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Skye sucked in a breath, but before he could say anything, Azura groaned dramatically, saying, “There you go again with that‘I’m a prisoner,’and‘Az, why won’t you let me go?’nonsense.” She turned to Skye. His expression was cold and cautious, but Taly knew him well enough to see the confusion in his eyes as he glanced between the two women. “You have no idea just what I’ve had to endure all these long months. After everything I’ve done for the girl, and not even a thank you.”

“You shot me with an arrow,” Taly barked.

“You healed,” Azura snapped back. Then, to Skye, she said sweetly, “As for you, I apologize for the confusion. You see, I know you, but you don’t seem to know me—at least not yet. And, if we’rebeing honest, that’s Taly’s fault. She never brings you here in the right order.”

Azura dropped into a curtsey, and Taly was pretty sure the look of bewilderment on Skye’s face was a perfect match to the one she’d worn that first day at the palace gates.

“I believe introductions are in order,” the Queen said, rising. “I’m—”

“I know who you are,” Skye cut in, pushing Taly more firmly behind him. “You’re Azura Raine. You’re the woman responsible for the Schism.”

Chapter 31

-From the personal notes of Azura Raine, High Lady of Time

Breena came to the palace today. Not here, of course—inside the loop. She came to the real version that even those upstarts at the Dawn Court were too afraid to touch. The fairies report that she screamed and cursed at my empty throne for hours—things like “Why would you curse my child?” and “Did you even think of the world you were creating for those that came after?”

Since there is nothing I can do for the child until the time is right, I had the fairies deliver a small gift in my name—a necklace. Breena wasn’t pleased, as indicated by the vulgar gestures she made on her way out, but the fairies said that she did stop screaming.

Taly frowned when Skye pushed her back another step. He was growling deep in his chest, bristling with that innate fey instinct to protect and defend. She didn’t know how he recognized the Queen; how he had gotten here; how he was alive and not still lying in a pool of his own blood, unmoving, unbreathing—but right now, none of that mattered.

The Queen glided across the clearing—a spot of pure white in a world full of blood. “How disappointing,” she muttered. “And here I thought today was going to be a day for introductions… All these men and no one has said a thing about my dress…” She picked at her skirts. Despite the spreading pool of blood at her feet, the fabric was still unstained. “But then again, I don’t know why I even bother to be surprised anymore. You were always the more even-keeled of the pair, Skylen. Taly would’ve gotten herself killed multiple times over without you there to cool her heels.”

“Taly?” Skye dared a glance over his shoulder, one hand still resting on his sword. Taly could see the question in his eyes: was this woman a threat? One word and he would stand down, even if he didn’t like it.

“She won’t hurt us.” Taly placed a hand on his shoulder, breathing a sigh of relief when she felt him relax, if only slightly. “And even though I know it doesn’t make any sense, she does know you. And me. Like I said—it’s a long story.”

“One that you are more than welcome to tell himlater,” Azura said as she began circling the still-cooling corpse in the center of the clearing. “Right now, I want to talk about this, becausethis—”

Guilt twisted in Taly’s gut. There was too much blood. It itched as it dried on her skin.

“—ismarvelous.” Azura clapped her hands, laughing as she daintily hopped over a puddle of blood. “The timelines are always twisting and tangling around you—I had no idea what was going to happen when I brought Vaughn here, so naturally, we all started making bets.”

On cue, the fairies began to peek over the tops of the hedges, their soft blue light nearly disappearing against the cloudless sky.

“Leto—” Taly followed the Queen’s gaze to a softly glowing orb floating just inside a break in the hedges. It seemed Leto had given up her feminine shape, and her light pulsed, dimming in shame. “—thought that when you walked in and saw Skye on the floor, pale and bleeding out, that you would just fall to your knees, weeping. She said this was a terrible idea; that it was going to end badly. Most of the fairies were on her side, thoughIhad alittlemore faith in your abilities. Not much, mind you. I did still have the fairies make some emergency preparations just in case this all went south.”

Taly’s heart was beating too quickly, her breath coming too fast. There was a high-pitched ringing in her ears, faint at first but growing louder with each piece that clicked into place. “You planned this?” she whispered. Vaughn… Azura hadmeantfor her to kill Vaughn—taken her worst fears and constructed a series of events to ensure it.

The stab of betrayal should’ve left her bleeding.

“I trusted you.” This time when Taly went to step around Skye, he didn’t stop her, though shedid feel his aether spark, perhaps in warning. Perhaps reacting to her pain. “I told you about my dreams, and you used that. You used the things I told you to make me believe that…”

Taly couldn’t bring herself to even say the words. She’d thought Skye was dead, and her entire world had shattered.

“Yes,” Azura said. Unconcerned. Smiling like this was some grand joke. “Don’t worry, though—I was never far away. I saw the whole affair in all its delightfully vicious glory. I especially liked how you used the mirrors to slow Vaughn up a bit. Top marks for that bit of cleverness. Though you did destroy an entire collection of priceless art.”

Taly wobbled, and Skye was there in an instant, placing a steadying hand on her waist. Shards, he must have been so confused, and he was so pale. He’d been wounded—that part had been real. She could see blood still leaking out of the rips in his armor.

Taly swallowed back the bile that began to rise. There was so much blood. On her, on him. The air reeked of it. “You planned this. You said that…” The realization ripped right through her. “This was my test?”

“Yes, my dear. Your final examination was to kill Vaughn,” the Queen confirmed. “And I’m happy to say you passed! Congratulations,Acolyte—you’re a student I can be proud to call my own.” Azura seemed practically giddy as she continued to circle the corpse, holding her skirts in one hand. “This really is brilliant work, by the way. Better than Leto in her prime. Maybe that’s why she kept trying to dissuade me. She knew just how vicious you could be with the right…motivation.” Azura gave a small secret smile.

Taly began to shake her head as that ringing became a dull roar, as the pain and betrayal began to pound inside her, keeping time with her frantic heart.

Leto had known. The fairies had known. Everyone in this damned place hadknownwhat the Queen had planned, and not even one had cared enough to tell her.

Betrayal swept into grief, then sickness, then back again.