I looked at him, and the White Queen, at March and at Master Talik, all the others—had they heard the same thing? Because my ears must have been malfunctioning.
Because what would anybody’s grandson have to do withthe fact that we wereallabout to die right here, right now, at the hands of this woman?
The White Queen’s white eyebrows rose. “Why are all of you rustbloods so ridiculous? I genuinely had hope for you, Calren.”
“It’snota joke,” the Timekeeper said through gritted teeth, and he didn’t back away. Not even when the White Queen took a step forward. “He’s your grandson—and I have proof. He has your blood. He’s yours.”
I was falling—except it was a different kind of falling, one where I was still. On my knees. Fingernails sinking into March’s hands, and I’m sure he didn’t even feel it. Because he—and all the others—were falling while being still, too, just like me.
“Whoare you even?—”
The White Queen stopped talking. Stopped blinking all of a sudden.
Only looked at Calren—who’d turned just slightly toward us.
Who’d pointed a bandaged finger at Silas.
Silas—Timekeeper and Spade. Six hours this, and six hours that. Unheard of. An impossibility.
A glitch.
Agrandson.
The world stopped. The air went still. The soldiers froze just like we had. The remaining light in the White Queen’s hands disappeared completely.
Even the sunrise seemed to pause, the golden light hovering at the edge of the horizon like it wanted to see what came next.
But the White Queen’s face.
Time’s Teeth, her face.
I’d seen emotions on her. I’d seen her trying to hide. I’dseen her happy, proud, hurt—enraged, too. But this was something else.
“No.”
“He’s your son’s son,” Calren said, and my mind spiraled and spiraled. “He’s your grandson, Your Majesty—yours.”
A step forward.
The White Queen brought her hands to her head, moved back, said, “Stop,” though only barely.
“You were pregnant when you were crowned, but queens are not allowed to have offspring. They’re not allowed a family other than their ruling sister,” said Calren, and it was like he was ripping me apart limb by limb. “But you decided to risk it, carry the baby, deliver it.” He moved, the Timekeeper, and the queen moved back. Lowered her head. Whispered to herself,no, no, no, no…
“Then you gave him away. You gave him to be raised away from the palace, and he ended up in a family of Timekeepers.”
Silas, why was your father raised by Timekeepers?I’d asked.
I looked at the boy now, and I saw him.
Isawhis jawline, identical to the White Queen’s. I saw the shape of his brows and the curve of his lips.
I saw when he closed his eyes and lowered his head thathehadn’t known, either.
Now he did.
“That baby grew up, fell in love, had a son. It’shim.”Again, Calren pointed behind him at a shaking Silas. “He’s your?—”
“STOP!” the White Queen shouted at the top of her voice. “You’re lying. Liar, liar, liar…” Her voice shook worse than before.
