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It’s your spell. Work around it.

She had no idea if it was possible. She’d never testedTruth Telleron herself.

But the enchantment wouldn’t force its victim to offer the truth unprompted; if Gideon wanted to get something out of her, he needed to ask a question. And Gideon didn’t know Rune had enchanted the cup, never mind enchanted it with a spell fortelling the truth. So, theoretically, he had no reason to interrogate her.

This will be fine. Stay calm.

Hard to do when she felt like a cornered animal.

Gideon sat inches from Rune, making it easy to see how much bigger and stronger than her he was. She couldn’t help but notice the warmth rolling off him. With it came a heady scent, not only of gunpowder, but something stronger, like freshly cut cedar. It was so pleasant, she wanted to lean into it.

Alarmed by the instinct, she immediately leaned away instead. Trying to appear unbothered by everything spinning out of her control, she reached for the folded telegram Lizbeth left on the tray and started to unfold it.

“Is there a reason you abstain?” If she could keep him talking, it might prevent him from asking her questions.

“I don’t like not being in control of myself.”

“But isn’t that half the fun?” she asked, glancing at him.

He looked away, but not before his eyes darkened. “I might have agreed with you once.”

Rune lowered the telegram, curious. “Oh?”

“There was a time when I needed it to survive. Along with other, stronger substances.” His lip curled. “Or that’s what I told myself.”

Stronger substances?Rune wondered what those might be. Years ago, when the Sister Queens ruled, laudanum had been popular among Nan and her friends.Is that what he means?

“Alex could tell you all about it, I’m sure.”

Frustrated that she couldn’t enchant the truth out of him, she asked, “What if I wantyouto tell me about it?”

When he looked at her, his eyes were full of shadows.

He didn’t answer her question. Instead, he nodded to her telegram. “A love poem from one of your admirers?”

“Uh, no.” Rune glanced down, starting to read, and immediately frowned. “It’s …”

MISS RUNE WINTERS

WINTERSEA HOUSE

THE MINISTRY OF PUBLIC SAFETY IS DELIGHTED TO NAME YOU GUEST OF HONOR AT NEXT WEEK’S LUMINARIES DINNER. PLEASE PREPARE A SPEECH EXTOLLING THE NOBLE VIRTUES OF THE REPUBLIC. SEE YOU THURSDAY NEXT.

AILA WOODS

PUBLIC SAFETY MINISTER

Rune felt her legs go numb.

The Luminaries Dinner was a monthly tribute to heroes of the revolution, intended to bolster loyalty to the regime. Rune had planned to skip it this time because the last one had been so hard to stomach.

As she read the telegram again, her heart sank.

If she declined to be their guest of honor, the Tribunal would see it as disloyalty.

She had to accept.

Not only did she have no time to prepare a speech, but the Luminaries Dinner always required the worst kind of pretending. She would have to act proud of what she’d done. Have to feign ambivalence about the violent loss of the person she loved most. Her speech would cheer on the Republic while calling for more purgings, and denounce the evil of witches in their midst.