“I heard that Aren’s so terrible even you can beat him,” Em said with a grin.
“Hey! Maybe she’s just really good,” Aren protested.
Em picked up Aren’s discarded sword. “She’s not bad, from what I remember.” Her eyes darted to Iria’s feet. “Should I take it a bit easy on you at first?”
Iria sighed. “Yes, unfortunately.”
She thought Em might make fun of her, but she just nodded. “Is he staying?” she asked, gesturing to Aren.
Iria glanced at him, and he shook his head before she had to ask. “No, I’m going. I’ll come get you later for dinner?” He said it as a question, and she smiled and nodded.
He left, closing the door behind him, and Iria turned to Em. She had an amused expression on her face.
“What?” Iria asked.
“He’s so awkward around you,” Em said, swinging her sword in a circle to warm up her arm. “It’s cute. Aren’s rarely awkward with anyone.”
Iria felt herself blush, and she didn’t step forward when Em did. Em lowered her sword, looking at her expectantly.
“I was wondering about something,” Iria said. “About me and Aren. Ruined only date and marry each other, until you, but you’re . . .” She trailed off, wondering if it was rude to say the word.
“Useless,” Em finished.
“Right. But Aren’s not. He’s the most powerful of all of you. I imagine he’ll be one of the Ruined representatives?”
Em nodded.
“Will it be a problem, if we . . . if we’re together?” Iria asked slowly. “Will they be angry? Will it cause problems for him?”
“No,” Em said immediately. “My mother thought that the Ruined should only marry each other, like all the Ruined before her, and all it did was weaken our power and reduce our numbers. I think it’s actually preferable that Aren’s chosen you. And I know I’m not the only one who will feel that way.”
Iria couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face. She ducked her head, trying to hide it.
“He did choose you, you know,” Em said. “I know you were angry when he said he’d leave you in Lera alone, but he came for you as soon as he could.”
“I know,” Iria said. She wasn’t angry with Aren about that anymore, she realized. She didn’t think she’d been angry since she’d heard his voice in the Olso prison. Maybe before that, even. She couldn’t blame him for wanting to help his people, or for not wanting to abandon Em.
“Do you remember when we used to come in here and spar on the days when you were particularly full of rage?” Iria asked.
“That was almost every day.”
“It was.”
“And I beat you almost every day.”
Iria lifted her sword and stepped forward. “Want to try to do it again?”
Em grinned. “Gladly.”
FORTY-THREE
AFTER HER SPARRING session with Iria, Em changed her clothes and emerged from the royal suite to see Mateo standing outside the door, as usual. He wasn’t as formal as Cas’s guards, instead leaning against the wall and smiling at her when she stepped into the hallway.
“Do I need to take guards with me if I leave the castle grounds?” she asked him.
“I would recommend it. Take me with you, at the least,” Mateo said. “Where do you want to go?”
“I told Mariana we could take a walk to see Royal City. She’s never been.” Em patted her pocket, where she had a few Lera coins that Cas had given her. “Maybe buy some cheese bread.”
“If it’s just the two of you, I’d recommend you take me along. I’ll hang back; you’ll barely notice I’m there.”
“That seems a bit weird, don’t you think?” Em asked with a laugh. “I think I’d prefer you just walk with us.”
“I can do that, too.” Mateo smiled.
“Good.” She turned and began walking, Mateo falling into step beside her.
“May I ask you a question?” he asked, a hint of nervousness in his voice.
“Sure.”
“Did you have guards in the Ruina castle? Did anyone guard the royal family?”
Em shook her head. “No. It was unnecessary. Most of the time there was no one but the Ruined in Ruina. And there was no danger when an Olso warrior came to visit, because only a few visited at a time. My mother made sure of that.” She started down the stairs. “Besides, my parents trusted no one. My mother especially never would have trusted my and Olivia’s safety to anyone but herself.” She’d failed, of course, and Em wondered if guards would have made a difference when Lera attacked them. In the end, her mother relied only on herself, so there was no one to protect her when King Salomir came for her.
