“The good of your people? What don’t you understand? Cassiel isdead,” I spat. “You need to know your station. I’m the princess, and I make decisions for the people. That means you do as you’re told.”
“If I hadn’t told the Emperor where you were going, my uncle would’ve found you all, and he would’ve slaughtered you in those camps. Cassiel bought you time to escape.”
“Screw you. We could’ve fought the Warden. We could’vebeathim!”
“Forgive me, princess, but that is a foolish hope,” Abigail snapped. For the first time, her voice rose in anger. “If Cassiel had not gone after you, my uncle would’ve killed all of you!”
My fingers dug into the armrests of my chair, turning my fingers white. “You don’t know what I’m capable of when it comes to destroying that man.”
And she didn’t— I didn’t even know, not until this point. If I had wanted to kill the Warden before, I desired to completely and utterly ruin his soul now. There would be nothing left of him once he met my wrath, and I assured myself itwascoming. I was only furious Abigail had taken that chance from me, and that Cassiel had paid the price.
“Even after all this time, you do not understand,” Abigail raged. “You are a powerful princess, and Charlie is your prince, but the Emperor is above both of you. Pardon me for speaking bluntly, but this is a mob. There is a chain of command to follow that you and the prince stubbornly insist on going against time and again, but one rule above all here is that youdo notdisobey the commands from those that are above you. Orders from Cassiel took priority over yours. The Emperor ruled that you andyour friends werenotto go into the camps. You did not follow his orders, so I had to step in.”
“Enough! You don’t get to speak to me like that!” I yelled. Oberi quivered at my voice, shrinking down, and my screams grew louder. “I thought you were a friend, but you know what? That was a stupid mistake on my part. I should’ve listened to my intuition and gotten rid of you from the start. But I didn’t, and now I have to deal with having a traitor in my midst.”
Abigail’s expression remained passive. “I have no idea what you mean, princess. I can assure you, I am not involved in any plot against you or the prince.”
I gave a cold laugh. “You’re such a liar, Abigail. You offered to spy for me when we first met, but it’s clear you want to play both sides. You’re working for the Warden— it’s obvious. He was there waiting for us at the camps. He knew we’d show up. You hurried to deliver him a message to let him know we were coming, then conveniently told Cassiel where we’d gone, so he’d show up to rescue us. Weknowthere’s a traitor in the palace, giving messages to the Warden. We have for months. I just didn’t want to believe it was you.”
“It’s not me,” Abigail insisted. “I’ve never betrayed you! I’ve only done as the monarchy demands!”
“Shut up, bitch. I gave you a chance, because I thought we were alike. I feltsorryfor you because of what Esther did to you. I felt bad that she took all the feathers from your wings, and wanted to help you. I thought you could understand me because you’re in a wheelchair, too, but now I see that was just a ploy to make me feel like I belonged here in the palace. I gave you the benefit of the doubt, and it was the worst mistake I’ve ever made. I’ll never trust an outsider again.”
Abigail said nothing, which was good, because if she spoke again I wasn’t sure what I would do. “You’re excused from myservice,” I spat. “I cast you aside as my lady. If I ever see you again, I’llkill you.”
I left Abigail there and abandoned the dungeons behind me. If she was crying on my way out, I didn’t acknowledge it. I didn’t let my anger fade until she was gone from my sight, but even so, once I was alone again it only abated slightly. I was still so enraged… and I wasn’t exactly sure at who. The Warden, Abigail, myself? All of them all at once.
That was pretty harsh,Oberi grumbled.
So what.She hurt my family. I won’t let her do that again.
We don’t have any proof that she’s the traitor.
We don’t have any proof she’s not.
False accusations can be more misleading than not having any clue of the perpetrator at all. If she’s not the traitor, and there’s another mole in the palace ferrying information to the other side that we don’t know about, we’re in big trouble.
I’m not risking it. There’s enough evidence here to prove she’s up to something, which means she’s too dangerous to let roam free.
This kind of thing is exceptionally dangerous to get wrong,Oberi warned.
I knew full well, but I didn’t care right now. Whatever I had said to Abigail, I felt justified about it. It wouldn’t bring Cassiel back, but at least it gave me some way to place blame that wasn’t just on me.
It was around dinnertime by now, but I didn’t feel like eating. I hadn’t, not since I’d seen the emaciated bodies of the camp victims piled up in the warehouses, desperate for a scrap of something to sustain their lives.
But I would eat, because I needed to gain my strength— to fight. I had to get better, get healthier, become more powerful, because the next time I faced the Warden I swore to myself he wasn’t getting out of it alive.
Yet on my way to dinner, I felt a sharp tug on my bond. I halted in place, shocked to feel it, because I hadn’t in days.
Charlie’s calling us, Oberi said, tilting his head.Seems pretty urgent about it.
I felt my heart lift in hope. Finally, he was letting us in. I turned the other way. “Let’s go, Oberi. We need to be there for him.”
Whatever Charlie wanted me for, I’d help. If he was ready to come out of his room and face the world again, I’d help him carry his grief. He was my husband, and everything we’d faced at the camps together had only made me care for him a hundred times more. I couldn’t imagine losing him, couldn’t imagine watching him suffer, and I wouldn’t dare to let him slip away. I’d be there for him, and though I’d made a big mistake, I swore to myself Iwouldmake it right again. We’d go through this together.
Until… I arrived in Charlie’s quarters. All of our friends were gathered in the living room, and everyone looked… anguished. It was a sorry sight, everyone dressed in black and in mourning. Ez’s eyes were bloodshot, and Opal’s cheeks were pale. Ivy huddled in the corner, their arms wrapped around their torso as they turned away from it all. Alistair slumped on the couch, seemingly defeated. Chancey appeared dumbstruck, like he didn’t want to believe whatever had just been said.
Kallie leaned over her knees in the armchair, shaking with rage. Marcus had a hand on her shoulder to comfort her, but his expression seemed… dark.
