Derren joined in as well, making three. “A truce can start small and build from there. No true mutiny in that. Us first.”
“Alright. A truce.” I joined our hands, the four of us showing grins touched with sadness.
“First on our advisor agenda is to find out what happened to Addie,” Kerralyn said, tugging her journal onto her lap and flipping to an unused page. “I’m the secretary of your new court advisors.”
“I’ll run your army,” Derren said.
Lexie grunted. “And what about me?”
“You can keep Isi in line.” Derren sought my gaze. “Someone needs to be the brains of this operation.”
Kerralyn scowled. “Hey. I’m the brains.”
“We all are,” I said.
But form my own court?
Trew had a court,thiscourt. And if I was being honest with myself, part of me liked the idea of standing beside him in something that mattered.
But when I closed my eyes, I could still feel his hands on my body, the way he’d looked at me like I was worth fighting wars for. That was how you looked at your queen. My magic stirred at the thought, as if it too recognized where, and with whom, I belonged.
“This bond between us will last forever,” Lexie said, meeting my gaze. “No matter where you go.”
She meant if I left Syllavar. Right now, I couldn’t imagine doing such a thing.
But I didn’t have to face this alone.
Trew stood by my side, didn’t he? The question sent warmth spiraling through my chest, followed by a sharp pang of worry. He’d stood by me when he’d had every reason to see me as an enemy. He’d protected me, trusted me with his secrets, held me like he never wanted to let go.
Kerralyn yawned and closed her journal with a soft thud. “We can’t help anyone if we’re stumbling around exhausted and making mistakes. We need clear heads for this, so I think we need to get some rest.”
“Agreed,” Lexie said.
Derren stood first, pulling her up with him. “Speculation won’t find out what happened to your sister. We need facts, not theories, which means we’re going to have to be careful.”
“We don’t do anything dangerous,” I said, and they nodded.
As they gathered their things and headed for the door, I caught the worry in their eyes that matched my own. Theories or not, we knew we’d crossed some invisible line tonight. We weren’t warriors playing at being spies any longer. We were playersin a game where the stakes were life and death.
After they’d left, I bathed. I extinguished the torches and climbed into my bed.
Sleep finally claimed me, but it brought me no peace. In my dreams, Skathes poured through tears in reality like putrid blood from a wound. A cloaked figure stood at the center of them all, guiding their actions. The wasteland spread in their wake, consuming everything I’d learned to love—the castle, my friends, the gardens where Trew had kissed me.
And Trew himself, his golden eyes dimming as shadows reached for him with grasping claws.
What if the Skathes killed him?
The thought sent a dagger through my heart. I’d spent too longtelling myself I didn’t care about the infuriating king who’d captured me, challenged me, and kissed me like he was gifting me with his soul.
But I could no longer pretend. Iwasfalling in love with him. And if something happened to him before I could stand at his side and fight for this court that had become my home…
I’d never forgive myself.
A sound drifted through my window.
Dragons returning?
A boom rang out, followed by a flash of light.
