“No,” she breathed,her eyes sparkling with the laughter I couldn’t find. “Let me guess. He caught you.”
I would tell her what I could, but I wasn’t sharing the secret passage. That was between Trew and I, and no one else.
“He was a touch angry,” I said.
“You’re still alive, and you’re not in his dungeon, so I’d say he forgave you.”
I shrugged. “We came to an agreement. He actually knew who I was all this time.”
“And you stabbed him when you arrived. What an introduction. He forgave you for that. He’s in love with you.”
Washe in love with me? I didn’t want to admit to myself how much I wanted it to be true.
“As for your goal here.” She nodded pertly. “We’llfind the children and the truth about your sister. You’re not doing this alone.”
A lump formed in my throat. “Lexie?—”
“With your permission, I’ll bring Derren and Kerralyn in on it. Maddox can… He’s been released. Told to be on his best behavior, but I think that’s dead, don’t you? Anyway, I might give him my own introduction similar to what you did with our king.”
“Trew isyourking, not mine,” I pointed out.
“Ah, yes.” She reeled back, truly looking at me. “Princess, huh? Do I need to bow to your magnificence?”
I did my best to look down my nose at her like a princess would, but it fell apart when we both laughed. “I’m Isi. That’s what my sister always called me.” Tears stung in my eyes, and my laughter was gone in a flash. “I miss her so much.”
Lexie dragged me close and gave me the best hug, speaking by my hair. “I’m sorry. I have little sisters, and I can’t begin to imagine how you feel.” Leaning back, she met my gaze. “We need to find out what happened to her. If it was me, I’d be all over it.”
“I have a few leads.”
“Good. We’ll work on it together after classes. Do you trust me to tell the others?”
I hesitated. I didn’t doubt Derren’s loyalty and Kerralyn’s mind could untangle knots most people didn’t even see. But trust was a luxury I hadn’t had in a long time.
As for Bryson, he’d recently announced he was going to the front. They needed his prior experience, and he was eager to do all he could to help stop the Skathes.
How could Inottell them?
I nodded. “I do trust you. All of you.”
“Good. We’re a team, and if anyone can solve this mystery, it’s us.”
“Thank you for understanding. For not being mad.”
“I’d do the same thing. You didn’t know me, and now that you do, you’ve told me. All’s good.”
I hugged her this time, and it felt amazing to have a friend.
“We’ll get started after the ball,” she said. “As for that, I’ll do your hair tomorrow, if you’d like. I already offered to help Kerralyn. With all those little sisters, I’ve gotten good at it.”
“How many sisters do you have?”
She huffed. “Can you believe five?”
“Oh, my.”
“Right? I’m glad my parents stopped there. Anyway, when we get ready, Kerralyn can join us. We’re going to make the entire ballroom stare.”
“You’re ridiculous. I don’t care about anything like that.”
