Somehow, the horrible thought that her family’s portraits would be destroyed brought a coolness to her, a calm that held power. Her hatred now burned with ice, not fire.
“I’ll remember this, Aron.”
“Lord Aron.” As the guards finally yanked Emilia’s portrait down from the wall, Aron nodded at them. “Good. Take them outside and leave them by the stables for now. They may as well become coated with filth, just like that idiot friend of yours now is.”
“Idiot friend?” Cleo asked quietly. Cautiously.
“That he yet breathes is a constant surprise to me. But knee deep in horse dung is a fair punishment for—”
But she was already walking away down the long hall, pulling Mira with her.
“Cleo?” Mira asked, uncertain. “Where are we going?”
“I think I know where Nic is.”
Mira’s eyes widened. “Then we must move quickly!”
Ignoring both the shadowy guards and Aron, who now followed them, Cleo and Mira moved swiftly through the castle. She may be little more than a glorified prisoner within these walls, but this was Cleo’s home and she knew the labyrinthine hallways better than anyone. As a child, she and Emilia had played hide and seek with their nursemaids—although the nursemaids had never found much amusement in the impromptu games.
They emerged outside into the courtyard, an walled, open-air space in the center of the palace filled with herb gardens, apple and peach trees, and lilac bushes in full bloom that scented the warm evening air with their perfume. The moon was full and bright, lighting their way along the winding cobblestone path.
No one tried to stop Cleo as she pushed open the gate leading out of the courtyard, down a long hallway, and exited the east side of the castle toward the stables, Mira following close behind. Beyond the stables was the rest of the walled city, home to many thousand Auranian citizens. Here she was as close to freedom as she’d been since King Gaius had destroyed her world and taken her father’s throne. She had no doubt that if she attempted to breach the outer palace walls she would be stopped and dragged back inside.
But escape was not her goal tonight.
As they neared the stables, the stench of manure hung heavy in the air. And there she saw him.
“Cleo . . .” Mira whispered, then louder: “Cleo! You’re right— he’s here!”
Heart in throat, Cleo hurried her pace as the girls rushed toward Nic. A few other stable hands looked on with interest. Nic watched their approach with wide eyes, then dropped the two buckets he carried. They sloshed against the ground. However, before Cleo or Mira could get any closer, the guards closed in and grabbed each of the girls’ arms to stop them.
“Unhand me!” Cleo struggled against her captor. “Nic . . . Nic! Are you all right?”
Nic nodded with one firm shake of his head. “I’m fine. You don’t know how glad I am to see you two.”
“Let me go!” Mira snarled, fighting against the guard who held her in place.
Aron had followed them leisurely and now he approached, his arms crossed over his chest, a lit cigarillo protruding from the fingers of one hand. “Well, seems that I have revealed a little secret, haven’t I? Doesn’t matter, I suppose. It won’t change anything.”
“You don’t think so?” Cleo retorted. “Now that I know where Nic is I’ll make sure he’s released from these lowly labors!”
“You confuse yourself with someone who still has great power here, princess.”
“And you confuse yourself with someone who has any.”
“Working knee deep in horse shit is his punishment. Although, if you ask me, he should be dead for what he did to Prince Magnus.”
The memory tore through her mind before she could try to stop it. Theon’s broken body, his eyes staring upward, unseeing. Magnus with blood on his face from where she’d clawed him as he tried to wrench her to her feet. Nic, throwing a rock to stop him, which met its mark. Cleo had taken a heavy sword and very nearly plunged it into the prince’s chest while he was disoriented, but Nic feared the ultimate repercussions of such an act and stopped her. He’d knocked Magnus out cold so he couldn’t follow them.
I’m so sorry, Theon. I’m so . . . so sorry. I led you to your death, and then couldn’t avenge you.
Her eyes burned, but she didn’t cry. She needed Theon’s memory, the recollection of his strength, his confident belief in her, to aid her now. Tears wouldn’t help. Commands wouldn’t help. Aron was right, she had no power here anymore. No influence.
However . . .
She turned toward Aron—this time with a smile.
“Come on, Aron,” she almost purred. “You were once our friend—our good friend. Can’t you find that within yourself again? Not everything has changed, has it? Mira thought her brother was dead. Don’t keep them apart. Please.”
Aron might have expected rage from her, but clearly didn’t know what to do with cordiality. He hesitated for a moment, nonplussed, before he finally nodded at the guard who held Mira. The guard released her and Mira ran directly into Nic’s arms.
“We couldn’t find you anywhere,” she said, choked. “I was so worried about you!”
“Oh, Mira.” Nic gripped his sister tightly, snorting softly into her long hair. “Honestly? I was worried about me too.”
She pulled back from him a little and scrunched her nose. “You stink!”