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I barely had time to grab one of the daggers sheathed to my thigh as the driver barreled into my side.

We both fell to the ground and rolled for a few feet before he pinned me down, his blade at my throat and my body caged between his legs.

I swung my own dagger in an arc above my face, but he lifted both hands and easily blocked it, sending the knife flying from my grip.

“Stop fighting, and I’ll make this easy,” he hissed, bringing his blade back to my neck.

“How considerate of you,” I rasped. “Too bad I can’t promise the same.”

I took the second dagger I’d grabbed when he’d released his hold on me a second ago and drove it into his wrist. With a cry, he dropped his knife and clutched at his hand.

I used his distraction to shove his body off me and roll to the side, then stood and grabbed his shirt.

Slamming his back into the ground, I wedged my knee into his neck.

“Who sent you?” I shouted.

“It doesn’t matter,” he said between gasps. “Just kill me. If you don’t, they will.”

“Who is ‘they?’” Galen snarled as he approached from behind me.

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty,” the driver wheezed out. With one final burst of strength, he used his good hand to throw my leg off his throat, grab the discarded dagger, and tried to plunge it into my chest .

My blade found him first.

With a sickening squelch, it drove through his stomach. His eyes went wide as he looked down at the knife protruding from him. I yanked it out, and he staggered backward.

“Wait!” I cried out, but it was too late. His imbalance carried him over the broken railing and straight to the roaring river below. Galen and I scrambled to the edge, watching his body land with a splash.

My chest heaved as I tried to catch my breath. “What was that about”—I sucked in another lungful of air—“nobody laying a finger on us?”

Galen gave me a grim look. “I suppose we better start walking.”

Two of the other carriages in our caravan caught up to us quickly, and we were able to ride with them the rest of the way to Silenus Manor. Galen joined Thorne and his mother in theirs, while Mother and I rode with our lady’s maids and a couple of guards.

I tried to wipe away the driver’s blood from my hands, but some of it dried and crusted into my skin in a layer of red and brown.

I hated that I was used to this, that fighting strangers in the streets had become part of a daily routine in my time as the Sentinels’ leader.

I was desensitized to the constant threats and daggers at my throat.

I’d been in this kingdom for twenty-four hours, and someone had already tried to kill me. That had to be some kind of record.

Katrine, the younger maid, was practically hyperventilating with worry the rest of the way, but the red-headed Devora kept her calm, seeming to know I needed to collect myself.

She bandaged my injured arm deftly and quietly while Mother stuck close to my side.

The three of them let me mull over my thoughts as I stared out the window at the slowly approaching sunset.

I was back in my Sentinels days. Analyzing the attack from every position, scrolling through my interactions in the last twenty-four hours, trying to put together pieces that didn’t exist.

I didn’t even know these people. I had done nothing to warrant their hatred, except for simply existing. Were they so blinded by centuries of animosity toward Veridians, so opposed to me being here, that someone had resorted to murder?

I was sure Galen would be launching a full investigation, but with our main lead now at the bottom of the river, I doubted he’d find anything useful.

The strategic part of my brain began to overlap with nerves as Silenus Manor loomed large against the setting summer sun.

The light red brick house stood three stories tall, with lanterns lighting the windows and entryway like a beacon.

What looked like two separate wings had matching pointed roofs that reached into the darkening sky.

When we drew nearer and I could see nearly a dozen figures waiting along the path leading to the entrance door, my palms began to sweat.

I sighed. Sure, a fight to the death on a broken bridge didn’t bother me, but thinking about what other people thought of me was apparently too much.

I wasn’t even sure why I was anxious. That these people wouldn’t like me?

I snorted. Too late for that. It was trivial, considering how long I’d been scrutinized by people who feared and disapproved of me in equal measure.

It shouldn’t matter if people liked you as long as they could respect you.

And that was something I could earn—I’d done it before.

You just had to find what motivated them.

They’re certainly excited to meet their future queen.

Lord Sadim’s words trickled through my mind.

Ruling my own empire was still daunting, and being partially responsible for a land I didn’t know—even if it was in name only—felt like a heavier burden than I’d expected to bear.

I knew myself. I knew if I spent time with these strangers, if I saw how they lived, how they worked and dreamed and loved…

I would get attached. I would wa nt to do my best to care for them.

How could I do that when I had thousands upon thousands of Veridians to consider as well?

Or I could simply be nervous that someone was going to try and gut me in my sleep.

No matter what it was, something twisted in my stomach as our carriage came to a stop. The driver appeared in the doorway to help the maids and my mother down the steps.

