Skylar heaves herself over the edge of the cliff, and both men look down at her. Axel’s hands are loosely clasping the rope—she wonders if he would have definitely caught her, if she’d slipped.
“So, she’s nailed the wall,” Zryan says.
“Looks like,” Axel agrees mildly.
Skylar pushes herself to her feet. “Careful, all these compliments are going to go straight to my head.”
“She’s got good balance and natural strength,” Axel says. “I think she’ll be okay, getting onto the island.” He’s told her there’s a cliff she’ll have to climb to make it onto Isla Draka itself—with no outside help.
“Well, that’s something.” Zryan pulls a hand through his black hair. He looks tired today—just whose room was he in last night? “We can’t be having another Zeb incident.” He and Axel exchange a meaningful look at this.
“Someone tried to killwholast night?” Skylar presses.
They exchange another glance. She grits her teeth.
Zryan looks back at her, head cocked. “Maybe she’s a Sensor,” he says to Axel. Axel snorts—she has no idea why. Does he look down on Sensors?
Skylar waits.
“Astrid,” Zryan says, a touch of reluctance to his tone. “Someone tried to kill Astrid.”
Cold floods through her. “Which means someone tried to kill me, too.” Neither of them contradict her.
This could explain the headache she woke up with. Maybe it wasn’t because someone tried to smash inherskull butAstrid’s. That’s how the Blood Binding is supposed to work, right?
There is a sinking feeling in her stomach that she tries to breathe through. Time. She was supposed to have time, to figure out what happened to Cam. She hasn’t been able to do anything, not since her failed attempt to break into the king’s office. They’ve kept her too busy with training, and now…
It’ll be okay, Lar Lar. We’ll always be okay, remember?
“Who was behind it?” she asks.
“That’s what we’re trying to figure out,” Zryan says.
“Rebel involvement?” Axel asks. He’s been watching her this whole time, like he’s trying to figure out how she’s taking it. Now he turns his attention to the prince.
“Why would the rebels try to kill us—what’s the point?” Though as she says it, she wonders. If someone wanted to take down the royals, wouldn’t killing the heirs be a good place to start? And yet—shealready knows for a fact there’s someone else who would want her dead. Someone who has wanted her dead since she was born.
She folds her arms. “I’m supposed to believe, am I, that this was an outside attempt?”
Axel frowns. “What do you mean?” But she sees realization dawning.
“You can’t think—” Zryan says slowly, but Skylar interrupts him.
“Your father has made his opinion of me very clear. And if me and the witch are gone, that leaves the way clear for you to rule, doesn’t it?” She narrows her eyes, daring him to argue. Of course, he’s probably in on it. As is Axel. She feels heat build in her veins—that she is trapped here, surrounded by people who want her dead.
Zryan shakes his head. “It can’t be my father.”My.Notour.
“He’s right,” Axel says firmly. “It’s written in the Covenant. No ruler—or their family—can willfully slay their own heir.”
Skylar scoffs. “Just because it’s written—”
“It’s not only written,” Zryan says. “It is bound by blood and magic. There is no way the king could have you killed—not now the Covenant recognizes you as heir. He would be forfeiting the Heart.”
She doesn’t have an immediate answer to that, so she keeps her mouth shut. They could be lying to her—no way to be sure, is there?
“One good thing came of it at least,” Zryan says. “The fox—it’s not her familiar.”
Skylar’s heart lurches—something like hope there.
