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“Here.” He handed her the drawstring purse, and she hesitated only a moment before taking it from him and tucking it beneath her cloak.
“I suppose you want a reward,” she said.
“Of course not. Assisting a lovely young lady such as yourself is reward enough.” He gave her a toothsome grin.
And then it hit her like a thunderbolt. She knew exactly who he was.
“You’re Jonas Agallon.”
He blinked. “Sorry, what—?”
“You’re Jonas Agallon. The rebel leader wanted for the murder of Queen Althea.” She’d seen his wanted posters, heard rumors about his crimes, though she couldn’t recall ever seeing him in person before. Surely, she would have remembered. “Apologies, but your disguise is a disgrace.”
“Oh, you mean this?” He pointed at his eye patch. “An accident involving a pitchfork. Very gruesome. And sorry to disappoint, but I’m not this Jonas Agallon person.”
His attempts at denial were very nearly comical. “Don’t worry, I won’t turn you in. I’m grateful for all you’ve done in your fight against the king. Why did you stop?”
The boy glanced up at the sky again. “Seems the skies are clearing. No storm after all.”
“Very well. Can I ask you a question that perhaps you will answer?” Lucia said, her tone free from anger.
“You can certainly try.”
She fixed a steady smile on her lips. “Where is the earth Kindred?”
The stunned look on his face confirmed Lucia’s long-running suspicion: Cleo had fed this rebel information about the crystals, allowing him to claim it first.
That lying princess did deserve death.
Lucia was suddenly distracted by the sight of someone striding through the crowd, shoving people out of her way, heading right for Lucia. The strange girl, who had dark, curly hair, and wore a very ugly yellow dress, came to stand next to Jonas. She held a bow and readied it with an arrow, pointing it directly at Lucia’s face.
Jonas eyed the girl with alarm. “Put that down, Lys. You’re going to hurt somebody.”
“Shut up,” the girl hissed. “Have you completely lost your mind? Do you have any idea who this is?”
Jonas turned away from the wild girl and looked again at Lucia.
“Of course I do,” he said, his voice hard. “She’s Princess Lucia Damora.”
CHAPTER 18
JONAS
PAELSIA
Before today, Jonas had seen Princess Lucia from a distance on three separate occasions: on a horse, regally riding next to her father and brother into Auranos; at the Temple of Cleiona, just after he’d claimed the earth Kindred; and on the royal dais at Lysandra’s scheduled execution.
It had taken him a moment to recognize her, what with her plain frock and her hair worn as loose and free as a Paelsian girl’s, but as soon as he saw those piercing blue eyes and their knowing gaze, he was reminded of exactly how unforgettable the beautiful princess was. However, the busy Basilia market was the last place he’d ever have expected to spot her.
Nic and Olivia caught up with them, and now stood next to Jonas and Lys. After Lys drew her bow and arrow, the rest of the crowd had backed away, and now the five of them stood, isolated in the middle of the market, as a hundred vendors and customers looked on with both interest and wariness.
“Be careful, princess,” Nic said to Lucia. “I’ve seen what Lys can do with that thing.”
“Nicolo, isn’t it?” Lucia said. “Of course I remember you. Cleo’s little trained pet she keeps around to amuse her. What did you think of the entertainment my friend and I provided during my recent visit to the palace?”
Nic just scoffed, eyeing Lucia with a mixture of hatred and fear. This was a rare moment, seeing Nic at a loss for words. Nic’s talent for talking was what had gotten them past the guards manning the gates at the Limerian palace. He’d insisted, as the princess’s closest confidant, that he and his friends had every right to leave the grounds to go to Ravencrest to find a gift for Cleo’s upcoming birthday. Jonas had been rather impressed when the guards had then readily stepped aside without further questioning.
Lucia sighed, then fearlessly shifted her gaze to face the sharp arrow again. “And you are . . . Lys?”
