y gown for the banquet was a romantic work of art. The powder blue, floor-length ensemble was made of two pieces with the upper part in the style of a conservative crop top. It had an A-line silhouette and a mock turtleneck with a matching, lightweight cape that flowed off the shoulders and draped behind me to the floor. My favorite part of the dress was the shimmering white dove with spread wings that was embroidered into the crop top.

I stepped away from the mirror to collect my wandpin. Once I’d secured it in place, I opened the top drawer of my desk and pulled out the gold wristband Alex and I used to share. Despite my unease about our relationship, I proceeded to fasten the band around my left wrist for luck. After what Blue, Jason, and I had discovered last night, I needed Alex and I to be on the same team.

Aggie and Blaine had purchased “Sniper Services” for “P. Knight,” confirming my doubts once and for all that Pietro was involved with the commons rebellion.

The revelation cut me deep. It felt like my heart had a large crack in it. His betrayal was the hardest thing I’d ever had to stomach. And yet, the understanding did not cause me great shock or devastation. In retrospect—despite my attempts to ignore Lenore and Susannah’s accusations—because of Pietro’s recent shady behavior, I think I had been suspicious of him for a long time. Ever since my talk with Liza when she advised me to be careful with how I regarded him, it felt as though I’d been subconsciously preparing myself for something like this.

Part of me wanted Pietro to be severely punished. But my love for him was still there, even if my faith in him wasn’t. This had to be handled another way.

For starters, I was not turning the condemning information about Pietro over to Lenore. I would not let the Godmother Supreme silence my brother the way she had silenced all other attempted uprisings and their advocates in the past. Traitor or not, he was my brother. My friends and I would proceed delicately.

In spite of the emotions storming around inside my head, I promised myself that I would remain calm. It was like with my magic; I was in command of my power when I remained steady and focused. And that’s what I had to be right now—steady and focused. I needed my mind to be clear and my heart under control if I was to handle whatever was coming today.

Everything felt so random, yet so connected. Mauvrey had come to my castle at some point. Her parents were arriving from Tunderly. Pietro had purchased the services of a sniper. My mother was getting increasingly sick by the day. A debilitating illness was spreading through the King’s Guard and palace staff. My mysterious note sender had failed to show up at our meeting. A gagecho echoed screams in the tunnel.

And then there was today. Many high-ranking protagonists and royals were attending the banquet being held in honor of the Weatheralls and our kingdoms’ Vicennalia Aurora partnership. With so many VIPs in one place at one time, I had a strong feeling that whatever had been building these last few weeks was set to culminate in the hours to come. All we had to do was figure out what was in store and what we were going to do about it. Not showing our hand regarding Pietro was key to that.

“Hey, you ready?”

I turned to find Jason in my doorway. I was not surprised to see my friend dressed so formally, as my mother had fully ensured my friends would be properly attired for their stay. I was surprised by how well the style fit him. Jason always looked good at our school balls, but the regal, Mideveilian touches on his suit made my friend appear more princely than I’d ever seen him.

A fancy sheath with a sword hung at his side. This was a customary look for royal/protagonist functions, but I’m sure he would’ve preferred to have his trusty axe with him. Given my anxiety over today’s events, I would’ve preferred that too.

“Yeah, I’m ready,” I said as I met him in the doorway. “Where’s Blue?”

“I knocked on her door, but she said she needed more time and that she’d meet us in the ballroom. Something about her dress’s skirt being big enough to house a travelling circus. Does that mean anything to you?”

I gestured at my dress. “Do you see what I have on?”

My cape swooshed behind me as Jason and I began our way down the corridor. Daylight streamed through the glass in angelic streaks.

“Other than the stuff with the maps, how’s everything been going?” I asked awkwardly. “Most of our letters dealt with quest business, and I feel like we’ve been dealing with my junk nonstop since you got here so I haven’t gotten a chance to ask.”

“School’s fine.” Jason shrugged. “Like Blue said, our Twenty-Three Skidd team’s in first right now. If we keep up the good work I think we could win the year. Your team is in third. Oh, and you should know that instead of selecting another person from tryouts, Javier and Gordon are holding your spot. When you get back, it’s yours if you want it.”

I felt a moment of unexpected, unbridled happiness. I’d figured that they’d given away my spot on the Seven Suns to a runner-up. Knowing it would be waiting for me when I returned to school made me giddy with joy.

I swallowed my smile quickly though. It was misplaced right now given the circumstances, and given that this hadn’t been where I was going with the conversation.

“That’s really great,” I replied. “But what I meant was how’s everything been going with you? I mean, handling what I told you—”

“About me dying?”

He said it so bluntly I was surprised.

“I guess I’m handling it as well as anyone could,” Jason continued. “Since you have no idea when it’s going to happen, I’m just trying not to think about it.”

“How’s that working out for you?”

He raised his eyebrows. “How do you think?”

I wrung my hands from the guilt. “In case I haven’t said it enough, I’m sorry, Jason. You shouldn’t have to deal with this. It’s not fair.”

