“But he’s innocent,” Kiva said, leaning forward, barely managing to remain in her seat. “And now Cresta wants to use him against me.”

“Many in here are innocent,” Rooke said dismissively. “If you do your job, Cresta won’t have a reason to harm him. For once, she and I are in agreement on something. Fancy that.”

Kiva wondered if she’d ever hated the Warden more than in that moment.

Gnawing on her lip, she lowered her voice and admitted, “Tilda is really unwell. I don’t know what’s wrong with her—I don’t know if I can save her. And if I can’t—”

“Let me be frank,” Rooke said, sitting back and relaxing deeper into his plush chair. “I personally don’t care if the Rebel Queen lives or dies. These upcoming Trials are a hassle, and the planning of them is giving me indigestion. So many rules to follow, so much organizing to be done to prepare the four tasks, with missives arriving daily from every kingdom issuing advice and wanting to be kept informed. Thank the gods that only the Vallentis heirs are coming in person, since they’re going to cause me enough of a headache to last a lifetime.” Rooke pinched his lips together and continued, “But as frustrating as all this is, I’ve been ordered to see that Tilda Corentine’s sentence is carried out.”

The tightness of his features made it clear how he felt about these orders, especially after having been free to reign with little accountability until now.

“For that to happen, she needs to stay alive,” Rooke went on. “And for that to happen, you need to do your gods-damned job.” His face darkened as he added, “If Tilda doesn’t survive long enough to compete in the first Trial, it won’t just be Tipp’s life in danger. Do I make myself clear?”

Kiva’s heart was thumping in her chest. She swallowed and nodded, unable to form a verbal response.

Warden Rooke’s expression lightened. “You did well coming to me tonight, Kiva. I’m glad you listened the last time we spoke. Keep up the good work, and everything will be just fine.”

Again, Kiva nodded, still incapable of speech. His praise should have brought her some relief, confirmation that she’d given him enough information to remain useful for the time being. But what he didn’t know was what she’d withheld.

Cresta hadn’t just ordered Kiva to save Tilda’s life—Cresta had also said the Rebel Queen needed to remain alive until her rescue. A rescue that Kiva didn’t mention to Rooke, for fear of what it might mean for her own impending freedom—even if she had no idea when it would occur.