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“If a tree falls in the forest and squashes a human, does she make a sound?” A female voice called out from somewhere behind me.

Shock and anger suddenly rushed through my veins. I stood up and spun around.

Cassinda was striding out of the forest where I’d just been and—I blinked. The trees behind her were fine. Not a single one broken or fallen. She grinned. “I thought you might recognize a good illusion, what with what your mate is doing back at the castle. But I took a gamble, and it turns out it was a good bet.”

I bared my teeth at her. “Why aren’t you writhing on the ground with all the rest of your court?”

She rolled her eyes at me, looking bored. “I’m an illusionist, so believe me, I’ve heard all about the new crown prince.The queen’s executioner.” Her tone was jeering. “I wasn’t about to wait to find out how many bodies he can collect at once. I got well out of the way before the horn even sounded.”

“So you cheated,” I snapped.

She shrugged, causing the enormous diamond around her neck to sway with the movement. “Once you're dead there won’t beanyone who can say if I did or didn’t. Anyway, I doubt that will be what people remember from tonight. I’m fairly sure what your mate is doing is considered a war crime.”

I was sure she was right, but she didn’t sound all that broken up about it. These were her people, and she didn’t care that they were all being tortured as long as she got to win the hunt she’d orchestrated just for this purpose.

She was the worst kind of ruler. The same kind as Idris, and to a lesser extent, that horrible lord and lady I’d met in Inbetwixt. None of them cared about their people at all. Which begged the question, why did we keep them? Long ago, Aisling had united the realms under one crown, but now we’d gone back to separate territories in all but name only. That couldn’t possibly be the way things should be.

But I couldn’t think about that right now.

Cassinda walked toward me, stalking me, and instinctively I backed up. I extended my trembling hands and Cassinda stopped In her tracks when fire burst from my freezing fingers.

It wasn’t the best fire I’d ever made, and sputtered every time my teeth chattered. But evidently, Cassinda didn’t realize that.

“You’re an illusionist?” she accused.

I shook my head and tossed a flaming ball at the ground. A circle melted into the snow, revealing grass beneath. “Come touch it if you want. It’s not an illusion.”

She didn’t move, seeming to take my word for it. I’d momentarily forgotten that she expected me never to lie.

For the first time, her eyes darted to the sides and she looked nervous.

“Afraid I’ll burn down your forest and you with it?” I taunted her.

“The forest has nothing to do with us,” she snapped. “It’s innocent, and the home to many creatures.”

I widened my eyes at her. She couldn’t possibly be serious. She didn’t care that the people were dying in agony up at the castle, but she was worried about a few trees?

Partly out of spite, and partly to see how serious she was, I held a handful of fire up to one of the nearby pines. Its bark began to smoke and with a cry of anger, she rushed toward me.

I pivoted on my back foot as if we were sword fighting, and held the fire up to her. It caught the tip of her long chestnut braid and the smell of burning hair engulfed the clearing.

“Wait!” she demanded. “I’ll make you a bargain.”

I scoffed. “I was taught never to bargain with the Fae.”

“Then I’ll offer you a challenge. Fight me without magic.”

Her eyes widened, both earnest and determined and…something else. I couldn’t explain why, but her eyes reminded me suddenly of Bael. His eyes were yellow and catlike, while hers were brown and so large they took up far more than their fair share of her face. Yet, there was…something. I couldn’t put my finger on it.

I raised my eyebrows. “You cannot be serious.”

“I’ll even let you keep your weapons, while I—” she held up her hands to show me “—have none. I can tell you’ve been trained, it wouldn’t be an unfair fight.”

I stared at her. This was a terrible idea, and I was sure she was up to something. She’d already cheated once, and if I let her do it again then more the fool was I.

But even with magic, there was the very real possibility that she was stronger than me. I hadn’t expected her to be so talented at illusion.

“You would be using no weapons?” I clarified, wanting to hear her speak the words again.