Letting down her mother must be a heavy cross to bear. It was something Elyssa couldn’t help but struggle with as well. Rationally, Elyssa knew her mother would never take back trying to provide a better future for her daughter. Yet, Elyssa could never quiet the voice in her head asking her:Why me?What was she really accomplishing with her life—a life built on sacrifices she wished hadn’t occurred?
A burning sensation in the palm of her hand tore Elyssa out of her thoughts. She opened her left hand and found a small piece of paper there. It was a fire message from Farren, asking her if she was all right for the second time since her arrival. Elyssa grabbed the fountain pen from Amira’s desk and quickly scribbled a“Yes, I’m brilliant”on Farren’s spelled paper. Holding it over a flickering candle on Amira’s desk, she set Farren’s note on fire. It would send the note back to him.
Elyssa put the letter back in the drawer. She couldn’t bring herself to read any more of Amira’s letters. It was clear to her that Amira was trapped by her circumstances. Elyssa believed in the freedom of choice, and Amira hadn’t chosen to let Elyssa read her private letters. There had to be another way to get intel.
Spying the window, Elyssa went to open it. The one in Elyssa’s room led straight to a stone wall, but Amira’s opened over a wooden lattice covered in bright green vines. Layered with so many leaves, the wood was almost invisible, but Elyssa saw her chance.
She climbed out the window and down the vines. She was on the second floor, so it didn’t take her long until she dropped to the ground, finding herself in a small courtyard. She scanned the walls surrounding her, but no one seemed to be watching. In quick steps, she turned around the corner, spied a door leading inside, and hastily entered.
Without her hood, Elyssa felt exposed. She was wearing the Turosian uniform Rhay had given her, which made her stand out. She had no idea where she was going, but she trusted her instincts. She had great fucking instincts.
Two servants appeared around the corner in front of her, and Elyssa quickly flattened herself against the wall. She peeked around the corner and watched the two fae open a storage room. After getting fresh linens, they walked away.
Elyssa took a deep breath, then darted to the storage room and quickly closed the door behind her. As she’d hoped, there were servant uniforms there. Not thinking twice about it, Elyssa stripped and put on the Carnylen uniform. She folded hers and hid it beneath fresh bed sheets.
With her cover in place, Elyssa tugged a loose curl behind her ear and walked out of the storage closet. Another servant scurried along the hall, carrying a tray with drinks. Elyssa took the path he’d come from, following the smell of food, and soon found the kitchen on the ground floor.
She could see servants rushing around the kitchen through the open door. It seemed like they were putting away food, but what piqued her interest was the mention of Amira’s name. Elyssa was too far away to make out the servants’ conversation. She needed to get closer.
As the servants focused on cleaning the dirty plates in the sink, Elyssa ran from her hiding spot and flattened herself next to the open door.
She couldn’t hear everything they said, but she could catch a few words. Amira’s name again and something about a library.
Taking a big risk, Elyssa turned her head and looked into the kitchen, just barely. Elyssa could see one of the servant girl’s lips as she was occupied with cleaning the dishes. Reading her words, Elyssa understood that they were talking about how the princess had spent all her time in the library. Today, she had had a bit of a breakdown and left a damn mess behind. What was the princess up to? Was it fortae that had made her act out?
A hand landed on Elyssa’s shoulder, and she immediately went into high alert. Without looking at the person, Elyssa grabbed the arm of whoever had sneaked up on her and twisted it hard against their back. She dropped the bedsheets and her clothes with her movement.
The fae—a servant, judging from the uniform—yelped in pain. It sounded faint to Elyssa’s ears, but the noise would surely draw attention from the kitchen crew. Although she couldn’t hear their footsteps, Elyssa was sure they would be here in seconds to investigate.
Instinctively, Elyssa kicked at the fae’s legs, making him drop to the ground. She made a mad grab at her clothes, leaving the bedsheets behind, and before the fae on the ground could turn around, Elyssa ran. She didn’t dare glance over her shoulder as she dashed from the scene. She remembered the way she’d come. Elyssa was good at remembering paths. She’d had to be.
Below Amira’s window, she used her cloak to bind her clothes in a bundle around her waist. With a nervous glance around, Elyssa started climbing up the wall as fast as she could. Only when she reached the window sill did she feel like she’d made it.
But right as she put one leg into Amira’s room, the bedroom door flew open, and none other than the princess herself stood in the doorframe, frozen in place as her amethyst eyes met Elyssa’s.
Not letting her frantic thoughts display on her face, Elyssa fully stepped into the room with nothing but indifference and unbound the bundle of clothes around her waist.
“Well, fancy seeing you here. I thought your dinner would keep you busy for longer. Did Tarnan not enjoy your sunny company?” Elyssa asked, moving towards Amira, her clothes now folded in her arms.
Amira’s brows pinched together as she stared at Elyssa. She was kind of cute when she was angry. It was almost amusing.
“Did I not forbid you from leaving?” Amira countered.
Elyssa shrugged. “I told you I can’t stay in this room. I waited three goddamn days. That’s much too long, if you ask me.”
“We had a deal. I let you stay—in our rooms—and you give me pills.”
“I never agreed to your terms. I’m not your puppet, princess.” Elyssa drew closer, stopping right in front of her, trying hard not to get lost in her striking eyes. The letter was still replaying in her head, but there was something else Elyssa wanted to lay on the table. “I thought you’d understand, given your own rebellious streak.” She hadn’t forgotten about their first encounter.
Amira took a step back, uncertainty etched into her features. “What are you talking about?”
“The first time we met, you were sneaking around, watching Saydren, weren’t you?” Elyssa narrowed her eyes. “What was it that made you hide from the guards?” She’d beendyingto ask the princess. After reading her letter, Elyssa had a suspicion it was linked to Karwyn. And if Amira truly despised him, the princess could be of use to her budding revolution.
Amira was silent for a second. Her breathing quickened as she watched Elyssa. “I was sneaking out to catch some air. You should stop asking me irrelevant questions, or I might feel obliged to have you sent back to Turosian.”
Elyssa laughed shortly. “We already established you’re not going to tell on me. And what would the king think about your little drug habit? Or is Tarnan as crooked as Karwyn?”
Amira’s eyes sparked interest. “What do you know about Karwyn?”