“You have said it enough, Crisa. And your apology is as unnecessary now as it was a month ago. Life—even the fairytale kind—isn’t always fair. I should no more have to deal with knowing I’m going to die than you should have to deal with foreseeing it. But that’s the lot we were given. All we can do is try our best to move forward, do some good, and make a difference in the ways we can while we have the chance. If we just feel sorry for ourselves then we might as well lay down and die right now because we’ve already given up.”

I was filled with tremendous respect for Jason. How could he be so brave in the face of this? How could he hold it together and keep his head so level? He was amazing. And he inspired me to be the same.

“You’re still sure you don’t want to tell Blue, though?” I asked as we entered the lift at the end of the hall. I hoped that he’d had a change of heart in regards to this. Not telling Blue was killing me. I’d assured her at the close of last semester that I wouldn’t keep secrets from her anymore. I didn’t like not living up to that promise.

“Definitely,” he said. “No more than I want you to keep asking me if I’m okay. I’m not, but I accept it. As should you.”

“Are you sure?” I pressed. “Because while I get where you’re coming from, I think that she would—”

“No, Crisa,” he said gently.

The lift came to a halt on the ground floor. Its glass doors slid open but we didn’t step out immediately.

“Whatever happens—and however this ends up playing out—you can’t tell her. You promised.”

“I know, Jason, but I just . . .” I sighed. “You know what? Never mind. I won’t say anything. Just like I won’t keep asking you if you’re all right.”

“Thanks,” he said with sincerity. “I appreciate it.”

We stepped out of the lift and were immediately swept into the traffic of the corridor. The hall leading to the ballroom was bustling with kitchen staff carrying fully loaded platters, decorators draping columns with colored garlands, florists filling vases, and bakers wielding trays of cakes.

I leapt to the side as Sooz and her posse of event planners came marching through. She nodded to me but didn’t slow her stride.

I looked up and saw a castle attendant hanging an oversized, decorative hydrangea ball from the ceiling—one of many dangling throughout the corridor. I smiled when he saw me, but he didn’t return the greeting. Instead he gave me a sort of stern, narrow-eyed glare. It sent a weird feeling up my spine.

As Jason and I entered the ballroom, I was astounded by how beautiful it looked. Despite having grown up here, I was always amazed by the way the place could transform from event to event, and the lavish splendor of royal affairs never failed to impress me. Dozens of tables outfitted in silks and glittering runners were set up. The floral centerpieces I’d designed sat upon them proudly. The chairs had off-white cushions made of shimmery fabric. Four exquisitely sharp and ornate glass chandeliers surrounded a fifth, much larger, one in the center. Decorative silks that matched the tablecloths and runners interconnected the beautiful light fixtures and also dangled from the mezzanine alcoves above my head.

High up along the room’s back wall there were ten mini alcoves that connected to two levels of hidden mezzanines. Lighting technicians worked from there to create atmospheric magic during important functions. We also typically positioned guards in a few of the alcoves to keep an eye on proceedings. The only access to these mezzanines was through a single door concealed behind a decorative tapestry by the windows.

I glanced up at a guard in one of the alcoves. He was staring across the room with a tense expression on his face. I followed his line of sight. Alex and my father were standing on the stage on the far side of the room where my family, the Weatheralls, and I would be sitting for the banquet. The two of them were talking with some of their advisors. Both were in formal dress with military regalia decorating their coats and sashes, swords stowed in elegant sheaths at their sides, and polished shoes reflecting the daylight pouring in from outside. I felt this light against my face as Jason and I glided across the room.

The left side of the ballroom was checkered with windows of various sizes and shapes placed at different elevations—it reminded me of the geometric intricacy of honeycombs. Two chrome doors at the center led to the main lawn. Guards stood in front of them now, so Jason and I kept to the back wall. The lowest windows were at about my chest height. Through one I could see the beautiful spring day, and Lucky, who was sleeping in the sun.

I had assured my parents that he would not be a problem today. Lately Lucky spent most of his time sleeping. I guess he thought we were on vacation. Still, my parents had mentioned “their daughter’s pet dragon” in the invitations they’d sent out. They couldn’t risk any of our guests being surprised and having a panic attack or—more likely, given how many Lord Channing’s alumni and protagonists were coming—launching an attack.

When I returned my gaze to the entrance of the ballroom I spotted Pietro. His formal attire emphasized his rank as a captain in the King’s Guard. His coat was black with silver buttons and a silver sash. His uniform had several medals of honor pinned to it, and there was a cobalt stripe on his sash and epaulettes to signify his higher rank. A long sword swung from a sheath attached to his belt.

Pietro made a beeline for me the moment he saw us. My body tensed. Jason touched my arm as if to remind me to stay strong. I appreciated it, and remained committed to keeping my cool.

“Crisa,” Pietro said. “Mom wants to see you in her room. She says it’s important.”

“All right.” I nodded. “What’s wrong? I thought she’d be here already.”

“She isn’t feeling well and needs your help.”

I turned to Jason. “Man the fort for me, will you?”

I headed out the door, anxious to check on my mother, but realized that Pietro was following me.