I paused at the little door, heart pounding in my chest. Perhaps the events of the day were catching up to me. The sound of footsteps crunching across the white gravel was magnified, almost reminding me of white bones gleaming and crunching and?—

Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath, willing away the familiar sensation of panic. Phantom pain began to creep up my leg.

Please, not now , I begged whatever Fates were listening. I had to keep control for these first few moments. Get past the introductions, the niceties, a quick dinner, then?—

“Breathe, Empress,” a voice murmured at the door of the carriage.

I opened my eyes to find long brown hair, a full beard, and blue eyes staring back at me. Thorne leaned in through the opening, barely a foot away. His steady breaths fanned across the small space and instantly banished the chill that had set into my bones.

“Heard you had a rough day,” he said, his voice slipping over me like warm honey.

That brought a scoff to my lips. “You could say that.”

He glanced over his shoulder at the line of strangers waiting to meet me. “They’re just people, like you or me. Don’t let them scare you.”

“I’m not scared of them,” I whispered, letting the panic flow out of me on an exhale.

He gave a small smirk and held out his hand. “Good.”

My eyes flitted from his face down to his outstretched arm, something buzzing along my fingertips as I let him take my hand. His skin burned hot against mine, and as the evening breeze hit me at the same time, a flush crept over my body.

The tip of my foot caught on the last step.

My half-stumble caused our hands to press into his chest as his other hand came out to grip my arm.

I sucked in a gasp and pulled away as pain radiated from the knife wound the assassin had dealt.

Devora had bandaged it as best she could, but without my Shifter powers, I was left to heal the old-fashioned way.

“He hurt you,” Thorne said, a dip appearing in the space between his eyes. It wasn’t a question.

“I hurt him worse,” I replied.

His eyes searched mine for a moment before he took a step back, throat bobbing as he left me and made his way to the carriage behind us to help his mother and a young girl I didn’t recognize.

I went to stand next to Mother and tried to catch my breath.

I searched for Galen, only to see him in a whispered conversation with two of the men waiting to greet us.

All three of them bore expressions of frustration: clenched jaws, downturned lips, creased brows.

The two strangers saw me looking and schooled their features into ones of neutrality.

But not before I saw the narrowed eyes and brief sneers as they scanned both my mother and me.

Galen made his way to me, looking as tired as I felt. “Come, Clarissa—let’s meet the regent family.” He held out an arm for me to take, and I wrapped my hand around the smooth fabric of his tunic, squeezing my mother’s hand before she fell into place behind us.

With each step, I took a breath. I steeled myself and found the polished part of me that always lurked at the surface. My spine straightened and my shoulders loosened as we strode, my chin rising to meet the eyes of the Silenus family and staff.

What if they were the ones who ordered your death?

I shook away the paranoid thought. I couldn’t go into every interaction assuming they were all assassins. That was no way to build trust or an alliance. I had to be smart—win them over while still watching my own back. Vigilant, not cynical .

I was greeted with curt smiles and stiff bows, the guarded looks of people wary of an intruder in their home. I could understand that, and I didn’t fault them for it.

But I would prove I was worthy of more.

At the end of the row of men and women in servant uniforms stood a man in his seventies, with a significantly younger woman at his side.

She held the hand of a young boy, maybe four or five years old, whose golden eyes gazed at us in curiosity.

I gave him a small smile, which he returned shyly, full lips against dark skin curving up at me.

Galen released me. “Dion. It’s good to see you,” he said, tired but cheerful. He grasped the older man’s hand in his own.

So this was Lord Dion Silenus. He was about the same height as his wife, his back slightly more hunched in his age, with gray hair adorning the sides of his pale head.

I stood back as Galen shook hands with both Dion and his wife, Vespera, even getting on his knees to look their son in the eye.

Air brushed against my back and a sickly-sweet floral perfume hit my senses.

Azura and Thorne came to stand beside me.

Thorne turned to speak with one of the guards along the path, leaving his mother and me in an awkward space of quiet.

Azura Reaux’s clipped tone sounded low in my ear. “I’m so glad you and your mother weren’t injured in the accident, dear. What an awful thing,” she said, clicking her tongue. I looked over to see her frowning in concern. “Is there anything you need? It must have been so frightening.”

“No, we’re fine,” I said. “Just thankful we all made it out safely.”

“Yes, of course. We are as well.” She put a hand on my shoulder. “But a word of advice, if I may.”

I tilted my head, my eyes flicking over her carefully fixed features.

“I fear carriages are not the only place you need to watch where you tread. Be careful in this kingdom, young Empress. Not everyone here can be won over as easily as our king. ”

I remained motionless as she smiled and patted my cheek. She turned to Thorne and jumped seamlessly into his conversation as if nothing had happened.

Well. That sounded like a challenge.

Perhaps I wasn’t the only fox lying in wait.