Page 76 of For the Ghastly and Beautiful

They take on varying shades of green. None of us expected anyone to be laying in wait up here. But we should have. Poko was a guard with access to most of the palace. None of the staff would have questioned him if they saw him climbing the stairs.

“He didn’t tell me who else was working with him, but I’m sure they’ll out themselves soon. Without him, they can’t get the information they need.”

“We know who it is,” Connak growls. I didn’t realize my playful hunter had a temper that rivals Ecaeris.

I raise a brow at them, beyond unnecessary words.

“Cotear.” Imryll says his name with enough venom to kill a man.

“The weird guy from the general store?” I shake my head. “I’m not surprised. He was our main lead there, too.”

“How much of this had you and Rin figured out?” Talodus inquires, studying me too closely.

Imryll holds his hand out, pulling me from the floor. He shows me a cloth before wiping the blood off my face. I try to grin at him, but I know I look a mess. He doesn’t seem to mind, though. He cups my cheek, rubbing his thumb over the now clean skin under my eye.

“Ada,” Tal calls to get my attention.

“Oh.” I shrug. “Most of it. That’s why she went to her parents after dark. We knew they were watching and one of us would be attacked soon. Rin had Marren walk a few minutes behind her, just to make sure she made it to her parents, and—”

“We told you we’d be right behind you,” Ecaeris fills in, hanging his head.

Connak pats his shoulder. “Cotear stopped us before we could leave the barracks.”

“Yeah.” I nod. “That makes sense. He only needed to buy twenty minutes or so. And Poko was too confident that he wouldn’t be interrupted.”

“They thought.” Connak scoffs, then covers his mouth. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be.” I point to the lifeless man. “I told him the same thing.”

Ecaeris takes me from Imy, leading me away from the death and destruction. “You can stay in my room. We’ll get this cleaned up.”

“What are you going to tell the guards?”

“He attacked the future Mongrel Queen. There is nothing else to say.”