“Was there something else?” I asked.

“No, just. . .” He looked around the bustling hall. “I’m worried, Crisa. Too many of my men are out sick today. I’m going to have my work cut out for me.”

“Well, if there are no unforeseen circumstances, I can’t imagine your worry is necessary, Pietro,” I said with an edge.

“Yeah. I suppose not.” He flicked his eyes back to the ballroom. “Look, the guests are going to start arriving in the next twenty minutes and the Weatheralls will be here about an hour after that. When they get here, do me a favor and be on the lookout for anything out of the ordinary. Keep your eyes open, okay?”

“Believe me,” I said. “They’re open.”

“Pietro!” One of my brother’s right-hand guards came jogging over. “Rafael just started hacking up. He’s too sick to work. You’re going to have to reassign someone to the east entrance.”

“I cannot catch a break today,” my brother groaned. He shook his head, frustrated. Then he looked to me. “I’ll see you later. I have to deal with this. Remember what I said.”

I continued down the hall only to be accosted by one of my ladies-in-waiting. An all-but-confirmed traitor from Lenore’s list, Daphne Reigns was one of the last people I wanted to see right now. She cantered across the corridor as I dodged another florist. “Princess!” she called.

She came jogging up to me carrying a to-go cup. “I noticed that you did not drink the tea we brought you this morning. With such a big day ahead, I thought I’d bring you some to enjoy while you’re on the move.”

I rolled my eyes. The fact that she was harassing me with something so trivial inflamed my mood. “Thanks, but I’ll pass,” I said.

“But, princess—”

“Daphne, I’m serious. Get out of my way.”

For an instant Daphne appeared more resentful than hurt. She promptly let me pass, though I barely took ten steps before another lady-in-waiting called my name.

“Princess!”

“I’m a little busy right now, Minnie,” I responded without slowing down.

“So, I guess we’ll just turn around and go home then?” a familiar voice said.

I froze. Then I whirled around. The instant I saw Daniel and SJ standing there, I forgot the millions of things I had to worry about. My face broke into a wide grin.

“You made it!”

I felt the instinct to rush in and embrace my friends, but I caught myself. Although I was glad they were here, I quickly remembered that my relationship with both of them had soured before I left school. SJ was probably still unhappy with me and Daniel had put up a wall between us. The memory hit me like an unwelcome slap.

They were still my good friends, though. And I had missed them. So I tried my best to pretend that there wasn’t any awkwardness between us. I gave SJ a small hug, which she returned, and bumped Daniel on the shoulder playfully.

“Thank you, Minnie,” I said. “Will you go find Jason in the ballroom and tell him the others have arrived and will meet up with him shortly?”

“Yes, princess,” Minnie said with a curtsy.

When she’d gone, Daniel looked me up and down, taking in my ensemble. “So this is the real you? Princess is it?”

“Please,” I scoffed. “This is all pretense. Now this . . .”

I lifted the hem of my skirt to reveal my boots and leggings. “This is the real me. And it’s ‘Knight’ to you, Daniel. Call me princess again and I’ll have you thrown in the stockade.”

“Do you actually have a stockade?” he asked, a hint of concern in his voice.

“You know, I’m not going to answer that.” I smirked. “Anyway, you guys need to hurry and change. This thing’s going to start soon and I—”

“Blue!” SJ called.

I turned around as my friend sashayed up to us in a strapless, pure white gown with a skirt of feathers.

“You look beautiful,” SJ said.

“I look like a goose,” Blue countered.

“Let’s agree to disagree,” I said. “Blue, can you show Daniel and SJ to their rooms—they’re next to yours—and fill them in on the way? I’ve really gotta go check on my mom. I’ll meet you guys in the ballroom in ten, all right?”

“You got it, chief,” Blue said. She leaned in and lowered her voice to a whisper. “And not to alarm you, but on my way here I saw this bearded dude that one of the guards addressed as General Savoy.”

“You’re joking.”

“’Fraid not. Our new friend is here, which means your hunch was probably right. Whatever those ‘Sniper Services’ Pietro bought are, they’re probably being delivered today.”

“If you see him again, stay on him,” I said.

I took the east lift to my parents’ suite on the fifth floor. As I approached, the guards announced my entrance. Once they’d let me in, they immediately shut the doors behind me.

“Mom?” I called.

I heard coughing, but no response. I followed the noise into my mother’s massive walk-in closet.

My mother was sitting on a stool in a gorgeous sapphire blue gown. Her hair was twisted up regally with a crown of actual sapphires, matching her earrings. She was leaning over her vanity, clutching a wad of tissues.

“Mom?” I repeated.

She turned around. Her eyes were slightly red. Her face was droopy and paler than normal, and her lips were dry like she was dangerously close to dehydration.

“Pumpkin, oh good, I am glad you are here,” she said as she straightened up and threw her tissues in the trash. “I need to ask a favor. I am afraid my cold is a bit worse today, so I am going to need you to introduce the Weatheralls on my behalf at the start of the banquet. All you have to do is say a few words of welcome to the room—tying in the importance of the Vicennalia Aurora and how it brings us all together. Can you do that for me?”

