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Isabel stepped toward her, and even the guards flinched "Did Rokan send you?"

The wouard inched closer, keeping the edge of the blade against her neck "I don’t think I’ll tell you"

"I think you will," Isabel said Nota fact

The wo his sword through the empty air where the woman’s neck had been Several noblewomen screamed Kaer sat perfectly still, and Isabel lifted her shoulders ever so slightly

"Not exactly unexpected," she said resignedly

He wondered if sheact "No Do you think she left the castle?"

"If the spell was powerful enough It probably was, but…" The Shifter took a step back and gestured at the guards "You saw her true face, and what she earing I want you to couards obeyed her without question, even though ittheir posts Kaer watched the the Challenge Hour," the Shifter said in a low voice "The guards will do whatever can be done"

"I know that" Souards’ behavior spilled into his voice "But chasing her isn’t really doing anything, is it? We have to get rid of the one who sent her Can I trust you to chase him?"

An expression flitted briefly across her fierce face--he would have called it hurt, if that wasn’t so ridiculous It was close enough to make a small, mean sense of satisfaction well up in his chest She had hurt his into her hand for hirateful--but it was too late The Shifter had already turned her back on hirace that had everyone in the roo away

Only then did Kaer turn to the other pair of green eyes that had been watching hi about her full lips

It felt like a challenge Kaer drew his knuckles across the arm of the throne and said softly, "You should be a little ht to my throne Did you knohat she was?"

"How could I possibly know if the Shifter did not?"

"The Shifter saved me You just stood there"

Clarisse lifted one shoulder "I am not bound by an ancient spell to protect your life with iven o ill for me should you die"

"You owe the Shifter a debt, then"

She blew a tendril of hair out of her face "Actually, Your Highness, I owe you a debt It’s always a pleasure to watch that arrogant creature ers down on the arms of his throne, so hard they hite "You think it was a mistake that she saved ht she had to save you"

Kaer jerked back without thinking, earning himself another bruise Her smile co ‘Lady Risan,’" she said "I guessed"

Kaer swore "Isabel didn’t"

"Oh, I would never claim to be more perceptive than the Shifter" The smirk disappeared, banished by a winsome head tilt "But she didn’t knohat to expect I knew you were going to arrange a test for her It’s the s to do It’s what I advised Rokan to do, back when he first suarded Clarisse narrowly, evaluating her through new eyes She fingered the necklace at her throat, watching hirew strained, "it wasn’t a very good test She saved Rokan, too, once upon a time Before she turned on him"

Kaer suppressed a flinch "She turned on him because she discovered the truth"

"And the truth is all that matters to the Shifter So they say" Clarisse hesitated a beat before continuing "I never doubted that she would discover the truth, eventually But I thought it ht not matter She didn’t act like the Shifter around my brother--not all the tiht he was the prince"

"About him," Clarisse said impatiently "I didn’t think she would actually allow him to die" She blew out a short breath "But it never hurts to be careful, which hy I advised "

Kaer al to me about how you helped the iood idea?"

"I’ you," Clarisse said, "that my brother had those escape spells ready for one reason Because even though he didn’t believe h that last sentence Kaer didn’t think it was faked This was her one chance, her last possible play for power A final attempt to make herself indispensable, or at least useful