Juniper answered immediately, as if he’d known that would be her next question. “The twentieth day of the Centennial.”
That was in a week.
She nodded. “Thank you.” Part of her wanted to ask about all the remaining libraries. Where they were. Tips on getting inside them.
But she couldn’t trust the barkeep with any more of their plan. Doing so would be foolish. Dangerous.
Isla turned to go.
“Oh, and, Wildling?” Juniper said, thrumming his fingers against the bar.
She froze. Looked back at him over her shoulder.
“The tailor is missing clothing.Youwouldn’t know anything about that, would you?”
Isla’s stomach twisted into a braid. But her face revealed nothing. Poppy’s training ensured her emotions were always left off her face.
This was a game. Forallof them. The islanders’ lives were also at risk. She needed to remember that. Needed to remind herself she couldn’t trust anyone. Especially not Juniper.
She grinned. “A secret for another time,” she said before leaving through the back door.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
FEAR
The tailor knew his clothes were missing. It was more important than ever for them to find the bondbreaker before any of the rulers learned of the robbery and became suspicious.
A problem—she couldn’t begin her search of the libraries until after Celeste’s demonstration. It would provide them with the final thing Isla needed to locate the bondbreaker.
Luckily, the Starling’s crisp gold letter from Oro arrived the very next morning. A ruler had the right to choose the time their trial took place, as long as it was within two days of receiving their paper.
Celeste chose to host hers immediately.
When Ella knocked upon Isla’s door, she took her time answering it, as if she wasn’t already dressed in the perfect attire for the next trial. As if she hadn’t been running scenarios through her head for the last few hours. As if she hadn’t coincidentally requested her meal to be delivered early.
The paper she was handed was silver, sparkling. The words were made in Celeste’s perfect cursive.
A test of fear,it read.
Location: The Hall of Glass
Time: Now
Isla followed Ella through the Mainland castle. She had never been to this wing before, a part that looked ancient, nearly untouched for hundreds of years.
The walls were covered in paintings. Portraits. Sunling leaders.
She saw what had to be Oro’s predecessor, his brother, King Egan. He had ruled for centuries before sacrificing himself on the night of the curses. Isla recognized the same golden hair. A similar set in their brows.
King Egan, however, had lively eyes. A glimmer of joy in them.
Nothing like his brother.
Isla wondered if Oro had always been the way he was now ... or if five hundred years of curses had taken their toll on the king.
The Hall of Glass was frosted over, sunlight choked and muted, a protection for Sunlings. She wondered if Oro ever even bothered opening the blinds of his windows at night, knowing that forgetting to close them again would mean death in the morning.
Then she remembered when he had saved her. He had been on the balcony as soon as the sun went down, as if desperate to be within inches and minutes of sunshine. Sunshine adjacent.
