Firiel. Her girlfriend who died in a hunting accident.
I can’t believe what I’m hearing. “You don’t know what you’re saying! Meredy, it isn’treal. It repeated my thoughts back to me, just masked in Evander’s voice. It’s a trick, a nasty one. I thought you of all people would know never to mess with something like that. Remember when that potion made me see visions of Evander, and you and Valoria tried so hard to save me from the way it was destroying me? And now you’re just—what?”
Her eyes have filled with tears, and she’s shaking her head. “I’ve lost so much. I thought you’d understand. Evander does.”
I leap off the bed to grab my cloak and boots, unable to listen to this any longer. “Meredy, it’snot him! I’m sorry I ever bought the damn thing.” Before I can consider the words coming out of my mouth, I add, “Evander, the real Evander, wouldneverhave fallenfor a trick like that. And he would never have chosen a stupid rock over me.”
Meredy crosses her arms as I pull on my boots. “Firiel warned me you’d react like this if you found out,” she says softly. The words hit me like a slap to the face. “She told me your selfishness and your temper would be the end of us—that, or the way you look at Jax sometimes, or the way you’re always comparing me to my brother. And I’m sure she’s right. No one understands me like she does.”
I take a deep breath, trying to clear my head, and let my cloak drop from my hands. I can’t just storm out of here. Meredy needs me, the way I needed her when I wasn’t sure what was real and what wasn’t anymore. Until now, looking at her, I don’t think I ever realized how close I’d come to losing my sanity because of those potions.
“Will you show me where the crystal is?” I ask gently, approaching the bed.
Her eyes harden, and she shakes her head. “No. I can’t do that. I won’t let you come between me and—”
Something bumps against our door, a dull, heavy thud that startles her into silence.
“Who’s there?” Meredy asks sharply as she grabs a knife, and I grab my sword.
The doorknob rattles, and there’s a shuffling of feet just outside.
Someone wants in.
Together, Meredy and I tiptoe to the door. When I nod to give the go-ahead, she unbolts the lock with one hand, raising her knife with the other.
Tensed and ready to strike, I lunge forward as the door swings open to reveal Karston. He slumps to his knees across the threshold, his eyes closed, but he jolts awake just a moment later as I set my sword down.
“Karston?” I whisper, dropping to my knees on one side of him, Meredy on the other. “What in Death’s name is going on?” Recoiling slightly at an unpleasant thought, and motioning for Meredy to do the same, I ask, “Do you have chills?” Maybe he contracted the fever during his move to the palace earlier today, though why he’d come to me, I have no idea.
Then I remember: He’s a sleepwalker. One of the other students at the school was teasing him about it the day I met him.
It takes him a moment to orient himself, gazing around the unfamiliar lantern-lit room. Finally, he pushes himself to a sitting position and rubs the sleep from his eyes, murmuring, “I’m sorry, Odessa. I guess I should’ve warned everyone about my sleepwalking.” He shakes his head, plainly annoyed at himself. “It never got me into much trouble at home, because I couldn’t figure out how to get past the cows’ paddock in my sleep.”
“One of the nuns who raised me used to sleepwalk,” I share as I climb to my feet and then help Karston to his. “Don’t worry, you can’t die of embarrassment. But you should try to get some more rest.” I point him toward the open door with a sympathetic smile. “You’ve got a lot of work ahead of you, from the sound of things.”
“Can we get you anything before you go?” Meredy adds, carefully avoiding my gaze. “A glass of water?”
Karston shakes his head. “Thank you, but I’ll be fine. I’m just lucky that out of all the doors in this place, I wound up at yours.” Grimacing, he adds, “Jax would’ve been so pissed if I’d woken him up instead!”
XIX
The bed is cold in the morning, the sun too bright and intrusive, with Meredy no longer curled against my back.
Remembering the fight we had last night—a fight that would’ve gotten worse if Karston hadn’t showed up—a wave of dread washes over me, anchoring me to the bed. I’d like nothing more than to hide in here all day, but I’m supposed to have another secret sparring session with Jax and some of the other volunteers. More importantly, I have to help Meredy. I doubt she’ll willingly show me where the crystal is, but if I can somehow prove to her that it’s fake, maybe I can convince her to destroy it herself.
The trouble is, I don’t have any idea how to do that. But I know someone who might. Someone who always has an answer for everything: Valoria.
As I climb out of bed, something clatters against the wood floor, followed by a thump. Leaning over the side of the bed, I realize Nipper’s trying to get something from underneath. The basket of food I’d planned to send to Elibeth by way of the guards tending tothe sick. The dragon closes her teeth around the handle, picking up the basket, and I smile.
“Think you can deliver that for me, girl?” I ask hopefully.
Nipper chirps once, tugs open the unlocked door by wrapping her long tail around the handle, and bounds away.
I hurry out after her. If I’m quick enough, I should be able to get Valoria’s advice on what to do to help Meredy before it’s time to meet Jax, Freckles, and Sunshine for training.
Bryn and Sarika, I correct myself, pretty sure I’ve finally gotten their names right.
After rushing past the warmth of the already-bustling kitchen, I jog up a spiral staircase that leads into a long hallway full of windows, with a beautiful view of the palace gardens. I’ve gotten to know this path well, because at the end of the hallway is another staircase, this one even taller and twistier, leading to Valoria’s private tower room.
