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“I’ll see you after this is over, little queen,” he says like an illicit promise. His words echo around me like a dream, and his lips press to my cheek. He whispers another promise in my ear. “It seems I have some catching up to do.”

Then he’s gone again, as if he has teleported back to the viewing platform.

What the hell did he mean by that?

I have no time to wonder if I had just hallucinated him talking to me or if Arwan is playing games, because now the king is watching.

His silver eyes lock on me for just a moment, and I stare at the ground, pretending it’s the most fascinating thing I’ve ever seen.

I don’t know what Arwan just did, but the king noticed.

Not a dream, I decide.

“What the hell?” Sofia whispers, confirming that Arwan had literally just teleported. “Why did he do that?”

“If only I knew,” I whisper back as I look up again and find a camera pointed directly at me. “I think he’s putting on another show for the king.”

Or he’s up to something.

I snort, then I feel like there’s someone else staring.

Who is it now?

Scanning the crowd on the other side of the training ground, I find the culprit.

Bianca.

She’s glowering at me, her gray eyes looking almost black from this distance. And she has a deep red gash over her nose that definitely should have been healed by now.

“Sofia,” I hedge as I drop my voice to a whisper. “You’re still taking that protection potion, right?”

She nods. “Yes.”

“Good,” I say, then I give Bianca a big smile.

Bianca shows her teeth.

“I needed to make sure you’re safe before I do this,” I say as I give the shifter a cheerful wave.

Because I might not be around much longer if this goes south.

Sofia yanks my arm down. “Are you trying to get yourself killed? Don’t antagonize her.”

Maybe I have a death wish, or maybe I know that if I’m going to fit in around here, I need to start behaving less like a prisoner and more like a pack member.

Shaking Sofia off, I palm the emblem hanging from the cord around my neck. “She’s not going to do anything in front of all these cameras. I’m going to go say hello.”

Sofia babbles incoherently. “Y-you’re going to… What? Liliana!”

My friend calls after me, but I’m already marching directly across the sand.

Arwan wants a show?

I’ll give him one.

And maybe then I’ll finally figure out who in my family is at the castle.

I don’t dare hope my sister is there, but it has to be her. Who else could it be?