Of course Tristan had heard the loophole in my promise even while he’d been suffering torture. All his life he’d been twisting words and undermining their meanings. He’d figured out the one way I could win free of my promise without breaking the curse, and he’d tried to give it to me. Now this man intended to use the information against him.

“So you intend for us to find Anushka, bring her to that spot, and then let her escape unharmed.” Catherine’s voice was toneless, but I knew she was angry. She wanted revenge for what Anushka had done to her, but that wasn’t part of Aiden’s plan.

“It will be a sweet thing to see the look in that devil of a creature’s eyes when he realizes he’s been outwitted.” He stood and paced slowly across the floor. “You see, Catherine, you need not fear for Cécile’s welfare, for she is the most precious thing in all the world, because with her in my possession, I’m in control of Prince Tristan.”

No, no, no!

“The half-bloods have rallied behind him again, and there are whispers that a great many others wish to see him on the throne. Mark my words, he intends to kill his father and take the crown. And there is nothing I would like better.” He spat out the last words. “With Thibault dead, I’ll be free of the foolish promises I made to him in my youth, and with Cécile in my care, Tristan will have to do what I say. I will control the trolls.”

From a troll tyrant to a human tyrant.

“What of Anushka?” Catherine pressed again. “What will become of her?”

“I’ll let her go,” he replied. “She’s survived on her own this long, I expect she can live a few generations more.”

“She deserves to be punished.”

“It doesn’t matter what she deserves,” Aiden said. “She’s all that keeps us safe from the trolls, and that makes her untouchable. Angering her would be madness.”

Catherine said nothing, but I could imagine his words were a bitter tonic to swallow, because they were the truth.

“You’ll have your pardon after our plans come to fruition,” Aiden said. “With what we will accomplish, my father will have no choice but to grant the request. We’ll need you to keep Cécile in check.”

Silence.

“Very well,” Catherine said. “I’ll do as you ask, but there are materials I need and preparations that must be made before I can cast the spell. Deal with her other friend, then come back an hour before sunset, and we will begin.”

“I’ll be here. And don’t even think of crossing me, witch.” The rear door opened and slammed shut with enough force to make the shop shudder.

An hour before sunset… That was all the time I had to escape. All the time I had to steal back the grimoire and find Anushka myself. Because if I failed, the cost to everyone I cared about in Trollus would be far worse than they ever dreamed possible.

Thirty

Tristan

The half-bloods had fallen slightly behind, so I took a moment’s worth of time to return to my rooms to change the bandages on my wrists. The corridors of my home seemed to swim around me, and I stumbled more than once on the smooth marble floors, my feet feeling like stones attached to my legs.

I had one of my sleeves up and a bandage half unraveled before I realized I wasn’t alone.

“Hello, Tristan.”

Tucking the bandage back into place, I slowly turned. Lessa, wearing her Anaïs-mask, was sprawled across my bed, head resting on one hand. “Get. Out,” I said.

She pushed her bottom lip out into a pout. “So hasty!”

“Get out,” I repeated. “Or I will make you leave, and I won’t be gentle about it.”

A cruel little giggle escaped from between her lips. “Are you so sure you can?” Sitting up, she slid off the bed and came toward me, stopping about a pace away. “I daresay, you aren’t looking in the peak of health.” Her eyes flicked to my manacled and bandaged wrist and up again. “It must be dreadful to feel so abused.”

I stared silently at her. Did she know that I was aware of her true identity? Or was she still going to attempt to pretend to be Anaïs? “What do you want from me?”

Lessa smiled, the curve of her lips familiar in a way that made me want to tear the magic off her face. “We’ll get to that.” She closed the distance between us so that we were only inches apart. My skin crawled, but I refused to give her the satisfaction of driving me back.

“You’re in quite a predicament. One that might very well send you to your death if I don’t help you.”

“I don’t want your help.”

She tilted her head back and laughed. “But you might need it. Cécile made a promise to the King to find Anushka. There is nothing he desires more, and his obsession will force her to the grave if she does not succeed. You promised the half-bloods you’d build a stone tree for them, which frankly, requires you to be alive. Except that you know Cécile’s time is short, which means your time is short, and you are driven to work day and night without rest, which is driving you to the point where you’ll burn out your power. Especially given the iron rot that is consuming you. Such a sordid circle of things: the King’s desire creates Cécile’s obsession, which drives your addiction to your work. Work that the King does not care to see completed, which makes him want the curse broken all the more. Around and around we go.” She walked in a slow rotation behind me and back to where she had started. “Spiraling down until someone dies.”