Reign of Shadows by Sophie Jordan Page B

He’d always had it. According to Perla it was ginger bright. “He’ll remember. Eventually.”
    And when he did, he would tell the king that he had seen one of the dead king’s guards. He would send soldiers back based on that alone. I could feel it all unraveling. The safe little world we had built was falling apart, stone by stone. The secret of me, my identity—it was one breath from being exposed.
    Perla moved her hand from my shoulder and crossed the wood floor, sinking into a chair at the table with a rattling sigh.
    Sivo continued, “They’ll do what they did to Dagne to each of us—”
    â€œDon’t say that!” Emotion shook Perla’s voice.
    A hushed silence fell over the room, the pop and crackle of the fire the only sound. Fowler said nothing. I wondered if heeven cared. Sivo was skirting the truth of our identity, saying more about us than he ever had before in Fowler’s presence. He must feel confident that Fowler would not guess. Or perhaps he simply trusted him now.
    I moistened my lips, searching for an answer—a way out of this. A solution didn’t present itself and I had to face the truth. There might not be one.
    We lived in this tower and now those soldiers knew of its existence. They would report what they had found and when the king realized who Sivo was, they would be back.
    â€œLuna can’t stay here.” Sivo’s announcement was softly worded but no less grim.
    Perla didn’t react at first. No one did. Then she finally snorted. The sound was part laugh, part grunt, but entirely dismissive. She did not take Sivo’s words seriously. “You’re being ridiculous. You want us to leave? I can’t leave this place. I would not survive a day. And Luna? You want her to go out there? How long will she survive? She cannot see, Sivo! No. Our chances are much better here.”
    â€œI’ve trained her well. She goes.” Sivo’s voice was firm and unyielding. “And I said nothing of us going.”
    My heart pounded in my suddenly too-tight chest. Words hung on my lips, but I could think of nothing to say. To leave the sanctuary of the tower and exist on the Outside was equal parts terrifying and thrilling. To leave Sivo and Perla, however? No. I could never do that.
    I turned my face in the direction of Fowler. He’d made solittle sound up to this point that I could almost believe he left the room, if not for the sensation of his eyes on me.
    â€œYou want her to go out there without us?” Perla’s tone left no doubt how absurd she thought that plan was.
    â€œYou said it yourself, Perla. You won’t survive.”
    â€œNo! Absolutely not! She stays—”
    â€œThey’ll come back. And when they do, when they discover her, they will kill her. You know that, Perla.” I’d never heard Sivo speak to her in such a way—so hard and final. Usually, he let her have her way, but not in this.
    â€œYou know what they can do,” he continued, his words heavy with the implication, with the reminder of who they were. Who I was.
    Perla sucked in a raw breath, and I knew she was remembering, too. They were the king’s men—and he had killed my parents. He was supposed to believe I perished that night, too. If he suspected otherwise . . .
    They had killed Dagne. They would kill me, too. Of that, I had no doubt.
    â€œPerhaps,” Perla allowed, stubbornness lacing her voice. “But I’m not letting her go out there by herself—”
    â€œShe won’t be alone,” Sivo countered.
    I suddenly found my voice. “What do you mean?” Did Sivo intend to go with me? He couldn’t leave Perla here. She wouldn’t be able to fend for herself without his help.
    â€œShe goes with him,” he said evenly, calmly. As though it were the obvious solution. Him . I didn’t need to see to know hewas talking about Fowler. I even felt them looking at