The queen left the room, and Rora’s stomach pitched when she heard a familiar, deep voice. The door eased open with a creak. She pulled the covers up high and pretended to be asleep.
Cassius said her name from the doorway, and then a click sounded. Rora hoped he left, but the scrape of boots against the floor told her otherwise. He sat down in the chair by her bed, and she kept her expression relaxed and her breathing even.
She fought a flinch when he touched her hair. He wound a strand around his finger, tugging just enough that she might have woken if she were really asleep. Did he know she was pretending?
“You don’t deserve someone like me,” he said. She clenched the fist hidden beneath her pillow. “But you are mine all the same.”
Long moments passed with Rora pretending to be asleep. The air tickled her exposed skin as if the energy of the skyfire storm still swirled around him. He murmured, “It’s not enough. But it’s a start.” Then he placed something on the pillow beside her.
Another knock came, and when he went to answer the door, she peeked at the object he left behind. Her breath caught.
A skyfire Stormheart.
Had the blinding light that blasted the storm terrace been Cassius taking a Stormheart? And if so, how?
“Your Highness. I brought more herbs for the princess to ease her pain.” Rora recognized Novaya’s voice.
“Please come in. Though I’m afraid the princess is sleeping.”
Footsteps followed, and then another glass of tea was set on the bedside table.
“What is your name?” Cassius asked.
“Novaya, Your Highness.”
“That is a lovely name. And your accent is not Pavanian. You’re from…”
“Taraanar, originally, but I’ve been here most of my life.”
“Ah, is the Rani Delta as lush as they say?”
“It is, Your Highness. It is a stunning contrast to the surrounding deserts.”
His voice moved closer to the bed, to Novaya.
“How fitting then that it is your origin.” Rora heard Nova suck in a gasp, followed by Cassius’s low murmur. “You are beautiful. I’ve never seen hair shine so much as yours.”
A cramp formed low in Aurora’s belly. He was flirting with Nova? Here? Bile rose in her throat, and she swallowed it down. Not long ago she’d fallen blindly for his compliments. She had wanted to believe that someone could deem her special. Even with all her flaws. She wanted it with an ache that permeated every breath, and he’d used that to manipulate her.
Was he doing the same now to Nova? Or … was he truly interested in her old friend? Nova was beautiful. Once the wedding was done and he no longer needed to woo Rora, would it be Nova he sought out instead?
“Y-your Highness.” Nova’s voice had climbed higher. “I should take my leave.”
“Not yet. I have more questions.” His earlier sultry tone faded into something firmer. “Tell me about the markets in Taraanar. I’m told they are extraordinary.”
“I was quite young when we left for Pavan. I remember little about the markets.”
Rora heard the twist of the knob and the creak of the opening door, only for it to slam closed again. “And what of the markets in Pavan? What can you tell me of those?”
All Aurora could decipher of the conversation that followed was that Cassius wanted some information and would not take no for an answer. She heard mention of the storm cellars, various street names, something about a lantern and an eye.
“You’ll be glad you told me, Novaya. You want me as a friend.” She heard the distinct clinking of coins. “Keep your silence, and I promise you’ll be the first person I come to when I next need a favor. Don’t keep it, and I’ll be much less friendly when we meet again.”
The door opened and closed, followed by an odd thud. Rora waited, unsure if Cassius remained in the room, then slowly peeked out from beneath her blankets. The prince was gone, and Novaya sat slumped against the door, fists clenched at her sides and her breathing ragged. Had Cassius done something to her? Rora leaped from the bed and darted toward the girl. Before she got close, Nova held out a hand and cried, “Don’t. Please don’t come any closer. Just give me a moment.”
“Did he hurt you?” Rora asked. She would not put it past him. Nova had clearly been reluctant to give him whatever information he wanted. After several deep breaths, Nova’s fists unclenched and her body relaxed, her face dotted with perspiration. “I’m fine. I sometimes get … overwhelmed. But … I’m well now.” Nova pressed the heels of her hands against her eyes and asked, “Were you awake the whole time?”
“I was. I didn’t want to see him, so I pretended to be asleep.”
“Your Highness, you must know I would never encourage anything untoward—”
Rora waved off her concern. “That doesn’t matter. I’d rather know what information you gave him.”
Nova froze, her face twisting with fear. “Please, I did not want to tell him.”
“Tell him what?”
Nova’s fists clenched again, and she shook her head sharply.
Rora asked, “Do you hate me that much? That you would side with him over me?”
“Hate you? I could never hate you, Rora. And I’m siding with myself. The place he’s going … it’s illegal. I would be in a great deal of trouble if anyone knew it was I who directed him there. Or if Cassius found out I told.”
Illegal? Maybe the way out of this marriage had just fallen into her lap. If she could prove Cassius was unfit to be king, perhaps her mother would consider other alternatives.
“I need to follow him.” Rora spun for her wardrobe, intent on finding some kind of disguise.
“No. Absolutely not. You can’t.”
“I can. You mentioned the servants’ storm shelter. I’m guessing that’s how he’s getting out of the palace.” They’d used that exit so many times as children it was hardly a secret anymore.
