The sound of Lowry’s anguished scream still seemed to reverberate through the silence of the estate. Wren cradled her face in her hands. The only thing she could think to say was, “This is bad. This is so bad.”

Lowry was right. If the Guard found him this way, if they saw her and Hal together …

No, she couldn’t fall for his lies. The evidence would be enough.

Distantly, through the sound of her own teeth chattering, she heard the rustle of fabric. Felt the weight of Hal’s jacket settling over her shoulders. When she looked up at him, angry red lines fissured his sclera, and blood still smeared his cheek. She ached to reach out and soothe the pain with her magic.

“You need to go before the Guard finds you,” she whispered. Somewhere, she heard the pounding of boots on the grand staircase, the muffled barking of orders.

Hal shook his head, just barely. “And go where?”

“Home. Anywhere.”

“I’ll never make it. I’ve no magic left. I have to surrender.”

“No.” The force behind it startled them both. “I won’t let you. What about making Vesria better? What about you?”

“I have no choice,” he said, his voice strained. “If what Lowry said is true … If the evidence truly means nothing—”

“Of course it’s not true!”

“I can’t risk it.” There was a confession in his eyes. It was bright as a golden coin shimmering at the bottom of dark well water. Its intensity—its finality—frightened her. “I can’t risk you. It’s exactly as he said. If you can’t indict him for murder, you and I will be tried for conspiracy against the crown.”

“But if you surrender now, you’ll die regardless. The queen will execute you for war crimes.”

With the droop of his shoulders and the deep crease in his forehead, he aged years before her eyes. “I know. But if both of us take the fall here, there is no hope for peace.”

“There has to be a better way.”

His silence was answer enough. He’d given up.

But the look on his face didn’t shatter her. It angered her. Maybe he was right. Maybe his surrender would give them the only chance they had at taking Lowry down. But Wren refused to let him sink into despair. No matter how miserably the odds were stacked against them, no matter what she had to do, she would fight for him. For them.

She took him by the shoulders. “Listen to me, Hal. You’re not dying—not as long as I draw breath. As soon as the Guard comes, I’ll demand to be taken to the queen. I’ll tell her everything, and if the evidence doesn’t convince her, I’ll go to Parliament. And if they aren’t appalled or afraid of Vesria retaliating against us, I’ll…”