Page 111 of Ruling the Green

I didn’t know where Jet was.

What might be happening to him.

But I did know one thing.

No matter what was going on, he wanted his father to stop terrorizing his people.

Cass needed to be taken out of commission.

And who else was going to get a chance like this?

I rushed to the desk, uncapped the flask, and slipped slightly more Stillwater extract into the glass than I’d used for Grimwood.

“Well, well, well,” a voice called, making my stomach bottom out.

I debated putting down the flask, but wanted whatever weapons I had close to me.

I straightened and turned, keeping an arm behind my back.

There he was.

Tov.

“Oh, no need to hide the flask now,” he said, his smile chilly. “That wasn’t quite as smooth as the work you did with Grimwood, but I’m impressed by your nerve.”

I angled my chin at him.

“Oh, we both know very well you can speak. Not only speak, but scheme.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Sure you do, Serin.”

My pulse went thready.

How did he know that?

Was he listening somehow? Did he have other spies we didn’t know about? But we’d been so careful.

An ugly thought surfaced.

Because there were four people who knew about me.

Me. Jet. Vishen. Nira.

Had he sent one of them?

They were the only ones who knew I could speak, who knew my name.

But, no.

No.

I refused to believe that.

Vishen had been with Jet for so long. Had kept him safe, had spent every spare moment helping him plan to take his throne from his father.

Sure, Nira was new. But she’d been protective too. She’d almost died trying to protect me.