‘I think you’re building quite a strong case,’ Circe muttered. ‘But we need to focus on the Blood Plague. We need to know the next part of their plan.’

‘Do we have anyone we can trust?’

‘I have a few suspicions of some people who might be allies. You’re not going to like it.’

‘Who?’ Bethan spat.

‘Elnora.’

‘Impossible.’

‘Obviously, she wanted the grimoire to remain hidden. And you were the only one who could open it.’

Bethan shook her head. Circe may have been right, but what Elnora did was still unforgivable.

Elnora had plenty of chances to give her the truth. Instead, she lied to her, drugged her and let her believe the lie that Dana died from an accident. And not a murder.

‘What of Agatha?’

‘We can’t trust her with this yet,’ Circe told her.

‘I can’t lie to her,’ Bethan said.

‘It’s for her own safety. Her father is as bad as Tharin. Imagine what he would do to her if she openly went against him.’

Bethan didn’t want to admit Circe was right.

‘Ursula, we can trust. We need her as High Councillor. Julius is acting as a regent until the elections.’

Circe stared at her with a hardened gaze. ‘You need to listen to me now, Bethan. If you want Kellan back. If we want to end this. We need to play the game. Part of that game is to pretend that nothing is wrong.’

Bethan sat up from her bed. Her fingers clenched the white sheets.

‘You’re the best asset we have. You’re unassuming. They think you’re only the pawn in their game. You’re Tharin’s prize for working with them. They got Kellan out of the way for him. You’re weak and unsuspecting to them, but maybe that’s your strength. Earn their trust, and they may tell you their secrets.’

Something inside her hummed to Circe’s words. And, for once, she felt like she could stand alongside her as a true equal.

Bethan smirked, and her eyes met with Circe.

She was going to save her prince.

She could only pray that the Trine was on her side.

epilogue

epilogue

elnora rennigan

elnora rennigan weaved through the crowd of wandering tourists. The First Quarter, was probably not the best place to meet, considering it was so crowded. But Elnora was many things and determined was one of them.

It had been a week since her deception was brought to light not just with Bethan but with her family. She managed to trick them for the past year. Since her parents revealed everything to her the night Dana died. How they asked her to spy on Bethan for any abnormal powers. The illness that Bethan had bided her enough time to think of a plan.