At least now they could go back to the way things were.
Amina looked between the two. She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, which did nothing, as it sprang back out of its own volition. Javi followed the movement with hawk eyes that made Risa’s stomach churn.
He catapulted out of his chair and kneeled by the princess, staring intently at her face. “Your curse is gone.”
Amina giggled nervously and looked down, as if that could hide the fact that her face was her own. “What? No. Really? It’s a miracle.”
Risa rolled her eyes. “That was very convincing.”
“Your curse is gone?” He smiled. “Your curse is gone! Wait, how come I didn’t notice?”
Amina gave him a look Risa did not understand and answered, “Because you’re blinded by idiocy.”
Javi shot Risa a glare for some reason—it wasn’t likeshecalled him an idiot—before turning back to the princess with a nod. “I see you two are keeping your own secrets now.” He sighed, then patted Amina’s knee. “You should put your hood back on. An older Cirilian might recognize you.”
Amina pulled her cape back over her face. “Better?” she asked, the lilt in her accent nearly scrubbed clean.
“Yes,” Javi confirmed. “You’ll have to tell me where you got your cloak. The magic in it would be helpful for when I end my betrothal and make my great escape from Madros. I’ll probably have to live the rest of my life in hiding.”
Risa perked up, setting her exasperation with the prince aside. “You said Madros!”
“Huh.” He scratched his head. “I didn’t even hesitate.”
“The curse must not be able to extend so far,” Amina said, eyes wide.
Risa nodded. “That must be why General Sur is so concerned with San Cirilo.”
“Could it only extend by land?” Javi wondered.
“It didn’t really reach us in Barrow or Cairn. Not that the general has to worry about backwater country towns.” Risa licked her lipsand felt Javi’s eyes boring a hole into her forehead. “I wonder if other nations got the brunt of it…”
Before they could discuss any further theories, the door opened and Gomez returned, looking surlier.
“You have your audience.”
Javi stretched to his full height and gave her an easy grin. “Wonderful. Where should—”
“Just her,” Gomez said, jerking a thumb at Risa. “The Regent wants to make sure she’s really a witch.”
Risa’s eyes widened.
Shit.
“You can’t do that—” Javi started.
“We can, and we will.”
Amina reached for the daggers strapped to her belt, but the woman raised a finger in warning. “I wouldn’t, if I were you. We have a whole squad of guards just outside this door. Which is, coincidentally, the only way in and out of this room.”
Risa shook her head. “It’s fine,” she told the princess. “I’ll be fine.”
But she wasn’t going to be fine. If she didn’t find a way to break Brunhilda’s spell in the next few minutes, she would die on her way to meet the Regent.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWOIn Which the Girl Meets a Regent
Gomez did not spare Risa much consideration beyond directing her through the lower corridors of the airhub. Javi and Amina trailed behind, escorted by two other officers. Eventually, the sterile white halls led to an equally sterile docking station where more officers milled about, busy scribbling things into notepads or sharing gossip near a weird inverted jug that dispensed water into little cups. Two ships painted the same green as the officers’ uniform—and smaller than the airship that had brought them to the interrogation room—were anchored in wait.
“The cat is my familiar,” Risa told Gomez, who shrugged and pushed her into the tiny aircab, Brunie tucked in her ruana.
