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The fight leaves me, and I sigh when I realize what this is about. “You heard me talking to the princess—”

I hiss as the pint-size hellcat bites my arm.

“Maisel! Let meexplain.”

“There’s nothing to explain,” she insists, desperately reaching for my dagger, wiggling her fingers when she finds it’s just out of reach. Thankfully her arms are just a few inches too short. “You swore your allegiance to the wretched princess, and you agreed to kill Clover.”

“What did you want me to do?” I demand, frustrated. “Declare war with Camellia right then and there? How would that help us? Of course I’m not going to kill Clover—and I’m certainly not joining the princess.”

Maisel scowls at me, trembling with anger even as she lets her arms fall to her sides. “I don’t believe you.”

I throw my hands up in the air, letting her go. “Fine, then kill me.”

She looks taken aback, but she picks up her axe and points it at me. “I will, you know.”

“Or you can come back to Ayan’s family’s estate and join me while I tell the others what I learned tonight.”

She scowls. “I’d rather off you and be done with it.”

“Off me later.” I stand, sincerely hoping she doesn’t make good on her promise when I turn my back on her. “I’m carrying too much information to die right now.”

Sulking, she joins me—but with the way she huffs and puffs, she makes sure I know she’s not happy about it.

“Where’s Devlin?” I ask. “And your cat?”

Thank goodness the leopard wasn’t with her, or I really would be dead.

“Devlin’s watching the palace,” she says curtly. “Ulfric and Halvor are hunting. I followed Camellia alone.”

“Why didn’t you join us at the estate? Clover’s been beside herself ever since we parted in the criminal port.”

She huffs as if I’ve offended her. “And make nice with the pompous High Vales? I’d rather lose my arm to a ralnauth.”

“You’re going to make nice now. I don’t care if you throw a fit like a spoiled toddler; I’m going to drag you inside—over my shoulder if I must.”

Thatruffles her feathers.

Her face pinches as she lifts her axe menacingly. “Listen here, you spineless, two-faced traitor. If you try to lay one more finger on—”

“I’m not atraitor.”

Maisel growls, sounding more like one of her cats than a gnome. “So you say.”

I have the inexplicable urge to toss her into a canal. Let’s see if she’d really like to lose an arm to a ralnauth.

Thankfully, we don’t have to go much farther. The estate is just ahead.

But I’m not sure what’s worse—dealing with Maisel or facing Clover.

26

Clover

We’ve been waitingaround the foyer, feeding the kilikeet too many seed crisps and pacing listlessly for nearly an hour. Though I tell myself Henrik can manage one villainous princess, the truth is, I’m a little nervous.

Camellia is wicked, but she’s very pretty, and she’s good at putting on an innocent face.

What story is she feeding Henrik? What if he takes her side?