Aramis caught her arm. “If you move them, the Hands will know.”

“You don’t understand.”

“I was raised by a witch, Ranka.” Aramis touched her wrist. “We’ll fix this. And we’ll come with swords.”

“That doesn’t help them.” Ranka jerked away and pretended not to see the hurt on Aramis’s face.

The blood trail was thicker here, winding around the bend until it led them to an old, broken-down mine entrance. Ranka slammed her elbow into the rotten boards covering it and they collapsed inward, sending up a plume of dust and grit. Four different tunnels yawned before them. The path split in two. Human down one, witch down the other.

Percy broke the silence. “You guys don’t seriously want to follow those things?”

“The witch is down there,” Aramis said. “And so are our men.”

Foldrey turned to the twins. “For once, I agree with Percy. I’m begging you both—let us handle this. Stay here. Head back to the palace—”

“We do this together,” Galen said.

“Galen.” Foldrey’s voice cracked. “Please, son, if anything happened to you—”

“That’s an order, Captain Wolfe.”

The air turned frigid, and Foldrey closed his eyes. “Very well, Your Highness.” He cast a long, loathing look at the mines. “Percy and the twins will come with me. Ranka—you take the left tunnel.”

“I’ll go with Ranka,” Aramis said. She crossed her arms when both Ranka and Foldrey whipped to look at her. “What? If she finds anything in there, she won’t know what to bring back.”

“If something happens—” Foldrey began.

“She’ll protect me—won’t you, Ranka?”

Ranka hesitated, completely and utterly thrown. Ever since their night in the infirmary, something had shifted. They were hardly friends, but the thorn of animosity had dulled, replaced by some kind of understanding. Aramis was making a bid toward peace, in her own way. Now the princess waited for her answer, looking frail and vulnerable against the derelict city sprawling around her. She had no weapons, no training, not even a bit of armor on her. And now, when it mattered, it was Ranka she was putting her faith in.

It was Ranka she trusted to lead her through the dark.

Ranka couldn’t afford to think about why that terrified her.

“Of course I will,” Ranka said roughly. “I’ll protect you with my life, Princess.”

Aramis held her stare, a strange spark in her eyes, and nodded.

Panic flashed in Foldrey’s eyes, but he reined it in. He’d never looked more miserable. He opened his mouth as if to appeal to the twins one last time before shaking his head. “One hour. Then we meet back here. What’s our signal if something goes wrong?”

Percy pretended to consider this. “I think the horrified screaming will probably suffice.” Everyone glared at him. “What? I’m right. We’re all going to die.”