Why hasn’t he accepted the truth yet? Tris doesn’t care about him bringing her my heart, for she’s the one who expects to face me in the ring. She wants to do the killing herself. I don’t believe for a minute that Fury’s offer was her own idea. Tris orchestrated this entire situation.
Madame Fury gives a flippant shrug. “Why not?” Her gaze locks on mine. “She’s a strong girl. She’d do well in the ring.”
All I manage in reply is a huff of cold laughter. If only Fury knew I’m nothing like the mirrored reflection she sees now. I’m not strong like she is. I’m not even sure I have the fiercest wit that she values so highly in herself. I might be slightly vindictive, perhaps, but only a fraction of what Fury sees, and only where my father’s murder is concerned. If I were more so, I wouldn’t have run away from Fairweather Palace. I would have sought revenge on Tris right away instead of humoring an impossible fantasy about facing her in the ring someday…
My mind goes still at the last thought.
Isn’t this what I’ve wished for? What I’ve dreamed of? Isn’t this my secret reason for building a nest egg of opal rounds? In all my musings about facing Tris in the pit, getting her to agree to a duel was always the most unlikely factor. Surely a queen would rather send a champion in her stead than fight me face to face. Surely her hatred for me couldn’t be so strong that she’d debase herself before an audience. But now…now I know I underestimated her enmity. Shewantsto face me head on. She wants to end my life with her own hands.
And what better place to do so than a court that is not her own, in a hotel bound by its own laws?
A spark of hope ignites in my chest. Not over the thought of her ending my life but the realization that my fancies weren’t in vain. Icanface her in the ring. That spark, however, is quickly extinguished by my dread. I may have imagined facing my stepmother, but my musings never took me far enough to form a concrete plan for victory. People like me never win duels against people like Tris. The strongest is always the victor. Or the one with the most magic. Or—
No, that’s not true. A precedent has been set where a weaker fighter came out on top. It was the duel between the tiny fire sprite and the dragon. The sprite yielded. She lost the duel. But she got her opponent to confess to his crime. That was all she truly wanted.
Fury’s voice snaps my attention back to her. “I can tell you’re angry.”
Surprise ripples through me. This is one of the rare occasions where I’ve heard the wordsyou arefollowed by something true. Iamangry. But…but…does my anger stand a chance against my stepmother? Tris is a royal. Fae monarchs have magic that allows them to tap into all four elements to some degree.
“This is ridiculous,” the Huntsman says, shaking his head. “Tell me where to find the woman we seek—”
“I’ve given you my terms.” Fury’s voice turns sharp. “Agree to them or our mutual acquaintance will be back in the Spring Court before you catch another whiff of her presence here. And your little mystery will go unsolved.”
My breath catches in my throat. Once again, I get the feeling that every word Fury says is calculated. Mentioning the Spring Court was no error on her part. She wanted to tempt us with another morsel that gets us closer to the truth…but not close enough.
Ignoring the Huntsman, who continues to stare daggers at her, Fury shifts in her seat and faces me. “I won’t go so far as to say you must fight your opponent during your duel. That will be up to you and her. If this person truly cares about your welfare, then seeing you alive will be enough to put this misunderstanding to rest, and the audience can cheer for such a heartwarming reunion. But if it was a matter of me being deceived, then I expect the confrontation will be far more entertaining. Besides, if you were wronged, you’ll want this chance at revenge.”
“I don’t know if I can beat her.” The words leave my lips before I realize I’ve spoken them aloud.
“I’d say you’re well matched. If I were a betting woman, I’d go to Department Greed and put all my opal rounds on you. You’re stronger than your opponent.”
I purse my lips to keep myself from confessing I’m nothing more than a half-human girl with useless magic.
Madame Fury rises to her feet with a weary sigh, clearly annoyed by my lack of reply. “Decide in the next ten minutes. Whatever your choice, your time with me is up. Inform the ticket seller whether you will take my bargain or not. Good day.”
She turns on her heel and marches out the door, leaving me and the Huntsman silent in her wake.
I sink into the back of my chair. My heart hammers so loud I can barely hear the Huntsman when he next speaks.
“This is ridiculous,” he says through his teeth. “Never in all my time working for the Alpha Council have I been so rudely dismissed.” He glances over at me, and his tone softens. “Come. We’ll find another way to confirm the identity of our thief.”
I swallow hard, knowing what I say next could be the stupidest thing I’ve ever uttered. “I think we should do it.”
The Huntsman’s expression shows just how ludicrous he finds my words. “Excuse me?”
“I think we should take Madame Fury’s bargain.”
“Like hell we should.”
With a deep breath, I force myself to stand and meet his eyes. I don’t bother feigning confidence, only sincerity. “I know I’m asking a lot of you to suggest that you face Helody—”
He scoffs. “You’re asking a lot ofme? It isn’t me I’m worried about. You cannot fight Queen Tris and win.”
My heart stutters at his words. “You believe me then? You believe I’m right about her guilt?”
He glances at his feet and runs a hand over his beard. “I shouldn’t have said that. What I meant to say isifyour opponent turns out to be Tris, you will be overpowered.”
Despite his attempt to correct his statement, it doesn’t stop an ember of hope from glowing in my chest. There’s at least a part of him that believes me. It’s enough to give me the courage I need to vocalize what’s on my mind. “I have an idea, Huntsman.”