Of course, Em had failed as well. She was no longer able to protect Olivia, and Olivia certainly had no interest in protecting Em.
“Do you mind me asking questions about Ruina and your family?” Mateo asked quietly. “I understand if it’s too painful.”
It was painful, but she smiled at him anyway. “No, I don’t mind. I would prefer you ask, honestly. There are a lot of misconceptions about us.”
“That’s true. Someone asked Cas if you all had horns a few weeks ago.”
“Horns?”
“Maybe I shouldn’t have told you that.”
Em laughed as she pushed open the door to the guards’ quarters. Mariana was sprawled out on a couch in the guards’ common room, and she waved when they walked in. Two female guards sat in the chairs across from her.
“Did you hear someone thought we had horns?” Em asked.
“Yeah, one of the guards told me.” She patted her head. “I’d look cute with horns, I think.”
“You would,” one of the guards confirmed. Mariana smiled at her.
“Do you want to go for that walk?” Em asked. “Mateo’s coming with us.”
Mariana hopped to her feet. “I’m ready.” She followed Em and Mateo out of the castle and into the late-afternoon sunlight. They walked east down the dirt path, in the direction Em had gone once with Galo and Cas, the first time she’d seen Royal City.
“Have they given you a decision about your marriage to Cas yet?” Mariana asked as they walked.
“Not yet. It was just yesterday that I, uh . . .”
“Politely pointed out that a marriage alliance with you is actually a very smart choice?” Mateo guessed.
She laughed. “Is that how Galo described it?”
“He said something like that.” Mateo gave her an amused look. “Did you have to convince the other Ruined as well?”
“No, we were fine with it,” Mariana said. “As long as she rules equally with Cas.”
“We should get some Ruined together tomorrow and do this again,” Em said, looking up at the cloudless sky. “They should see the city they’ll be living in.”
“I can have a few more guards accompany them tomorrow, if you want to bring all of them,” Mateo said.
“All the Ruined at once,” Mariana said. “That won’t terrify people.”
“Maybe half,” Em said with a laugh. “We’ll ease them in.”
They were nearing the city, and Em noticed Mariana’s shoulders stiffen as they passed a group of women engrossed in conversation. They didn’t even glance at the Ruined marks visible on Mariana’s arms.
“Or they won’t notice us at all,” Mariana said happily.
They rounded a corner, the buildings of Royal City now in front of them. Em could hear the bustle of the city as they approached—horse hooves on the road, carts creaking, the sound of people shouting orders to each other. But another sound cut through it all, loud and sharp.
A scream.
Em came to a sudden stop. Mateo drew his sword. Mariana surveyed Em.
“You didn’t bring a sword,” she said.
“There’s a dagger in my boot. I thought a sword might make it appear like I was looking for a fight.”
“We may have found one, whether you were looking for it or not,” Mariana said as another yell rip
ped through the air, followed by a crash.
“Let’s go see,” Em said, breaking into a jog. The logical part of her brain knew it probably wasn’t Olivia—there was no fire, and certainly not enough screaming—but her heart pounded anyway.
She ran in the direction of the scream, Mateo picking up his pace to run slightly in front of her. They skidded to a stop as they turned onto Main Street. A fruit cart was overturned, and an elderly woman sat on the ground with a hand pressed to her bloody head. A few people were running down the street, following a person Em couldn’t quite make out.
“That can’t be Olivia,” Mariana said. She’d obviously been thinking the same thing. “She wouldn’t run. Not away from violence, anyway.”
A young man rushed to the side of the elderly woman, and Em grabbed the cart and righted it. Mateo helped her.
“Who was that?” she asked.
“The king’s cousin,” the young man said, bending down to examine the woman’s wound.
“What? Jovita?” Em whirled around, but the end of the street was empty. She turned back to the woman, who was trying to wipe blood from her eyes.