“Um, yeah, sure,” I said. “But, Mom, are you even well enough to go to the banquet? You don’t look so good.”

“I am fine, sweetie, just a bit under the weather.” My mom clutched her stomach with one hand and grasped onto the edge of her vanity with the other. She seemed to be trying to keep herself from fainting.

I was about to protest again but one of my mother’s ladies-in-waiting (a chubby redhead named Abigail) came rushing into the room. “Your majesty,” she said, curtsying to us both. “Something’s happened. The king requests the presence of you and the princess in the royal work chambers immediately.”

“What’s wrong?” I asked as we followed her out of the room.

“I’m not sure, princess,” Abigail replied, “but the king insists that the two of you be escorted there by guards.”

The men posted outside my mother’s room marched us to the throne room downstairs. My apprehension grew. I had no idea what was so urgent that my father had felt it necessary to call on us like this.

The royal work chambers were private quarters that my mother and father used when conducting extremely confidential business. I’d only ever been in there a handful of times over the years, and on most of those occasions I’d been snooping.

The grand stairs to the castle’s main entrance were on my right as we walked through the foyer. The railings were wrapped with garland, sparkling silver ribbon, and bunches of small violet flowers my mother had told me were called Sweet Williams.

Staff members were busily putting the finishing touches on the castle’s festive appearance. They continued to hang ornamental green and purple hydrangea balls from the ceiling. I noticed Blaine Weldhouse within their ranks and for a second I was tempted to kick the ladder out from under his feet, even if it meant bringing a dozen or so painstakingly hung decorations down with him.

My mother and I were ushered into the throne room before I could act on the impulse. We walked across the room then through the curtained door beside the thrones on the back wall, entering the royal work chambers. The guards stopped at the forest green curtains and closed the door behind us from the outside.

Inside the room were my father, Alex, Sooz, Pietro, Rod Davis and Anthony Graystone (two other captains from the King’s Guard), and a woman I didn’t recognize. She had majestic, thick black hair, tan skin, and was crying into Pietro’s shoulder. He had one arm around her.

“What happened?” I asked as I stepped toward my father at his mahogany desk. “Who’s that?” I pointed to the unfamiliar woman.

“Crisa, this is Evette Black,” Sooz said with great solemnity. “Pietro’s girlfriend.”

My expression cringed with confusion from the unexpectedness. The woman in question broke away from Pietro’s shoulders and turned to me. Her dark brown eyes were bloodshot and her nose was red from sniffling. Other than those factors, she was very pretty, muscular, and exotic-looking. Also, both Pietro and Alex had been right in their earlier descriptions of her. She did wear a lot of leather.

“Evette,” my mother said with a cordial nod.

As my mom crossed the forest green carpet to take a seat, my father explained why we were all gathered here.

“Miss Black’s younger sister Agatha is a server at the palace,” he said with great graveness in his tone.

“Aggie,” Evette whispered. “Her name was Aggie.”

“Was?” I repeated. “What do you mean was?”

“Aggie was found dead this morning,” my father responded. “Captain Davis discovered her body in the stables when he was making his rounds. It looked like she had been dragged there, but we’re not sure from where. Nor are we sure who killed her and why. The castle physician believes it happened last night between two and four in the morning.”

My mother and I were speechless. We all were. The only sound in the room was Evette’s muffled sobbing on Pietro’s fancy jacket.

I had my own instance of near fainting then, and I steadied myself against a mahogany bookcase. That awful, blood-curdling scream I’d heard last night from the gagecho belonged to a girl. And that tunnel was so close to the stables. I was convinced that Aggie Black was the person who’d wanted to meet me last night, which meant she’d left me the note that lead me to discover Mauvrey had been in the castle. But the poor girl was killed when she was coming to find me and then her body was dragged out to the stables so she wouldn’t be found immediately. That gagecho must’ve heard her dying scream when she was killed.

I had to resist the urge to throw up.

“The guests will be arriving any minute,” Sooz said curtly, breaking the silence. “It is too late to cancel. All we can do is keep this quiet until after the banquet. Once the king and queen of Tunderly depart, we can resume the investigation, but for now we must keep up appearances.”

“Dad . . .” Pietro started to say.

My father held up his hand. “I’m sorry, Pietro, but Miss Marberg is right. There are too many protagonists and diplomats arriving. We cannot let it leak that there has been a murder in the castle. The panic would be disastrous.”

He turned his attention to Evette. “Miss Black, we will find whoever did this to your sister, I promise you. But I am afraid that for the next twenty-four hours, the matter must be kept silent. Information about Aggie cannot leave this room.”

Evette gave a small nod as Pietro held her tighter and addressed my father.

“I get it, Dad. But the fact remains that a murder did happen on the grounds. And since the gates have been closed since last night, the murderer is likely still on the grounds.”

“Sir, if I may.” Anthony Graystone stepped forward. Graystone was tall and solidly built like Pietro. His shoulders alone were hero-worthy. But his face was not handsome. It was too sharp, his Adam’s apple too large, and his hair too slick.

