“What is it?” Eira asked.
“I scouted ahead to the outskirts of Tolston,” said the fox. “Ordinarily, it would be easy to sneak through undetected. But the area is crawling with the queen’s soldiers. They caught wind that the Snow Princess was nearby. They know you’re here, Eira.”
I stepped forward,alarm pulsing through my veins. “How? Why would soldiers be searching for her if the queen sent me to kill her?”
Eira and Frisk looked at me solemnly, and then I knew.
The queen thought I had failed.
Shit.
I ran a hand along my face, tugging at my beard in frustration. I had never failed an assignment before. Why was she so quick to assume I was unsuccessful?
Unless that had been her plan all along. I had speculated it before—that she had set me up to fail. Because who in their right mind would release a skilled assassin from their employ? Who would relinquish that kind of control?
Calista wouldn’t. Oh, she would certainly pretend I had a fighting chance. But if she sent me on a doomed quest, then she would never have to release me or my blood.
I knew too many of her secrets. And she knew how much I despised my position. I’d become a liability to her. Just like Eira.
“Hunter,” Frisk barked. “I can see that brain of yoursworking, but right now, we need a plan to get through the village. Any ideas?”
I shook my head, struggling to rid myself of these incessant thoughts. They were getting me nowhere. Right now, it was safest to assume Calista wanted both Eira and me dead.
I turned to the princess. “Can you glamour?”
“Yes,” she said at once.
“Good. We’ll need a pretty convincing disguise. Frisk and Kendra, you stay with us. Mauro will have to wait on the outskirts of the village. He’s too noticeable.”
“Fine by me.” Mauro pawed at the ground. “I’ll meet you at our rendezvous point, Snow.”
Eira dropped her gaze, her expression full of despair. Perhaps she doubted her chances of survival. I certainly did.
“You did well, old friend,” Frisk said, nudging Mauro’s leg with his tail. “You made it down the mountain.”
“It wasn’t that hard,” Mauro said haughtily.
Eira was pulling her cloak on, adjusting the hood so it covered her face. I raised a hand. “Leave it down. The soldiers will be on the lookout for a masked or hooded figure. We’ll have to be as open and unassuming as possible.”
Eira’s brows knitted together, but she lowered her hood, then smoothed her palms along her trousers. “Won’t they recognize you?”
“Not with my glamour. Camouflage is my specialty.” I arched an eyebrow and gave her a devilish grin. To my surprise, a small smile lit Eira’s face. Her eyes gleamed, and uncertainty twisted in my chest. “What?”
“I’ve never seen you smile like that before,” she said with a chuckle. “It’s… quite disarming.”
I leaned closer to her, my grin widening. “Do I unsettle you, princess?” My voice was low and rough.
She laughed loudly and swatted at my arm. “Stop that!”
“Shivering bones, you two are insufferable,” Mauro grumbled.
“Indeed,” said Frisk with a sniff.
“We aren’t even arguing,” Eira pointed out.
“The flirting is worse.” Mauro shifted his dark eyes between me and Eira.
Warmth filled my throat, cutting off my reply. Eira’s cheeks turned pink, and she coughed lightly.