“Do you have a clean rag?” Em asked the man.
He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to her. Em grabbed a jug of water from beside the cart and held it up. “Is this yours?” The woman nodded. Em poured some water on it, then knelt down next to the woman, who hesitantly moved her hand from the wound. It was deep, but the bleeding had slowed. Em wiped the blood from her face, then folded the fabric and pressed it to her forehead. The woman winced.
“Just keep pressure on it so it doesn’t start bleeding too bad,” she said. “And don’t try to get up. You might feel woozy if you stand.”
The woman nodded, blinking at Em like she’d just realized who she was. The man was staring at Mariana’s arms. Em stood, putting her hands on her hips.
“Do you think Jovita went to the castle?” Em asked.
“Maybe, but she’ll never get in. We have it totally locked down,” Mateo said.
“True,” Em murmured. She looked at the woman. “Was she alone? Why did she hit you?”
“I didn’t see anyone else. She was trying to grab some fruit, and I didn’t recognize her at first. I thought she was a thief. She started screaming when I tried to stop her.”
“Let’s go see,” Em said.
“How about you wait here, and I can go check?” Mateo said.
“Or I can go with you to check,” Em countered.
“You don’t even have a sword because you want people to think you’re nice,” Mariana said.
“I do not want people to think I’m nice,” Em said. “I was trying for less scary, but there’s no need to get carried away with nice.”
“I’m not scared of you,” the elderly woman said with a hint of a smile.
“Thank you. See? It’s working.” She started walking backward. “I’m going after her.”
Mateo looked like he wanted to protest further, but Em turned and started to jog away. She heard his and Mariana’s footsteps behind her a moment later.
She turned a corner to see a small crowd in the street, all of their faces turned upward. Jovita stood on the roof of a three-story building, her body turned to face the castle. “I see you!” she yelled to the castle.
“Jovita!” Em called.
She turned around, losing her balance and almost falling off the roof. She crouched down for a moment to steady herself. She squinted at Em.
“You!” she yelled.
“What’s she doing up there?” Mariana asked.
“I don’t know.”
“That’s . . .” Jovita pointed a shaky finger at Em. “Do you people know who that is?”
A few faces turned to Em.
“Emelina Flores!” Jovita yelled, for those who hadn’t figured it out. “She’s just standing there with you!”
“They know who I am,” Em said. “I’ve been living in the castle for a while now.”
“Oh!” Jovita slapped her hands on her thighs. “I’m sorry. You live here now.”
“What’s wrong with her?” Mateo asked quietly.
“Someone has been in her mind,” Mariana said. “Olivia must have tortured her.”
Em took a quick glance around. Chances were good that Olivia and her Ruined were still lurking somewhere nearby.
“Is Ester powerful enough to do this?” Em asked, gesturing at Jovita.
“Yes.”
Em turned back to Jovita with a flicker of sympathy. “Why don’t you come down?”
Jovita pulled her sword from her belt. “Yes. I will come down. If you agree to a duel.”
“Sure.”
Jovita looked confused by this response. “To the death.”
“No problem.”
Jovita thought about it for a moment, then nodded. “Good.” She walked to the edge of the roof, and tried to climb down with her sword still in hand. It took her several tries to realize she was going to have to sheathe it again if she wanted to get down.
“And you still don’t have a sword,” Mariana muttered.
“Look at her. I don’t need one.”
A woman edged away from the group of humans watching them. “You’re not really going to kill her, are you?” she whispered to Em.
“No,” she said. She pointed to the end of the street, where she could see a few of the Royal City Watch riding in their direction. “In fact, if you could go meet them and tell them what’s going on so they don’t take me away too, that would be great.”
The woman scurried away, appearing relieved.
Jovita finally made it to the ground, and she pulled her sword out again, poised to fight.
“Do you want me to . . .” Mariana jerked a thumb at Jovita.
