“Things to do, huh?”
Skylar shrugs, then hisses with the pain. “I can’t die until I save my friend.” She says it without really thinking.
Bastet turns his narrowed eyes on her. She narrows her eyes right back at him, and he bares his teeth. She bares hers back. Astrid snorts at the two of them. “Well, I can’t die until I save my queendom, so…”
“Way to one-up me,” Skylar mutters.
Astrid’s lips twitch. And Skylar can’t help it. Shelaughs. It is a stupid reaction, probably born out of adrenaline, chaos, and total insanity, but she islaughing—and Astrid is laughing, too. And the two of them are doubling over and it hurts so fucking much but Skylar can’t stop.
IDO NOT UNDERSTAND THE JOKE.
For some reason, that makes both of them laugh even harder, louder, and more hysterically, and Skylar isn’t sure if either of them know what exactly is funny.
There’s a sound to their left, like a twig snapping, and both of them straighten. They look to where it came from, but no one is there. They exhale on the same breath.
“Your friend…” Astrid lowers her voice. Low enough, Skylar guesses, that her guard, standing a few feet back, can’t hear her. “I’m guessing that has something to do with what you were looking for the other night.”
Skylar hesitates. But Astrid has every reason to hate these people as much as she does, doesn’t she? “Not exactly difficult guesswork, but, yes. He was taken for the army they’re building. Presumably to attack you if you win the duel.”
Astrid nods, fingers tapping against her thigh. “I took it from your room by the way. I’m going to put it back where it belongs.”
’Course she bloody is. “Thought you needed the king’s blood to get in? Or was that just a ruse to get in some quality bonding time?”
Astrid’s lips twitch. “Lucky for me, you left something behind.”
Right. The whole stabbing-herself-with-her-pin demonstration. “I see,” Skylar says. “Must be handy, not being stopped by locks.” Astrid grins, and Skylar snorts a half laugh. “Whatever. I got what I needed from it, anyway.” Or, more to the point, she didn’t find anything further. Hasn’t been able to figure out what that word means.Champion.
“What about you?” Skylar asks.
She’s expecting to have to explain what she’s asking—whether Astrid has found what she needs on the Heart—but Astrid must be on the same wavelength, because she shakes her head. “Still looking.”
Astrid’s body tenses an instant before Skylar feels the zap of Zryan’s electricity. Skylar can’t help it—she tenses, too. Is this it? Is Zryan going to be the one to pass judgment?
But Zryan only glances between them. “What are you two talking about?” His tone is on the suspicious side.
His gaze settles on Astrid, who meets it, though Skylar doesn’t miss the slight blush creeping into her cheeks. “Oh, you know, just catching up on the castle gossip.”
“Mmm,” Skylar agrees, conjuring up the nonchalance she knowshow to wear like skin. “Wondering who is taking who to the Masked Ball.”
“Yeah, is it the kind of thing where you need a date?” Astrid’s eyes flick briefly to Zryan, like she can’t help herself, before looking determinedly away.
Skylar smirks. “I’ll be your date, Little Witch. Imagine the stirthatwould cause.” It actually might be worth it, just to piss everyone off.
“Somehow, I doubt I’d keep up with you,” Astrid says dryly.
“Ah, come on, it’ll be fun. We could get matching outfits.”
“Maybe matching hats,” Astrid muses.
“We can’t have matching hair because I’d look terrible with navy hair.”
“Right,” Zryan says, looking between them again as if trying to decipher a puzzle. Then he turns to Astrid. “I’m sorry, Princess, but my sister is needed in the king’s office.”
Skylar’s heart gives a horrible lurch, but she does her best to keep her face impassive. She doesn’t miss, though, what Zryan called her.Sister.Saying that out loud, to Astrid—is that a good sign? Given he knows now what she is?
Astrid, however, is frowning. “Does she really need to speak to him now?” She lifts a hand, seeming to be about to gesture at the general state of Skylar, then drops it again. Skylar frowns, too, trying to work out Astrid’s game plan. But she doesn’t have one, does she? For some reason, she doesn’t want Skylar to have to face this—even if it’s not clear what exactly she’ll be facing.
Axel has caught up with them now. Skylar can feel his gaze, burning the side of her face—but she still can’t bring herself to look at him. He saw her, out there. And despite that, he helped her. Hecarriedher.
