he fires were out by the time I returned to the castle. SJ and Blue rushed to meet me as I slid off Lucky’s neck. I braced myself for their questions.

I hadn’t come back to the castle right away. Instead, I’d taken a bit of time to pull myself together. I felt deafeningly fractured. What had just happened—the internal shattering I’d just endured—was unlike anything I’d ever experienced. And I could not allow my friends, my family, or anyone else to see me that way.

There were two reasons behind this. First, there was no one left I felt comfortable enough with to share that fragile side of myself. I had friends and family, but letting someone see you at your most shattered was hard. The closest I’d ever come to being destroyed before this was last semester when all my doubts nearly consumed me. Daniel had witnessed my vulnerability at that time, and he helped me get through it, but I could not count on him to help me through this, not anymore.

The other, more important reason I’d elected to suck in my pain was for the good of everyone around me. My friends and I were about to embark on a dangerous journey to find Paige Tomkins, pinning us against the antagonists once more. They needed a clearheaded leader. My family was dealing with the aftermath of our home’s destruction and the betrayal of one of our own. They needed a steady pillar of support. And the rest of the realm, as well as people beyond it like Natalie Poole, were still in jeopardy. They needed a hero brave enough to fight. What none of them needed was what I felt like at the moment—a girl with a broken heart.

I steadied my shaking nerves and channeled the coldest, most logical part of me to take over. I willed myself to be what I needed to be. I would not let anyone see me cry, I would not let my strength or focus falter because of what my brother had done, and I would not allow myself to appear broken.

“What happened?” Blue asked when she and SJ reached me. Her once pristine white dress was torn all over and covered in ash.

I shook my head bitterly. “He got away,” I said. “Where are Jason and Daniel?”

“Checking the other floors of the castle,” Blue explained. “The upper levels weren’t destroyed by the explosions. The Godmothers reinforced the structure before it could come to that. Now they’re escorting out the people who were trapped up there during the attack so we can do a final head count of the survivors.”

Survivors.

The word sent a shiver up my spine, but I buried it like I’d buried the feelings I’d experienced on the mountainside.

“What about my parents?” I asked. “Are they okay?”

“Not completely,” SJ admitted. “They are safe, as are the king and queen of Tunderly. But your mother passed out. I imagine it was from the shock.”

“It’s not,” I said.

She and Blue led me to where my parents, Sooz, and a few Godmothers and guards were gathered. My mother was lying on a blanket—her eyes closed and her breathing steady. My father knelt beside her worriedly.

Sooz glanced up when she saw me approaching. “Crisa, are you—”

“Fine. But my mom’s not. She and a lot of the King’s Guard and palace staff members have been poisoned with jasper berries.”

My father’s eyes bugged in panic as I explained what I’d uncovered about the tea and the berries. He took my mother’s hand and brushed the blonde hair out of her pale face.

“Can the Godmothers whip up some sort of antidote?” I asked.

“Antidotes cannot simply be poofed into existence, my dear,” a dark-haired Godmother replied. “Our powers are not designed to work like a pharmacy. If what you’re saying is true, then an antidote will need to be brewed, and quickly.”

“Does anyone know if the palace physician is still alive?” Sooz asked the guards.

A tall, redheaded guard shook his head. “I’m sorry, ma’am. One of the guards found his body when they were doing a sweep of the main corridor a few minutes ago.”

“Well, find someone else,” my father barked. “There are at least two-hundred protagonists gathered on this lawn. Someone here has to be capable of brewing an antidote.”

“I know someone,” Blue interrupted. She gestured to SJ.

SJ gulped, but nodded. “I may be able to help.”

“Get the princess to the physician’s lab immediately,” Sooz ordered one of the Godmothers. “It is safe to return inside?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Then hurry. Assist her with whatever she needs.”

SJ took off with a couple of Godmothers in tow. I turned back to my parents. I was a bit surprised that my father was just sitting here. He was the king. Our castle just suffered a disaster. Our kingdom had come under attack. A bunch of people required a leader. He should’ve been at his most proactive right now. After all, he was in charge. Yet he remained beside my mother.

“Dad,” I began slowly, “don’t people need you?”

My father didn’t meet my gaze. “Your brother is running point on this.”

“My brother . . .”

The words almost caught in my throat. My father seemed to have the same second thoughts about his phrasing.

