With magical ideas from her days of Gemmer school still swirling through her head, she allowed Kleo to whisk her into a massive prop closet somewhere behind the main stage. Pairs of magical dance shoes roosted on shelves like plump pigeons. Sophie would love all these, Claire thought, gazing up at them in awe. Mom too.

But as soon as the door clicked closed, Kleo whirled around and pulled on a string. A light flickered on, and Claire’s stomach dropped at the look of fury in Kleo’s eyes. “What are you doing here, Claire?”

Chapter Ten

CHAPTER

10

So. Kleo did remember her.

Slug soot.

“I’m—I’m here because … because—” Because her sister was not just her sister anymore. Because a queen was looking to kill her, and Sophie would never, ever be safe in this world or any other world, so long as Estelle still had power. Because Arden was dying. But she couldn’t say any of that. “Because—”

“You’re going to tell on me, is that it?” Kleo asked, her skirts rustling as she paced a tiny line in the closet.

“What?” Claire shook her head. “No—why would I do that? I thought you were going to tell on me!”

“Because if Mira—or Queen Estelle!—found out I helped you and let you escape, I would be … My family, it just can’t …” The Spinner trailed off, then sank onto the floor of the closet with a loud groan, settling in between a pair of red cowboy boots that looked startlingly out of place and some leather sandals that looked not unlike Dad’s favorite pair. “I figured it all out, you know,” Kleo mumbled into her hands. “When Historian Fray came and told us of the queen’s return, we all began to study what the Royalists have known for years. ‘A great unicorn treasure—a place where fire meets water.’ ”

When Kleo looked back up, Claire realized it wasn’t fury in her eyes at all but fear.

Kleo took a ragged breath and went on. “Mira Fray says she is looking for two girls—two sisters—who tried to steal the moontears away from her, but … I knew Sophie. I saw her wearing the necklace long before the queen’s return. She didn’t steal it from anyone. Why would Fray lie? What else is she hiding?”

Claire opened her mouth, but Kleo held up her hand. “Don’t tell me. The less I know, the better.” She stared fixedly at a pair of tap shoes as though they might have the answer. Finally, she looked up. “This is what’s going to happen. You’ll stay with me today so I can keep an eye on you and make sure no one asks you too many questions.”

“You’re not going to turn me in?” Claire asked, hope rising within her.