The Solar doors burst open, the portraits shuddering in their frames as Obrann charged through. His puppet, Ira, slinked after him, bow bent beneath invisible strings.
Ira’s dark eyes caught mine as he passed, though Obrann didn’t spare me a glance.
Good. Because I couldn’t stop my hand from twitching toward the dagger at my hip. Where there was a king, there was a prince. And where there was a prince, there would be revenge.
There was movement beneath my skin, hissing down my spine like teeth scraping bone. I pressed my palm hard to my temple, choking back the venomous urge.
One by one the rest of the council spilled out. Tsking. Tutting. Cowards cloaked in pomp.
I waited, counting their footsteps until they all quieted. Only then did I slip, headfirst, peering into the room. “Elva?”
She stood with her back to me, framed in the high window’s light. Sunbeams poured down in a thousand radiant spears, every one of them bent toward her. I stepped forward—
—and slammed into a wall of force. My chest seized as arms locked me in place. On instinct, my hand flew to my dagger.
“Whoa, easy.” Fritz let go, hands rising in surrender. Anger and defeat were strewn across his face like twin scars as his stare swept the corridor, locking on me.
Not a good meeting, then.
“I thought you weren’t here today and that’s why I was summoned to escort her?”
He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “The king asked me to sit in on this one.”
My eyes flicked to Elva, then back to him. “What for?”
He cleared his throat, fingers brushing over the line of buttons on his uniform. “If you’re so fond of watching doors, we could make escorting her permanent.”
“You mean it?” I widened my eyes with enthusiasm. “It would be my dream come true, standing guard while the king shreds every hope and dream from my friend’s hands!” I pressed my palms together like I was praying for it.
“Hush your voice,” he murmured. “Even the portraits can listen these days, Ms. Vale.” The way he hit the V made me bristle. “Ms.Vale.” He tilted his head. “Never understood why you changed the H in Hale to a V.”
My hands dropped, my peer sliding past him, back into the counsel room where Elva was still locked in sunlight that should’ve blinded her.
“I needed something that was my own,” I said. “I picked it when I was six. That’s as creative as I could get.” He turned too, studying her with me. “Is she okay?”
Easing me further into the hall, his voice lowered. “She’s lucky to have you, you know.”
I smiled at him, a real one this time, but the look on his face promised it wouldn’t last as he gently guided me into the shadow of an alcove.
I moved quickly, fingers catching at his armored arm. “Fritz, what happened?”
Wrinkles deepened across his forehead as his hand scraped the stubble along his jaw. “Verena—”
My eyes widened. It was never Verena.AlwaysMs. Vale. Cold, clipped, a wall I couldn’t breach.
“I’m afraid,” his voice cracked low, “my best has proven not good enough.”
My stomach plummeted. “What doesthatmean?”
“Hush.” He peered around the alcove wall before sinking back. “It means the princess’s fate has been decided.” Shoulders sagged, heavy even beneath the crush of steel. Armor or not, he looked broken. With a hand to my shoulder, his eyes pleaded. “You need to get her out and away from here as quickly and as quietly as you can.”
I pulled back, frowning. “I can’t…how am I supposed to do that?”
Where the hel would I even take her? Luamis was a kingdom of glass walls, and Elva was royalty.
Hiding her would be like dragging the sun from the sky.
Fritz straightened instantly, spine taut, hands clasped behind his back in polished obedience as he whispered, “There’s someone further south. Loyal to the cause. They’ll hide her. Hide you both.”
