“We’ll go to the Court today,” he says.His voice reveals nothing of the pain inside.It’s bright and cheery, and only the redness of his eyes belies the tears he finished shedding.
I want to ask him how he is, but I know that question is fucking moot.I’ve only known Arienna for a few days, and already, I’m sick at the thought of losing her.Jace spentnearly a decadeprotecting Aurelia, only to fail at the hands of his best friend.At a single cup laced with poison as we sat and laughed at her side, pretending it was just another meal.Another night.
The scar on my hand burns, but I don’t look at it.Jace might be smiling, but I can feel the rawness still twisting him up inside.He’s never more dangerous than when his thoughts of Aurelia can’t be quieted – not that they are ever truly quiet.He carries her with him even more than I do.
So instead, Istand.“Not the Court,” I say.“Petre.”
The twelve Court members are technically all equal in power, but there’s the wording of the law, then there’s the reality of it.Ionly need to sway Petre to get them to drop the charges against Arienna, and although she is the most dangerous of them all, at least she has a sense of morality; she might (definitely will) try to use my queen against me, but she won’t hurt her for the mere sake of hurting me.ButTanyaand many of the others will.
Jacetilts his head to the side in agreement, then lifts his arms over his head.He sniffs an armpit, then gags.“Ugh.I stink.I’m going to hit the shower first.Try not to die in the meantime.”
Die before I fully claim Arienna?I don’t fucking think so.For the first time in a long time, I remember what it’s like to hope.
Unsurprisingly,wefindPetrein the castle dungeons.Shelovesspending her spare time torturing prisoners.Though givenJacedidn’tlet me use Karl as an output for my angeryesterday, I’malmost tempted to join her.
Sheisin Kiki’s cell, the last of the women who tried to assassinate meon my weddingnight.Kneeling over the woman’s chest,Petreholdsa toilet plunger in her hands, the end of whichispushedoverher victimsface.Kiki’s handsclaws at the groundas her legsfruitlesslykick.
“Inventive,” Isaydryly as Jace and I stop in front of the cell.
Looking over her shoulder, Petre smilesat us, her dark olive skin crinkling at the eyes.As she yanksthe plunger up, a loudwelchmakesmy gut twist.Turning her head tothe side, Kiki gaspsin air, dark-brown marks and bits of tissue stuck to her face.
“You didn’t even clean it beforehand – classy.”
“I figured if she was going to talk shit, she might as well eat it.”
An image ofTanyain Kiki’s placemakesmy lips twitch.“And what exactly did she talk shit about?”
“She claimedJace deliberately targetedTanya’snieces on your ordersand planted weapons on them all afterward.”Rising to her feet, she whacksthe end of the plunger against the woman’s stomach, flicking it clean.
My eyes narrow.“It is a crime to tamper with a witness’testimony.”Even if said statement is a lie.
But it says something,thatI’mmore worried about Petrebeing on our side than such a damning accusation thrown against us.But I can counter that testimony in court with my own witnesses.What I can’t do is prepare for an attack when I don’t know from which direction it’s coming.Petre never does anything unless she has something to gain.
Stepping out of the cell, she pullsthe dungeon wand out of her tunic.“I haven’t tampered with anything,”she says.Thewhite-paintedbarsreform behind heras she wavesit.“I’m just invoking my right to talk to the witness.”
“With a plunger?”I ask deadpanned.
She twirlsit in her hand.“Given the dimwits I’m forced to work with these days, it’s the smartest person I know.At least it doesn’t go trancing around thinking it’s the fucking Maridal Everdene of our time.”
Maridal was a genius advisor to the original Raza queen.
Despite my unease,Ifighta smile.For everything Petreis, she’sa stickler for the laws, and shedoesn’tlike anyone stretching themanyfurther thanishonourable.“You meanTanya?”Itisn’ta question.
Her cat-like,silver-and-greeneyes narrow.“If shehadthought about it for a second, she would have realised that pushing the member issue would hurt the Court more than you.”Her eyes flickerto Jace.“You would lose him –”
“And you’dlose half your members given how many ofyouhave had miscarriages,” I finish for her,having already come to that same conclusion in the early hours of this morning.
Oyveni’s laws, as much of a pain in the ass theyare, define life as starting at the time of conception.Although that law hasbeen scaled back given we’reno longer on the verge of extinction, Iwilluse whatever ammunition Ihavein order to save Jace.
His lifeisnon-negotiable.
AsisArienna’s.
“Quite,” shesays.“So since youhaven’t sought me outto askme to drop the charges against him givenTanyawill do it for you soon enough, whatdoyou want?”
Tilting my head, I gesture for her to walk with me.As wemove throughthe dungeons, Isay, “I want to know when you’re planning on executing the brownie.”I don’t callmy queenby name; this entire approach is a dance of words andsilentmanipulation.
If Petre thinksthatI’monlyworried aboutsharing my crown,then she’ll never suspect that I’m falling for her.My queen will be safe from the politics of Court – for a while at least.It will also push them into thinking of saving Arienna themselves, so I don’t have to reveal my hand.
