face from just above his left eye down to his right cheek.
There were two new posters that popped out on crisp white paper with fresh ink. An
updated one for Konstantin Black, and a brand-new one for Bent Stum. Even in his picture,
Konstantin seemed to be smirking at me, like he knew he’d gotten away with what he’d
done.
But his eyes caught me. Even in black-and-white, they appeared livelier than when
I had seen them in real life. It was the look he’d had when I’d last seen him standing
in the crowd in Chicago, and the same look he’d had when I saw him standing over my
father. And it was his eyes that had haunted my dreams last night, but I struggled
to push that back, refusing to replay it in my head again, the way I had been all
morning.
“Bryn,” Ridley repeated, since I hadn’t answered him.
Reluctantly I turned back to look at him. “I just ran into Astrid Eckwell in the library
at the palace.”
Ridley shrugged, like he didn’t know why that would bother me. “Astrid’s an idiot.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“You never let her get to you.”
I inhaled deeply. “I usually don’t.”
“What’d she say this time that got under your skin?”
“Nothing, really. It was just the same old crap.” I started bouncing my leg up and
down, needing to do something to relieve my agitation. “And usually I’m over it. But
this time it was really hard for me to not punch her in the face.”
“Well, I commend you on not doing that. Because that would’ve been very bad.”
“I know. I think I’ve just been cooped up here too long.” I shifted in my chair. “This
winter is taking forever to end. And the King is being ridiculous. I should be out
in the field, and you know it, Ridley.”
“Shh.” He glanced toward the open door. “Lower your voice. You don’t want the new
cadets to hear.”
“I don’t care who hears,” I said, nearly shouting.
Ridley went over to the door and peeked out in the hall, then closed the door. Instead
of going back to his chair, he came over to me. He leaned on the desk right in front
of me, so he was almost at eye level.
He wore a button-down shirt and vest, but he’d skipped a tie today, so I could see
his necklace. It was a thin leather strap with an iron rabbit amulet—his present upon
becoming Rektor. The amulet lay against the bronzed skin of his toned chest, and I
lowered my eyes.
“I know you’re pissed off, but you don’t need to get in a shitload of trouble because
an overzealous tracker-in-training tattles on you to the wrong person,” he said, his
voice low and serious.
Technically, speaking any ill of the King was a punishable offense. My saying that
he was ridiculous wouldn’t exactly get me executed, but I could end up stuck cleaning
toilets in the palace, or demoted, even. The changelings were assigned to us based
on our rank, and in terms of trackers, I was third from the top.
“You’re right.” I sighed. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize to me. Just don’t act stupid because you’re mad.”
“I’m more valuable out in the field.” I stared up into Ridley’s dark eyes, imploring
him to understand. “And I feel so useless here. I’m not doing anything to help anyone.”
“That’s not true. You’re helping Linus. You know how lost and bumbling changelings
are at first.”
“He needs someone, yeah, but it doesn’t have to be me ,” I countered. “I’m not actually needed here.”
“I need you,” Ridley said, with a sincerity in his tone that startled me. In the depths
of his eyes I saw a flicker of that heat I’d seen before, but just as I’d registered
it, he looked away and cleared his throat. “I mean, there’s a lot going on right now.
Royalty from all over are on their way right now. You’re a big asset here. I wouldn’t
be able to handle everything without your help.”
“Anyone can do what I’m doing,” I said, deciding to ignore the
There were two new posters that popped out on crisp white paper with fresh ink. An
updated one for Konstantin Black, and a brand-new one for Bent Stum. Even in his picture,
Konstantin seemed to be smirking at me, like he knew he’d gotten away with what he’d
done.
But his eyes caught me. Even in black-and-white, they appeared livelier than when
I had seen them in real life. It was the look he’d had when I’d last seen him standing
in the crowd in Chicago, and the same look he’d had when I saw him standing over my
father. And it was his eyes that had haunted my dreams last night, but I struggled
to push that back, refusing to replay it in my head again, the way I had been all
morning.
“Bryn,” Ridley repeated, since I hadn’t answered him.
Reluctantly I turned back to look at him. “I just ran into Astrid Eckwell in the library
at the palace.”
Ridley shrugged, like he didn’t know why that would bother me. “Astrid’s an idiot.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“You never let her get to you.”
I inhaled deeply. “I usually don’t.”
“What’d she say this time that got under your skin?”
“Nothing, really. It was just the same old crap.” I started bouncing my leg up and
down, needing to do something to relieve my agitation. “And usually I’m over it. But
this time it was really hard for me to not punch her in the face.”
“Well, I commend you on not doing that. Because that would’ve been very bad.”
“I know. I think I’ve just been cooped up here too long.” I shifted in my chair. “This
winter is taking forever to end. And the King is being ridiculous. I should be out
in the field, and you know it, Ridley.”
“Shh.” He glanced toward the open door. “Lower your voice. You don’t want the new
cadets to hear.”
“I don’t care who hears,” I said, nearly shouting.
Ridley went over to the door and peeked out in the hall, then closed the door. Instead
of going back to his chair, he came over to me. He leaned on the desk right in front
of me, so he was almost at eye level.
He wore a button-down shirt and vest, but he’d skipped a tie today, so I could see
his necklace. It was a thin leather strap with an iron rabbit amulet—his present upon
becoming Rektor. The amulet lay against the bronzed skin of his toned chest, and I
lowered my eyes.
“I know you’re pissed off, but you don’t need to get in a shitload of trouble because
an overzealous tracker-in-training tattles on you to the wrong person,” he said, his
voice low and serious.
Technically, speaking any ill of the King was a punishable offense. My saying that
he was ridiculous wouldn’t exactly get me executed, but I could end up stuck cleaning
toilets in the palace, or demoted, even. The changelings were assigned to us based
on our rank, and in terms of trackers, I was third from the top.
“You’re right.” I sighed. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize to me. Just don’t act stupid because you’re mad.”
“I’m more valuable out in the field.” I stared up into Ridley’s dark eyes, imploring
him to understand. “And I feel so useless here. I’m not doing anything to help anyone.”
“That’s not true. You’re helping Linus. You know how lost and bumbling changelings
are at first.”
“He needs someone, yeah, but it doesn’t have to be me ,” I countered. “I’m not actually needed here.”
“I need you,” Ridley said, with a sincerity in his tone that startled me. In the depths
of his eyes I saw a flicker of that heat I’d seen before, but just as I’d registered
it, he looked away and cleared his throat. “I mean, there’s a lot going on right now.
Royalty from all over are on their way right now. You’re a big asset here. I wouldn’t
be able to handle everything without your help.”
“Anyone can do what I’m doing,” I said, deciding to ignore the
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