***
Meanwhile, in a safe house in the outlands...
"Petra!"
Key was sleeping peacefully for the first time since the attack. The pain meds seemed to be helping. Eloise had given him a lot of them. He was badly beaten up, but Eloise had patched him up right enough. He would make it. Petra lifted her hand from his brow and looked up at Lux. She rose to meet her with a frown.
"Key just got to sleep. What the hell are you shouting for?"
Lux grabbed her arm and pulled her away from Key's sick bed. "We have a hit."
"A hit?"
"We found him. One of my people spotted Dante in the outlands. It sounds like he was heading here."
Petra blinked. Then her face lit up. "Here? He's okay? Is he alone?" Then her face fell. “Or is he...is he with...”
"No. He hasn't brought his dad's people. He's alone. He's okay for now, but he's in the outlands and he's unarmed."
"We have to go find him."
Lux hesitated.
"What?"
"Petra, he might...well, he might be coming back here for a different reason. He might be leading someone here."
"You said he was alone."
"Yes, he's alone. But that doesn't mean he doesn't just appear to be alone. He could just be bait for the Marshals. We have to be careful."
"He wouldn't do that."
"Petra, he's Prince Dante. He isn't Grey. He remembers who he is now. Whether he remembers everything, he at least knows who he is. We don't know the way he's going to react to what you did. We don't know how much of either person he is right now. He could be all Dante and no Grey. You know what he's capable of."
"It doesn't matter, Lux. We have to warn him about Saer and his father. He is in danger. He should know."
"If Raff was right, he's as safe as he can be right now, as long as he's not with his father."
"Safe? He's out there in the outlands by himself. He's in enemy territory. If he's spotted by someone else, his father and Saer will be the least of his worries!"
Lux stared at her a moment. She sighed. "You do care about him, don't you?" When Petra looked away, she shook her head. "That's stupid, Petra. You know who he is."
"It doesn't matter. It doesn't change anything."
Lux shook her head sadly. "All right. I'll help you."
Petra smiled. "Where is he?"
"Come on. He's not too far."
Key was wide awake when Petra and Lux passed him. He caught Petra's arm. He didn't look at all as though he'd just downed three pain meds. He looked sharp and suspicious. He frowned. His lips were swollen and bruised, but he could still talk. "Where are you going?"
Petra glanced at Lux. "Grey is wandering the outlands."
"So?" Key frowned. "I thought you let him go."
"We did, but he's still in danger. The guy who was leading the hunters is an assassin. He was the one who attacked Grey the night I found him. And he works for the King."
"You think Scarlet really is trying to kill his own son?"
"Yes. He could be anyway. We can't take that risk. He needs to know it isn't safe for him to go home until we know for sure."
"We have spies watching him," Lux put in. "He's still in the outlands—and he's still alive—so he probably hasn't found his way out yet. He'll probably head there as soon as day breaks or he finds a way to get a hold of his father's people.”
"We have to warn him before Saer gets to him and it's too late."
Key sighed. "Petra..."
"We have to help him, Key. He's a victim in this, too."
"Maybe if we actually help him this time, he'll help us," Lux added.
Petra lowered her head. "I'm sorry about what happened, Key."
He waved a hand. "I'll make it and so will everyone else. Look, Petra, if you think this will save us and Grey, you have to at least try. At least warn him. Even if he doesn't forgive us, it's the right thing to do. You can't just sit back and let him die if you have the chance to stop it."
Petra smiled. She leaned down to kiss him on the forehead. He winced a little. "Sorry. But for the first time in a long time, Key, I agree with you. I think it's time I do the right thing for once."
Lux's phone chirped. She frowned down at it. "He's on the move, Petra. He's entering rebel territory. We have to go. If we don't get him now, we'll lose him to the Uprising. You know what they'll do to him."
Petra didn't need to hear more. She spun toward the door. "Bye, Key!"
He grunted in reply, but she wasn't listening anymore.
The streets were eerily quiet. Word of the attack on the compound must had spread to the outlanders. They were keeping their heads down in case any of the hunters got it in their heads to sweep the area for rogue bounties. Petra didn't mind; they didn't have time to tangle with outlaws tonight. Lux checked her phone and grabbed Petra's arm. "Come on. He's this way."
"Is he moving?"
"Not anymore. He went inside an old house. I think he might be camping out for the night."
"That's not very safe."
"Well, from the sound of it, being the prince isn't that safe right now regardless of where you are."
They hurried through the crumbling, deserted streets. Petra's heart pounded. She was thankful there were no gangs or vandals wandering around, raising hell or waiting to accost innocent, unsuspecting children. She didn't know have any idea they were going, and Lux didn't bother to tell her. She led Petra swiftly through the alleys and main streets with the ease of someone who spent a lot of time in the outlands. Petra felt safe with Lux.
She was still anxious. She hadn't been so anxious since she'd lost Ren.
Lux shot out an arm to push Petra back against the wall of a dark alley. Despite the loaded, charged atmosphere in the air all around them, a group of rebels suddenly tore through the street beyond, whooping and hollering. It sounded as though they were celebrating. Petra didn't like the sound of it. Her pulse leapt.
She peered out around the corner to catch a glimpse of what was happening. Lux slammed her back against the wall. "What the hell are you doing?" she hissed.
