Page 116 of Down Comes the Night

Of course she was afraid—Una had riskedeverythingto be here.

She could have turned a blind eye to the evidence and kept the promotion she’d always wanted. She could have killed Hal on sight back in Cernos. But Una had always done the right thing, even if it was the hard thing. And after everything Una had seen in the war, after everything she’d lost, maybe saving Hal was thehardestthing.

“You expect me to believe someone like you is capable of caring for her—for anyone? You’ve wiped out entire Danubian units single-handedly. You’ve killed children. Healers. Your own comrades. What you’ve done is unforgivable.”

“Yes. I know.”

“You know.” Una let out a bitter sound. “Then you know you don’t deserve her.”

“I know that more than anything. But I will try to. I swear to you that I’ll work to restore peace between our nations and repair what harm I’ve caused.”

“How can you possibly fix what’s been done?” With a single motion, she flipped her blade so that the point rested a bare inch from his throat. “For people like you, there is no justice but death.”

“When Vesria and Danu are stable, I will gladly face a tribunal for what I’ve done.” Hal met her gaze steadily. “But for now, let’s agree that there cannot be another war. Not for my sake.”

Neither of them moved.

Then, with a tortured twist of her mouth, Una lowered her blade. She sheathed it with a high, ringing sound. “Fine. We can agree on that much.”

Wren heaved a sigh of relief.

Hal busied himself with readjusting the cuff links on his jacket. “Where do we go from here?”

Una crossed her arms. “The abbey.”

The Order of the Maiden had often been a safe harbor for the needy and destitute, but Wren wasn’t sure if her Sisters’ devoutgenerosity extended to dangerous fugitives. Aside from train hopping or boarding the next boat to the mainland, packed in with people who’d sell them out for the promise of coin and glory, what other choice did they have?

“We’ll stay until nightfall tomorrow. Then we’ll take you to the Vesrian border,” Wren said. “Everybody knows our faces, so I don’t like the idea of traveling by daylight.”

Hal seemed to turn it over, nodding. “What do you need me to do?”

“As soon as you’re home, call off your dogs,” Una said. “If you can convince the magisterium to hold their fire until Wren and I deal with Lowry, we should be able to avoid any unnecessary bloodshed.”

A thin, almost confused crease appeared between Hal’s eyebrows. “Thank you for this.”

“Don’t thank me. It’s for Danu, not you.”

“Even so, I’m grateful for your help.”

“You’regrateful. Aren’t you a saint?”

“Una, please,” Wren groaned, burying her face in her hands. “Can we focus?”

“Just follow my orders.” Una scowled. “Both of you, and stay close.”

“Captain,” Hal replied dutifully.

Outside the cell, thetick, tick, tickof the clocks intensified, counting the too-long spaces between Wren’s anxious breaths. They walked in a single file, Una leading the way with the rickety sway and bob of the lantern. Hal followed close behind her, his eyes downcast and the brim of his hat pulled low across his brow. Through the tether, Wren could feel the wild race of his heart.

As they passed a window, she caught a glimpse of the crescent moon and felt all her blood run cold. It matched the sinister curve of Lowry’s smile, the memory of it burned behind her eyelids like a scar. But he wasn’t here, and soon enough, she would be safe.

Her thoughts, however, took on the playful lilt of his accent.

Can you be so sure?

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

It was remarkably easy to disappear in Knockaine.