Swallowing, I slid the dagger into my garter and pulled Bastian’s orrery from my cleavage. Not exactly befitting a grand palace. I chuckled to myself, a desperate sound much too close to a sob for my tastes, and ran my thumb over the chain.
Rather than cool, its metal had been warmed by my skin. But the familiar texture of its links allowed me to breathe more easily and take in my surroundings.
Fine embroideries showed the sun rising over heroic fae with gold thread woven through hair of caramel and green, straw blond and chestnut brown. Lost in Dawn’s side of the palace. Great.
I’d taken down one armoured fae who shouldn’t be here, but judging by the frightened crowd, there were more. Many more.
Bastian had to know already. They must’ve attacked the ballroom. Was he all right?
Was the fox-haired fae involved? They were armed, but they hadn’t attacked me, despite saying they owed me nothing. It might be a coincidence.
If they were involved, that meant whoever this was attacking had links to Dawn Court. Sura had mentioned spies. The fox-haired fae could be one. Perhaps?
I shook the thoughts away—that was a puzzle for later.
Right now, I walked alone through the wrong side of the palace with a sword I didn’t know how to use, a dagger I barely did, and a dress that threatened to spill my tits every time I did anything other than saunter.
Things were going swimmingly.
As I was about to turn a corner, a sound reached me—so fleeting I couldn’t work out what it was.
I froze, breath held, ears straining.
Nothing more.
Then a voice, too quiet for me to catch the words.
More attackers. Had to be.
Stashing the orrery back in my cleavage, I searched left and right. The nearest door was locked when I tried it. I hurried to the next. Also locked.
Distrustful lot, these Dawn fae.
Lungs begging me to gasp for air, even though it would be noisy and undoubtedly heard by keen fae ears, I tried another door and another. No fucking luck.
Shit.
“Kat?”
I blinked.
“Kat?”
Wait, I knew—
Around the corner bounded a white hound, ears, eyes and paws wreathed in red flame.
“Fluffy.” Followed a moment later by Rose, peering around the corner. I sagged as Fluffy circled me, rubbing against my legs, her tail wagging.
Soon Rose, Ari, Ella, and Perry surrounded me. With brief hugs, I assured them I was all right and they reassured me of the same. That was a start.
“Bastian?” I glanced at Perry and Ari. “And the others?”
Their gazes dropped.
Ella pursed her lips, a smear of blood on her cheek, which I hastily wiped away for her. “We haven’t seen them.”
“We were separated when the attack started.” Rose frowned back the way they’d come. “But I know Faolán snuck a knife in, so they’re in a better position than we were.” She had no weapon, but had shifted her fingers to make them long and clawed. “Looks like you’re doing all right though.” She nodded at the sword.
“Not that I know how to use it. But I think a former pirate might.” I offered it to Perry. “Think Bastian snuck a blade in, too.”
“And last time I saw them, they were together.” Perry nodded as she took the sword. “Plus I think Asher and Lysander were talking.”
“Fingers crossed, that means no one’s alone.” Rose smiled and reached for my shoulder. She hesitated.
“It’s all right—I’m safe to touch.”
She huffed and squeezed my shoulder. “Now we’ve found you, no one’s alone. So, what now?”
Ari glanced back the way they’d come. “Do we go back to the ballroom?”
“There may still be fighting back there.” Perry shook her head. “If the attackers get bedded in, the guards could take hours to get past their lines. We’re better off steering clear.”
I ran my thumb over the unfamiliar leather-wrapped hilt. “Do we know if there’s fighting in Dusk’s side, too?”
Ella shook her head. “We haven’t got much sense out of anyone since it all broke out. The crowd went a bit…” She shuddered, and I understood.
“All the more reason to steer clear.” I gave her a reassuring smile. “In that case, let’s try to find a lodestone and get back to Dusk. Once we’re there, we’ll be safer—or with our own people, at least. And maybe there’ll be word of the others.”
Four pairs of eyes turned to me, and one by one, my friends nodded as though relieved to have a plan.
Action was always better.
And my plan might not be the most intricate or even the best, but with the information and resources we had, it seemed the right choice.
Perry checked out a window, confirming the sun’s position, and made her best guess of which way was south—the southernmost part of the palace was the grand hall, and it would give us a route back to Dusk.
We set off, watchful and tense, Fluffy at my side. It was long minutes before we hit another major corridor and she whined softly, ears pricking.
Rose cocked her head and raised her hand, calling us to a halt. “There’s someone ahead,” she breathed.
I swallowed and nodded back the way we’d come, but as we turned, her hand flew up again. “And that way.”
Cornered.
Shit.
87
Bastian
I should go to the queen. I should ensure her rooms were secure. I should check whether they’d also attacked our side of the palace.
Should. Should. Should.
But I wanted to find Kat. I needed to know she was safe.
“Grab weapons, if you need them.” I nodded as Lysander returned to us. “I’ll be back in a second.”
I slipped into a side room and ensured I was out of sight. Only Kat, Faolán, my fathers, and a few lovers had known about my ability, and I planned to keep it that way. Thank the Stars, it was a couple of weeks since one half of me had died fighting Sura’s soldiers, and I’d regained my strength enough to split in two.
We nodded at each other in perfect unison. Unlike my Shadowblade, which was linked to me, these mundane weapons didn’t double when I split in two. We’d need to find another weapon once we left this room.
One of us stayed in the side room, while the other returned to the ballroom and rejoined the others. As Asher and Lysander buckled on belts with scabbards, I noted where a sword remained so my other self could pick it up when he emerged.
“Hmm.” Faolán scowled, turning over a long knife he took from one of the fallen attackers. “Guard issue.”
Eyes narrowing, I scrutinised my sword. The same leather wrapped hilt. The same stamp on the blade. I clenched my jaw and nodded. “Like those the Ascendants took in their raids.”
“And…” Asher pulled the damaged leather cuirass from one of the attackers, revealing an insignia on the shirt beneath.
A three-headed hydra.
Both in the ballroom and in the side room, my blood boiled. I should’ve killed Sura. I’d spent the past fifteen years dealing with that guilt—I might as well feel it for something I’d actually done.
Then she wouldn’t have been able to do this. A dozen wedding guests wouldn’t be lying on a blood-soaked dance floor.
She had to be behind the Solstice attack too.