Page 52 (1/1)

Only now do I see that there is a certain strain in Raffaele’s face too, as if he were drained fro who else is feeling the effects Magiano seeh, aside from his sour mood, but Violetta’s face looks exhausted, and Lucent is uncharacteristically silent

As we go, I continue to blink away bits and pieces of illusions The sky sees over the city Masked faces appear and vanish fro ers once looked The whispers stir, appearing in the corners of the streets and the shadows of overhangings

Why don’t you abandon this journey, Adelina? they say Return to Kenettra Go back and rule your empire

I look away and try to keep ood idea I shake the thought froood night’s rest, the stronger ill feel in thePerhaps Maeve will meet us by then

But what if she doesn’t meet us at all? What if she sends troops to attack us instead? What if she has no interest in joining us on this journey? Raffaele ood faith, that she will come because she loves Lucent, but that is all I look to my side, where Lucent walks in silence What if this is Maeve’s way of seeking revenge for what I did to her navy, to withdraw herself,our journey worthless?

This is what I would do, if I were her So why doesn’t she choose it too?

We turn off thearound the side of a hill toward the tavern As we pass by a s alley, the iano frowns, stiffens, and cranes his neck down the alley for another look

"Did you see so on the alley we passed "A flash of silver," he says after a moment "Like a mask" He meets my stare My stomach twists

It wasn’t just an illusion of my own creation

Suddenly, Raffaele halts Ahead of us are several people standing there, blocking our path Even though nize that we do not belong Their leader steps forward from the crowd This ht brown, and his eyes are deep and dark He hoists a knife in one hand "So," he says "A foreign troupe heading through our territory"

The whispers grow louder into keep the illusions I’ve woven over our faces steady

The man nods atIt will be so easy The voices are persuasive I could wrap hi his heart out of his chest But I cannot afford to do it here, not without knowing if there are more of them beyond this narrow street, and not with Violetta so sick

Magiano savesthe man a smile full of white teeth "From a much friendlier place than this town, I can tell you that," he proclaih with knives? That must take up an awful lot of your time"

The man’s scowl deepens, even as he looks at us in doubt Raffaele joins Magiano at his side "We have a friend who is very ill," he says, nodding up to Violetta "Can you tell us where the nearest inn ht be?"

The man stays silent More of his ers and passersby, gathering on the steps to block the e ca to rasp the threads draped around us and weave My illusion over my appearance wavers, only for an instant

The uise, White Wolf We know you are Queen Adelina of Kenettra"

I blink inmy voice surprised "We’re frohter "Duiano unsheathes two of his oeapons His pupils have narrowed into sharp slits, and his body is tense Near Raffaele, Teren stands tall with his sword half drawn, ready to rateful to have hi this out I’ve had enough "Let us pass," I say, pushing y becomes roup stirs The leader draws a second knife from his belt Beneath his brave exterior, I can sense the tides of terror He is afraid to die today "For the Sealands," he whispers "For the Sunlands"

Then he gives a nod, and his iano gers flash silver in the light Ahead of us, Teren sets upon two of the first e on the us forward We dart ahead as Teren opens a pocket for us But the narrow street continues filling with ain Howfor our arrival for months Violetta’s horse rears in the midst of the chaos, lets out a squeal, and throws her from its back Lucent catches her--just barely--with a curtain of wind Violetta falls on the steps, and instinctively, I push her behind ainst the wall She is awake now, her body shaking like a leaf