And somehow, within these miserable Four Courts ruled by those who’d prefer we didn’t exist, I’ve found something worth saving.

I don’t know if it’s a brief taste of euphoria that makes me move next, but my gaze drifts over the books until I find the one I’m looking for. Deep burgundy with gold letters, and small enough to fit in the hidden pocket of my dress.

I tuck it away like it’s my very own secret, leaving the empty space on the shelf behind, and turn for the door.

A pair of brown eyes meets mine, and my throat turns to sand.

The servant from downstairs stares back at me, but the blank, accommodating gaze she wore before has been replaced with something more like steel.

More like resistance.

I hesitate. Humans in the palace aren’t supposed to have the ability to question Residents, and yet…

I recognize the curiosity in her eyes. And curiosity, as Shura once told me, is not something unaware humans are supposed to have.

“Are you awake?” I ask with a hollow voice.

The girl doesn’t move. Doesn’t blink.

I take a step forward, stopping inches in front of her.

Arms pinned to her sides, she shows no sign of movement. No sign that she’s about to attack, or call for help, or do anything other than watch me.

I study her freckled face, searching for proof that she exists beyond what the Residents have done to her. That she’s more than an empty shell.

My voice is hardly more than a breath of air. “Are you still in there?”

Three seconds pass, and a single tear rolls down her cheek.

Horror quakes through my bones, but before I can ask any more questions, she slips back through the library doors.

When I try to find her in the hallway, she’s already gone.

25

“WELL DONE, NAMI,” ANNIKA SAYS, voice full of praise.

Ahmet flashes a smile from across the table. He didn’t say a word during the trip back, too afraid of luring out any bad luck. Now he sits with his shoulders bent forward and his hands folded beneath his chin, smiling in the safety of the Colony.

Shura and Theo sit beside him, eyes fixed to the floor, with metal devices curved against their ears. The meeting with Prince Caelan and his guards is still a while away, but they don’t intend to miss even a single valuable word.

I chew my lip. “Did you hear everything from earlier?”

Annika’s attention sharpens, alert. “Yes. It seems the Prince of Victory has enemies even within his own court.”

“It’s easier to take down a castle that’s already crumbling than one that stands strong,” Ahmet adds, nodding.

I can practically feel the slither of Prince Ettore’s treasonous words across my skin. I brush my arm, wanting rid of the feeling.