Page 51 of The Lure of Wolves and Whispers

“Having second thoughts yet?” The faint clang of the swordat Talon’s side—and knowing them, probably a dozen other hidden weapons—eases some of my tension.

“It’s cute you think they’re onlysecondthoughts.”

Talon snorts, but I don’t miss the way their eyes sweep over every person aiming a glare my way. Which is… almost everyone in the room.

“Well, I can’t make any guarantees, but I will try my best to keep you alive.” The steady warmth of them at my side is a comfort, even though I know it shouldn’t be. They’re here as Wolf’s spy as much as my guard.

I arch a brow. “Don’t tell me you’d actually be sad if someone slit my throat.”

“Sad?” Talon shakes their head, copper hair catching in candle light. “Not necessarily. In a lot more trouble with a certain someone than I feel like dealing with tonight?” They chuckle, and lean in to whisper, “Most definitely.”

I snort and look out into the large room, deciding where to go first. Light dances off precious glass, making everything glimmer and shine with the flicker of the candles dancing in the dark. Whispers rise up from intimate clusters of girls and women all around the mirrored room. Everyone is watching me, but their eyes are especially sharp. Terrifyingly, but also unsurprisingly, more than a few daggers hang openly at the waists and arm sheaths worn by the girls and women around my age. My competition in this fight to be the only one who survives.

I move toward a low table laid out with white ceramic jugs and little stoneware cups. Dark red liquid glints in the first one I pick up, and I bring the small cup to my lips.

Wine.It tastes full but dry, bursting with the taste of tart berries.Delicious warmth slips down my throat with the first swallow.

I turn to look up at Talon where they follow close behind. “Do you really expect me to believe you’d be in trouble if anything happened to me?” I murmur. I take another sip and move to put my back to the wall so no one can sneak up behind us. I can watch everything from here, at least for a while. I glance up at Talon again. “Because I think he’d be more likely to celebrate, as long as I do what he brought me here for first.”

Every single thing Wolf does only puts me in more danger.

And being any kind ofdistractionto the prince is out of the question. Just because he didn’t kill me in that rose garden doesn’t mean I’ll risk giving him another chance to get close enough to run me through with that heavy broadsword of his.

Talon glances over one shoulder, alert to every corner of the room. A heavy red curtain hangs at the far end, as if it’s waiting to be swept back for us to walk through into whatever lies beyond.

No one comes near us, not even Aoife from where she lingers on the other side of the room. But the clear revulsion is plain on every face.

“You don’t know him as well as you think you do,” Talon murmurs.

“I don’t know him at all,” I bite back under my breath, gulping down another mouthful of wine. The burn helps, a little bit. “What’s he off doing while I risk my neck for him, hmm?” I poke a finger at Talon’s chest, wine loosening my tongue. “Drinking in the pleasure houses? Enjoying his evenings without someone coming for his life?”

“Oh, there’s been more than enough attempts on his life, believe me.” Talon’s gaze moves around the room, hesitatingbefore adding, “Including from some of the people here in this very room.”

That draws me up short.

“Is that so?” I lean in closer. It’s time to test a theory. “Would those attempts have anything to do with the attacks on the grain?”

I swear, if the rebels are burning grain and risking a famine…

I’ll stick a knife in Wolf myself before I let them hurt our people.

Talon lets out a breath. “How do you know—?”

“The nobles are making deals. You know that, right?” I look up at them. “Alliances to make sure their estates get whatever’s left of the grain.”

None of those deals will save grain for the rest of us if real famine comes.

“You already have an alliance,” Talon grinds out. “And a sister who’s still alive.”

“We have an arrangement, not an alliance. Don’t act like you don’t know the difference.”

Alliances save lives.

Arrangements… don’t.

Talon’s eyes flash. “Don’t act like you didn’t know what could happen when you came to us.”

My spine stiffens. “Excuse me?”