“You’ve led us on quite the runaround.”

I lifted my head to watch Marie enter, noting the twisted branches woven like a crown into her hair. Not something that could easily be removed.

“Why are you doing this to me?” I demanded.

“We both know why, Cécile, so drop the pretense,” Marie responded. “You caused us no small amount of grief with your disappearance, and we could not risk you deciding not to show for our little fête this evening.”

I swallowed hard, my throat dry. “Where is my mother?”

“You’ll see her soon enough. Do not cause any trouble, Cécile. If you do, she will punish you by harming those who matter to you most. The troll included.”

“Are you threatening me?”

She shook her head. “I’m warning you.”

“I want proof my mother is unharmed.” Given it seemed impossible to use magic on Marie, my primary goal was my mother. And stay with her until Tristan found us.

“You will see her when Anushka wills it, not before.”

She was here. “And here I believed you were the most powerful woman on the Isle,” I said. “Apparently I was wrong.”

Marie laughed, but the sound was all harsh edges. “When she sings, we all dance to her tune. She might be more devil than woman, but what is the saying? ‘The enemy of my enemy is my friend?’” She walked further into the room, and my eyes fixed on a red-gold hair caught on one of her heels. Mine? My mother’s? Anushka’s?

“Besides, she punished me harshly the last time I crossed her, and I will not make the same mistake again.”

“Please,” I said, dropping to my knees in front of her as if to beg. “She’s going to kill my mother. You need to help me.” I pressed my hand against the stray hair, holding it against the ground.

“I wish I could, Cécile,” she replied, stepping back and averting her eyes in discomfort. The hair remained under my hand. “But this is the only way to keep the Isle safe. She is the only one who can keep them contained.”

My eyes went to the costume still draped on its hanger, and hers followed suit. “After all this, you honestly expect me to perform?” Closing my fingers around the hair, I sat back on my heels.

“If you want the troll to survive the night, you will do just that.” Her face was grim. “Those are Anushka’s terms: if you do as she asks, she will return the creature to his cage alive. If you interfere with her ritual, she will see him dead.”

My stomach clenched, and I turned away from her, staring at the glow of the lamp until my eyes burned and watered. “You’d have me choose between the life of my lover and the life of my mother?” All of this was just words now. I needed her gone so I could attempt a spell.

“Genevieve’s death is not negotiable. Whether you choose to cooperate tonight will not change that fact. All you can hope to gain is the life of your lover.” Her voice twisted on the word as though it were some revolting and debauched thing.