“Pietro,” he clarified. “The King’s Guard and the Fairy Godmothers are reporting to him. I have placed him in charge for now.”

“Why?”

“Because he is better suited for it at the moment than I am.” My dad’s eyes flicked from my mother to me. I saw the fear and worry consuming him and realized he was right. At this moment he was not in the proper state of mind to command. For the first time that I could remember, he looked like a man, not a king.

I understood. His son—more than that, the apple of his eye, his protégé, and, frankly, his favorite child—had just betrayed him in the lowest possible way. And the woman he loved more than anything in the world—more than his kingdom and more than his own life—had been poisoned.

“She’ll be all right, Dad,” I told him as I bent down and put my hand on his shoulder. “All of them will be. SJ’s the best potionist at school. She will come through.”

He looked at me with a solemn, vulnerable expression. “You have faith in her?” he asked.

“I do.”

“Then so do I.”

I felt someone come up behind me. “Crisa, I think we better talk,” Sooz said softly.

I patted my mother on the hand and motioned for Blue to follow me. We moved away from the crowd so we could speak in private.

I tried to block out the sound of sobs coming from the groups of people around us. I also tried not to look at the palace, but smoke still drifted from it and the giant hole in the side of the ballroom offered a clear view of the wreckage inside.

“I would feel better if you and I spoke alone,” Sooz said, glaring at Blue.

“Well, I would prefer if my home wasn’t in pieces and my brother wasn’t a traitor,” I snapped. I was surprised by the hostility in my tone and reined it in, clearing my throat. “Blue knows everything, Sooz. She can hear this.”

“Fine then,” Sooz replied. “Pietro is handling things right now and I have to report to him shortly, but I want you to fill me in on what happened on your end.”

I still did not trust Sooz as a person, or as an ambassador. But I decided to be honest with her. We were on the same team for the moment; we had to work as a united front. Too much had happened today with my enemies out in the open. I didn’t have time for enemies in the shadows as well. I would confront my issues with her and the ambassadors another day.

I filled Sooz in about Alex and Mauvrey, how the antagonists got into the castle through the secret tunnel, and that they escaped through a wormhole that appeared in the realm’s outer In and Out Spell. In exchange, Sooz told me what she’d learned.

“It seems that Alex and Mauvrey have been planning this for a while,” Sooz said. “They had many commons working for them and wanted to inflict as much damage in the most public way possible. This destruction was a part of a multifaceted attack.”

“Multifaceted?” Blue repeated.

“Midveil was not the only kingdom hit by the commons rebellion today,” Sooz explained. “That is why it took so long for me to summon the Godmothers here to contain the situation. Similar attacks occurred all over the realm at the exact same time. The Godmothers were spread too thinly and couldn’t respond fast enough.

“Middlebrook, Salinas, Tunderly, Gallant, Coventry—they were all assaulted today in some way. Tunderly and Salinas suffered attacks on their palaces like we did. The other three kingdoms had bombings in the commercial and business districts of their citadels.”

Susannah shook her head. “We have been monitoring these threats of rebellion for some time, but we never anticipated anything like this. There have been attempted attacks and coups in the past, but they’ve never been on such a massive scale. Commons have never had the means, nor leadership, to be this coordinated. I just don’t understand how this happened.”

“I do,” I replied. “The commons weren’t acting alone. Mauvrey has been working with the antagonists for months now. And if she was the one pulling the strings behind the attack on our kingdom, we can assume that the antagonists were probably behind the other attacks too.”

“You think the antagonists are sponsoring the commons rebellion?” Sooz said. “How? Why? What could they possibly have to gain by helping them?”

“I don’t think it’s about helping them,” I said. “I think it’s about weakening the protagonists as much as possible before the antagonists make their real play.”

“What do you mean?”

Blue and I exchanged a look. We couldn’t keep this to ourselves anymore. My deals with Lady Agnue and Lenore be darned. The five of us needed help, and we needed our realm’s higher-ups to know what we were really dealing with.

Blue and I proceeded to tell Sooz everything we’d learned when we were captured by the antagonists last December and held in their capital of Valor. We explained to her about meeting the antagonist queen Nadia, the antagonists’ plot to overthrow the realm and eliminate all protagonists, Arian and his ongoing hunt for protagonists who might affect this plan, the fact that a number of these antagonists were Shadow Guardians (which allowed them to get through certain In and Out Spells), and their hunt for the missing Fairy Godmother Paige Tomkins.

