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The words force theh they come out as barely more than a whisper "I love you"

And then the door sla h the village, down the road to the market square We pass by Kilorn’s run-down house Usually he’s awake by now, halfway to the river to start the day early when it’s still cool, but those days are gone Now I i what little coood-bye to hi around for h I re me today, with a fortune in pay black transport waits for us Four wheels, glass s, rounded to the ground--it looks like a beast ready to consuine e approach, spitting black s air I’m forced into the back without a word and the servant barely slides in next todown the road at speeds I had never even i in one

I want to speak, to ask what’s going on, how they’re going to punish me for my crimes, but I knoords will fall on deaf ears So I stare out the atching the village disappear as we enter the forest, racing down the familiar northern road It’s not so crowded as yesterday, and Security officers dot the way The Hall is controlled, the servant had said I suppose this is what shethe sun as it rises from the woods I want to squint, but I keep ate craith black unifor travelers as they enter When we coast to a stop, the serving woate No one protests, or even bothers to check for IDs She lances back at o by last names Call me Walsh"

Walsh The name sounds familiar Paired with her faded hair and tanned skin, it can"You’re from?"

"The Stilts, same as you I knew your brother Tramy and I wish I didn’t know Bree A real heartbreaker, that one" Bree had a reputation around the village before he left He told me once that he didn’t fear conscription as irls he was leaving behind were far h But I certainly will"

I can’t help but bristle "What’s that supposed tohours here I don’t knoho hired you or what they told you about the job, but it starts to wear on you It’s not all changing bedsheets and cleaning plates You have to look without seeing, hear without listening We’re objects up there, living statuesopen a door built right into the side of the gate "Especially noith this Scarlet Guard business It’s never a good tih the door, seely into the solid wall It takes ht of stairs, disappearing into semidarkness

"The job?" I press "What job? What is this?"

She turns on the stairs, all but rolling her eyes atpost," she says like it’s theA job I alood job--and now he’s pulled so with hi what this ht I’ to live And later, when I find Cal, I can convince him to do the same for Kilorn

"Keep up, I don’t have ti after her, I descend into a surprisingly dark tunnel S it just possible to see Pipes run overhead, huoing?" I finally breathe

I can almost hear Walsh’s dismay as she turns to me, confused "The Hall of the Sun, of course"

For a second, I think I can feel my heart stop "Wha-what? The palace, the actual palace?"

She taps the badge on her unifor now"

They have a uniform ready for s, the tan stone and glitteringOther servants bustle past in a parade of red unifor to thank hi advice "Say nothing Hear nothing Speak to no one, for they will not speak to you"

I can hardly keep the words straight; the last two days have been a ruin on my heart and soul I think life has si to drown me in a ind of twists and turns

"You came on a busy day, perhaps the worst ill ever see"

"I saw the boats and airships--Silvers have been going upriver for weeks," I say "More than usual, even for this tilittering cups into s can buy uarded at every door andI could never slip by sotoday?" I dumbly ask A lock of my dark hair falls in my eyes and before I can try to swish it away, Walsh pushes the hair back and fastens it with a tiny pin, her motions quick and precise "Is that a stupid question?"

"No, I didn’t know about it either, not until we started preparing After all, they haven’t had one for twenty years, since Queen Elara was selected" She speaks so fast her words alhters of the High Houses, the great Silver families, have all co feast tonight, but now they’re in the Spiral Garden, preparing to present, hoping to be chosen One of those girls gets to be the next queen and they’re slapping each other silly for the chance"

An ie of a bunch of peacocks flashes in my head "So what, they do a spin, say a feords, bat their eyelashes?"

But Walsh snorts at litter "You’re on serving duty, so you’ll get to see for yourself"

The doors loolass A servant props theh And then it’s ?" I can hear the desperation inWalsh to stay withme alone Before I can hold up the line or otherwise ruin the organized assembly of servants, I force ht of what she called the Spiral Garden