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Odie jumped up, lapping Prisha’s face. Since Magda planned to stay with Queen Sanyal and Princess Kiran from now on, Odie would be coming with her to the castle.

Tonight she was getting into the palace and would finally have answers. She would finally have access to the Scribestone with the opportunity to get in contact with Dagmara. It had taken her this long, but there had been no other choice. If she had made any other decisions on this trip, Odie would be dead, and she would never have been able to forgive herself. She only hoped she got there in time to send a Scribestone to Dagmara and ask her to delay the marriage just a few days.

A bell alerted the trio that the door was opening.

Ravi stood at the entrance, wearing a long-sleeved pink shirt with golden stitching. On top, he wore a patterned vest. “The carriage is here,” he announced.

When Magda met his eyes, her heart lurched in her chest, and anticipation rose inside of her. It was the first time she had seen him since they had spent one long night together.

“Get going so you aren’t late!” Jasmine broke the silence before pushing Magda toward her son.

Magda grabbed her things, and they all scrambled out of the doorway. Ravi opened the carriage door for Magda. “You look…” For once, he was at a loss for words.

“You look handsome,” Magda said first.

“You ready?” Ravi clutched Vex’s royal invitation in his hands. It was still strange to Magda that Queen Sanyal invited criminals to the palace for a birthday celebration, but it occurred to her that perhaps they weren’t criminals in the queen’s eyes, rather necessary for the functioning of the kingdom. Turning a blind eye to some of Vex’s vices was better than complete economic collapse.

“Yes. Time for me to find Queen Sanyal,” answered Magda.

“Don’t forget, you’re my ‘invited’,” Ravi smiled, waving the invitation in front of her. “You will owe me a dance at some point.”

Magda grinned. “Agreed. We know the plan?” she asked, referencing Odie.

Ravi nodded.

Then she grabbed onto the door before stepping into the covered carriage, Odie jumping in behind her, for they were on the verge of being late. Then Ravi shut the door before getting in the front to drive the carriage.

They took the long trek on the outskirts of the tightly-packed city, heading outside of the urban area and to the lush, dark-green fields that lay beyond the dirty, gray buildings. The carriage fell in line with numerous others, making their way slowly up the path to the palace.

When the carriage screeched to a halt, Ravi spoke to the men at the gate, sounding like he had shown the invitation. Then, the carriage was directed to the left to be parked in the outer gardens next to a row of other carriages.

Soon, Ravi opened the door, extending his hand to Magda before helping her down onto the stone walkway that led up to the palace. When her hand was in his, he caressed his thumb over the back of it, assuring her that he wouldn’t let her fall.

Magda looked back at Odie, giving him the command to stay silent and calm. “I’ll be back with Princess Kiran soon,” she said.

Then Ravi and Magda turned to a line of guests heading through the outer gardens toward the palace. The Flaustran palace was still as magnificent as ever, with its domed roofs and outer wall leading into the gardens beyond. When they reached the gate to the inner courtyard, a guard blocked their path, holding out his hand for the invitation.

Ravi passed Vex’s invitation to the guard, remaining silent. They had decided he was the best one to pass for a guild member, due to Magda’s Azuremi accent when speaking Flaustran.

“And this is your ‘invited’?” the man turned to Magda, breaking her thoughts.

Ravi turned to Magda with a twinkle in his eyes. “Yes. My fiancée.”

Magda had to keep her mouth from dropping open.

“You’re telling me your fiancée is Azuremi?” the man asked.

“Yes,” Ravi said. Then he took off his outer vest, putting it on Magda extra slowly while he simultaneously flashed the inside pattern toward the guard. The inside of the vest revealed the beast symbol—the insignia of the Marauders guild—sewn inside.

Magda examined the insignia. When did Ravi have time to get that made?

Then Magda guessed it probably took Jasmine all of five minutes to embroider a pattern inside the vest. It was clear his family knew what he was doing—impersonating a guild member—and Magda was startled that they didn’t have a problem with it.

After draping the vest over Magda’s shoulders, Ravi lingered with his arm around her, and Magda had to suppress her emotions. This was all a ruse to get inside.

“Any other questions?” Ravi asked the officer, but his gaze was focused on Magda, his face so close to hers that she could rise to her tiptoes and kiss him.

“Enjoy the party,” the guard said, handing back the invitation before gesturing inside.