Lord Davis and Rhaz may not have been working together, but they both tore this chapter apart in more ways than one.

“I better go get ready to patrol,” Sarah says, stepping backward.

Pete looks at Greer and a silent dialogue passes between them. Bonded Scions and their Squires, and their secret looks. Some understanding met, Greer looks up and says, “We’re off as well.” They pull me into a quick, strong hug, and whisper into my ear, “If we see him, we’ll bring him to you, not them.”

Warm appreciation fills my chest. If Sel is on the run from the Mageguard, I doubt he’d show his face on the regular Legendborn routes, but if he needs help, they’ll be there. “Thanks.”

They stand back and squeeze my hand. “Finish the Rite and come find us?”

“Absolutely,” I say firmly. I glance at the Regents still in the crowd, more eager than ever for the Rite of Kings to transfer power to me, to wear the crown for real. “Time to do this our way.”

“Damn straight,” Pete whispers. “Time for King Bree.”

As the others walk away, Felicity looks back over her shoulder at me and gives a quick nod before joining them. “You got this, Bree.”

“Thanks, y’all.”

“We need to talk.” William’s voice is just over my shoulder, his footsteps soft in the grass behind me.

“William, I don’t—”

“That wasn’t a question.”

William is rarely this demanding. He raises a brow.

“Fine,” I mutter. “Let’s talk.”

9

WHEN I REACH my assigned room at the compound, William slips in behind me and shuts the door. Without a word, he heads right to the electric kettle on the sitting room table and moves to the en suite bathroom to fill it up.

My Page robes are stifling in more ways than one. I yank them over my head and throw them in the corner. It’s cooler in my T-shirt, but blood still pounds in my veins. I don’t want to sit. I want to race out of here and demand an audience with the Regents.

“Do you think Lark will take me to meet Erebus?” I ask, heading toward the closet to change clothes. “I’ll do the Rite early if I have to, whatever it takes. I can’t let them do this to Sel—”

“No, what you cannot do is what you just did,” William counters evenly.

That stings. “But—”

“You cannot explode in front of your future subjects, Bree.” He walks back into the room with the full kettle. “You’ve just shown an entire crowd of Order members—Pages, Legendborn, Vassals, Lieges, Merlins, Seneschals, and Regents—that you’re hotheaded, impulsive, and lack protocol and decorum. An outburst that nearly rivaled one of Selwyn’s.”