Gareth’s gaze flicked to Posey. “Could you get us there?”
“I am uncertain,” Posey said carefully. “It has been a long time since I set foot in the veiled court.”
“But youcould,” I prodded.
Posey hesitated and then finally looked at me, a flash of defiance in her eyes. She raised her chin. It was as if she was saying with only her expression,You’re not who I thought you were, and yet here I am, deigning to help you even so.
“I could,” she said slowly. “I think I could.”
“Butwillyou?” Danesh demanded.
Posey glanced at Danesh, a small smile playing at her lips. “If you promise me greater liberties upon our return.”
“You are in no position to bargain, fae.”
“Actually, I very much am.”
“Quiet, Danesh,” said the Warden. The room fell silent as she rose from her desk and withdrew a knife. “We will agree to one of your ancient oaths, Posey—the oath of exchange. I will give you my mother’s knife, the only belonging of hers that I possess. You will give me something of equal value. On this exchange we will swear our bargain.If either of us breaks our agreement, the item we have relinquished into the other’s hands is forfeit and will be destroyed.”
Her voice brought a solemn chill to the room. The oath of exchange was one of many fae oaths drilled into our heads as young Roses, but I had never seen it performed. At least one fae was required, as were certain key phrases. As the Warden recited the words, looking directly at Posey, the oath’s magic began. All sound except for the Warden’s voice disappeared. The air in the room grew warm and close, as if we were all trapped in a held breath.
Posey considered the Warden for an uncomfortably long moment. The walls seemed to tighten around us, and through the thick silence I began to hear the faintest rumblings, like those of a beast turning in its sleep. At last, Posey reached beneath her tunic and withdrew her locket on its thin silver chain. She opened it, revealing a lock of shining copper hair as brilliant as a polished coin.
“My sister’s hair,” Posey said quietly. “She died when I was a child. This is the only piece of her body that survives. The rest has long been burned.”
The Warden nodded. “A fair exchange it is.”
“And a fair exchange it shall be,” Posey agreed.
“You will lead my teams to the Court of Shadows,” the Warden continued. “You will protect them to the best of your abilities. You will ensure that they obtain and return with Lady Ifanna’s prize.”
“Upon our return,” Posey agreed, “I will continue to aid the Order. You will limit my menial chores to two days a week. You will allow me to come and go from the grounds of Rosewarren as I see fit.”
Danesh, looking indignant, opened her mouth to speak, then closed it. My skin prickled with relief. Any additional words could corrupt the entire ritual.
The Warden and Posey clasped hands. Two quick bursts of soft golden light snaked around their joined arms, and then it was done,the oath complete. The walls were themselves again, the air no longer oppressive.
But even so, I couldn’t relax. Posey had hidden it quickly, but I’d seen the expression of naked fear on her face as the Warden had released her hand. And now she stood with her arms crossed over her chest, looking small and tired, staring at her boots. The silver gleam of her hair seemed dulled, her skin suddenly sallow. What had she felt or seen? Or had performing the oath simply tired her?
The Warden glided back to her desk. “Mara, Danesh, you will lead your teams on this mission. Professor Fontaine, you will accompany them with whatever personnel you deem necessary.”
Thatgot my attention. “Madam, I don’t think—”
“We cannot make concessions for your comfort, Mara,” the Warden interrupted sharply. “Retrieving and neutralizing this key may require their expertise.”
I fell silent, my face hot. My comfort? What did she know? Was I so obvious? The presence of Gareth across the room suddenly felt twice as unbearable as before. I didn’t even have to look at him. Simply knowing he was there pulled at me like the urge to breathe.
Danesh stepped forward. “And who is to be the senior commander?” She glanced at me. “Given recent events—”
“Of course Mara will be the senior, Danesh,” the Warden snapped, “and if you ask me about it again, you will sorely regret it. Dismissed.”
Everyone hurried out after that—Danesh storming away, Gareth already murmuring excitedly with Fiacra and Geddings, Posey after a moment of hesitation. Before I could follow them out, the Warden straightened, rubbing her temples, and a flicker of pain darted across her face. An instant later, the sky darkened, throwing the room into shadow. A sharp rumble shook the whole building; the Warden’s teacup rattled in its saucer. From out on the grounds came the distant shouts of my fellow Roses.
“Section Eighteen,” the Warden muttered. “Another breach.” Then she rose from her desk and strode to the antechamber outside her office, where thick tasseled cords hung in an alcove set in the wood-paneled wall. She tugged on the nearest one sharply, and suddenly the air of Rosewarren rang with the sound of the breach bells.
I tensed out of habit, waiting for the signs of transformation—feathers pricking their way down my arms, the searing heat at each joint as my body grew longer, my muscles harder—but they didn’t come. Other Roses had been summoned this time. For now, I would remain in my human form. Usually, this realization left me both disappointed and relieved.
But now, as I watched the Warden return to her desk, all I felt was a strange creeping dread. As she passed me, the black sleeve of her gown brushed against my fingers, and when she sat down, she leaned back in her chair and sighed, her eyes closed.
