“Um, I should go.” She turned away and strode to the door. “I’m going to try to get some sleep.”
“All right.” No. That wasn’t what he wanted to say. He wanted to ask her to stay. He wanted to tell her it would have been fine if she slept next to him in the bed. He wanted to tell her he felt better with her here.
He said none of it. “Bye,” he said as she walked out.
TWENTY-THREE
EM WAITED NEAR the wagon and horses in front of the barn, her heart in her throat. Part of her wanted to run to Cas and apologize. The other part of her wanted to smack him and tell him to stop being stupid. Had he really intended to give up everything for her?
He was headed her way with Galo, Mateo, and Violet in tow. Galo and Mateo walked past her to the wagon. Violet nodded at Em, chewing her lip like she was nervous. She climbed into the back of the wagon.
Cas stopped in front of Em. He didn’t seem angry. Or happy. In fact, the blank look on his face was maybe the worst expression she’d ever seen from him.
“I shouldn’t have asked to stay,” he said flatly. “I’m sorry I put you in that position.”
“Don’t apologize. It’s not that I don’t want you to stay, it’s—”
“Please, don’t,” he interrupted. “Don’t explain it anymore.”
She nodded, taking in a shaky breath.
“I have a proposition for you,” he said.
“What’s that?”
“I want to kill Jovita.”
She reeled back. “What?”
“Let me kill Jovita. I can get access to her.”
“How?”
“We’re going back to the fortress,” he said, gesturing to the wagon. “I’m going to tell Jovita I realized she was right about the Ruined.”
“She tried to kill you. She may lock you away again, especially if she’s suspicious of your return.”
“Let me take them information. Jovita claimed I was insane because I didn’t want to kill the Ruined—if I return having changed my mind, with useful information about you, she won’t be able to lock me up again.”
“What information do you want to take them?”
“The diarchy. Your impending marriage to August. Your plan to kill her. I’ll tell them I discovered a plot to attack the fortress and kill Jovita within a month.”
“And if we don’t attack within a month?”
“She’ll be dead by then.”
Em shook her head. “It’s too dangerous. Jovita has a lot of supporters, and the information you have isn’t enough.”
“Then give me something. A map, a plan, something concrete I can take to Jovita. I’ll say I stole it.”
She shook her head. “I don’t know if I have anything that …” She let her voice trail off, considering the various maps and plans she had locked away at home. “I wrote a letter for the Ruined and warriors to take to the soldiers at Gallego City. It basically details our position here and pledges our continued support of Olso. There’s nothing too specific, but I do allude to getting rid of Lera leaders. And I put the Flores seal on it.”
“Perfect. I’ll say I intercepted a messenger.”
Em started to turn, then reconsidered and faced Cas again. “Are you sure? You can’t just walk up to Jovita and stick a knife in her gut. Her people may revolt and kill you.”
“I know. Give me time. A few weeks. Let me bring some of the advisers over to my side. With Violet’s help, we may be able to turn some people. At the very least, I can take control of the southern province. Then I’ll figure out the best way to get rid of her.”
“Or you can allow us access to the fortress and we’ll do it.”
“Too many people would die. If you brought Olivia in …” He shook his head.
“She might get carried away,” Em finished.
“Yes.”
“In the meantime, I can be your eyes and ears in the fortress. They’ll attack you again soon, you have to know that.”
“We’re counting on it.”
“Then let me find out when. You’ll be prepared and Jovita will be humiliated a second time. It will be easy for me to convince everyone she doesn’t deserve the throne. Maybe I can take it back and then order her executed for treason.”
“Could you do that?” Em asked quietly.
“Yes.”
She rubbed her thumb across her necklace. Having someone inside the fortress was more than she could have hoped for.
“If anyone found out you were giving information to the Ruined …”
“They would chop my head off,” Cas finished.
“You’d have to sneak out of the fortress at least a couple times to bring me information. Could you do that?”
“I’m sure I could figure it out,” he said. “And you understand that this all hinges on our agreement? That the Ruined don’t attack us?”
“Of course. Once you reclaim the throne, we’ll all go back to Ruina and leave you alone.”
“And if you marry August?”
“What do you mean?” Her cheeks warmed.
“Will you be able to keep that promise if you marry August?”
“I have no control over the warriors, but I promise I’ll never send Ruined to Lera to help. I’ll make that clear if … if I marry him.” The words stuck in her throat, and she swallowed hard. “I’ll get you that letter.”
She took off to her apartment. It was mercifully empty when she stepped inside, and she let out a sigh of relief. She didn’t want to explain this to Olivia.
She grabbed the letter from the desk drawer in her bedroom, turning it over to make sure the green Flores seal was still intact. It was. She turned and jogged out of the apartment.
She extended the letter to Cas as she approached him. “Don’t forget to break the seal before you get back to the fortress. Otherwise you might have a hard time explaining how you know what it says.”
He nodded and pulled a folded-up piece of paper out of his pocket. “I’m going to try to get away in five days. I’ve marked on that map where I’ll be.”
She unfolded the paper and looked at the rough sketch of the fortress and land in between.
“Can someone meet me in five days? I’ll relay information then,” he said.
“I can do it.”
“If I’m not there, try to come the next day. If I don’t show up either day, assume I’m dead or something went wrong.”
She folded the map back up and clutched it a little too hard. “Please be careful, Cas. Jovita’s not an idiot. She’ll be suspicious of you.”
“Of course she will. But I’m sure she’ll appreciate being told she was right.”
“Don’t—” She cut herself off, unsure if he wanted her opinion about this.
“Don’t what?”
“Don’t be nice to her. Or to anyone. Go in there and threaten to execute everyone for treason.”
His eyebrows shot up. “I don’t think that will earn me any friends.”
“You need their respect, not their friendship. Don’t cower when you go back. You’re their king. Remind them of it.”
He held her gaze for a moment. “I will.” He began to walk past her and she grabbed his wrist, pulling him to a stop.