“Good job, Zee!” I call. I don’t see her amidst the chaos of leaping flames and people running in all directions, but I know she’s there. No one else could have made that tree move away after it had started falling. She’s even better at moving things with her magic than Karston—but then, she’s been practicing longer.
“It was nothing,” she answers wearily from somewhere to my right.
As I start passing buckets of water with the others, Devran to my right and Meredy on my left, I hear Azelie sob, “My poor garden.” I toss water onto the blaze as fast as I can, wishing I could do something more to ease the pain I know will grip her when night descends on a fragrant, unruly garden turned to ash.
Karston, who seems to be thinking along the same lines, whispers, “I’ll go see how I can help her,” before hurrying off in the direction of Azelie’s voice.
“I’m going to find and kill whoever did this,” I growl as the flames begin to die down.
“Not if I get there first,” Devran snaps from beside me in the water line. He shakes his head, his eyes on Valoria. “Burning a statue on the palace lawn to get your attention is one thing, but setting a fire meant to burn a bunch of students alive? And for what, exploring the magic that exists inside us all? That’s different. Darker. My people didn’t do this, but I wish I knew who did. All I know is that there are always those who will kill to get their way, and they clearly don’t realize theconsequences. Without a Wylding on the throne, we’d drift even further from the Karthia we love.”
“Down with the queen!” someone shouts over Valoria’s reply to Devran, well out of view and out of reach. “Death to change!” Their words are followed by whoops and rough laughter.
“Cowards!” I shout back, only to be answered with silence and the hiss of water putting out more of the blaze.
“I just don’t know what to do,” Valoria sighs, wiping sweat from her brow. Passing another bucket of water down the chain we’ve formed, she adds, “I can’t go down Hadrien’s path. I don’t want to hurt my own people. But if I can’t end these attacks...”
She swallows, unable to finish, and I nudge her with my shoulder to let her know she doesn’t have to.
“Are you all right?” Devran asks tersely, frowning as Valoria’s complexion turns paler despite the heat. “Majesty?”
That last word alone is enough to startle Valoria back to the present. “Yes, I—I’m sorry. I was just thinking about how we’re going to handle this new threat,” she whispers, looking stricken.
It’s more than that, though: She hasn’t told Devran about the Ezorans’ movements, at least not to my knowledge, but I understand her dilemma. Should she focus all her attention on her people—their welfare and happiness? Or on the outside forces that could draw nearer at any time to destroy everything and everyone here, regardless of what they stand for? Because if her attention is split, something is bound to slip through the cracks.
Valoria seems to have opened Devran’s mind tonight—that remains to be seen—but somewhere out there is a group of people desperate enough to attack more than just their queen. We’ll have even more death on our hands if someone doesn’t find and stop them soon. Looks like I have a long night ahead of me.
***
My body aches from lack of sleep when Meredy kisses me awake in the morning.
“What are you doing?” I groan, sitting up and glancing across the room at Lysander and Nipper, both still asleep. They’ve got the right idea. We didn’t get back from the temple until well after midnight, meaning we’ve only had a few hours’ rest, but the whole building survived with minimal damage to the wall nearest the garden. There was plenty for the healers to mend, with many burns sustained and one bad case of smoke inhalation, but everyone survived. Everyone, that is, but Azelie’s plants.
I made a long, pointless search for the arsonists, following broken branches and other evidence of their path away from the school, before I lost their trail near a creek and was forced to return to the palace angry and empty-handed.
“Getting you up and dressed.” Meredy tosses a shirt at me, then a pair of trousers. “I’ve been awake for hours already, thanks to our mystery singer, so I figured we might as well deliver some more food parcels to the sick—they still need our help, no matter the danger.”
“You realize I don’t feel nearly as charitable as you before breakfast, right?” Pulling my usual black shirt over my head muffles the words. The arsonists yesterday didn’t care if a bunch of students died, which means they probably wouldn’t hesitate to kill the queen’s friends if we were recognized outside the palace. But Meredy is right. The sick are counting on us for food and supplies.
She prods me until I’m awake enough to slip on my gloves and scarf. “Come on! We can eat breakfast while we walk.”
On our way through the palace, we bump into Valoria. She has a notebook in one hand and a cup of tea in the other, and looks as if shenever went to bed. “Morning, you two,” she says absently, scrutinizing a page of scribbles in her notebook. Then, as if just realizing who she’s talking to, she tucks the notebook under her arm and pushes her glasses up. “Where are you going? You won’t be gone long, will you?” she asks, looking between us.
“We’ll be back in a few hours, if you need us. We’re just off to deliver more food,” Meredy says, holding up some wrapped parcels and frowning. “Why? Did something else happen?”
A flush creeps into Valoria’s cheeks as she says, “After yesterday’s attack, the council thinks it’s time I show everyone that I’m made of stronger stuff than anyone believes. This afternoon, they want me to show all the nobles living here—inmyfamily’s palace—that I have an army at my command to keep them safe.” She seems pleased, though privately I don’t know how a bunch of nobles will react to the creepy, eyeless suits of armor. They take a bit of getting used to. “Once I’ve given them a little demonstration, I’ll be off to meet with Devran again first thing. If we could just get past our disagreement about the Dead, we’d really be getting somewhere.” She sighs. “Besides, the only way to deter new attacks is by making our people feel heard and understood—and by searching for those responsible for yesterday’s fire.”
“You need us to search some more—?” I begin, ready to temporarily abandon our food delivery for this even more pressing issue.
“No. Thank you, though,” Valoria says wearily, though her voice is warm with gratitude. “Devran and a few of his people are assisting my guards in an attempt to find the culprits as we speak, so that’s something. If the search goes well, the Shade-baiters in the dungeons will have new company tonight.”
We’re interrupted for a moment as Azelie passes by, but she doesn’t stop to chat. There are fewer plants trailing her this time, and she looks exhausted, though that’s no wonder after the fire last night.
“Speaking of the soldiers, are they still coming along well?” I ask Valoria, scrutinizing her for signs that she’s working herself too hard, using too much of her inventor’s magic. “Did you ever find the prankster who put them all in the kitchen the other night?”
“The soldiers are coming along splendidly, but I haven’t had time to look into the prank in the kitchen, I’m afraid.” Valoria holds up her free hand, revealing grease-blackened fingertips. To my relief, I don’t notice any gaps in her memory, no slurring of her words or a vacant stare, all signs that would mean she’s pushing her magic too far. “When I’m not writing letters or in meetings with the council and the guards, I’ve been helping Noranna and the others with construction while Karston rehearses with them. Did you know we’ve made over a hundred already?”
Meredy and I exchange surprised glances. That’s more than I thought. Way more. Of course, given how the Ezorans have been moving through kingdoms lately, I’m hardly surprised she’d want to hurry production.
