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‘Nonsense. Up until a few months ago, you fools didn’t even know my real name.’
Thea kept quiet. She had enough secrets of her own to worry about. And the mention of real names sent a pulse of anxiety through her. For her friends didn’t know thatAlthea Zoltairehad always been a placeholder.Embervale.AltheaEmbervalewas her true name.
A server approached, sliding a massive bowl heaped with greens in front of her. ‘For you, Guardian Zoltaire.’
Thea blinked at the pile of vegetables. ‘What?’
‘I was instructed to bring this to you specifically,’ the boy said, looking increasingly uncomfortable.
The back of Thea’s neck prickled. She glanced up at the head table, finding Hawthorne’s eyes on her again.
Beside her, Cal and Kipp were snickering.
‘You’d best eat your vegetables if you want to grow up big and strong, Thea,’ Kipp teased.
Broccoli, spinach, beans, peas and a bunch of rich foliage she didn’t have the faintest idea about. Thea ground her teeth. ‘That’s enough greens for ten men.’
The server shrugged. ‘You can expect a bowl like this every night,’ he said. ‘It was made, er… very clear to me that it’s of the utmost importance.’
Thea didn’t dare look at Hawthorne again, her cheeks flaming.
‘Will we see you tomorrow?’ Cal asked, wiping the grin off his face.
‘Depends. Will you be running laps before dawn?’
‘Definitely not,’ Kipp scoffed.
‘I’ll try,’ Cal offered.
Thea shrugged, knowing full well he wouldn’t drag himself from his bed a moment before he had to. ‘Then I guess we’ll…’
She trailed off as something –someone– caught her attention across the hall.
Sebastos Barlowe. His gaze was fixed on the Bloodletter at the head table, who was signalling something to him. After a few subtle hand gestures, Seb got up mid-meal and slipped out one of the side doors. Moments later, Vernich excused himself and left as well.
Old habits kicked in. Ignoring the eyes on her, especially the stares coming from Wren’s table, Thea left the hall. Once, she’d made it her mission to spy on the comings and goings of Thezmarr. She could easily make herself invisible again. Treading on light dancer’s feet, she crept through the empty passageway, spotting Vernich’s cloak vanishing around a corner.
She made quick work of following the pair and found herself on the floor above, opposite the trophy room that housed all of Talemir Starling’s championship records. Low voices echoed down the corridor and she darted for cover under the nearest staircase.
‘What happened in the meeting?’ Seb asked eagerly.
There was a long pause. Thea’s hand drifted to the faded scar that marred the skin beneath her shirt.
‘Do you remember the prophecy?’ Vernich’s gravelly voice sounded.
‘Of course,’ Seb replied.
‘It seems that the Daughter of Darkness to which it refers has risen…’
Thea’s dinner threatened to make a reappearance. She flattened herself even further against the wall.
‘What?’ Seb blurted.
There was a noise of frustration from the Warsword. ‘Risen. Come to power. Keep up,’ he snapped. ‘She’s looking for something. Something that could change the course of fate. And I’m going to get it.’
Thea’s heart was hammering. What exactly had she stumbled across? Was Vernich in league with the supposed Daughter of Darkness? Body tensed, she strained to hear the reply.
‘— never get it to hold,’ the Warsword muttered. ‘It’s a temporary solution.’
