Renegades (Hotbloods #3)

Lauren nodded, a sad look on her face. “It was that big, ugly crying you do when you’re really upset, you know?”

I did know, but I also knew there were only two reasons for tears like that: death and love. With the odds narrowed down, I had a feeling I knew precisely what—or rather, who—was responsible for Brisha’s tears, and if we were going to stay on her good side, it struck me that this might be an excellent opportunity. After all, she was just a young woman, like the rest of us, trying to make her way in the world.

“Do you mind if I head out for a while?” I asked, flashing Lauren an apologetic look. Even though we were all so busy, I felt as though I’d been neglecting her. “I promise I’ll come back to chat some more, and we can talk about things other than doom and gloom, but there’s something I have to do first.”

“No problem.” She shrugged, though I could tell she was a tad disappointed. “Got plenty of books to keep me company.”

“You’ll have me to keep you company later, I promise,” I assured her, before heading to the door and stepping out into the hallway.

I hurried toward the main hall, knowing there would be someone there who could take me to the queen. Her private chambers were top secret, undoubtedly hidden away in some far corner of the beautiful palace, but I was determined to track her down.

“Could you escort me to Queen Brisha, please?” I asked, striding up to one of the guards on duty.

He shot me a dirty look. “Not a chance.”

“She’ll want to see me,” I insisted. “And, if you don’t take me, I’ll let her know precisely who it was who kept her personal aide from her,” I added, pursing my lips.

“You’re that Kryptonian girl, aren’t you?” he asked, his features darkening. “The one the queen’s so fond of?”

“That’s me.”

“Well then, I wouldn’t want to keep her pet away from her, now, would I?” he said coldly. I wanted to smack him for calling me that, but knew it would get me nowhere. In Vysanthe, I had to play along.

“No, you wouldn’t,” I remarked sweetly.

“Fine, come with me.” He sighed bitterly, then marched up the main hall, where he disappeared through a side door. I followed, running to keep up with his stride, through a network of hallways and corridors, until I was completely disoriented. Only the mountain ranges, visible through the windows, gave me some idea of how high up we were.

At the end of a narrow passageway, he paused, bundling me into an open elevator. He passed his bracelet—which resembled the ones we’d been given at the training center—over a sensor. The doors slid closed, and the elevator shot upward. It opened onto a wide foyer, where a pleasant-faced young coldblood male sat behind a desk, his eyes going wide in surprise as I appeared, creeping nervously out of the elevator doors.

“Can I help you?” the coldblood asked, arching an eyebrow.

I smiled. “I’m looking for the queen. I think she might be in need of some assistance,” I said in a low voice, flashing him a conspiratorial look.

He nodded in understanding. “Ah, yes, I believe she may need some help,” he replied solemnly, gesturing toward the large silver double doors behind him. They were two of the grandest doors I’d ever seen, embellished with glittering diamond patterns and rose-gold filigree. “She’s in the bathroom. If you go through those doors, past the sitting area, and down the corridor up the black steps, you can’t miss it,” he instructed, though it sounded pretty complex to me.

“Thank you,” I murmured, before skirting around the desk and pushing on through the elegant doors.

I was met by an apartment that made my jaw drop. The left and right walls housed giant windows that seemed to be forged from one-way glass. They had to be, because no such windows were visible from the outside. From here, I could see all of Nessun stretching away toward the mountains. A sunken seating area lay in front of me, with plush sofas and loveseats arranged around a stone fireplace.

I walked across the vast sitting area, past bookshelves filled to the brim with tomes, and made my way toward a small set of black marble steps that led into a wide hallway. I heard something echo from a room at the end of the corridor. It sounded like soft snuffling, as though a hedgehog were rustling through leaves, only more human than that. Well, more coldblood, anyway.

Tentatively, I knocked on the door of the last room.

“Who is it?” Queen Brisha asked, in a muffled voice.

“It’s Riley, Your Highness. I wanted to come and see how you were doing. I swung by the library, but Lauren said you weren’t there,” I explained, hoping she didn’t blame Lauren for spilling the beans about her tears.

“Come in,” the queen said, her tone surprised.

I almost froze at the threshold when I saw the bird’s nest piled high on top of Brisha’s head, with flower-encrusted barrettes shoved in at random. Her beautiful pale copper hair had been backcombed to within an inch of its life, and there were bright blue streaks in it that did nothing for her coloring or her appearance. It looked like a child had been at her with a magic marker, playing a prank while she was asleep.

“What do you think of it?” she asked, looking at me through the huge looking glass of her vanity. “Tell me the truth,” she added, her face twisting into an uncertain grimace. It was a look I knew myself, from my many teenage faux pas: the crimper, cornrows with glittery butterflies in them, pigtails past the age of six, thick streaks of blond—there had been too many to list.

I walked across the enormous bathroom, in which everything seemed carved directly from slabs of exquisite marble, and sat down on a chair beside her. It was a bold move, but I had a feeling that what she needed was a confidante, a friend she could be herself with. In a position like hers, I doubted she had anyone she could trust, which almost made me feel worse, since she couldn’t trust me either.

“It’s not a great look, Your Highness,” I said reluctantly. “I would lie to you, but I know that’s not what you want. And, I don’t want to hurt your feelings, but you’re such a beautiful woman, and this does nothing for you.” I gestured toward the mess, hoping she didn’t send for her guards and have me executed for my impertinence.

She smiled as she took out the flowery barrettes, one by one. “I appreciate your candor, Riley. Most people would have stood in this room and lied to my face, allowing me to look like a fool in front of everyone. Tomorrow, you’d have seen this hairstyle in the streets, even though everyone would know it looked idiotic,” she murmured, with a tight chuckle.