I spun around so quickly that half of my coffee sloshed out. Kiyo stood before me.

The throngs of people around us disappeared, and the focus of my world narrowed down only to him. All the anger and grief I’d felt, as well as watching others cope with their own sorrow these last couple weeks, surged up in me. Maybe Kiyo hadn’t dealt the killing blow, but he might as well have. I couldn’t believe he’d even had the audacity to cross my path. I’d figured he was smarter than that.

“Watch it,” he warned, glancing upward. I was doing the subconscious storm thing again, and a few people had stopped to stare in amazement at the dark clouds that had literally come out of nowhere. “You don’t want to create a panic.”

“Wouldn’t be the weirdest weather phenomenon that’s happened around here,” I said. “Neither would you being struck by lightning.”

He smiled without humor. “You won’t do it, though. Not in this crowd.”

He was right. I could call lightning with pretty perfect precision, but even so, we were in the thick of humanity, with people brushing past us to get where they needed. I could hit him but might inadvertently hurt someone else along the way. These aren’t even people I know or care about, I thought bitterly. But once again, my hands are tied.

“I suppose you arranged this,” I said. “Waited for a chance to approach me in public?”

“Yes, actually. I figured I wouldn’t get a warm reception at one of your castles.”

“You figured right.”

He sighed. “Eugenie ... there are a couple things I need to tell you. I debated a long time about whether I should, but ... well, I don’t know. I feel bad about what happened with Pagiel ... and everything else.”

I had to repress the urge to slap him. “Yeah? Maybe you should’ve thought about that before your fucking girlfriend killed him!” My profanity got a few surprised glances from passersby.

“I’m sorry it turned out that way,” he said. “But it was better for everyone.”

I started to turn away. “Maybe I have to let you live today, but I don’t have to listen to your ‘greater good’ bullshit again.”

“Wait, Eugenie—” He grabbed my shoulder. I immediately jerked his hand off but did come to a stop. “Please. There are two things you have to know.”

I crossed my arms over my chest. “Hurry up.”

He took a deep breath. “First ... your children ... they may still be in danger.”

“I ... what? How?” I demanded. “Isaac’s no longer part of the prophecy.”

“Maiwenn’s not so sure. She’s afraid that maybe the prophecy will simply roll to Storm King’s next oldest grandson.”