“It would mean breaking laws that I swore an oath to uphold,” he says.

I clench my teeth to try to keep from spitting out, “Laws that are wrong.”

“Mei is my queen. Do you think she’d suffer my interference just because I’m her brother? Any power I have to help them would be taken from me.”

I’ve always admired Prince Meilek’s sense of honor. He values his duty to his queen and sister. But what about his duty to his people? To the shamanborn cast into the Valley of Cranes? What about their honor? Their dignity? They respect him because he eases their time in the camp, but what is he doing to release them?

His fingers flex against the tabletop before he straightens again, hands falling to his sides with the faint rustle of silk. “You are changed since I saw you last. You haven’t lowered your eyes once.”

My shoulders tense, and I look away. Then I infuse my spine with steel and lift my gaze again to meet his brown eyes. “Spinner’s End doesn’t hold to such customs.”

He nods faintly. “They’re silly customs, anyway. I prefer to see a person’s eyes when they’re speaking to me. Tell me, Sirscha, have your loyalties shifted?”

“Of course not. I am Evewynian.”

“Good. One of my guards will see you to your cell.”

Not only does his guard see me to my cell, but Prince Meilek instructs her on exactly where to find my hairpins. Evidently, he’d also gotten that particular lesson from Kendara.

I guess I’ll be finding another way to escape. In the cell adjacent to mine, four shamanborn huddle on a bench in the corner. I’m surprised by how few there are. I’d been expecting more. But then I recall Ronin saying the queen’s soldiers would use any means necessary to subdue the shamanborn, and my anger rekindles.

My thoughts tumble back to that day with the monks when they’d forced us to watch the execution of two shamanborn. If the queen can commit such atrocities against her own people, I can easily imagine she’d send shamans after her Shadow. Except if Prince Meilek spoke the truth, then she hadn’t sent them after Kendara. She’d sent them after Kendara’s apprentice. Which doesn’t make any sense.

Unless … those assassins were meant for me? Prince Meilek said it himself—they’d been convinced that Kendara would select me, and his sister had known Kendara would send her chosen pupil on that mission. Only it hadn’t been me. Kendara had inadvertently spared me from walking into a trap, and I’d walked right into it anyway.

But why in the Sisters would the queen send assassins after me? The only reason I can fathom is if she’d known I’m shamanborn.

It’s … improbable. But, I grudgingly allow, not impossible.