Rora searched through her wardrobe until she found a plain brown traveling cloak at the back. It used to belong to her brother, a keepsake she had secreted away as a child. It would be too large, but it was the only thing plain enough not to draw attention. As she began pulling it over the nightgown she wore, Nova rushed over. “Your Highness, please don’t do this. It’s not safe.”
“Neither is spending my life married to that man. I’m going no matter what you say. So you can help me or you can leave.”
“I am going to regret this,” Nova murmured, wringing her hands. “At least hide your hair. The color is too recognizable to risk some of it slipping out from the cloak.” She braided Rora’s hair and twisted it up into a bun. Then she covered it with a cream-colored scarf wrapped in a traditional Taraanese style. Rora shoved her feet into a nice pair of boots and hoped the cloak would cover them. She risked missing him if she took any longer, so she moved for the door.
“I’ll go with you,” Nova offered.
“No. If it truly is dangerous, I’ll not risk you for my recklessness.”
“It’s not as though we have not done reckless things together for most of our lives.”
Rora smiled and took hold of the girl’s hand. “I have missed that more than you will ever know. But this is something I have to do on my own.”
Rora set off for the servants’ wing in the quickest walk she could manage without drawing attention. Shortcuts allowed her to avoid palace guards, and in record time Rora was standing before the entrance to the storm shelter. She scurried down the stairs into the dark.
The servants’ shelter was merely a long empty room, whereas the royal shelter had elegant fixtures and furniture and even a few beds. Rora did not dare light a sconce as she walked through the shelter. Eventually, out of the darkness formed the shape of a familiar set of stairs that led to the outside. She opened the cellar door enough to slip out and then softly set it back into place. On the darkened street that ran along the palace wall, things became trickier. Cassius might have beat her here. She could head in the direction o
f the main road and hope she caught up to him. Or … she could assume that she changed quickly and took enough shortcuts to arrive ahead of him. She was still considering her options when the door behind her creaked open. She pulled the hood forward to hide her face as much as possible and began walking slowly toward the main road. She hunched and shuffled as if she were an old woman, then peered back briefly over her shoulder.
The newcomer wore a wide-brimmed hat angled to cover his face and a black traveling cloak. His height and build matched Cassius, and he walked with the same calm confidence. She continued her slow gait, and eventually he passed her. Rora waited until he was a decent length ahead of her, and then she dropped the act and followed as quietly and inconspicuously as possible.
As they neared the city’s center, the streets became less deserted. Two people huddled in a small alley. A shadowed form darkened a doorway. A group of men stood outside a seedy tavern, their voices loud and slurred, discussing the earlier skyfire storm as if they’d fought it themselves. Even in her disguise, a few people eyed her as she passed.
She began to worry that the possibility of getting caught by Cassius wasn’t her only concern. She had left the palace often; she did it regularly for her early-morning rides and for the occasional royal tour through the city. But that was along the main road that led directly from the palace gate to the city gate. It was well paved and well lit, and could be seen by guards patrolling atop both the palace and city walls. Now she was truly on her own.
When she looked away from the group of drunk men, Cassius was gone. Panicked, she launched into a jog, scanning alleyways and side streets for his silhouette. She saw what might have been a black cloak disappearing around the bend of a dark, twisting street. She hesitated. If she were wrong, the trail would go cold.
Trusting her gut, Rora darted down the street, unnerved by the darkness that lurked around her. The buildings grew more dilapidated, and up ahead a lone figure strolled down the street. Occasionally he stopped, peered into a building or down another street, and then continued on. The neighborhood grew rougher as they plunged deeper into the city—a city that was decidedly less pristine and prosperous than the one she always saw on the royal tours.
The streets smelled of some unidentifiable muck, and houses leaned together as if holding each other up. Surely people in Pavan didn’t live like this. Rora edged closer to Cassius so that she didn’t fall behind again. When he stopped again under the flickering glow of a swinging lantern, he glanced backward and she was luckily covered by the shadow of a building.
The lantern squeaked in the wind on the silent street. Too silent. It was late, but there should have been some noise … people moving in their houses, a crying babe, a barking dog. Something. Light shone on the familiar hard angle of Cassius’s jaw, then he dipped his head and disappeared into a building. Rora gathered her cloak up in her fists, and ran. Skidding to a stop beneath the lantern, she faced a set of stairs and a boarded-up door of a deserted building. Frowning, she approached and pushed against the wood. It didn’t budge. Feeling around the frame for any hidden latches, Rora came up empty. But just outside the frame on the side of the building was something carved into the wood.
She ran her fingers over the grooves and followed the way they fanned out from a circle in the center. It reminded her of the way water in a tub swirled after the plug had been pulled. A storm. She wasn’t positive what kind—a hurricane, perhaps? Pavan was landlocked, so she had never seen one in real life, but she had seen illustrations of the monstrous swirling beasts.
Her fingers traced again over the carving, following it all the way to the edge. She expected to run into the next building, as it was clear when she looked up that the two were attached, but instead her fingers found open air. She leaned over the edge of the stair railing, and found a small gap that had been boarded up to make the buildings appear connected at a glance, but left enough space at the bottom for a person to duck beneath.
