Her eyelid twitched. “There was a time I felt sorry for you – believed you were naught but an innocent victim. Of the trolls. Of Anushka. Of fate and chance.” She rose to her feet and dropped into a deep curtsey. “As you wish, so shall it be, Your Highness.”

Vincent let out an explosive sigh after she left. “Stones and sky, Cécile. You couldn’t have come sooner? Cursed woman has been staring at me as though I were a rabid dog.”

“Have you ever seen a rabid dog?” I asked, leaning down to listen to the lord’s breathing. Even in sleep, it seemed unsteady. Afraid.

“No.” He pushed away from the wall, coming to stand next to me. “But it’s a turn of phrase that I’ve always wanted to use.”

“The trouble with a rabid dog,” I said, resting my hand against Aiden’s forehead and frowning as he flinched, “is that no matter how much you care for it, you still have to put it down.” I straightened. “I’m afraid that when he wakes, there won’t be anything human left.”

It was several hours later when Vincent roused me from where I’d fallen asleep with my head resting on the edge of Aiden’s cot. Sabine stood just beyond, a lamp full of troll-light in one of her hands.

“Tristan give you that?” I asked, rubbing my eyes.

“No…” She hesitated, then shook her head. “But Tristan does want to see you – both of you. I’ll stay with Lord Aiden.”

We found Tristan in the council chamber in the company of Victoria, Marc, and my brother. I wanted to go to him, but there was an agitation in his movements that warned me to keep my distance.

“We need to act now,” he said with no preamble. “Allowing Roland to continue as he has will cost us more than we can hope to gain by waiting.”

“Tristan–”

“I know, Cécile.” His eyes ran over me, then he turned away as though what he saw was physically painful. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“Then who–”

Fred slammed his cup down on the table, interrupting me. “I’ve things to take care of, and my opinion on this venture has counted for nothing.” He stomped from the room.

“Marc, Vincent, and Victoria will go,” Tristan said, his voice steady. “They are trained in combat, whereas Lessa and Roland are not. It might give them the advantage they need to take them down.”

“Might?” I was on my feet, though I couldn’t remember standing. “You can’t be serious, Tristan? You’re sending them to an almost certain death!”

“So little faith,” Victoria said, an unfamiliar smile crossing her face. “Lessa and I have a score to settle, and it’s not one I intend for her to walk away from.”

“Only if I don’t get to her first,” Vincent said, crossing his arms behind his head and leaning back until his chair creaked dangerously. “Marc, you can take Roland.”

“Thank you for that.” Marc leaned forward, dropping the magic that hid his face so that I could see him. “Cécile, it’s the only option. We cannot allow Roland and Lessa to continue unchecked, and we dare not send Tristan out with the power Winter has over him unless there is no other choice.”