"Is he with them? Let me see."
Lux scowled. "No. Stay back. They aren't after us, but we still don't want to be seen. You never know what they will do."
"What are they so happy about? Lux!"
Lux cursed. She ducked out toward the street to peer cautiously around the corner. "They don't have him. At least I don't think they do. I don't see him."
"Are you sure?"
"No. I'm sorry. I can't tell. There are too many of them. But our guy said he's inside the house." Her cell phone chirped. She glanced down at it and cursed again. "Yeah. Forget what I just said. We lost him."
"What? I thought you said he'd stopped moving. He was supposed to be in the house. I thought he was camping for the night."
"Apparently not. He must have gone. My guy says he isn't inside anymore."
"Where did he go?"
"I don't know, Petra!"
"How did he lose him?"
"He must have gone out a different way and my guy didn't catch him. I'm sorry, Petra. He's gone."
"We have to follow those rebels and see if they've got hold him. They might have found him in the house and taken him out."
"Petra, you know we can't. If the rebels do have them, they won't kill him. He might be safe enough for now. Probably safer than at home."
Petra scowled. "How can you be sure about that?"
"That's not what the Uprising does. They aren't killers or vigilantes. They're just trying to do something to change the way things are here in Razor City. They probably intend to do exactly what we planned to do with him."
"And failed."
Lux shrugged. "Maybe they will do a better job."
"That isn't making me feel any better! I want to go after them."
"No, Petra." She looked back down at her phone. Her fingers flew over the keys as she typed a message so quickly, Petra was amazed she'd had time to say
anything.
"Lux!"
"Just hold on." She held up her hand. After several seconds, her phone chirped. She looked back up at Petra and caught her arm to drag her through the alley.
Petra bared her teeth in irritation, but she didn't resist. "Where are we going? The rebels went that way."
"Just shut up and come with me."
Petra didn't argue. Lux led her through the winding alleys to a door with a buzzing neon sign overhead. The sign still illuminated the name in jagged, flickering letter: Cutthroat Tavern. Petra didn't like the sound of that. Bars in the outlands were risky. She didn't protest when Lux pulled her inside, though. Lux wasn't the sort to give up. Whatever the reason she was bringing Petra to the sinister place, it had to do with getting Grey back.
"What are we doing here?"
Lux rolled her eyes. "Just be patient. We're meeting someone."
Petra glanced around at the patrons. They hunched over their drinks when the door opened, as though they didn't want their faces to be seen. Petra didn't care about any of them. She followed Lux toward the back of the room. There was a young man sitting in a corner booth. He looked like a typical outlander. His clothes were tattered and torn, and his beard was thick and scruffy. He was wearing a wide-brimmed hat that concealed his eyes.
He tilted his head back to look at Lux as they walked toward him. He nodded and hunched back over his beer. When she slid into the seat across from him, he tipped his hat up to meet her gaze. "I'm sorry, Lux. I didn't mean to lose him."
"You were watching Grey?" Petra demanded, leaning forward.
The young man looked at her strangely. "I was watching Prince Dante."
"Right. What was he doing? What happened to him?"
"I don't know. I caught sight of him on the edge of the city. He seemed to be avoiding the King's Marshals."
"Yeah, because they're trying to kill him. I'm just glad he listened to something we said."
"What? They are?"
Lux waved her hand dismissively. "And?" she demanded.
"I wasn't sure where he was trying to go, but he seemed to be moving in your direction. He was looking for something, anyway. I think he got lost so he went into the house to wait out the night."
"Sounds about right."
"But he left the house?"
"He didn't come out for a few minutes, so I went in to make sure he was okay, like you asked. He was gone."
"Did the rebels take him?" Petra demanded.
The spy shook his head. "I don't know. I don't think so. I didn't see the rebels. They usually make themselves known."
"But they could have been in the house when he went in. Did you see them leave?"
"I didn't see anyone leave. I'm sorry. I walked around the immediate streets, but I couldn't catch up to him again."
Petra scowled. Lux nodded and rose. "Thanks, Bano. Let me know if you see him again." She passed him something across the table. Petra didn't see what it was. She probably didn't want to know.
Lux didn't move toward the door. She paused near the bar. Petra scowled. "What are you doing?"
"Petra, you need a drink. I need a drink."
"We have to find Grey!"
Lux squeezed her arm. She frowned. "You need to stop acting like a schoolgirl with a crush. You have to start thinking like an adult. This is not a game, Petra. If he was taken by the rebels, we can't just crash in there and get him. If he wasn't, he isn't far. Another of my spies will pick him up."
Petra sighed. She dropped her head in her hands. Lux waved over the bartender. He poured two shot glasses of amber liquid. Lux pushed one toward Petra and held hers up.
"Drink it."
Petra did. It burned down her throat. She winced and pushed away the empty glass.
"Petra, if you were thinking straight, you would have realized by now that, if the rebels have Dante, Beth will find out for us."
Petra's stomach flipped. Her face broke into a grin. "Lux!"
"Get it together, girl."
Petra leapt toward the door. "I will once we've found him. Come on!"
Lux rolled her eyes. She slapped a bill down on the counter and followed Petra back out into the uncannily noiseless streets.