Nina left the ball early. She didn’t want to abandon Hanne, but Ylva insisted.

“I think you’ve taken ill again, Mila. Your hands are ice cold and I’ve never seen you so pale.”

She returned to her room, but she didn’t know how to make herself go through the motions of preparing for bed. She lay down on her covers, fully dressed in her silver finery. She couldn’t stop remembering the weight of Matthias’ body. She could still feel him in her arms, a burden she would carry forever. When he’d taken her hand, his fingers had been wet with his own blood.

She screamed into her pillow, needing to put this pain somewhere, anywhere. All she could hear was his voice.

I need you to save the others … the other drüskelle. Swear to me you’ll at least try to help them.

Matthias had been shot in the gut. He’d been facing his killer. He’d known who it was. A drüskelle like him. A boy, really. And that boy hadn’t been operating under orders from his commander. If Joran had been sent after Matthias, he would have been rewarded for the killing. Instead he’d been made the prince’s personal guard—a reminder that he’d disobeyed his commander, that he’d killed one of their own. But not a real punishment either. Not for murder.

There has to be a Fjerda worth saving. Promise me.

She had promised, but all Saints, she hadn’t known what that promise would demand.

The door opened and Hanne rushed in. “I got away as soon as I could.”

Nina sat up, trying to brush the hot tears from her cheeks.

Hanne threw her arms around her and pressed her forehead against Nina’s. “I’m so sorry. I’ll kill him if he hurt you. I don’t know why the prince—”

“No,” said Nina. “Joran didn’t … He didn’t make advances.”

“Then what happened?”

Nina didn’t know how to say it, how to unravel all of it. “He wronged me. Badly. I … I wanted to kill him. I still want to kill him. I told him so.”

“You threatened the prince’s bodyguard?”

Nina covered her face with her hands. All her talk about maintaining her cover, about how careful they had to be. “I did. He may go directly to your father. He knows I’m not who I’ve claimed to be.” Then a fresh bolt of fear shot through her. “Why are you back so soon? Did something happen with the prince?”

“No. The ball ended early. The drüskelle left. The other soldiers escorted out the prince and the rest of the royal family.”

“The war,” said Nina. “It’s starting.”

Hanne nodded. “I think so.”