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Graham’s face flushed up to his hairline and he sat taller in his chair. “I can assure you the last thing I want is a reclusive Stroud on the throne,” he said, his expression somber. “It is clear by Lady Mara Stroud’s lack of involvement that she has no concern for the welfare of Cambria. I will do everything in my ability to keep the Third House from gaining the power they would most certainly abuse.”
“Hear, hear!” Someone shouted. Clearly that question had ignited some actual passion in the heir. The audience clapped heartily for the first time tonight.
I didn’t join in.
“Question number eight,” said Pearce, his voice rising to cut through the din of the crowd.
I crossed my fingers.
The man I’d intercepted spoke up, reading the question just as I’d written it. “Imperator Brennin followed in the footsteps of the rulers before him by studying dutifully in the historic Irvine Library before his reign to connect with the intellect of our dear founder in the place he most cherished. Will you vow to uphold this tradition by studying in the Irvine Library daily leading up to your coronation?”
I took note of the confusion on Pearce’s face before looking at the heir’s reaction.
Graham straightened and nodded. “I admit I wasn’t aware of the . . . depth of this tradition, but I’d be honored to make that promise.”
I clapped hard, the rest of the crowd joining me. As I’d intended, the question left no room to say no without practically insulting the revered first king, Imperator Irvine. It didn’t matter that I’d invented the whole thing. Even the king wouldn’t want to deny the story when it ended up in the papers. And now everyone would hold the heir accountable to fulfill this made-up “tradition.”
And I’d be able to get close to him.
I was done here. I didn’t care to hear the other pre-selected questions. I took one last look at the stage.
“I fear we have run out of time,” said Pearce, who was glowering at the man who’d asked the question. He nodded to a couple of guards near the stage, then flicked a finger toward the journalist.
I muttered a word that could earn me a set of branks and froze, my eyes darting between the unlucky man and the stairway. I hadn’t imagined he’d be punished for something so small, but I should’ve seen it coming. This was what happened when you manipulated somebody else’s pawn.
The guards approached the man, wrenched the wine bottle from his grip, then grabbed him by the arms and pulled him from the crowd.
The rest of the journalists didn’t seem to notice or care. With raised hands and voices, they pushed closer to the stage, shouting the questions they hadn’t been able to ask.
Journalist number eight was dragged toward the doors, his mouth moving in desperate objection. I couldn’t hear him over the noise in the room, but he pointed an accusatory finger toward me, his eyes flashing with anger.
The guards holding his arms looked right at me.
I ran.
I reached the stairs and leaped most of the way down, then pivoted and jumped down the next flight into the wine cellar. I collided with a butler at the bottom of the stairs before I could even see his face. He fell to the ground with a shout. A glass bottle shattered, wine exploding everywhere. And I ran.
ChapterFour
I burstthrough the door into the alleyway where I’d left Cael. I didn’t see him, but I didn’t care. I tore off my cap and apron, leaving them abandoned in the street behind me, and kept on running.
I sped downhill, darting through alleyways. Not only did I need to get far from this place, but I had to go to the Irvine Library before it closed for the night. I ran hard, my lungs burning and my blisters breaking. The narrow alleys became a maze before me. Water still pooled among the cobblestones, though the rain had passed. The sun approached the city wall, draping the streets in washed-out gold.
I kept up the pace until my side ached and I tasted blood. Finally, when I didn’t know if I could keep it up any longer, a shout came from behind.
“I knew you’d get caught!”
My feet pounded to a stop and I turned to face Cael, clutching my ribs. “What do you mean?” I panted. “I’m as free as ever.”
“That doesn’t mean you weren’t seen.” He tossed my bag and coat into my hands, panting as hard I was.
“I wasn’t seen by anyone important.”Hopefully.
He shook his head. “I saw the man they dragged out of there. He was shouting that it washerquestion, not his own, so don’t pretend like it all went as smoothly as you’d planned.”
I studied the surrounding streets. Every direction looked the same in the waning light. “Which way to the library?” I asked.
Cael pointed to a street on my left.