“Davis and I can tighten security around the castle entrance,” Graystone said. “If we reassign men near the gates, we could catch anyone trying to sneak off the grounds.”

“Fine,” Pietro said. “But don’t take any men away from the back exits. And I want a guard in every one of the main watchtowers and double the security in the ballroom.”

“Sir,” Davis (shorter and humbler looking than Graystone) interrupted. “I don’t think we have the manpower to—”

“Just get it done,” Pietro said.

They saluted my brother and dashed out of the room. My mother coughed violently.

“Cin,” Sooz said, addressing my mother. “Are you all right?”

“Fine,” she insisted as she stood. My mom crossed to the other side of the room and took Evette’s hands in hers. “I am so sorry about your sister. As the king said, we will find who did this. In the meantime, you may use the guest quarters adjacent to Pietro’s room to rest. My ladies will keep you company and get you anything you need, and I will have a guard posted outside your room.”

“Thank you, majesty,” Evette said softly.

“I’ll take her there now,” Pietro said. Then he paused and pivoted toward Alex. “I just had a thought. Get word to Graystone and Davis; tell them they can divert eight men from the western corridor and twelve from the southern corridor to use in the ballroom. I want one stationed in every one of the overhead alcoves in the mezzanines and the remainder at the ready on the back stairs, just in case.”

“I’ll go tell them now,” Alex said as he exited the room.

I thought he gave me a weird stare as he passed, but I could’ve been imagining it. Pietro and Evette left the room a moment later and my mother followed. She was still wobbling like she might faint.

“Mom,” I touched her arm. “Please go lie down. The world won’t end if you miss this banquet. Isn’t there enough going on for you to realize that it probably isn’t safe to be walking around right now, especially if you’re feeling like you might pass out?”

“Crisanta, for the last time, I am fine. There are more important things for us to worry about than my slight illness. Just go get me a cup of tea from the kitchen and then join me in the ballroom. Guests have started arriving and they need to be greeted.”

“Mom, enough with the tea. You need to—”

“Mind your mother, Crisanta,” my father interjected. “She’s right. There are too many things to worry about to waste time arguing. Now go.”

I rolled my eyes in frustration then glanced at Sooz and gave her a look indicating she should follow me out.

The castle’s main doors had been opened while we were in our meeting. In just five minutes the place had become a splendid madhouse. Guests were arriving in throngs. A spectacle of fine ladies and gentleman filled the foyer. They came pouring down the staircase—smiling, laughing, and greeting one another as they flowed gracefully toward the ballroom. I tried my best to remain unnoticed as I slipped into an adjacent hallway and waited.

Sooz found me soon after and I ushered her into the nearest empty room, which happened to be the music room.

I didn’t trust Sooz anymore, but I knew that in this case we were on the same side. I may have had a very different idea about keeping order than she and Lenore did, but none of us wanted a commons rebellion. So I let our feud slide for a moment and leveled with her—taking “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” approach.

“Crisa, this better be good,” Sooz said, crossing her arms. “Do you have any idea what’s happening right now?”

“More than most,” I said. “Sooz, Aggie may have been on Lenore’s list of suspects, and I did see her multiple times saying and doing suspicious things, but she tipped me off earlier in the week in regards to something really major. Then she sent me a note telling me to meet her last night but never showed. So now I’m wondering if maybe she wasn’t so much participating in the commons rebellion as she was spying on it. And the reason she wanted to meet me in such a secretive way was because she was trying to warn me about something. Only someone found out and killed her before she got the chance.

“It’s plausible,” Sooz said slowly. “And if you’re right, and she was trying to warn you last night, chances are it probably had something to do with today’s events.”

“Agreed. We should go talk to Evette. Maybe she knows what her sister was up to and can shed some light.”

“I’ll go. You help your mother. And if you see anything suspicious, let me know. The Weatheralls will be arriving in little less than an hour and I have a bad feeling.”

“Welcome to my world.”

Sooz headed for the east lift to find Evette and I continued my way down the corridor. I’d help my mother, but first I needed to regroup with my friends. Skirts and capes and feathers of every color impeded my way as I shimmied through the mass. Eventually I made it to the ballroom where my friends were waiting.

SJ and Daniel had changed. Daniel was dressed in regal attire and looked as dapper as Jason. His personal sword was in a sheath at his side, fitting in with the proper regalia.

SJ wore a silver silk gown with a high collar that made her neck look swan-like. A small crossbody bag was slung across her chest, bulging with whatever she had stuffed inside.

“Where have you been?” Blue asked. “We were getting worried.”

“A palace staffer named Aggie Black was found dead this morning. She was the one leaving me the notes. Her older sister—who’s been dating Pietro—is here. Our kingdom’s ambassador, Susannah, just went to go talk to her. I think my mom is on death’s door. And the Weatheralls are arriving in half an hour. I’m probably leaving something out, but I think that’s more than enough to keep us busy for a few minutes.”

“What can we do?” SJ asked earnestly.

