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Fear writhes like worms inside my veins.Are they hurt? Are they even alive?
My head aches. I have no idea how much time has passed or if I’m alone, but given how late it was before I stepped on my mother’s necklace, I have to be missing the ball.
I stood him up again.
Tears sting my eyes, dampening the blindfold, smearing regret over my cheeks.
He’ll never forgive me now. It’s over.
Voices filter into my awareness. I freeze and strain to catch words.
“— right, he’s asleep again. Mother should be back any moment.”
“This is all pointless anyway. He’s not going to let her go.”
I know that voice well, too well. Vallda.
My breath falters, and any feeble hope that I was wrong fades to nothing. She’s hated me all our lives. But enough to do this? To betray me in this way?
Footsteps stomp closer, and another girl speaks. “It’ll be fine. I’ll make him forget her.”
A shudder entangles my body. Sovanna. The memorist friend.
Silence. Then Vallda scoffs. “You don’t evenlikehim. Why do you want to marry him?”
“Why do you think? Now he’s even thecrownprince. My father said that when he returned, he’d be mine.”
“Your father doesn’t want —”
“No! Hepromised.”
“But this is…” Vallda’s voice shifts. Maybe toward me. I hold my breath. “It’s beyond what we did before.”
“It’s still part of it. We have to see this through to the end.” A little laugh. “Unless you want him to find out.”
“That’s my point. He’s going to. Her memories are already coming back. She won’t let you back in her mind. We don’t even know if youcanchange her memories again.”
My heart lurches, and I fight the instinct to struggle against my binds.
“It feels wrong,” Vallda adds.
“Well, it’s —”
Somewhere beyond me, a door creaks. Stillness envelops the area. Footsteps approach, and without warning, the blindfold rips off, pulling strands of hair with it. A woman stands before me. Her dark hair frames her face. Gold eyes gleam down at me.
“Change of plans, girls. It has to be here.”
I blink at her. Lady Tajanna, the illusionist who forced lies into my head. Who tore my heart — and Kirran’s — to pieces.
She holds out a hand toward me, and the air vibrates, shudders. Pricks of light and colored images I can’t make out start to swirl together. My heart races in my ears.
She’s going to force an illusion on me. Make my mind dull to the truth. So they can take me again, ruin Kirran and me again. Win whatever objective they seek.
I straighten as much as I can and force my command through the gag. “No.”
Lady Tajanna’s expression falters. She tips her head to the side as she tries once more, grimacing in concentration.
I dig my heels into the dirt floor.An old secret passage? Or an illusion?
