Could I use that need to get one step closer to the queen?
Asinia’s face flashed in front of my eyes. It was followed by every prisoner I’d walked past in that dank, dark dungeon.
Yes. Yes, I could.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
The next time the queen strolled past, ladies in tow, the pretty blond woman with the deep brown eyes was gone. Katina had received a note from her village about a death in the family, and the queen had given her permission to travel home.
The queen’s ladies usually walked in pairs. The solitary woman at the back was a glaring difference.
Hopefully enough of a difference to play in the queen’s mind.
For the next two nights, I stole food from the kitchen and escorted Tibris into the dungeon so he could work on Asinia. And each day, I chewed my nails until they bled, conscious of Gods Day looming. I had a little over three weeks left, and I still didn’t have a clear plan.
Finally, I received the answer I needed.
One of Vicer’s rebels had agreed to volunteer for my plan. If this worked, I could be one step closer to freeing Asinia and Demos. My stomach churned. If it didn’t work, I could get someone punished and still end up in the same position I was now.
With nothing.
Right now, Asinia was still far too weak to travel. Tibris had said the attempt would kill her. While I’d been keeping an eye out for the hidden entrance to the tunnel each time I was in the dungeon, I hadn’t yet found anything hopeful.
Frustration tightened my muscles. Everything was taking too long. I knew I needed patience—knew if we moved without careful preparation, we were dead. But it seemed as if time was crawling, even as each second that passed was another second closer to Gods Day.
I burned Vicer’s note and made sure I was in position, mopping the castle entrance. It took at least an hour for the queen to appear, ready to get into the large horseless carriage waiting outside. According to Auria, she was going to the market with her ladies.
I slid out of the way when I heard her appear. My head was down, arms behind my back when she strolled past, the train of her long silver dress trailing behind her.
The back of my neck turned slick with sweat. Vicer hadn’t told me who to look out for. I could admit it was much safer that way. The maid walked toward the queen with her lamp in her hands, and I went still as I recognized her light-blond hair.
Wila.
Her eyes held nothing but cold retribution. And the lamp she carried held a flame that burned purple at the center.
A flame that only I could put out.
Wila stumbled once, seemed to catch herself, then tripped over her feet once more.
The queen passed Wila right as the lamp landed on the train of her dress.
The queen kept walking.
And her dress burst into flames.
The queen whirled, the flames shooting higher. A desperate scream left her throat, and for a moment, I was tempted to let her burn to death right there.
But that wasn’t part of the plan.
Yanking on the thread of my magic, I froze everyone but myself and the queen.
She let out another choked scream, and I launched forward, pouring my bucket of water—carefully mixed with the damask weed powder Vicer had sourced—onto her dress, making sure to douse the lamp.
Time unfroze, and the guards were suddenly standing in front of me, swords out.
“What in the gods…”
The queen attempted to turn, but I was standing on the long train of her dress. I jumped off it, and her eyes met mine, cool and surprisingly clear. Then she was staring down at the scorched ruin of her dress. The fire had spread high enough that it would have engulfed her within seconds.
One of the guards called for a healer. The queen ignored him.
“Name, girl.”
“Setella, Your Majesty.”
The queen’s eyes turned ice-cold as she swept her gaze over everyone else surrounding her. The people I’d frozen while the queen panicked. In her mind, the guards had been too slow to move, her ladies had gawked, and any onlookers had likely secretly hoped she burned to death, the way her husband ordered for so many people in this kingdom.
I saw the moment she realized she was achingly alone.
And my blood thrilled at it.
“What were all of you doing while this servant was helping?”
Stuttering, helpless looks, blood draining from terror-stricken faces.
The queen held up her hand. Everyone went silent.
“You,” she said, pointing at me. “You will come to my quarters after lunch.”
I bowed my head, my heart slamming against my ribs. “Yes, Your Majesty.”
Her attention turned to Wila. “And what exactly were you doing?”
“I tripped, Your Majesty. The floor is uneven—”
The queen slapped her across the face. I flinched. Wila’s expression turned blank.
“Perhaps some time in my husband’s dungeon will improve your agility.”
The guard closest to Wila stalked toward her. Wila’s eyes met mine for a single moment, and then she was dragged away, her eyes burning even brighter.
My fault. The dungeons were an overreaction—the queen lashing out. I hadn’t anticipated it, and now Wila would suffer the consequences.
I turned to the queen. Her eyes were darkly satisfied as she watched the guards take Wila away.
I wished I could have let the bitch burn.
The queen turned and stalked back toward her rooms. Obviously, there would be no trip to the market today. Her ladies followed her, whispering among themselves.
I finished mopping the floors, conscious of the eyes on me. Minutes ago, I’d been just another maid. One only trusted with cleaning the floors. Now, I had the queen’s attention, which meant I also had everyone else’s too.
Auria ate lunch with me in the kitchen. She’d charmed the cook into giving us a piece of cake to share, and we sat in one corner, away from the worst of the noise.
“Wila never seemed clumsy before,” Auria said, her expression solemn. Our eyes met, and she angled her head. “I hope she’s okay.”
My memory provided me with Wila’s face and the banked rage in her eyes. “I hope so too.”
Auria took a neat bite. “What do you think the queen wants?”
“I have no idea. But I should go.”
Gods, I hoped it was worth it.
“Let me fix your hair first. And your apron is filthy. Take mine.”
Auria shoved pins into my hair, rolling it up into a neat bun. Whipping off her apron, she switched it for mine before pronouncing me ready. My chest clenched. I didn’t know what I’d do without Auria. She was one of the kindest people I’d ever met.
“Thank you.”
“Good luck.”
The queen’s guards had obviously been told to expect me, because they stepped aside when I approached her chambers. My stomach roiled with nerves as I knocked on her door.
“Enter.”