“Her Highness is here?” I hiss. “Princess Romeria is here?”
“No.” Pan looks like he swallowed his tongue.
“You’re lying.”
“No, I ain’t. She’s not right here.” He points at the cobblestone beneath his feet. “But she wanted me to check on everyone in the castle. She gave me a list. Let’s see, there was”—he peers up into the night sky as if this list is waiting for him there—“a lady maid named Corrin, a seamstress named …”
“Dagny?”
“Aye, that one.” He waggles his index finger. “And her husband and son. Then there’s a caster. Romy wasn’t sure if she’s still alive. And you guys, of course …”
“They’re all fine.” My heart pounds in my chest. All the castle staff who personally knew Princess Romeria. “We are all fine. The king has treated us well, though this poison has made life difficult.”
“Yeah, Silmar was tellin’ me about all the executions they’ve been doin’ around here.” He grimaces. “There’s lots of them going on across Islor too. But don’t worry, Romy wants to take you out of here and bring you to her kingdom.”
“To Ybaris?”
“No. Ulysede. It’s in the mountains, near the rift.” He pulls a gold coin from his pocket and hands it to me. “You’ll be safe there.”
I stare at it in my palm, stupefied. I’ve never held gold before. It’s a moment before I notice the engraving on the face—the double-crescent-moon emblem, the same one that marks our hands.
Faint shouts sound somewhere in the city, reminding me how dangerous it is to be caught talking to Pan. “You need to go. If they find you here, the king will execute you.”
“Right.” His face scrunches as he peers up at the imposing castle. “You wouldn’t happen to know where they’re keeping the caster, would ya? I haven’t made it down to the dungeon yet, but—”
“Do not go down there. It’s full of lords and ladies and guards. You will get caught, and you will be executed. But she is not down there anymore. I heard she’s in the east wing of the castle when she’s not in the city marking mortals. I do not know which room, and you will not be able to reach her. The castle is heavily guarded against anyone unfamiliar. You will get caught and—”
“Executed. I’m sensing a theme.” He grins, despite the dour subject.
The wooden gate into the stable creaks open, and two cloaked forms rush through.
Silmar’s eyes widen, but Pan waves him off. “It’s okay, they’re with me.” To them, he says, “I thought we were meeting in the tunnel.”
“Plans changed. We’ve got to leave now,” the female elven declares, her voice stony.
I fumble for Mika, pulling him tight to my leg.
She freezes when she sees me standing there.
“Yeah. Look who I found!” Pan beams. “Small world, huh?”
“Gracen?” The elven woman pushes off her hood. Her hands are covered in blood.
I step back, ushering Mika behind me, and open my mouth to scream, hoping the guard inside will hear.
“No, no, no … it’s okay. It’s me.” She holds up her hands in surrender. “It’s Romeria.”
“You are not Princess Romeria.”
“I am, I swear. Here.” She reaches for her chin, picking at it.
And suddenly Romeria is standing before me, holding a silver mask that she just peeled off.
I gasp.
“How did you do that!” Mika shrieks, earning both our shushes.
Finally, I remember myself and bow, urging Mika to do the same.
“We don’t have time for that.” She rushes forward, reaching for my hands before stalling, as if only then realizing hers are bloodied. She wipes them over her cloak. It does little good. “I am so happy to see you. I was worried Atticus would harm you or send you back to Freywich.”
“No! He hasn’t.” I punctuate that claim with a headshake. “He’s been good to us. Kind. And Lord Danthrin is dead. Atticus executed him.” For me. He chopped off a lord’s head for me, I don’t say.
“He did, did he?” She looks down at my stomach. “And you had your baby.”
“Yes. A little girl.” I hesitate, dropping my voice. I know I shouldn’t admit to this with ears around, but I can’t help myself. If this is the only time I see her again, I need her to know. “She goes by Suri, but her real given name is Romeria. After you.”