Page 37

“As in my father’s personal guard?”

He nods again.

“As in the man whose mission was to get me to The Sour Peaks, no matter what?”

Valdus lifts a brow. “He was with you on the train?”

“Not with me.” That’s not exactly true, so I clear my throat and add, “We were on the same train at the same time. If he is here, I’m in much more trouble than I ever thought I was.”

Valdus curses. “We have to talk to him. See what he knows.”

“With her?” Numair asks, nodding in my direction.

“I have a name.”

Valdus sighs, motioning at the house. “Just let’s get it over with.”

A nod is Numair’s only answer before he guides us inside. A few men send their greeting with three fingers brought to their hearts but turn back to polishing their swords and greasing their guns. Valdus picks up a white mask with those bloody tears that make my skin crawl and offers another one to me. It’s a simple thing made of metal, but it’s designed to cover the face so nothing but the eyes show through. I’ll just have to stick to the shadows and make sure Rev won’t see them.

“You want me to talk to him?” I ask, unable to believe what is happening.

“No, I want you to listen. To see if what he’s telling us is the truth.”

I don’t tell him I don’t know Rev that much. I won’t miss the chance to see for myself that the guard I grew to hate is indeed here.

As soon as the masks hide our features, we walk into a room dimly lit by a candle sitting in the corner next to a tray of untouched food. Metal bars split the space in two. Valdus, Numair and I are on one side, Rev with bound hands and feet is on the other. A gag in his mouth doesn’t impede him in the slightest from spouting hate in our direction.

A turn of a key, and Numair opens the door to the cell. With an intense struggle that makes him sweat so much his shirt sticks to his back, Rev gets to his knees, defiance shining in the pits of darkness that are his eyes. As soon as Numair pulls the gag out of his mouth, Rev spits at our boots. “Rebel scum.”

“Ready to talk, huh?” Numair asks.

“Only when I’ll have you in a cell, ready to be executed.”

“The roles are reversed for now.”

“I’m not telling you anything.”

“Not even how you ended up here?”

Rev clenches his teeth, a muscle throbbing up his jaw.

“Why would our emperor send his favorite puppet to the insignificant town of The Broken Sands?” Numair presses, his tone mocking. “Is there something we’ve done to gain such a favor from Our Sun and Light?”

The tick below Rev’s ear only quickens.

“Or maybe you are on the hunt for me?”

Everyone’s gaze shoots at me. Valdus dashes across the room, but it’s too late. My mask falls to the ground with a loud clank.

“Princess Neylan?”

I can see anger coiling in Valdus’s eyes, but Rev wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for me. I’m sure of it.

“Princess? Is that you?”

I stand on the tips of my toes, trying to catch another glimpse of Rev, but Valdus angles his body to further block him.

“Let me do this,” I say. “He might say something to me which he wouldn’t to you.”