Reyna settled onto the bench beside Eislyn and wrapped her arm around her shoulder, pulling her sister close. Gently, she said, “That sounds like something unlikely to happen. Corpses don’t move.”
“Oh,” Eislyn said, her eyes widening. “Oh.”
Taking a deep breath, she stood and decided to steer the conversation onto something less painful for her sister. Eislyn knew that she sometimes imagined things, and she did not like to dwell on it. It pained her. At times, it embarrassed her.
“Right. That settles it then. Come with me. We need to speak to Thane about the Ruin. His mother refuses to assist, and you can’t research if you aren’t shown the library.”
Eislyn didn’t move, instead frowning up at her sister. “Mustwe go and speak with the prince?”
“I know you aren’t fond of him, but we have no other choice.” Reyna held out a hand. “He has seen the Ruin himself. Perhaps he can be reasoned with.”
A strange expression flickered across Eislyn’s face, but then she took Reyna’s hand and stood. Together, they gathered the small collection of books and pushed out into the corridor. Reyna expected to find Lorcan skulking in the shadows but was relieved to see he wasn’t there.
“No guards,” Eislyn said, cocking her head. “That is unusual.”
“They will be somewhere nearby. Let’s hurry before they spot us leaving,” Reyna beckoned. “I know the way to Thane’s chambers.”
Eislyn fell into step beside her, raising her brows. “You know the way? I know you do not care for appearances, Reyna, but surely you have not…”
Reyna gave her a sharp look. “I have not been in bed with the prince, if that is what you are presuming. Surely, you know me better than that. I would do nothing to threaten the alliance.”
And bedding the Prince surely would. They were to stay chaste until their wedding night, according to the laws of the Dagda. That was one part of the law that Reyna could surely get behind. She was safe from the prince’s advances. For now.
“What will you ask him?” Eislyn said as they turned a corner. Reyna stopped and looked around, frowning. She had been certain this was the way, but the castle was a maze of twisting tunnels. This one looked much like the last. In fact, it almost felt as though they were walking in circles. Shaking her head, she resumed their journey.
“I will demand that he allow you time in the libraries, and I will ask him to pledge his armies to the cause,” Reyna said. “And then I will suggest that his mother’s rule is not legitimate. He is the heir to the throne. This entire coup has been entirely odd.”
Eislyn frowned. “Odd how?”
“Thane was set to take the throne in a few years’ time. Now, suddenly, Sloane has passed his rule to Imogen? There is something amiss in it.”
Reyna stopped again and gazed around her. The corridor was identical the one they had just gone past. This was not the way to Thane’s chambers. They were surely lost.
“This castle is nothing like our home,” Reyna said quietly. These halls were dark and dreary, and a harsh wind bit her face. She thought she might even be cold. At the Ice Court, glowing blue orbs lined every wall, casting pure white light onto the slick floors. She had never gotten lost in those halls. She knew Starford Castle better than she knew her own mind.
“It is not as foreign as I am certain the Fire Court would be,” Eislyn said. “At least there is snow in Tairngire this time of year.”
“Not that we ever see it,” Reyna said with a frown. If only she could step outside and explore the thick woods surrounding the southern edge of the castle, she might feel more at ease in Tairngire.
That was certainly why the High Queen had not allowed it. Putting Reyna Darragh of the Ice Court at ease was surely the last thing she wanted.
“Come,” Reyna said. “We will need to retrace our steps. This is not the way.”
As they scurried back down the shadowy corridor, the echo of distant footsteps filled Reyna’s ears. Heart lifting, she spun on her feet. A tall, hooded figure strode toward them, his boots scuffing the stone floor. His face was hidden by the dark folds of the cloth, but the certainty of his footsteps combined with the grace of his movements suggested that he was a highly trained royal guard.
“Ah,” she said. “We were just on our way to visit the prince, but we seem to be lost. Are we in the wrong tower?”
The guard did not respond. Instead, his feet moved faster against the stone floor. Frowning, Reyna glanced at her sister. She was watching the approaching stranger with a heightened sense of panic flickering across her face. When Reyna turned back to the guard, she understood why. He had pulled a dagger from the depths of his black cloak, and the steel end flashed ominously in the darkness.
“Eislyn,” Reyna warned in a low voice as she shifted her body in front of her sister’s. “Stay behind me.”
“Reyna,” Eislyn whispered, clutching the back of Reyna’s gown. “What is happening?”
Reyna did not reply. The male was closer now. Only a few more moments, and his steel would ring through the air. Reyna’s hands clenched. She had no weapon herself. Her own dagger had been taken from her weeks ago.
This very much felt like a trap, one that Reyna had walked straight into. She had allowed the Air Court to disarm her, and now, they had sent an assassin when no guards or courtiers were around to witness it. The High Queen had made it clear how she felt about Reyna. How best to take care of a pesky, unwanted betrothal? Murder it.
But Reyna Darragh would not go down without a fight.