“Lady Agnue threatened me into silence,” I told Sooz as I finished the story. “She didn’t want anyone to know.”

“What could your headmistress possibly have on you that you’d keep silent about this?” Sooz replied.

I hesitated. I may have wanted us to be on the same side, but I was not about to trust this woman with my deepest secret. I didn’t want one more person using my Pure Magic against me.

Sensing my discomfort, Sooz withdrew the question. “You know what, it doesn’t matter. I appreciate you telling me. I know you’re angry with me about the whole protagonist selection thing, but I’m glad you understand we have bigger fish to fry at the moment.” Sooz glanced back at the disheveled castle. “You realize that I have to tell all the ambassadors about this, and the Godmothers too.”

“I know,” I said. “And I’m glad. It’s time they knew what we are up against. I’ll face Lady Agnue in my own time, but frankly, after what just happened, I think even she would understand why I had to speak up.”

“Our headmistress isn’t going to lay a finger on you,” Blue asserted, putting her hand on my shoulder. She glanced at Sooz and narrowed her eyes. “Right?”

“Right,” Sooz said. “I don’t care what your secret is, Crisa. I care about protecting this realm, even if you and I have different takes on how that should be accomplished.” Sooz bit her lip and thought hard for a moment. “But these Shadow Guardians that can cross In and Out Spells,” she said. “How many are there?”

“I can think of at least three,” I muttered. “But I have no idea how many are actually out there. Only someone working with them might know.”

“Then it is a good thing we caught such a person,” Susannah said, motioning toward the stables. “Our men pulled Anthony Graystone out of the wreckage. He’s injured, but he’s alive.”

Graystone.

I clenched my fists. “They’re interrogating him?”

“Yes. Some members of the King’s Guard are handling it while Pietro is seeing to other matters, but they haven’t gotten anything out of him yet.”

“Then they’re not doing it properly. Take me to him. Now.”

“Crisa,” Sooz interjected. “Princesses are not suited for interrogations. Your father would object. And your brother is the one in charge. I should get him first or at least tell him that—”

“Susannah,” I said firmly. “This guy helped coordinate an attack on my home, almost killed my dad, and shut me in a coffin. I don’t need your approval or permission. He’s mine. So take me to him or get out of my way.”

Sooz, Blue, and I stepped into the palace stables. Several guards were congregated in one of the larger stalls around Anthony Graystone. He was chained to the wall, his arms and legs tightly restrained.

“Leave us,” I ordered the guards.

A mustached guard named Darrel approached me cautiously. “Your highness, I don’t think it would be wise to—”

“That wasn’t a request,” I interrupted. “I said leave us.”

They looked to Sooz and she nodded warily.

The men bowed. “We’ll be right outside if you need us, princess,” Darrel said.

I regarded Sooz and Blue. “You better leave too.”

“Crisa,” Blue interrupted. “You really think it’s such a good idea for you to be alone with this guy? You said it yourself, he helped Mauvrey put you in a coffin and almost killed your dad.”

“You’re worried he might try something?”

“No.” Blue leaned in. “I’m worried you will. I’ve never seen you look so . . .” She flicked her eyes away, unable to finish the sentence. There was a window across from us. In it, I could see my reflection and I understood what she was saying. My expression was all venom. My face had never seemed so steely and my eyes had never held such darkness.

I took a deep breath then faced my friend. “I’m fine, Blue. Go. I’ve got this.”

She patted my arm supportively, and she and Sooz reluctantly stepped outside. When the stable doors closed, my eyes focused on the man chained before me.

His once perfectly pressed shirt was bloodied where my arrow had hit his shoulder. There was some soot on his face, some filth in his hair, and a lack of regret in his expression. In fact, he seemed almost amused as I came closer to him.

“Well, well, a private visit from the princess,” he mused. “I guess I must have a noose in my near future if the guards are granting me my last request.”

I cocked my head.

“You must be a masochist if I’m your last request, Graystone,” I said. “I’m hardly here to show mercy. Frankly, I’m not even here as a princess. If I was, then I couldn’t do this.”

