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Before I can obey, reality intrudes on my afterglow, my eyes flinching open. I expect to see lurid gazes—after the performance I gave—but all I find are trees, the deepest woods, not a rider in sight or hearing distance. “Where are they?”

“Where they need to be, just like you.”

My throat tightens. It was wrong for me to worry that they would subject me to embarrassment. They won’t do that. They love me.

“Sleep, my Bastien. You are safe. You are loved.” The smooth touch of my mistress’s power comes over me and, in her care, I sleep.

Chapter45

Bianca

“Ispy…”

“It’s atree,” my dad interrupts with a hefty dose of snark. “Or a leaf that’s part of atree. Or a branch that’s also part of atree. Or a bug that’s on thetree. Bianca, if you don’t stop with your incessant travel games, I will…insert something sufficiently dramatic here…” He groans, but his eyes sparkle with mischief. “I was always terrible with threats, wasn’t I?”

I chuckle and give him a nose-scrunching grin. “You were absolutelyawfulat threats. You always laughed through them and acted like you couldn’t imagine being grumpy enough to carry them out. We always ended up at the ice cream shop, regardless of whatever I did, so it never really mattered.”

“Yeah, well, ice cream always saves the day, and life was always too short to skip it.” He fixes me with his bestDadstare. “But, seriously, honey, no more travel games.”

After a day and a half, Dad has finally had it with all my attempts at providing the in-carriage entertainment. The song lyric game, the famous people in history game, the famous actor game… heck, I even tried to remember the names of some golfers but could only manage to recall the lemonade/tea guy. We’ve also napped early and often. I even fake napped to mess around remotely with Bastien, which was all sorts of fun.

But now, I’m officially bored and tired of the creaking wheels and lurching over dirt or cobblestone roads. I would already be riding with Archie if that didn’t mean abandoning my equally bored father.

“We could…” I start to say, but then Archie’s voice comes from the right side of the carriage.

“My Lady, we’ve reached the outermost wall. Remy is speaking to the master of the gate. We’ll be inside the city in a few minutes.”

I leap up and move to the window, staring up at Archie on his massive steed that winks at me. They still freak me out, but I wink back because they’ve gotten us here without jabbing anyone with a stinger. “Really? We’re here?”

Excitement. Nervousness. Curiosity. I’ve got a lot going on inside me. What I don’t have is fear because I’m not going to fail, regardless of whatQueeniePantsthrows at me.

Resolve… that’s what burning inside me right now. There is only one option, Nico in my arms, in our lives, our family whole and happy forever.

“Open the gate!” a monster bellows and the carriage wheels turn on the stone street.

I’m completely wide-eyed watching out the window as the massive teal doors swing open and we enter what is clearly a ginormous city, all surrounded by huge—thick and tall—walls.

Remy rides up beside Archie. “My Lady, I will ride ahead and ascertain whether the queen will allow you in the main castle, or whether we’ll need to procure lodging just outside it.”

He pauses, studying my face and giving me the chance to consider what I need to say.

“Do you want us to fail?” If this dude is making the introductions and isn’t on#TeamBringNicoHome, then we need to assess our options right now.

I can’t quite read his expression, but he seems troubled. “No, my Lady, I don’t, but that doesn’t mean my opinion has changed. Success is improbable. But I’ll do all that is within my power to assist and will certainly present the merits of a direct meeting between you and our sovereign.” He frowns and his antlers dim slightly. “My Lady, my unforgivable negativity aside, please prepare yourself. The queen isn’t always reasonable in the way those bound to their grief often aren’t. Grief is a never-ending nightmare for some.”

I don’t respond because saying a single word will force me to imagine exactly what my grief will be if we can’t get Nico back. I’m not entertaining that possibility for even a second.

Finally, I manage, “Thank you for asking her to talk to me. I appreciate it. And for accompanying us on this journey.”

In a low voice tinged with an unmistakable threat, he states, “If you attempt to overthrow the queen, I will stop you.”

“You’ll certainly try,” I say breezily, my chin up and an unrepentant glare in my squinty eyes.

Remy throws his version of an exasperated stink eye at Archie and Pennie, as though blaming them for my questionable behavior. They stare impassively back at him, sending their own silent warning should he choose to pester me.

“Sothere, First KnightFancyPants,” Bastien snipes and smiles at me from his place in front of Pennie on their steed.

Remy rolls his eyes and then gallops toward the enormous castle that towers over the walled city.