I was somewhat surprised by SJ’s genuine tone and desire to help. But I guess it was like with the magic hunter attack at school—when things got serious we could put aside our differences and remember what mattered, one another included.

“Divide and conquer,” I said. “Blue, find Savoy and follow him. I don’t want that guy out of your sight. Jason, track down Blaine Weldhouse—the dude I pointed out to you yesterday—and find out what those Sniper Services he purchased are for. I’m done playing games. We need answers. Don’t cause a scene, but beyond that, I don’t care how you make him talk. SJ, can you keep your eyes on my mom until I get back? And, Daniel . . .”

He may have been the person I felt the farthest from right now, but I knew when it came to combat and conflict, he could be relied upon. It was no different than when our relationship first started. We’d fought our way out of plenty of dangers together without being close. If our friendship had returned to that original state, I knew he would fight just as hard.

“See that tapestry back there?” I said, gesturing to the large floral wall hanging at the back of the ballroom. “Behind it is a staircase that leads to the mezzanines connected to these alcoves.” I nodded up. “Pietro is having Alex divert more men to guard them, but I need you to stand watch until those reinforcements arrive. Okay?”

My friends all accepted their duties without hesitation. Despite what was going on with us personally, we were like a well-oiled machine when united for a common cause.

I felt a small pang of gladness. I was happy to be reminded of how well we worked as a team. It’d been a while since we had, and I missed it.

We went our separate ways. I hastened into the corridor and headed toward the main kitchen. It was swarming with waiters, caterers, and cooks zipping about getting food ready. Thankfully, they were so consumed with their work they paid me no mind. As I made my way past them I was tempted to help myself to a platter of shrimp dumplings and a few mini crème brûlées, but I mentally scolded myself for the gluttony. I had to focus. Trivial a task as it was, I had to prepare some tea for my mother then get back to the ballroom to defend against any threats that dared emerge.

I rushed through the meat locker and pantry to a back kitchen with industrial sized fridges. Inside the center fridge I found a large jug marked “Seasonal Tea Brew,” which I lugged onto the counter. I grabbed a teakettle from the cookware closet and used some matches in one of the drawers to light the stove. Hastily, I poured the cold, translucent liquid into the kettle. As I waited for it to boil, I looked out the side door. The wildlife of the castle’s forest could be seen through the window.

“Crisa?”

I whirled around, startled to find Pietro there.

“Pietro, what are you doing here?”

“I have to tell you something. I didn’t want to involve you, but I think we’re past me being able to protect you.”

“Are you talking about the commons rebellion?”

Pietro’s eyes widened. “How did you—”

“Ugh, give me some credit, will you? I swear, everyone around here thinks I’m either dense or helpless. I know what’s going on, Pietro.” I was too frustrated to hold in my suspicions and anger any longer. “Aggie was trying to warn me about something to do with the rebellion last night, but was killed before she could. What I don’t know is what your involvement in all of this is.”

“My involvement?” Pietro repeated.

“I’ve seen you whispering to Aggie in the shadows when you thought no one was looking. I’ve heard rumors and spotted the signs. Sooz warned me. Lenore and Alex warned me. I never fully believed them, but now I know better. What are you planning for today, Pietro? What are those ‘Sniper Services’ you purchased? How did you get mixed up with this rebellion? And give me one good reason why I shouldn’t turn you over to Mom and Dad.”

Pietro looked stunned. “Crisa, I don’t understand half of what you’re talking about, but I’m not a part of the commons rebellion. I’m trying to stop it.”

“What?”

“After I’d been dating Evette for a while, her sister confided in me. She’d heard rumblings of a commons rebellion faction within the palace that was plotting to overthrow Mom and Dad. We devised a plan where Aggie would slowly worm her way into the group, get them to trust her as one of their own, and then spy on them for me. That’s why she and I would meet in secret sometimes—so she could fill me in on the information she’d acquired. If you saw her dealing with anyone else that looked suspicious, it was because she was playing the part, continuing her undercover work on my behalf.”

My heart had gone numb and cold since I thought Pietro was the enemy. Learning that he wasn’t a traitor filled me with untold relief and resuscitated the part of me that had stopped beating. It was like someone had given me an electric shock.

I believed what he was saying. It was a brother-sister thing, but it was also an intuition thing. I’d already faced many antagonists and characters with wicked intent. I saw none of their maleficence in Pietro. He was good. It hit me all at once. All I had to do was look into his eyes to truly know that. I felt ashamed. I’d let the Godmother Supreme’s suspicions, as well as those of Susannah, Liza, and Alex influence me when I should have trusted my own instincts from the beginning.

“So you knew about the meeting last night? The notes left under my door?”

“I needed Aggie to warn you because I couldn’t,” Pietro explained. “Some of the members of the commons rebellion suspected I was on to them, and Aggie told me a while back that they were watching you too. I couldn’t talk to you directly without tipping my hand, so she had to do it.”

“That first note Aggie left me had me go to the mausoleum and dig up a glass Pegasus figurine. I sent that figurine after Mauvrey Weatherall a while back and ordered it to follow her until it could lead me to wherever she’d gone. What does she have to do with this?”

