“Now that the queen knows, she’ll do anything to keep more from being made.”
His expression darkened, his body slumped. “I know, but I had to offer something. If only Sybil hadn’t arrested me in the first place, ungrateful witch.” Winter smiled gently, and when Jacin caught the look, his irritation melted away. “Doesn’t matter. Now I know it’s possible, I’ll find a way to do it.”
“The visions are never so bad when you’re around. They’ll be better now that you’re back.”
She thought he flinched, but maybe it was the flicker of torches around the dais.
“I’m sorry I left,” he said. “I regretted it as soon as I realized what I’d done. It happened so fast, and then I couldn’t come back for you. I’d just … abandoned you up here. With her. With them.”
“You didn’t abandon me. You were taken hostage. You didn’t have a choice.”
His brow furrowed and, after a moment, he met her eyes again. This time, there was truth in the look.
She straightened. “You weren’t manipulated?”
“Not the whole time,” he whispered, like a confession. “I chose to side with them, when Sybil and I boarded their ship.” Guilt washed over his face, and it was such an odd expression on him Winter wasn’t sure she was interpreting it right. “Then, I betrayed them.” He leaned his head back against the sundial again, harder than necessary. “You should hate me. I’m an idiot. I made a mistake.”
“You may be an idiot, but I assure you, you’re quite a lovable one.”
He shook his head. “You’re the only person in the galaxy who would ever call me lovable.”
“I’m the only person in the galaxy crazy enough to believe it. Now tell me what happened. What mistake did you make that is worth hating you for?”
He swallowed, hard. “That cyborg Her Majesty wants to find so much?”
“Linh Cinder.”
“Yeah. Well, I thought she was just some crazy girl on a suicide mission, right? I figured she was going to get us all killed with these delusions of kidnapping the emperor and overthrowing the queen … to listen to her talk, anyone would have thought that. So I figured, I’d rather take a chance and come back to you, if I could. Let her throw her own life away.”
“But Linh Cinder did kidnap the emperor. And she got away.”
“I know.” He shifted his attention back to Winter. “Sybil took one of her friends hostage, a redhead girl. Don’t suppose you know—”
Winter beamed. “Oh, yes. Her name is Scarlet. The queen gave her to me as a pet, and she’s being kept in the menagerie. I like her a great deal.” Her brow creased. “Although I can’t tell if she’s decided to like me or not.”
He flinched at a sudden unknown pain and spent a moment re-situating himself. “Can you get her a message for me?”
“Of course.”
“You have to be careful. I won’t tell you if you can’t be discreet—for your own sake.”
“I can be discreet.”
Jacin looked skeptical.
“I can. I will be as secretive as a spy. As secretive as you.”
Jacin set his jaw and Winter scooted in just a bit closer. His voice fell, as if he were no longer so certain those cameras didn’t come with audio. “Tell her they’re coming for her.”
Winter stared. “Coming for … coming here?”
He nodded, a subtle dip of his head. “And I think they might actually have a chance.”
Frowning, Winter reached forward and tucked the strands of Jacin’s sweat-and dirt-stained hair behind his ears. He tensed at the touch, but didn’t pull away. “Jacin Clay,” she said softly, “you’re speaking in riddles.”
“Linh Cinder.” His voice became hardly more than a breath, and she tilted closer yet to hear him. A curl of her hair fell against his shoulder. He licked his lips. “She’s Selene.”
Every muscle in her body tightened. She pulled back. “Jacin. If Her Majesty heard you say—”
“I won’t tell anyone else. But I had to tell you.” His eyes crinkled at the corners, full of sympathy. “I know you loved her.”
Her heart thumped. “My Selene?”
“Yes. But … I’m sorry, Princess. I don’t think she remembers you.”
Winter blinked, letting the daydream fill her up for one hazy moment. Selene, alive. Her cousin, her friend. Alive.
But then she shook her head, casting the hope away and scrunching her shoulders against her neck. “No. She’s dead. I was there, Jacin. I saw the aftermath of the fire.”
“You didn’t see her.”
“They found—”
“Charred flesh. I know.”
“A pile of girl-shaped ashes.”
“They were just ashes. Look, I didn’t believe it either, but I do now.” One corner of his mouth tilted up, into something like pride. “She’s our lost princess. And she’s coming home.”
A throat cleared behind Winter, and her skeleton nearly leaped from her skin. She swiveled her torso around, falling onto her elbow in the process.