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I bit back a yelp as someone grabbed my hand, relief washing over me when I turned to see my beautiful Beric. I jumped into his arms, and he pulled me into the wild flora of the secret garden.

“You made it,” Beric said.

“Did you doubt me?” I said, feigning offense.

He kissed my nose. “Of course not.”

“I did, a little,” Eliza said, but when I looked at her, she was smirking. “But we haven’t the time to tease you about your poor sense of direction. It’s only a matter of time before they discover you’re missing and tighten up security. I know what to do on my end, but I’m curious if you two have any ideas.”

“On your end?” I asked, before setting about using my voice to heal Beric’s many bruises. It hurt my heart to look at him this way.

“Kat’s been preparing me to take over since I was old enough to keep a secret. I can easily deal with the … aftermath.” She sighed. “You know, bruises won’t kill him. You should save your energy for what’s to come.”

“She’s right,” said Beric, removing my hands. “We don’t have much time, if we want to get back into the palace undetected.”

Eliza gestured to us both. “Ideas.”

I raised my brows at her and turned to Beric. “Ideas?”

“Close your ears, Elle,” said Beric. Eliza did so without question before he said to me, “I know you don’t like violence, Cali, but I can’t defeat the king on my own. I’ll need you to corner him with a shield.”

My stomach was aching with nerves. But this was necessary, despite its unpleasantness, and I had no intention of failing to do my part. “I can handle that much.”

He looked at Eliza and gave her a nod. She dropped her hands from her ears.

“I’ve been thinking about this,” he started. “We can’t very well tell the country that their king sold his soul to a demon and lied to them for two hundred years. So what if we simply … continue the lie?”

Eliza nodded in approval, and I frowned. “I don’t understand. Won’t that make us look like villains? Don’t the people deserve to know what a tyrant the king was?”

Eliza grabbed my shoulder. “No, Beric’s right. At this point, anything we say against my father will seem like propaganda—a feeble attempt to make me look like the better ruler, one that’s bound to fail. They’ve already been lied to about the king through songs and sonnets for centuries. For the stability of the country, it’s important that his legacy lives on, however false.”

“So what we tell the public,” said Beric, “is that the king sacrificed himself to save us all in one final, brave, epic battle.”

“That’s good. The more righteous the descriptors, the better.”

I huffed, kicking at a patch of high grass. “A bit of a romantic end for one so awful. But if it’s the only option, I suppose it’ll do.”

“So it’s settled,” Eliza said. “My father’s legacy as a hero will live on.”

I smirked. “I hope the crown has enough money to pay off all the nobles and servants to keep their mouths shut about the truth.”

Beric’s brows lowered. “Do you think it’ll come to that?”

Eliza raised a brow, catching my joke when Beric clearly didn’t. “I’m certain it won’t, sweet boy,” she said, patting his bruised cheek. “Everyone will simply be relieved to be ruled by a benevolent queen—and be rid of the threat of The Dark.”

I looked away, not wanting to think about Beric’s painful-looking bruises that I wasn’t allowed to heal yet. “How are we to get back inside?”

“I’ll handle that,” Eliza said. “I’ll take you as far as I dare, but Beric knows the passages well enough to avoid the guards. And I’m certain my father will be in his room, as he always is.”

“And what of your cousin?” Beric asked me.

I scoffed.

I’d finally be rid of her. After all the anguish she’d caused everyone I cared about, after everything she put me through—I wouldn’t overlook her actions this time. I wouldn’t make peace to protect her feelings.

She didn’t deserve a fairy-tale ending, or anything close to it. Though I suppose an ending reserved for the evil stepsisters might do just fine.

“I’m sure Queen Eliza will have no problem throwing her out when this is done with.”