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“Rune.” His fingertips pressed against the sensitive skin of her wrist as he drew her deeper into the darkness. “You look like you’re prepared to walk into hell itself.”

Rune had the sudden urge to rest here with him awhile, where it was safe, before throwing herself back into danger.

“What happened tonight?” he asked.

Rune shook off the urge, remembering her mission.

“Did you hear Noah?Your brotherhappened tonight,” she said, annoyed at the thought. “Gideon got to Seraphine before I did.”

Alex frowned. “So you—”

A chorus of voices—one of them Laila Creed’s—echoed nearby. On instinct, Rune drew Alex deeper into the shadows, until they were nearly chest to chest. She wasn’t worried about someone seeing them in here together. They’d simply assume itwas exactly what Verity had pretended to accuse Rune of having earlier: a tryst.

What she worried about was being overheard.

They both fell silent, waiting for the voices to pass. The tip of Rune’s nose was less than an inch from Alex’s chin, and the smell of him—like leather and oak—filled the air. The small space seemed to shrink around them, and for a moment, Rune remembered the night she turned Nan in. Alex had raced to Wintersea, then held her through the night while she wept.

“You worry me,” he whispered, close to her ear.

His voice was careful, soft. As if Rune were made of glass and he needed to handle her with caution.

“You spend your days looking out for everyone else, but who’s looking out for you?”

“You’re looking out for me,” she whispered to his double-breasted lapel. “Not to mention Verity. And Lady.”

“Lady is a horse,” he countered. “And Verity throws herself into as much danger as you do.”

He seemed about to say something else when the bells signaling the end of intermission chimed throughout the foyer. Rune stepped away from his familiar, steady frame and glanced out of the alcove. A column blocked most of her view, but she could see Laila’s black hair, braided into that fashionable crown, heading toward the doors of the auditorium. The drone of conversation was already dwindling. In a few minutes, the foyer would be empty and silent.

And Rune had yet to find Gideon.

She refused to let tonight be a waste. SheneededSeraphine’s whereabouts.

“Is your brother here?” she whispered, scanning the emptying foyer like a hawk searching for the plumpest field mouse.

“I don’t know. I haven’t spoken to him all week. Why?”

She didn’t answer. She didn’t need to. Alex knew the thoughts in her head.

“Rune, no. My brother is a danger.” He gently gripped her bare shoulder, turning her to face him. “To you especially.”

“Your brother is a danger to every witch in the New Republic.” She tugged herself free of his hand. “Seraphineespecially. If I don’t find out where he’s put her …”

Didn’t he understand? She didn’t know where Seraphine was or when they planned to transfer her. For all Rune knew, she might already be en route to the palace prison. And if she was …

I’ll never get her out. They’ll kill her like they killed Nan.

Once the Blood Guard brought a witch inside the prison, Rune couldn’t save them. The prison was impregnable.

And if I don’t save her, I’ll fail to do the last thing Nan asked of me.

It was unacceptable.

“Rune.”

“What other choice do I have?” she said, coming back to him. “Youwon’t do it.”

As loyal as Alex was to the Crimson Moth, toher, he drew a line at his brother. Under no circumstances would he ever manipulate Gideon the way he, Rune, and Verity manipulated the rest of their peers. Rune had asked him once, and watched his bright gold eyes dim. His uncharacteristically sharp answer—Absolutely not.—stopped her from asking again.