I punched him in the shoulder. Hard. Right where the wound was.

He grimaced. I was a mere foot from him, but the chains around his wrists kept him from lunging at me like I knew he wanted to.

“Now then,” I continued, straightening my dress and locking eyes with him. “Let’s get on with this before I show you just how un-princess-like I can be. Tell me what you know about the antagonists. For starters, how many have become Shadow Guardians and are working with the commons rebellion?”

Graystone spat to the side. A little blood hung from his lip. “More than you can count,” he said spitefully.

“I can count pretty high. Why don’t you ballpark it for me?”

His eyes darted between the hay-covered wooden floor and me. I sighed and took out my wand as I started to pace.

Lapellius.

Knife.

“Come on, Anthony,” I said as I tapped the blade against the palm of my hand. “And here I thought you might make this easy for both of us.”

I suddenly lunged at his face with my knife. His eyelids flew shut and he shouted in fright until he heard a thud beside his ear. When Graystone opened his eyes, he saw that I’d actually stabbed the wall two inches from his cheek. A scare tactic. I pulled out my blade, noting his fear and surprise and the nervous beads of sweat that had begun to slide down his forehead.

“Now do you want to tell me something useful or should I practice my knife-throwing skills?” I asked menacingly as I retraced my steps. “I’m hardly as good as my friend Blue, but my aim can be pretty spot on when I’m properly motivated.”

Graystone hesitated.

“No? Perhaps a different kind of motivation.” I twirled the knife in my hand and transformed it into a spear. I stood three feet from him. Then I drew back my arm.

“All right, all right,” Graystone said, panicked.

I lowered my arm.

“Look,” he sighed, “I honestly don’t know how many Shadow Guardian antagonists got out of Alderon. I know each attack that happened today was coordinated by at least one, so maybe a half dozen or so. Only one in every hundred people can carry a Shadow. That’s one of the reasons the antagonists are partnering with commons. They need allies that aren’t restricted by Alderon’s In and Out Spell, and they know a lot of commons are more than willing to see protagonists burn.” His gaze drifted away and I could tell he was holding something back.

“And?” I asked presumptively.

“Antagonists aren’t the only ones carrying Shadows,” Anthony admitted. “Other people high up in commons rebellion leadership have taken on the creatures so they can get in and out of Alderon and coordinate with the people there. Your brother is one example. He took a Shadow a month ago.”

I turned my face so that Graystone wouldn’t see my expression falter.

“Do you know what they’re planning next?” I asked, still facing away from him. “What the rebellion’s next target is?”

“No,” he replied. “I know there is something big coming, something to do with the Vicennalia Aurora. But that’s it. I was only involved in the plans for the attack on Midveil. The architects of the master plan were never here in the palace. Mauvrey and Alex ran the show, but they were taking instructions from someone else.”

I stepped toward him. “Who?”

“All I have is a name. Arian.”

Arian.

Of course he was involved in this. Why did I have to get such a multitasker for an archenemy? Only Arian could conduct a manhunt for a missing Fairy Godmother while helping Nadia plan to overtake the realm and still manage to orchestrate multifaceted commons rebellion attacks throughout the realm.

“I saw Alex and the others escape through a wormhole by the mountains,” I continued, changing the subject. “Where did it take them?”

“I don’t know.”

I raised my arm, the point of my spear aimed directly at him. “Anthony, I swear—”

“No, really,” he insisted. Suddenly his face didn’t look so slick; just pathetic.

“They only told us that the portal created by the wormhole would take us to another realm once the attack was underway and it was time to flee the city,” he said.

“But how did they know it was going to be there?”

“It was Mauvrey. She has some kind of special watch,” he responded—confirming my suspicions about the Hole Tracker I’d seen her wearing before she’d leapt through the wormhole. “She, this Arian guy, and other antagonists are using them to realm-hop. Something about finding some woman named Paige.”

“Anything else?” I asked.

He shook his head.

“Good,” I said. “Then I guess we’re done here.”

I returned my spear to its wand form and began to head for the door.

“Oh, actually there is one more thing, princess,” Graystone said, stopping me in my tracks. “See, Mauvrey had a bad feeling you’d escape somehow. And in the event that any of us were caught, she requested that we pass along a message to you.”

“And what is that?” I asked slowly.

Graystone smirked. “See you soon.”