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“I thought so.” Wren touched the jewels at her ears and neck. “Thank you for the jewelry. They’re quite stunning.”

“I thought you might like it.”

“The diamonds are from the isles, are they not?”

He cocked his head. “I thought you might like something from your homeland.”

“So thoughtful,” she murmured, holding his assessing gaze.

Idril broke the moment and waved a lazy hand to a servant who held a tray full of goblets. “Won’t you have some wine?”

“Graciously so,” Vienne said, taking a cup when a servant proffered one to her.

But Wren shook her head. “No thank you, my lord.”

“We can add honey to the wine, to make it more palatable for you.”

“No thank you,” she said, firmer this time. “Forgive me. I am in an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar people. I wouldn’t want to make a fool of myself or of your great house by drinking too much.”

Idril’s dazzling smile remained, but there was an iciness to his blue eyes that hadn’t been there before. He’d seen right through her flattery. “Very well. Then we shall begin.”

The men around Wren and her aunt began to listen intently as Idril spoke. “We are all gathered here today for one common cause: to overthrow our dear king and take Verlanti for ourselves.”

Wren froze as she gazed around the room.They areallin on this?She took note of as many faces as she could, although the golden masks covered up too much for her to really remember them. There was not a single soul she recognized, not even the small handful of Vadonese men who were standing at the back of the room. Regardless, she couldn’t believe that Lord Idril was happy to so openly discuss treason against the crown. How could he possibly trust everyone in the room?

This is dangerous.

“Talk of usurpation can wait for tomorrow, Idril,” a man of a similar age to Vienne complained. Most of the people around him nodded in agreement. “We did not come all the way to your most esteemed residence totalk.” That had even more people agreeing. A murmur was going through the room, on the edge of turning rowdy.

Then what were they there for?

Why wasn’t the rest of the rebellion arguing against them? Surely all therewasto do tonight was talk about overthrowing King Soren.

Speaking of,Wren thought, casting her gaze around the room,just where are Bram and Leif? And Ever?

The older woman hadn’t wanted to work with Idril, but Wren thought that, at the very least, she would still come to support Vienne during such important talks as this.

But if no talking was going on, then…

Lord Idril held up a hand to silence the room. “My apologies,” he said, acting every inch the gracious host. “Where are my manners? Of course, there should be entertainment first. After all, you came all the way to mymost esteemed residence,as you so aptly put it. Bring them in.” Idril clapped his hands and the doors to the banquet hall swung open.

Two dozen men, women, and adolescents barely on the cusp of puberty were corralled inside, all dressed in the same flimsy nude material as Wren—but without the jewels and jewelry. Some had the dark skin of Vadon, whilst others looked disconcertingly like Leif. None looked like they came from the Dragon Isles, which Wren felt relieved about for the briefest of moments.

The children looked fearful, though the men and women looked merely resigned as Lord Idril’s supporters smiled in approval and began choosing who they wanted amongst the crowd. Who theywanted.

Her stomach dropped.

In that moment, Wren realized that all of them were slaves.

“I’m sure you’ll find someone to your tastes,” Lord Idril purred, eyes gleaming as his supporters began pawing at their chosen slaves to remove their clothes. Right here and there, in front of everyone.

Wren saw red.

They were men and women andchildrenthat were here against their will. Performing against their will.

It was horrifying.

Disgusting.