room with him probably would not be enough to save my skin.
Blasted prince and his blasted secrets. I began to pace, stomp-
ing harder with every turn past the door, which remained firmly
shut. What little light had been shining through the one stained-
glass window in the hallway had long since disappeared, leaving
the wing in almost total darkness.
91
I wasn’t fond of the dark. In fact, according to Marcel, it was
my biggest fear. Well, that and snakes. I tried to control my fear,
but as I continued my vigil in front of the door, I suddenly had the
feeling I was being watched. I forced myself to continue walking
back and forth a couple of more times, but I slowed my pace, made
less noise. I glanced left and right, straining against the shadows to try and make out who might be hiding in the gloom. A friend
or foe?
For some reason, I thought back to my fight against Eljin ear-
lier that day. I was suddenly afraid it had been the wrong decision
not to report my suspicions immediately. I let my hand drop down
to rest on the hilt of my sword, making it a casual gesture, even
though my whole body hummed with tension. I needed to rectify
my mistake as soon as possible and let Deron know. Unless Eljin
was the one at the other end of this hallway, preparing to attack. I
could beat anyone — any natural man or woman. But I was no match for magic. No one was.
Not even Papa had been, and he was the best fighter I’d ever
seen. Swords were useless against the fire that sorcerers wielded.
My blood pulsed hot through my body, and I tensed, waiting
for the strike that I sensed was coming.
When the door f lung open beside me, I nearly jumped out of
my skin. Prince Damian emerged, holding a lit torch. Light spilled
into the hallway, scattering the shadows nearest us into oblivion. I
spun to face the unknown assailant, my grip tight on the hilt of my
sword, but the hallway was empty.
“Let’s go,” Prince Damian said, brushing past me. The door
to the room was already shut. In my attempt to see if someone had
92
really been hiding in the corridor, I’d missed the chance to try to
look into the room he’d been in for so long.
Frustrated and still on edge, I followed him. There was no
sign of anyone else anywhere in the southwest wing. But I trusted
my instincts. We hadn’t been alone.
93
thirteen
D espite how exhausted I was, I couldn’t sleep as I lay on
the cot outside Prince Damian’s room. Now that Mateo had
officially joined the guard and taken Marcel’s empty bed, I was
grateful for my assignment guarding Prince Damian’s door. I lay
under the blanket, still wearing the same binding and tunic, hav-
ing only dared do a quick wash with a wet cloth again.
The skylight above me glowed with the white light of the
nearly full moon as I stared up at the ceiling. Though I kept my
body still, my mind spun around and around mercilessly. When
Damian and I returned, it had been so late, Deron was already
in his room for the night. I hadn’t been able to warn him about
Eljin.
What was Eljin’s goal — why was he here? Why had he fought
me and purposely lost? And what was the prince involved in? Why
was he including me now?
I needed Marcel. As he’d said only a couple of nights ago, I
was the better fighter, but he’d been smarter. He would have been
able to tell me what to do. He would have been able to figure out
what was going on. My eyes burned and I shut them, pressing the
heels of my hands against them to push the emotion away. I tried
to force myself not to think about Marcel’s death, not to long for
94
him, because there was nothing I could do to change what had
happened. I couldn’t bring him back. Death was final. I knew it all
too well.
And now Tanoori, who had once been a weaver’s innocent
daughter, would die as well.
My stomach twisted and I had to jump out of bed and rush
over to the corner of the room. I barely made it in time to
Blasted prince and his blasted secrets. I began to pace, stomp-
ing harder with every turn past the door, which remained firmly
shut. What little light had been shining through the one stained-
glass window in the hallway had long since disappeared, leaving
the wing in almost total darkness.
91
I wasn’t fond of the dark. In fact, according to Marcel, it was
my biggest fear. Well, that and snakes. I tried to control my fear,
but as I continued my vigil in front of the door, I suddenly had the
feeling I was being watched. I forced myself to continue walking
back and forth a couple of more times, but I slowed my pace, made
less noise. I glanced left and right, straining against the shadows to try and make out who might be hiding in the gloom. A friend
or foe?
For some reason, I thought back to my fight against Eljin ear-
lier that day. I was suddenly afraid it had been the wrong decision
not to report my suspicions immediately. I let my hand drop down
to rest on the hilt of my sword, making it a casual gesture, even
though my whole body hummed with tension. I needed to rectify
my mistake as soon as possible and let Deron know. Unless Eljin
was the one at the other end of this hallway, preparing to attack. I
could beat anyone — any natural man or woman. But I was no match for magic. No one was.
Not even Papa had been, and he was the best fighter I’d ever
seen. Swords were useless against the fire that sorcerers wielded.
My blood pulsed hot through my body, and I tensed, waiting
for the strike that I sensed was coming.
When the door f lung open beside me, I nearly jumped out of
my skin. Prince Damian emerged, holding a lit torch. Light spilled
into the hallway, scattering the shadows nearest us into oblivion. I
spun to face the unknown assailant, my grip tight on the hilt of my
sword, but the hallway was empty.
“Let’s go,” Prince Damian said, brushing past me. The door
to the room was already shut. In my attempt to see if someone had
92
really been hiding in the corridor, I’d missed the chance to try to
look into the room he’d been in for so long.
Frustrated and still on edge, I followed him. There was no
sign of anyone else anywhere in the southwest wing. But I trusted
my instincts. We hadn’t been alone.
93
thirteen
D espite how exhausted I was, I couldn’t sleep as I lay on
the cot outside Prince Damian’s room. Now that Mateo had
officially joined the guard and taken Marcel’s empty bed, I was
grateful for my assignment guarding Prince Damian’s door. I lay
under the blanket, still wearing the same binding and tunic, hav-
ing only dared do a quick wash with a wet cloth again.
The skylight above me glowed with the white light of the
nearly full moon as I stared up at the ceiling. Though I kept my
body still, my mind spun around and around mercilessly. When
Damian and I returned, it had been so late, Deron was already
in his room for the night. I hadn’t been able to warn him about
Eljin.
What was Eljin’s goal — why was he here? Why had he fought
me and purposely lost? And what was the prince involved in? Why
was he including me now?
I needed Marcel. As he’d said only a couple of nights ago, I
was the better fighter, but he’d been smarter. He would have been
able to tell me what to do. He would have been able to figure out
what was going on. My eyes burned and I shut them, pressing the
heels of my hands against them to push the emotion away. I tried
to force myself not to think about Marcel’s death, not to long for
94
him, because there was nothing I could do to change what had
happened. I couldn’t bring him back. Death was final. I knew it all
too well.
And now Tanoori, who had once been a weaver’s innocent
daughter, would die as well.
My stomach twisted and I had to jump out of bed and rush
over to the corner of the room. I barely made it in time to
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