Isla said nothing. She wondered what Grim was playing at. Whether she could use him, and this, to her advantage.
He started walking, and she fell by his side. Islanders turned to stare as they passed and looked at her for just as long as they did Grim. She supposed she stood out in her red dress, so bright against the light blue, white, and silver the day-dwelling islanders wore. Like blood spattered in the marketplace. “You’re curious again, Isla.”
She didn’t meet his gaze. “Don’t read me. It’s rude.”
He laughed. “It’s not like I can help it.”
Isla gave him a look. “The famed, all-powerful Nightshade ruler can’t control his own abilities?”
The corners of his lips turned deviously. “Famed? Well, at least I know rumors of my greatness have reached even the Wildlings.” He looked down at her, and the smile faded. “I’m glad you are having armor made,” he said, pulling something from his pocket. It was a sheet of gold foil, the same paper her Centennial invitation had arrived on. “My demonstration is first,” he said, returning the card to his black cloak before she could make out the words. He leaned low, lips getting dangerously close to her ear. “You will also need a sword.”
By the time Grim’s words sank in and the chill from his proximity had disappeared—so had he.
And Isla was left alone in the market, wondering why the ruler of Nightshade was helping her.
CHAPTER SIX
BONDBREAKER
Isla threw the weapon at Celeste, who caught it in the air, in her power’s invisible grip. “What is this?”
“A sword,” Isla said, pulling her own from behind her spine, where she had smuggled them both into the castle. “And an expensive one, at that.”
Celeste gave her a look. “Iknowwhat it is, Isla,” she said. “What I’m wondering is why you’ve brought the ghastly thing into my quarters.”
Isla had long ago learned that the Starling didn’t have the same appreciation for weapons, though her realm was famous for making them with their proprietary techniques and metals. Why would she? Celeste had the power of energy at her fingertips—she could wound an enemy from across the room. In her eyes, a sword was a clunky misuse of iron.
Which, Isla imagined, was exactly why Grim had chosen a duel as his demonstration. Well, he hadn’t said the wordduel,but with his clues, he might as well have.
“Our first trial is a duel,” she said. “We’ll need these.”
Celeste crinkled her nose as if she had smelled something foul. “And who told you that?”
“Grimshaw.”
Celeste blinked. “Is that who you were with this whole time?”
“No, just for a bit. Why?”
Celeste gave her a look. “Really, Isla?” She didn’t need to say anything else. Grim was bad news. Dangerous. Untrustworthy.
“I know, Iknow.But I got this information, didn’t I? Don’t you think he could be useful?”
Celeste shook her head firmly. “No, Isla. I think, if anything, he’ll useyou.Us.”
Was that what their trip to the agora had been? Just strategy by the wicked Nightshade ruler?
Of course it was. It would be foolish to believe it to be anything else.
Isla started to wonder if Grim’s heads-up was even accurate. Maybe itwasn’ta duel, or any type of demonstration involving a sword, and he was just trying to fool her into thinking so.
She frowned.
Celeste sighed in a long-suffering way. She placed both of her delicate hands upon Isla’s cheeks and said, “My lovely, lovely,naivefriend.” Isla would have balked if it had been anyone other than Celeste saying those words. But even though they were practically the same age, Isla had learned priceless lessons from the Starling. Celeste had taken her under her wing when she had no one other than Poppy and Terra. “You will stay away from him,” she said steadily, a sister warning a misguided sibling who should know better.
Celeste was right. Grim was a distraction. She wouldn’t be the fool who fell for his tricks. Especially when her own mother had died because of her affection toward a man.
Especially when she had made it her mission to prove she was more than the temptress her guardians had trained her to be.