That must have been where he’d gone. The gap was small, and so dark she would not have seen it if she had not been looking. It must have been difficult for Cassius to fit. She felt ill with nerves as she approached the passageway. But she had to know what was on the other side. As her mother said … better the beast you know.
She squeezed through the opening. She had to shuffle sideways for about ten steps, then the tunnel widened. Twenty paces ahead, there was a faint blue glow in the darkness. Her stomach roiled like a tossing sea, but she continued forward. The eerie silence of the street at her back gave way to a dull roar that developed into voices as she neared the exit.
“Wind charms!” one cried. “Tie it on your laundry line and never lose another garment.”
A gruff male voice said, “Firestorms! Rare and potent!”
She poked her head outside the tunnel, but immediately pulled it back. There were people everywhere, more than a hundred, walking through narrow lanes of merchant stalls. Slower this time, she poked her head out, and when she didn’t see Cassius, she slipped out of the passageway.
It was a market, like the open-air one in the shopping district. But this one was far from open. The backs of buildings formed the border of the market, leaving a long rectangular gap hidden from the streets. A black cloth had been stretched overhead, providing further seclusion. Lanterns were strung up around the edges and down the aisles. But they didn’t hold fire inside. They glowed an eerie blue and contained … skyfire—dozens of thin branches of light that split and stretched toward the glass like the roots of a tree. The lightning was frozen inside the lantern.
It was not unlike the chandelier that she loved so much in the great hall. But she had never seen storm magic like this outside the palace.
“Need a lightning lantern?” An older woman stood at Rora’s elbow, her skin weathered and dark, her voice a gravely whisper. “Guaranteed to stay lit for one year. Buy two and I’ll cut ye a deal.”
Rora shook her head. “No, I—no, thank you.”
“Ah, ye sound like a pretty young thing. A skyfire necklace then? I’ve got one that’s exactly like what the princess wore to meet her new prince. A lil’ smaller, of course.”
The woman picked up a chain, and it had miniature crystals that fanned out just like the one Rora had worn. The center crystal had been painted ruby red to mimic a firestorm heart.
“No, thank you.”
“Sumthin’ a bit more extravagant, then? I’ve a talisman that would protect ye from all types of storms for one week. Ye could go anywhere, see anything, and never have to fear that ye might not make it home. Or perhaps ye have an enemy? Maybe a nasty husband who beats ye? Is that why ye got so much of ye face covered? I’ve just the thing! A powder made from the heart of a firestorm. Sprinkle it in his food, and he’ll burn from the inside out.”
“No need to burn people from the inside out, Etel. This one is with me.”
A large, masculine form pressed into Rora’s side, and a heavy arm draped over her shoulders. The old woman straightened. She scowled and spit on the ground, and when she spoke, her tone was higher, less raspy, “Ye could have told me that, Locke, before I wasted me time.”
Rora froze. Cassius. He’d found her. She had been so distracted by the woman and her wares that she hadn’t thought to keep watch. He pulled her forward, and her feet dragged like lead. She couldn’t take a deep enough breath, and her eyes began to cloud with tears.
What have I done? How will I explain this? What will he do to me?
“Come on, girl. I’m doing you a favor getting you away from that fraud. You could at least play along.”
Rora lurched to a stop, and jerked her head upward. That wasn’t Cassius. Her hood began to slip backward. She tried to catch it, but her movements lagged behind her mind, and her injured arm had grown stiff and numb. Cool air hit her uncovered cheeks, her nose, then her forehead. Even with the scarf hiding her hair, she might be recognized. And she had a feeling this was a very bad place for a princess to be.
The
hood’s descent halted; it wasn’t her fingers that had caught the fabric but his. He was so tall that Rora had to crane her head back to see him. His hair was a dark, wavy brown and hung long enough to brush against his shoulders.
“Keep that hood up. This is no place for little girls.”
“I’m not a little girl!” She clamped her mouth shut, immediately wishing she could take the declaration back. Not only because it sounded exactly like what a little girl would say but also because she had not tempered her volume. At all. And though it wasn’t Cassius who caught her, he was here somewhere. She bit her lip in worry, and the stranger’s eyes tracked down to her mouth briefly before darting around her face.
He still held on to her hood, keeping it back enough that he could see her eyes. “So you’re not a little girl. Still doesn’t mean this is any place for you.”
She could not argue with that.
“She called you Locke.”
His eyes narrowed. “Yes. And?”
“As in … Prince Locke?”
He laughed so hard that he released her hood. She rushed to grab it and pull it down to cover her face. She had no doubt people were staring now. He sucked in a breath, and then as if he couldn’t help himself, burst into laughter all over again.
Still chuckling, he said, “I’m about as much a prince, as you are a princess.”
Rora resisted the juvenile impulse to inform him just how much of a princess she was.
“But … the name,” she said. “Are you related?” Perhaps he was the person Cassius had come to meet. In which case, she needed to leave now.
“I’d rather die than be related to that poor excuse for royalty. The name is just a name, like any other. Like yours?” he prompted.
Rora’s mind went blank when she tried to invent a name to give him. So instead she shook her head.