In the end, Eira was the one to withdraw, stepping forward and refusing to meet my gaze.
Something shifted in the air, and every one of my senses went on high alert.
Someone was here.
In a flash, I grabbed her and clamped my hand over her mouth, tucking her against my chest once more. I quickly tugged us both into the shade of a tree and out of sight. A tall, thin man with dark skin came into view. He scanned the forest as if searching for something.
Us, perhaps?
He wore a servant’s livery with the Winter Court crest stitched into the fabric. But if he was a servant, why was he searching the woods outside the palace?
Eira elbowed me in the gut, and I released my hold on her.
“It’s just Huck,” she whispered. “Thank the gods! I wasn’t sure if he’d make it.”
Huck finally spotted us, and his eyes widened. He waved us over, then turned and darted into the bushes.
Eira strode toward him, but I grabbed her wrist.
“Can we trust him?”
“Yes,” she said at once. “He’s part of the rebels looking to overthrow Calista. If I can’t trust him, I can’t trustanyone.”
I nodded, remembering how loyal her human friends had been back in Knockspur. We rushed forward, following after Huck, and found him crouched in the bushes, his eyes fixed on the servants’ entrance at the back end of the palace. Four guards stood sentry by the door, blocking our way in.
“How did you get out?” Eira whispered.
Huck gestured to the uniform he was wearing. Only then did I notice his hair was flattened to cover the roundness of his ears. His disguise was just as convincing as a glamour. No one would look twice at him.
But me and Eira? She was the shunned Snow Princess, and I was a wanted fugitive. We hadn’t exactly been quiet during our altercations in Tolston. The witnesses may have already reported what they’d seen to Calista.
That, and I was covered in blood and dirt. The evidence was damning.
“I have a room and supplies ready for you,” Huck said under his breath. “We just have to get past them without drawing attention.” He looked at Eira and raised his eyebrows. “Any ideas?”
“I can use my magic,” she said. “But it won’t help him.” She jerked her head toward me.
Huck flicked his gaze over me once, a look of disdain crossing his features. But, to his credit, he didn’t question Eira’s apparent trust in me, nor did he make any objections to my being here.
“Huck, you go in with Eira,” I said, staring at the guards as a plan began to form. “I’ll be right behind you.”
Eira grasped my arm, her eyes filled with panic. “You can’t attract any attention.”
“I won’t.”
“And you can’t give yourself up.”
“I won’t.”
Her eyebrows lifted as if she hadn’t expected me to say it. I couldn’t blame her; the thought to turn myself inhadcrossed my mind.
Eira bit back a smile, her eyes swimming with relief. “All right. It’s only fair you keep me in suspense, since I do that to you all the time.”
I grinned at her, and her breath hitched.
Huck turned to Eira. “You ready?”
In a flash, Eira turned invisible, blending in with the foliage. Like before, I could still make out a faint outline of her body. But it would be enough to deceive the guards, especially with Huck to distract them. “Ready,” she said.
