Ash groans. “I don’t know how else to make this clear: Aarya will not help you. She’ll only find a way to hurt you,” he says with a serious tone. But of course he would be serious. If Ash weren’t completely convinced that she was inflexible, Aarya wouldn’t be a contender for being able to act differently. It’s like Kartal said: a fresh perspective is needed.

I stop pacing and look at Ash. “Would you say that Aarya cares about Ines more than she does about Felix?”

“November…,” Ash says, and stands. I can see it written all over him that he’s going to try to talk me down.

“You told me once that Felix was in love with Aarya but that it was never going to happen. So answer the question. Does she care about Ines more?”

“If I had to guess, I would say she does,” Ash says.

“Okay. Good,” I say, and run into my bedroom. I pull a piece of paper out of my bedside table drawer. On it I write:

Ines is in danger. Meet me in the trees right after curfew and I’ll explain.

Ember

I figure if I sign that ridiculous name she’ll know it’s really me who wrote the note. I hand it to Ash. “Can you slip this to her? I know you’re good at this sort of thing because of that game you and Layla played when I first got here.”

He looks at the paper and glances up at me. “You’re not seriously going to do this, are you? If someone’s going to talk to Aarya, I should be the one to do it.”

I shake my head. “You can’t, Ash. It has to be me. You don’t see her the way I do.”

“No, I don’t,” he says, and he’s getting more frustrated by the minute. “I see her for exactly who she is. I can read her. I’ve known her for years. I’ve seen people go up against her over and over, and she always wins because she’s ruthless and because she’s talented. You’re too forgiving. You’re too trusting. Layla warned you that you weren’t good enough to go up against Aarya, and I’m telling you that meeting her in the trees after dark is a fast way to get yourself killed.”

I take a deep breath, willing myself to be calm. “I know you think all that, which is exactly why I have to be the one to talk to her. I’m not saying there’s not a risk, but if there’s even a slim possibility that she has information we need, this can’t wait,” I say. “I get that you’re trying to protect me, and I appreciate it. But I have to do this.”

“Seeing Aarya in a more forgiving light isn’t a reason,” he says.