“We found out a few weeks ago that Mauvrey Weatherall is one of the main characters pulling the strings behind all this. Aggie only saw her on the grounds once; it was by the mausoleum. She witnessed Mauvrey destroy that Pegasus and bury it. Later, Aggie overheard Daphne Reigns mention that it had something to do with you. We figured that leaving you a note was a good way to tip you off about her presence without drawing too much attention to ourselves.”

Mauvrey was helping to orchestrate the commons rebellion?

But Mauvrey worked for the antagonists. That meant the antagonists were invested in the commons rebellion and were the ones gunning for our kingdoms to be overthrown. It went with their MO—eliminating rulers and protagonists, causing chaos, and tearing Book apart. And that had to be why this rebellion was more serious than the previous threats the Godmothers had been able to extinguish in the past. This time the commons had the shrewd and devious brilliance of the antagonists to guide their cause.

The only thing that didn’t make sense was why the antagonists were helping the commons. That was a piece of the puzzle that didn’t fit. Antagonists were far from the compassionate type. Why invest their time and resources in this rebellion when they already had their own pawns and plans for destroying the realm? It felt like I was missing something.

“What about last night?” I asked Pietro.

“Aggie was supposed to warn you about today so you’d be fully prepared. I didn’t know she never made it.”

“All right then, Pietro. Just tell me, for the love of Book what is going on today?”

Pietro gave a worried look. “I’m not a hundred percent sure. Aggie said that she and Blaine were instructed to hire Sniper Services from Savoy. Only I don’t know who they’re planning to take out. The commons rebellion may be targeting rulers, but different types of government officials and protagonists in Century City have been murdered over the last couple months. With so many important people here today, anyone could be Mauvrey’s next target. That’s why this sickness spreading through the King’s Guard couldn’t have come at a worse time. The odds are against us. I need your help—and your friends’ help too, if you think they can handle it.”

“You’ll never meet a more formidable set of protagonists,” I said proudly. “I’ve already filled them in on the threats and they’ve got our back. I’ll update them on what you just told me, and we will be ready to act if we see anything.”

“I don’t want you guys to get in any danger. You’re just kids,” Pietro said. “If you see something suspicious, tell me and I’ll—”

“Pietro.” I waved my hand to cut him off. “We’re kids, but we’re also main characters. We don’t need your protection. Trust me. You have no idea what we’re capable of.”

Pietro sized me up. “All right, Crisa. I’m counting on you. Between you, your friends, and Alex, I think we have enough extra manpower to spot and stop any trouble before it happens. With the twenty other guards I told Alex to assign to the ballroom, we should be covered.” He released a huff and swallowed audibly. “I’ve really got to get back now.” My brother put his hand on my shoulder for a second then made for the door.

My head was working on overdrive trying to process all this new information. I had almost all of the answers I needed. All but one.

“Pietro,” I said.

My brother paused with his hand against the door.

“I snooped around the stall of Crossbows Etc. at the War Games Convention. In Savoy’s log—where he recorded the Sniper Services that Blaine and Aggie paid for—it said that the purchaser was P. Knight. That’s why I thought it was you behind this. If it wasn’t, why did Savoy record it that way?”

“I can’t explain that, Crisa,” my brother responded, shaking his head. “Maybe Blaine told Savoy to put my name down to try and frame me in case their deal went sour.”

I looked into my brother’s dark brown eyes. He was being sincere. He wasn’t hiding anything. For the first time in a long time, I felt that someone was being completely honest with me. It was a nice change of pace.

I approached my brother and put my hand on his arm. “I believe you,” I said. “And I’m sorry if for a while there I didn’t. You deserve more than that.”

The teakettle whistled—alarming us not to waste any more time.

“I’m going to go check on the security by the rear exits one more time before the banquet starts,” he said. “You good?”

“Yeah,” I said. “I’ll see you in there.”

I raced to the teakettle. With all that was going on, I couldn’t believe that I still had to make a stupid cup of tea for my mother. I really hoped she would be okay, and that this detour was worth it. I poured the boiling liquid into a to-go cup.

The smell hit me hard. The intensity of it felt like a hammer falling upon my memory. The tea had a very specific scent about it—sweet yet sharp, but something else too. I inhaled deeper. I knew I’d smelled this somewhere before, somewhere recent. The fragrance was so familiar, so impressionable, so wintery?

Wait.

Sweet, sharp, wintery.

My eyes darted down at the translucent liquid. Suddenly I recognized what the smell was.

Jasper berries!

I dropped the cup. My hands were shaking.

This tea—the tea that my mom had been drinking, that had been given to the King’s Guard and the castle staff, that my own attendants had been attempting to serve me every day—it was jasper berry tea. A half dozen light bulbs went off in my head.

It wasn’t some random flu bug or virus sweeping the palace. Almost everyone in the castle was being poisoned! All the liquid in that jug from the fridge was poison tea made from the toxic jasper berries that grew by the mausoleum.

