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“A girl died in Summit the other night. Hayden and I think it has to do with a drug called Haze. I’ve been trying to find out who is supplying it.”

I’m not stupid enough to mention Alex.

My mother’s eyes flicker. “You think it’s connected?”

“Rapid decomposition is one of the markers. It would be a strange coincidence if it wasn’t,” I say, “And—”

“There’s no such thing as coincidences,” she finishes, face pensive.

“Scarlet Ravens?” I ask. It’s always the first instinct to blame them despite the peace treaty, yet there is clearly something I’m missing. If it’s someone in the Scarlet Ravens, wouldn’t Trist know?

“I have my suspicions,” she says.

I swallow, the image of the dead girl in Summit flashing past my eyes again. “Why are you showing me this?”

“Because if it is what I’m suspecting, then I want you to stop a war before it happens. And I want you to be quiet about it.”

I frown. My mother has not asked me to do anything in years. “Why me? Why not someone else?”

“You want me to compliment you?” she asks, lifting an eyebrow.

I purse my lips, averting my gaze.

She smiles, and it’s almost warm. “Fine,” she says finally. “I think you’ve paid your penance after your little dalliance with that police officer and when I eventually decide to leave The Snake behind, I need to make sure I leave it with someone who won’t cause it to implode on itself. I’d be an idiot to not realise you’re my best option. Your brothers know it too. So, think of this as your test. If you don’t fail, then you get what you’ve always been working towards.”

The mention of Alex has me reeling again, that headache flaring. After last night, I haven’t been able to get him off my mind. The way he’d looked at me, like I was the one who had somehow fucked up, made me angrier than I’d like to admit. I was helping him, well using him, but the two things go hand in hand right now.

Why was he angry at me?

What have I done to him?

I shove those questions away, looking at my mother and shutting the file. “What if I’m too late?” I ask. “What if it’s not just the Scarlet Ravens wanting to spark a war?” Just as the word leaves my mouth, a maid appears at the threshold of the door.

“Dinner is ready,” she murmurs, her head bowed slightly.

“Thank you, Constance.” My mother stands, her gaze holding mine. “Handle this and you get what you want.”

“If I fail?”

“Don’t.” She moves past me to walk out of the office before turning again. “Oh, and Rowan?”

“Yeah?”

“Speak of this to no one. Understood?”

I open my mouth to ask why, but my mother’s gaze tells me I need to shut up. “Understood,” I say.

When I make it back downstairs, I spot Xander first, holding a tumbler of whisky in his hand. We could be twins, but when he turns to look at me, I am reminded of the slight difference between us. Xander’s eyes are completely void of anything. It doesn’t matter that he’s smiling at me because it never reaches his eyes, anyway.

Always empty.

Always calculating.

“Where have you been?” he says in greeting. “We’re starving.”

“Hello to you too, Xander. I’m doing great, thanks.”

Xander pouts. “Aw, did I hurt the baby’s feelings?”