Page 27 of Nocturn

“Where the Grand Hall is?”

Excitement widened her eyes. “Yes.” She smacked her fist into Liadan’s arm. “You’ve been there?” she asked, rushed.

“I was.” I bit back my grimace. I had no wish to return.

“Perfect, there’s an ancient text hidden somewhere in the House of Lords, a written record from before the Great Extermination that contained the truth. About why redbloods were targeted, about what has been erased. We believe it’s called the Articles of Prophecy.”

I scoffed. “How am I supposed to find that? I am chained to the Warlord’s bed most of the time, and when not, I am under deep scrutiny.”

“I did not say it was going to be easy.” She huffed and crossed her arms.

“What she has forgotten to say is that one of the Resistance spies at the Citadel learned that you will be taken there at some point,” Liadan said.

A spy? In the Citadel?

“Why?”

“That we do not know,” she answered.

My mind raced, various avenues of decisions branching into possibilities. If I went along with this, it could mean my death. They were talking about treason.

But I would not be at the Warlord’s mercy; I would have a way out.

“If what you say is true⁠—”

“It is,” Renata insisted.

“Why are you two part of this?”

Renata avoided my gaze for a second before her eyes slid back to me. “Fine.” She sighed. “I am trusting you.” She took another breath. “My sister’s daughter was born . . . her wraithling along with her.” She shook her head. “My sister is a blueblood. Her husband is a blueblood. Everyone in our family has been . . . until now. With all these redblood disappearances, I worry what will become of her. We need change.” Sincerity blazed in her sad eyes.

This hit close to home for me. My parents and brother were all bluebloods, but I had been much too young to understand what the implications of that were, despite Mother and Father not allowing me any companions other than my brother.

If I ever accompanied them anywhere in public, Piper was not allowed to come. I could not even speak of her. It wasn’t until much later that I realized why we lived so far apart from civilization.

“And you?” I breathed, addressing Liadan. He turned away with a grunt. “Fine, if you do not want to answer, why did you leave Oro?”

“Liadan.” Renata elbowed him.

“I was to be hanged for murdering a high-ranking blueblood.” So he had no alternative but to risk death. “My gift is to sense danger. It helped me hide when I needed to.”

“And you do not sense danger from me?”

He shrugged. “As much as I’d sense one from an ant.”

Which meant none at all. Well, that explained why he acquiesced so quickly to Renata. My knees weakened. I dropped onto the bed, and it dipped under my weight. The softness felt odd enough that it ripped me out of the panic coating my thoughts.

Renata peeked over her shoulder toward the door, her lips thin. Time was of the essence.

I had to decide.

“If I help with this, will you help me through the Barren?”

Liadan stiffened.

“Nocturn is in a mere four moon rotations. If I do not leave before then . . .” I trailed off, not needing to repeat something they must already know. Sigils and what they meant on a woman’s neck were common knowledge.

Liadan studied me, his eyes searching.