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“Because of that we were approached by this movement. We didn’t know what to make of it at first—fae and humans working together?—”

“The humans are involved too?” I interrupt, feeling a surge of pride.

“Yes. The Low Fae have promised them liberty in return for their help. They have proven invaluable assets too, given their ability to lie. Our kind are so used to thinking ourselves superior that we forget there are skills humans have that we lack. I suspect the High Fae of the court too often take their servants’ words at face value.”

“We have given our support to the resistance, and we bear their petition to you. It is our belief that Your Majesty is the leader we need,” says General Sunshard.

“Our daughter swore fealty to you, my Lord, and we now happily do the same, in the name of saving the Seelie Kingdom,” her husband says. In unison, the pair kneel and bow their heads.

Ruskin’s face shows a mix of emotions, but he settles on a gracious smile.

“Thank you. I accept your pledge. May I prove myself worthy of it.”

Jorna makes another curtsey herself, blocking out the Sunshards, and dropping so low she wobbles awkwardly.

“And I would also like to make myself useful however I can,” she says.

“I have one question,” I say. While I do feel more sympathy towards her now than I did before, I’m still not quite over my annoyance when it comes to Jorna and the mess she’s made. “When you had this vision about Evanthe destroying the kingdom, why didn’t you tell the rest of the court about it? We’ve already seen that they listen to you. You could’ve cut Evanthe’s support off at the knees right then.”

Jorna drops her gaze. “I…well you see…Queen Evanthe is very powerful and…”

“And you didn’t want to put yourself in any danger,” I say bluntly. Jorna colors but doesn’t deny it, and I’m satisfied, having made it clear how self-serving she is. She might sincerely want to help…but only if she can do it without risking herself. “That said, you have confirmed our worst fears about Evanthe’s plan,” I say, turning to Ruskin. “And while we’ve been turning over and over the problem of how to stop her, I think General and Lord Sunshard have just brought us our solution.”

The Sunshards stand, their height making them an imposing pair. With them by our side, it’s like Halima is with us again, and it makes me feel bold. Ruskin seems to feel it too, because he nods, understanding the direction of my thoughts.

“We need to get that iron out of my mother’s heart,” he says. “And we might not need an army to do it.”

Chapter 25

Ipull the clothes out of my pack, throwing them across the bed and staring at them. Making a decision, I tug a pair of riding breeches out of the pile and shove them back inside.

“What does one pack for a covert mission to overthrow a queen anyway?” I grumble.

“I think it’s safe to say you can go easy on the eveningwear,” Ruskin says from where he’s seated on the chaise. He has his sword laid across his lap, and he’s sharpening it with a stone. “But don’t tell Destan I said that.”

“Don’t tell Destan what?” our friend asks as he strides in, his own pack positively bulging.

“Nothing,” I say airily, and Ruskin throws me a grateful look.

“General and Lord Sunshard are by the outer gate by the way. They’ve been ready to go for at least an hour,” Destan says, neatly perching at the end of the chaise beside Ruskin.

I huff a stressed sigh and grab a few more items off the bed. “I’m nearly done.”

We’re leaving for the Seelie Kingdom today, armed with a theory about Evanthe’s weakness that just might solve everything. We’d agreed that even if Lisinder—who we’ve already said our goodbyes to—was now willing to stand by our side against Evanthe, getting to her would be the problem. If we went marching into the Seelie Kingdom with an army behind us, we’d be met with the fiercest of defenses, which would result in an inevitable pile of bodies on either side. And the High Fae who needed to be stopped, the ones who had positioned themselves closest to Evanthe, likely wouldn’t bother to join the fight themselves unless their queen commanded it. No, they’d use the Lower Fae as cannon fodder—sending to their deaths the ones who had done the least to deserve it. On the other hand, if we go in secret, and catch her by surprise? Then we might be in with a chance.

That is, I might be in with a chance. Because it’s riding on me to extract that shard of iron from her heart.

“Okay, I’m ready,” I say, tying the pack shut and fastening my sword to my waist. But it’s a lie, of course. Now, facing the idea of leaving the Unseelie Kingdom, I’m coming to realize how comfortable I’ve started to feel here. There’s been a relative safety while we’ve sheltered behind its walls, under Lisinder’s protection, and now we’re throwing all that off to head into the lion’s den.

When we approach the gates of the Unseelie Court, another reason I’m reluctant to leave this place is standing there waiting for us. Elias, Jasand, Wistal, and Vaccia stand a few yards away from the Sunshards, the two groups eyeing each other with uneasy interest. Elias, particularly, seems to be squinting intensely at Halima’s mother.

“Thanks for the farewell party,” I say as we walk up to them, wanting to dispel whatever strange tension is in the air.

“We wanted to remind you to give them—what is the word you humans use?—oh yes, hell,” says Vaccia.

“Yep, don’t come back until that witch is well and truly iron-free,” Jasand says enthusiastically, and then grimaces as he seems to remember Ruskin is there. “Sorry, Your Highness.”

“Apology accepted,” Ruskin says, and from the gleam in his eyes I think he’s enjoying how his tone makes Jasand squirm.