This must have been a part of the commons’ plan the entire time. Mauvrey and her followers must’ve decided that in order to get close to their target, they would need to weaken the palace security. This poisoned tea had reduced the number of guards and attendants by 60 percent, even taking my ever-vigilant mother out of action.

No one had suspected a thing. Why would they? Tea was tea. The only reason I recognized that scent was because I’d been surrounded by the jasper berry bushes the other day as I dug around behind the mausoleum.

It was a good thing that Pietro and I hated tea. If we didn’t, the stuff would have surely made us sick as well, and increased the odds that Mauvrey and her common followers would succeed.

Suddenly I heard a thud on the side door. Then something crashed through the window. I jumped back, shielding my face as glass shattered inward and an object just as transparent plowed through. It was SJ’s Pegasus figurine! The tiny thing flew in from outside and darted around excitedly. It seemed to be motioning for me to follow.

Mauvrey.

The Pegasus was supposed to return to me once it’d found my princess nemesis and could lead me back to her. If it was here now, I had a bad feeling she was close.

The Pegasus zoomed out through the hole in the window. I picked up the hem of my skirt and started after it. When the figurine reached the edge of the lawn, it plummeted downhill into the wild, forested area of the palace grounds. Dead leaves crackled under my boots as my cape and dress snagged on crooked tree limbs—tearing jagged slits into the fabric. I wasn’t sure how far I’d run until I found the jasper berry bushes. Their distinct smell confirmed my theory about the tea’s origins.

The Pegasus made a wide, left turn and I followed it to the mausoleum’s front entrance. The doors were open and the Pegasus darted inside. I clambered up the stairs under the shadow of the shining clock that indicated it was 11:15 a.m. My boots echoed off the tile as I entered. There was no one in the mausoleum, but the Pegasus was flying around our family coffin obsessively.

I walked toward it with trepidation. That bad feeling I’d been having all day amplified with every step. The coffin was bolted shut, as usual. Steeling my nerves, I unfastened the lock and threw back the lid.

Mauvrey lay inside—still as ice. Seeing her again made my heart stop with a conflicting combination of wariness and fiery hatred.

Her eyes were shut. She was so still I wasn’t sure if she was asleep or dead. Her blonde hair spilled around her pale face and shimmery dark purple zip-up jacket. Her hands were folded over her chest.

I was dumbstruck, perplexed, and then surprised beyond all reason when Mauvrey’s eyes suddenly shot open. Her spooky black Shadow Guardian irises looked up at me. Before I could move, her closed fist opened and she blew a handful of sparkly powder in my face.

I stumbled back, coughing at the cloud of powder. I didn’t know what it was, but it had gotten in my nose, eyes, and mouth, which were now burning and freezing at the same time.

Mauvrey sat up in the coffin like she’d risen from a nap. Her eyes returned to their normal blue shade and she smiled at me.

“You are too easy, you know that?” she said as she climbed out.

“Says the girl who couldn’t even kill me last semester,” I spluttered, continuing to choke.

I clutched my throat and felt myself stagger. My knees were weak and I was losing balance.

“I would not fight it, Crisa,” Mauvrey said confidently. She tossed her hair and straightened her jacket. “That powder is a specially ground Poppy Potion designed to make its victims fall asleep for a full day.”

On cue, my knees gave out and I fell to the floor. The veins in my arms were flooded with that awful, familiar purple glow. Thankfully, the rear doors of the mausoleum burst open. Three guards in Midveil uniform came marching over, one of whom was Anthony Graystone.

For a moment I thought I was saved. But when Mauvrey grinned, I knew I was in more trouble than I thought.

“About time,” Mauvrey said. “Help me get her into the coffin.” I was too dizzy, drained, and disoriented to conjure a comeback or any of my usual sass. The guards swiftly hoisted me up and placed me in the tomb. I gritted my teeth, trying to will my body to resist, but it was useless. I was barely able to twitch my thumb as Graystone bound my wrists.

Mauvrey met my furious gaze and sighed. “Oh, do not give me that look, Crisa,” she said. “All this unpleasantness would not be necessary if you would have done what you were supposed to for once in your life and drunk that stupid tea. Now instead of being slowly poisoned with dignity like your mother, you will simply be incapacitated in this lovely coffin for the day.

“It is a shame really,” she continued. “Part of me would have genuinely liked for you to see what comes next. I have spent so much time preparing for today. And since I cannot be in the room myself when phase two commences, I would have liked to have had you there, watching as your world shatters, both literally and figuratively.”

Despite the heaviness consuming me, I garnered every bit of strength I had left to utter one hard word.

“How?” I spat bitterly.

Mauvrey seemed to relish my fighting back. Her eyes sparkled with malicious glee as she leaned into the coffin. Her face was right next to mine; her breath skimmed my cheek.

“Oh, my dear nemesis,” she whispered. “It was never a matter of how. It was always a matter of who.”

Mauvrey righted herself and smiled.

“Sweet dreams, Crisa,” she said.

She blew me a sarcastic kiss and gave me a small wave just before shutting the lid of the coffin—sealing me within its darkness as the Poppy Potion kicked in.