I will if it’s the only way to save your and Jon’s lives. You know you would do the same for me.
I refuse to let that slimy, stinking, lying low life win. I had known Lily would be mad, and I couldn’t help but smile at the outrage in her voice. It was just such a relief to speak with her again.
Well, we do have one advantage he doesn’t know about. I assume you didn’t tell him about our connection.
Of course not!
I snorted. He tried to convince me to agree to come with him at first, saying that you had hatched the plan together. He would have received a shock when we got outside the castle grounds, and you started screaming in my mind that it was all a lie.
Lily sent me an affectionate smile. I knew you wouldn’t be taken in by him, no matter what he said. I shifted uncomfortably on my seat, aware of how close I had come.
What happened? I asked her. How did he capture you?
She groaned. I had taken to riding up into the hills around Marin every day and gazing out into Palinar. Eventually I noticed changes in the wilderness. They were subtle at first, but I became increasingly sure of them. Like trees in the distance that hadn’t been there before.
I decided to ride out a short way and see what I could find. Jon insisted on accompanying me as long as I promised to turn back at the first hint of something dangerous. He only let me go at all because he knew I was going crazy wanting to try, and he thought we would have to turn back within minutes of the border.
She sighed. Only we didn’t. Not within minutes, not even within hours. We kept waiting for howls, or paw prints, or something. But instead we found streams and trees, even deer and rabbits once we got far enough in.
By the time either of us realized I was actually right, we had gone so far in that we couldn’t get back that night. We made camp as best we could and debated what to do next. I wanted to keep going to find you, but Jon insisted we turn back for reinforcements. He promised we would come straight back out again.
Except that night Cole and his men found us. They had been watching Palinar from across the border in Talinos and had noticed the same thing I did. They had already been exploring the reclaimed wilderness area for some days before we arrived, apparently. It hadn’t occurred to us we might need to keep guard while we slept—we hadn’t seen a single other person, after all. They easily overpowered us before we were even properly awake.
She gave a silent scream. I feel like such an idiot.
You’re not an idiot, I reassured her. How could you possibly have known something like that would happen?
I knew Cole was still loose. I should have been more wary.
It never occurred to me he might try to get into Palinar, either, if that’s any consolation.
She laughed. A little, perhaps.
I’m surprised he didn’t try to force you into marrying him, with Jon as his threat.
She sent me a disgusted expression. He thought of that as soon as he had us safely restrained. But betrothals are as serious a legal bond here as they are back home. They can only be dissolved by agreement between the two parties, and even Cole doesn’t want to risk violating the ancient laws.
He was furious when Jon said that he would die before he would dissolve our betrothal. And if he actually killed him, he would have had no leverage against me, as well as risking war with all the kingdoms for killing an heir. Obviously, they couldn’t threaten to kill me, so then Cole had to come up with a new plan. He’s completely convinced that your betrothal to…Dominic will be severed when he ceases to be the heir. I’m not sure if he’s right or just deluding himself.
It doesn’t matter, I projected glumly. Dominic dissolved our betrothal before I left. I knew I should be glad because it meant I didn’t have to choose between Lily and Arcadia, but I couldn’t muster the emotion.
Wait, really? Then you’re free! Well, as soon as we work out a way to escape Cole…
Yes. Free. I felt strangely depressed at the prospect, although it was possible that was just my anxiety over Cole. It’s a long story, I warned her.
Well, you have a long journey, I assume…
And so, I settled in to tell her the whole story of everything that had happened to me since leaving Marin. Not surprisingly, she bombarded me with questions throughout, but when I finally finished, she fell silent.
It’s been over three months, and I still have no idea how to save Palinar, I projected, failing to keep the dejection out of my voice.
So, what do we actually know? she asked. Other than that old King Nicolas broke his covenant with both his people and his family and was, what…killed for it?
I shrugged. I don’t actually know how he died. Only that he’s dead. And I’m only guessing that he killed Queen Ruby.
He was clearly a man who would stop at nothing. I could feel her studied concentration. And Princess Adelaide is missing—fate and whereabouts unknown. We know she outlived her father, though, so he can’t be responsible for her disappearance. She hesitated. Do you think Dominic could have killed her?
I frowned. Once I had wondered the same thing, but my doubt had long since slid away. No, I’m sure he would not have. He never talked about her current situation, but when he reminisced, he always sounded protective. And the servants said they were always affectionate toward each other.
Lily accepted my judgment call without comment. So, our best theory is that the curse was only against the royal family. It could even have been the curse itself that killed the old king. I received an image of her shaking her head. We were all so sure the entire kingdom had been cursed. It never occurred to anyone it might not be a curse, at all.
How could it have? I projected. Who would possibly guess that the people had merely been shifted sideways into another realm, and the wasteland put in place to protect them from outsiders who might try to come in and take their land?
But it has still affected them negatively, projected Lily. Surely there is some means to rescue them and bring them back.
There must be, I agreed. The godmothers have been involved, and they always leave a way out from such things. But no one would talk to me about it.
Wait! Lily gasped. You’re telling me that the capital isn’t empty like it appears, but full of invisible people? And that I can learn to hear them?
Maybe. I spoke slowly, trying to think it through. I’m not completely sure. The godmother who intervened for Dominic changed something to allow him to interact with his servants. It’s possible I was only able to hear them because of whatever she did.
You mean, like she made some sort of extra bridge between the two realms, or something?
I shrugged. Maybe?