“We failed to figure out how to properly denounce our realms, but, after you broke the curses, we realized you could be the answer to all of our problems. You could break the current system of rule.”
Now, Isla was lost. “How could I possibly do that?”
“We believe you have a flair, Isla.”
She didn’t. If she did, she would know it by now, wouldn’t she?
“We believe you are immune to curses.”
“What?”
“You were not cursed, even though you did indeed have power. And you were born with two abilities, Wildling and Nightshade.”
Isla took a step back. How did they know—
“We have members in Skyling,” Maren said. “You practice in the woods.” She should have been more careful. “If we are correct, then you have already inadvertently freed two realms from being tied to your life. Wildling. And now, Starling.”
Her death wouldn’t be the death of everyone she ruled.
She shook her head. She wished more than anything that it was true ... but none of this made any sense. “Why wouldn’t you just tell me then? Why kidnap me? Why be so secretive?”
Maren glanced at the others. They were all still crushed against the rocks, and Isla loosened her hold on them, just a little. “Because to free all the realms from nexus would require the death of the king. We needed to talk to you without him finding out.”
Isla laughed. She actually laughed. “No,” she said, the word final.
“We haven’t even told you how—”
“I don’t care,” she said, baring her teeth. “I won’t do anything that requires the king dying.”
Maren just looked at her. “Even if it means potentially saving thousands of people?”
She knew how it looked. How could she possibly choose one life over thousands?
Perhaps she wasn’t as good as she thought she was, because she said, “Yes. Even then.”
Without another glance at the rebels, she carved stairs out of the side of the cliff with her power and climbed out of the cave.
That night in bed, Isla wondered if she should tell Oro about them, or ask about the nexus. She quickly decided against it. They were days away from battle. There was enough to deal with.
Isla shifted in the bed and startled when a loud thud broke through the silence.
BEFORE
The noise had come from the center of her room. It was the middle of the night, and something heavy had just thumped against her floor.
She was up in an instant, the long dagger she kept between her bed frame and mattress fisted in her hand.
Squinting through the darkness, she found someone slumped over in front of her bed, their blood staining the stone.
“Hearteater,” he said.
She threw her dagger down and rushed to his side. “Grim?” It had been days since the ball.
He grinned. “I believe you’ll be pleased,” he said, his words labored.
“Will I?” she said, eyes searching his body for where he was bleeding the most, for signs of what could have possibly happened.
“Something got very close to killing me.”
