Queen Makhi stood by the metal door, bracketed by Tavgharad guards.
“Your Majesty!” exclaimed the doctor, bowing to his toes.
Tamar moved to block Princess Ehri.
“How interesting to see you in that uniform, Tamar Kir-Bataar,” said Makhi, sweeping into the room.
The doctor squinted as if trying to remember where he’d heard the name.
“Sweet Ehri,” Makhi said. “Did you really think I was that easily outwitted? You are so new to this game, and I have been playing since we were children.”
“Reyem,” Mayu whispered urgently. She squeezed his hand. “Reyem, please wake up.” They needed to get free of this place right now.
“Allow me,” said the queen, pressing a series of buttons on the wall. A loud hiss sounded and a faint orange mist shot from spigots at the head of the container.
“No!” Bergin cried.
Her brother’s eyes snapped open as he inhaled the stimulant.
“Reyem?”
He looked at Mayu, his expression blank.
“This sentimental bond of kebben has never made sense to me,” said Makhi. “I was supposed to be born a twin. But I murdered him in the womb. Or so my nursemaid told me. She said it was why I was born with only half a soul. I’m going to enjoy watching your brother kill you all.”
“Reyem, it’s me. It’s Mayu.” He gripped her hand harder. “Yes, it’s me. You know me. Reyem, you have to come with us.”
“Go on,” the queen said. “Do what you were made to do.”
Reyem’s fist clenched. Mayu screamed and collapsed to her knees as her brother broke every bone in her hand.
25
NINA
A WANING MOON HUNG OVER the Ice Court, its edges blurred by the cloudy promise of snow. Nina could hear sounds of celebration from the royal palace, noblemen drinking and dancing to rejoice in the bombing of Os Alta. Somewhere, out in the wild forests, Brum and the drüskelle were giving thanks to Djel and preparing for the war to come.
But Nina had been at war a very long time. And tonight, she intended to do some damage. She had destroyed Queen Tatiana’s letters. Now Nina was going to take away the one man who could verify that they’d ever existed.
The plan was simple but tremendously risky. First Nina needed a way into the drüskelle sector. She couldn’t simply waltz out of the Ice Court and back in again, so she would have to approach the sector via the secret path across the ice moat. It was not an appealing option. She’d spent the last few months doing little more than sitting and scheming. She was excellent at both, but tonight she would need the strength and agility of the soldier she’d been, not the wiles of the spy she’d become. And she’d need Hanne. Nina didn’t like putting her at risk, but she could admit that they’d seem less suspicious if they were caught sneaking around together than if Nina, an outsider at the Ice Court, was caught alone.
They dressed in riding clothes—two girls out for one of Hanne’s larks. Nina was just grateful to be free of her heavy skirts. They would cross the ice moat together, dressed in white, hair covered to better camouflage themselves. Assuming they weren’t immediately spotted and dragged back to their chambers to await punishment, Hanne would get them up the wall.
“There’s no door at the bottom?” Nina had asked. She should have been doing push-ups every morning.
“Only drüskelle know where it is. It won’t be a problem. We just need an open window.”
“And a way up to an open window.”
Hanne was unfazed. “I can get climbing gear from the shed at the base of the Elderclock. They use it when they clean the spire.”
“Sweet Djel, you’ve done this before.”
“Maybe once. Or twice.”
“Hanne!”
Hanne shrugged. “The first time I went over the wall, I just wanted to see if I could get to the roof of the embassy sector.”
“And the second time?”
Hanne winced guiltily. “I may have wanted to go see the marketplace by myself. And the third time—”
“You said twice!”
“There were whales in the bay. Was I supposed to not go see them?”
Nina laughed, though imagining Hanne making madcap escapes from the Ice Court left her feeling uneasy. If Hanne accepted a proposal at the end of Heartwood, she might be trapped here forever. But for now, Nina had to focus on Magnus Opjer.
The trek across the ice moat was harrowing, and despite her heavy boots, Nina’s feet were frozen by the time they arrived on the thin rind of shore at the drüskelle sector. It took a few tries to get the grappling hook in place, but bare moments later, Hanne was shinnying up the rope like she was part squirrel.