“Are you hers now?”
I know what the question is really asking—has she made me an assassin. My heart clenches as doubt plagues me. Was Nimue right when she suggested my father didn’t want me if I proved to have magic like hers? How would he feel knowing what I just did to Zara? Killing her was no accident, no product of misinformation or manipulation. It was premeditated. Calculated. Will he see me as a monster now? Does he only love me so long as I remain a good little seal?
I don’t know the answer. I still don’t understand why he omitted his involvement in the bargain he made with Nimue. It could have been from shame over what he did…or shame of me. If I’ve learned anything the past couple of weeks, it’s that the truth is complicated and relationships are more so. Whatever the case, I love my father and I know he’s only wanted the best for me.
“No.” I lift my chin. My next words come out with conviction. “She tried, but she will not have me.”
“Good. I will—”
“Can you give him a message from me in return?”
His jaw shifts again. “I’m not a message boy. This is beneath me as it is. It’s more a matter of convenience and being in the area that I agreed to do this favor for Ronan.”
“Please,” I whisper.
“Fine,” he grinds out. “Make it fast. I’ve got other murderous girls to find.”
I flinch at how he says the last part, implying that he knows about my magic. Or my mission. Who is this mysterious Huntsman? I shake the question from my mind. “Tell him I love him. With all my heart. And please advocate for Dorian Ariko in securing his safety and citizenship in Faerwyvae. Ensure his sisters are cared for.”
“Very well.” He nods and takes a step back, but another thought strikes me.
I thrust out my fist. “If you can, see that this is given to him for safekeeping. It belongs to the Alpha Council and shouldn’t fall into the wrong hands.”
As soon as he takes the Chariot from me, I wonder whether giving it to him was the smartest move. This Huntsman may know my father, but that doesn’t guarantee he’s trustworthy. Still, I can’t risk Nimue getting the device back. If I keep it, there’s a chance she’ll find it. It’s too powerful an object for someone like her to have.
Without another word, the Huntsman pockets the Chariot, tips his hat, and walks away.
* * *
I findPodaxis at the Vulture’s Prose. He and Nadia race toward me as soon as I step foot inside the front door.
Mr. Tuttle follows just behind, releasing a sigh. “Oh, thank the stars.”
Klaus and Stanley emerge from backstage, faces relieved. Thankfully, there’s no Martin. I haven’t thought of him much since what happened at Club Scorpius, but I’ll be content to never see him again.
“Podaxis just got here and told us about the attack,” Nadia says and wraps her arms around me. I go limp in her embrace, trying not to cry at the sincerity of her affection. I feel Klaus and Stanley pat my shoulders.
Once Nadia releases me, I turn toward Podaxis. “Is Dorian…”
“He’s fine,” says my friend. “He’s in the infirmary. His wounds appeared mild.”
“And Vanessa?”
“Found bound and gagged in her wardrobe. She’s in the infirmary too.”
My mind fills with imaginings of Dorian and Vanessa, two souls injured by the same foe, their hospital beds side by side in the infirmary. The vision makes my chest squeeze.
“Let’s get you cleaned up so you can head back,” Mr. Tuttle says, pulling me from my thoughts. “I’ll run a bath.”
“I’ll pick out fresh clothes,” Nadia adds.
I stare blankly at them. “Go back?”
“To the church,” Mr. Tuttle says.
“There’s still time to win your dear prince’s heart,” Klaus says with a wink.
I shake my head. “For one, he’s no prince. For another, there’s nothing to win. I was eliminated from the competition right before the attack.”