“Would you, please?”
Mariana focused her gaze on Jovita. Her eyes clouded over and she fell straight backward, hitting the ground with a thud.
Em walked to Jovita, scooping the girl’s sword up from where it had fallen from her fingers.
“No fair,” Jovita mumbled, her gaze fixed on the sky. “No fair.”
Em knelt down next to her. “Was it Olivia who did this to you? Olivia and Ester?”
“You did this to us,” Jovita said.
“But you were with Olivia recently?”
Jovita turned her head to meet Em’s eyes. “Yes. We made a deal.”
Em’s brow creased, but she was momentarily distracted by one of the watchmen dismounting his horse and walking their way. She quickly held out Jovita’s sword to Mateo, blade pointed toward her, so the watchman would know she wasn’t a threat.
“This is a Gallegos family sword,” Em said. “It should go to Cas.”
Mateo took it. “Of course.” He walked to the watchmen and said something to them.
“We should take her to the castle,” Em said. “Cas will want to deal with her himself.”
“We can help transport her,” one of the watchmen said.
Em nodded, turning back to Jovita. “What kind of deal?” she asked quietly.
“She’s going to kill him,” Jovita said with a hint of pride. “And you.”
“How?”
Jovita giggled. “I know secrets. I know passageways.”
Terror zipped up Em’s spine. There was a secret passageway out of the castle—it was how Jovita and the queen had escaped when Olso attacked. But Em had never been told about the passageway during her time as Mary, and she hadn’t asked Cas about it since. She had no idea where it was.
She looked at Mateo to see a matching horrified expression on his face.
Olivia could be in the castle right now.
“Get her on a horse,” she said, pointing to Jovita. “We need to get back to the castle.”
FORTY-FOUR
AFTER SHE’D FINISHED sparring, Aren steered Iria in the direction of the kitchen, refusing to let her go back to her room until she’d eaten dinner with him. He grabbed some bread and cheese from the staff kit
chen, and then headed into the gardens. He sat down at a table near the middle of the garden.
“This is where I’d always go to avoid Lerans,” he said as he broke off a piece of bread and handed it to her. “I thought you’d appreciate it.”
She laughed softly. “Thanks, Aren.”
“They’re not so bad, though. The Lerans. I’ve made friends with a few.”
“I noticed. I’m not opposed to making a few friends.” She smiled at him. “Though I don’t mind being alone with you either.”
He’d been tearing off a piece of bread when she said that, and he dropped it, feeling heat rush to his face. Her cheeks had turned pink.
“I wanted to let you know that I understand,” she said. “When you said you had to leave me here to stay with Em. She wasn’t ready to declare all-out war on Olivia. They needed you.”
“You needed me,” Aren said.
“Not so much, at that moment. You came through when I really needed you. And I didn’t think you would, honestly.”
His eyebrows shot up. “You didn’t think I would rescue you from the prison? I told you I would.”
“Sure, but no one would have blamed you for breaking that promise. You had to cross into Olso and figure out a way to get into our highest-security prison.” She lifted one shoulder. “I’m really grateful, is what I’m saying.”
“I would do it again,” he said softly.
A smile twitched at her lips. The bruises on her face had healed, the color back in her cheeks, and he found it difficult to look anywhere else. He wanted to lean across the table and brush her hair away from her face and kiss her.
He’d never been so hesitant to kiss a girl before. This used to be easy for him. He’d had plenty of girlfriends in the past, and he’d rarely felt the kind of nerves he was experiencing at the moment. Past Aren would have kissed her several seconds ago. Several weeks ago, actually.
He felt a familiar tug, and he almost ignored it, too wrapped up in Iria to care. It came again, more insistent.
He took in a sharp breath and shot to his feet. He could feel the frenzied excitement of hundreds of humans, their energy different than the constant flow from around Royal City.
“What?” Iria asked, alarmed.
“I feel someone coming. Lots of someones. Enough to be an army.”