I wanted to believe that. Needed to believe it, actually, because the alternative was too terrifying.
I rubbed my locket between my fingers, finding comfort in the movement. My parents had faced impossible odds during their time. They’d trusted each other and relied on their partnership to overcome threats neither could’ve handled alone.
Maybe that was the real counter to The Purists’ philosophy. You didn’t need elaborate traps or clever strategies but connections that could make us stronger rather than weaker.
“We should get everything ready,” Dominic said.
I pocketed my notebook.
We strode toward the door, and he opened it for me, gesturing for me to leave the room first.
Somewhere, our enemy was plotting. They’d smiled at us across the dinner table, participated in court functions,and lived among us while working toward our destruction.
The most dangerous enemies hide in plain sight,Savory said.
Dominic rubbed my back as we walked through the castle together, passing lords and ladies who greeted us with what seemed like real warmth. Was one of them the saboteur?
Lady Featherby offered us pretty cakes from her basket.
Lord Primrose recited a spontaneous couplet about the beauty of young love.
Lady Edwina announced she’d seen that something momentous was coming.
Any of them could be The Purist. Or none of them. Someone we hadn’t even considered could be hiding behind a clever mask.
By the time we reached the greenhouse, I’d mentally reviewed every court member I’d met, trying to figure out if any had shown even a hint of deception. But The Purists were experts at infiltration. They wouldn’t make obvious mistakes.
The fresh plants waited in their containers, vibrant and healthy. We walked around the tables containing motion-responsive orchids, festival blossoms, and even a few rare specimens the gardener had collected from greenhouses in the area.
We had everything we needed to replace what had been destroyed. Everything needed to bait our trap.
Dominic helped me arrange them while the gardener worked on replacing outdoor plants with others he’d collected and left in his cart. We’d only replace those close by, saving some we’d hide on the grounds for the day of the festival.
Then we set our magical surveillance in place, crafting subtle spells that would alert us to any presence, magical working, or attempt to harm the plants.
It wasn’t enough against someone this skilled, but it was all we had.
As twilight settled over the gardens, Dominic and I stood at the greenhouse entrance, looking back toward the castle. Lights glowed in windows where our court prepared for evening meals and entertainment. Laughter drifted on the breeze, joy that fed the emotional magic flowing through this place.
It was hard to believe someone was eager to destroy it.
“Whoever this is,” I said quietly, “they may be watching us.”
“We’ll have to be unpredictable.” Dominic’s arm came around my waist, and he tugged me close. “We’ll trust our instincts instead of our plans.”
The hunter who follows only the trail may miss the prey watching from the trees,Savory said, swooping down to land on my shoulder.
We had one day left to catch a threat that may have been growing for years.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
DOMINIC
The potting shed smelled like earth and growing things. I shifted on the overturned crate, trying to find a position that didn’t make my legs cramp while maintaining a clear view of the greenhouse entrance through the shed’s small window.
Sasha sat close beside me on her own box. She’d spread a blanket across our laps, and her warmth seeped through my tunic where our bodies pressed together. Her notebook balanced on her knee, filled with careful observations tracking every movement near the greenhouse over the past two hours.
Nothing suspicious yet. Just the normal evening routines of a court preparing for its most important celebration.
