“But there was no one else in Quickfood to hear me.” As I said this, I tried to picture the restaurant again. I was certain the group of Myrmidons were the only ones there. Had I been so distracted by the sight of my mom in a Guard’s uniform that I had failed to notice someone else? “Are you sure one of the Myrmidons didn’t let it slip to the Faction?”

“The Myrmidons are the queen’s most trusted guards. Their job has always been to protect the Stavroses. To protect you.”

The guards with the weird tattoos weren’t part of the Faction after all, but they did work for the queen. My mind couldn’t untangle it all.

“That woman in the jail cell, she wasn’t some random criminal, Lady Stavros. She was sent by the Faction to kill you. Now that they have confirmation that you are the one they’ve been looking for, who knows what they will do next. You have to be more careful from now on.”

“That woman said someone was going to kill her.” I barely found my voice with all the revelations swirling in my mind. “Who?” Who on earth wanted me gone? As if my existence mattered to anyone but my closest friends.

Drake dropped his gaze to the floor and remained silent.

“What are you not telling me?” I asked again.

“It’s none of your concern for the time being.”

“Are you kidding me? That woman was trying to kill me. Someone sent her to kill me. And this was before they knew for sure that I was their target! At the very least I deserve to know who sent her.”

“Yes. Someone sent that woman to kill you. She has spent every day since your attack crying and begging to be released. She’s worried that her sons will be harmed. But that’s really all I can tell you.”

I opened my mouth, about to protest, when he held up one hand. “This concerns someone with greater power than all of us. Even the queen herself won’t speak a word of it. I’m sure you have many questions still unanswered, Lady Stavros, but we can’t tell you anything else right now.”

There was no point in trying to get more out of him.

Drake went on to impress upon me that if I told anyone these secrets, not only would I be in danger, but they would be too. The only way to keep my friends safe was to lie to them.