Emotion rippled through Katya’s face. “I’m so sorry.”
No.
No, it was wrong.
Katya did not work for Wyltam.
A heaviness pooled in Valeriya’s stomach. “You’re supposed to be in the park. You were supposed to help me. Kat,” her voice shook, “you betrayed me.”
“No,” Katya answered, “you betrayed Satiros.”
Soft footsteps fell from the far end of the hall, slowly approaching where she knelt. With his hands tucked deep into his pockets, remaining expressionless as ever, Wyltam stalked toward her. “Hello, Valeriya.”
Chapter Eighty-Six
Marietta
Marietta gasped for breath, hearing the thundering boom behind her. She paused in the silent aftermath. Gods, what in the hells was that?
Her mind swam—Tilan was alive, and the Queen knew magic. Marietta nearly wet herself when Valeriya’s hands lit into flames, fire racing towards their attacker. She had seen nothing like it. Gods, she had sacrificed herself so Marietta could get away. She sent a prayer to Therypon that the Queen would live, that she and her son would escape as well.
Marietta reached for Therypon in her chest, the warmth spreading, calming her breaths. She and Amryth needed to leave—now. She tried to calm her mind as she remembered Amryth’s instructions in her head.
She found her way in the dark, not daring to use a light globe, recognizing the path that led to her room. Her knees burned from tripping along in the dark, the tunnel’s rough ground ripping through her dress and into her flesh.
She suppressed a hiss as voices carried down the hall, accompanied by the clinking of metal on metal. Amryth had shared that some personnel knew of the tunnels but also said itwas unlikely anyone would be down there. They hadn’t planned for it. She needed to keep moving, to find Amryth.
Marietta kept her breaths even, her feet silent as she darted down the path. She peeked around the corner as a guard flicked on their light, Marietta scampering backward and falling to the floor.
“Hear that?” the guard said, the voice vaguely familiar. Footsteps echoed from the hall as Marietta picked herself up and ran to the connecting hallway behind her. As she turned the corner, the light from his globe appeared. She pressed her back against the wall, hearing his approaching footsteps, and then silence.
Marietta held her breath. Gods, was he waiting for her to move?
“C’mon!” called a different voice.
His footsteps echoed back down the hall, his light disappearing.
She sighed, slumping against the wall with relief. Now she just had to work her way to another hall to surpass those guards. Someone yelled from far off, coming from the direction Marietta had left the Queen. A feminine voice answered from the end of the adjacent passageway. Marietta’s heart thundered again her ribs—how many were down there? Anxious, she reached for the dagger in her pocket, only to find it missing. She slowly backed towards the hall, where the guard almost caught her. Perhaps they raced towards the person who called out, and then she could slip past.
Metal tinked behind Marietta as she took another step back, causing her to whip around. A golden light suddenly blinded her. She tried to step away, but they gripped her wrist. Her limbs numbed as panic seized her heart, a scream building in the back of her throat. Her eyes adjusted and focused on who grabbed her.
The grip on her wrist tightened as she saw his pallid face and the slow shake of his head. Keyain jerked her closer to him as he hissed, “Marietta, what did you do?”
Chapter Eighty-Seven
Marietta, Before
The sun baked the top of Marietta’s head as she bent over a basket of vegetables, her back straining from her position. Though she was technically in the vendor’s stall, people bumped into her from the main walking lane of the crowded open-air market at the heart of Olkia.
She was elbow deep when Tilan said, “I didn’t realize picking tomatoes could be so tricky.”
Marietta scoffed. “It’s an art form, thank you very much.” She pulled one out and sniffed near its stem. “Perfect.”
Tilan shook his head as she added it to their basket. “You’re ridiculous. You know that?”
“Says the man cooking dinner tonight. I want to make sure we dine on the most pristine of tomatoes.”
Tilan’s mouth lifted into a half-smile as he handed the coin over to the merchant. “How would I ever buy my vegetables if you weren’t here?”
