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“He’s my cousin,” Ryn rasped, and Xerxes went silent.

Cousin. Ryn had a cousin?

Xerxes didn’t know why it surprised him that Ryn had family in Per-Siana. Perhaps he’d assumed that because her father was evil and her house had been empty, the rest of her family weren’t in her life.

“How did you know to stop that assassin? How did you know what he was here to do in the first place?” Xerxes asked the fellow again.

“I overheard their plan.” The young man climbed to his feet, gently pulling Ryn up with him. She leaned against his arm as though she’d fall over if she didn’t. She finally—finallypulled her empty gaze up to Xerxes. It sent a chill down his spine.

“I speak the B’rei Mira tongue,” the fellow added.

Xerxes nodded. “You said ‘their’plan,” he pointed out. “That means there are more assassins here.”

“Yes.”

“Can you identify them?” Xerxes asked.

The fellow nodded. So, Xerxes nodded, too.

“Good. Come with me then. And Ryn…” Xerxes swallowed. He was having a hard time not reaching for her. She stood close to him, but she felt very far away. “I’m sorry.”

It wasn’t enough. It was a fool’s response to what had happened. Xerxes had never valued human life enough—it was the worst side effect of his constant torment. But in this moment, he wished he cared for others the way she did.

A young, panic-stricken artist jogged through the Hall of Stars on loud-heeled shoes. He caught Ryn dramatically when he reached her. “Estheryn,” he said. “Come to your rooms. I’ll take care of you.”

The fellow let Ryn go to the artist, but he followed her across the room with his gaze until she disappeared through the arch.

When it was just the two of them, the gaze of Ryn’s cousin cut back to Xerxes. There was a strange glow there. Xerxes had the strangest feeling the fellow was thinking of doing something rash right there in the Hall of Stars. Like attacking a monster.

“Let’s be honest with each other now,” Xerxes said. “You never set foot in this palace out of concern for me.”

“No,” the young man agreed. “I didn’t.”

Xerxes nodded slowly. “At least you’re honest,” he muttered as he turned for the arch that would take him to the Strategy Hall. “Follow me,” he said. He heard the fellow’s footsteps over the tiled floors a second later. When he got to the Strategy Hall, he made one loud announcement as he came in:

“I give this man full authority over the Folke,” he said. The fellow behind him choked through an inhale. “Provide him with whatever he asks for until we find every one of the B’rei Mira spies in the palace and in the city. Anyone who disobeys or undermines his orders will answer to me.”

The Folke stood a little straighter. One of the commanders bowed slightly and asked, “Of course, Your Majesty. What is this leader’s name?”

Xerxes opened his mouth. It hung open there. He glanced over at the fellow when he realized he hadn’t a clue.

Ryn’s cousin seemed to have lost his tongue. But he cleared his throat after a moment and said in a strange, quiet voice, “Kai Electus.”

“I trust Head Commander Electus with my life,” Xerxes stated, and the fellow’s head snapped toward Xerxes. Xerxes met his gaze. “We’ll begin our hunt at dawn.”

No, Xerxes did not expect this Kai Electus fellow to care about him one bit. But as long as Ryn was here, her cousin would fight for her. That was obvious.

And maybe Xerxes was tired of fighting for Ryn alone.

He turned back to the Folke. “One last thing,” he said. “If I discover any of you are taking bribes from the Intelligentsia… You’ll be cast into prison for the rest of your life. Do you understand?”

The number of faces that went stricken was telling.

The following week was chillier than normal. Xerxes wore a wool sweater and sipped hot tea as he leaned against the archway to the Abandoned Temple. He watched Ryn in silence. Her eyes were closed. She hadn’t moved a muscle in nearly an hour from where she sat cross-legged in the water. Xerxes knew he had to leave soon, that he couldn’t just stand here and watch her forever.

Seven days had passed since the senses trial. Xerxes hadn’t been able to sleep much.

He had, however, been able to leave the spy hunting to Kai Electus—which was more of a surprise to Xerxes than anything.The bow wielder had proven to be better at tracking down and cornering Xerxes’s enemies than Xerxes was himself.