Giles aimed his words at Rosalind, his gaze averted from Cordelia’s face. “It just hit me, at last, while we were waiting to get through the mist. Don’t you remember how Cordy led us through our forest back home? She knew the way out even though she’d never seen it. She told us exactly how close those knights were getting … just like she told us where these soldiers were before we could step into their trap.”

Cordelia swallowed, waiting. Lady Elianora hummed a quietly satisfied note of encouragement.

Rosalind frowned at Giles. “So?”

“There was no way for her to know any of that! But she wouldn’t explain to us how she did it, and there was no reason for her to keep it secret … unless …” He took a deep breath. “All this time, I thought she was only upset by something Grandmother said. I trusted that she wouldn’t keep anything important from us.

“But that wouldn’t explain everything else that she’s managed from the very beginning of this … until it finally occurred to me: What if she’s been talking to someone else all along?”

Cordelia blinked.

Rosalind said, “Who—?”

“Just think about it, Ros!” His rigid expression shattered; his next words were a cry of pain. “We only know two people who could do that—who would even want to do it in the first place. Who else could it be?” He shook his head, his flushed cheeks hollowing. “I should have figured it out—I even wondered, once or twice—but I couldn’t believe she would keep the two of them secret from us. Not until now.” He let out a bitter laugh. “Cordy doesn’t care to share any of her secrets with us anymore, does she?”

“Giles …” Cordelia began in a pained whisper.

But Lady Elianora’s voice was louder. “Clever boy,” she purred. “You can see now how she’s been tricking you all along, can’t you? The truth is, I’m the only one you two can trust anymore. That’s why she dragged you away from me before, without even giving me the chance to defend myself against her wild claims.”

Giles didn’t respond to her words—but his jaw hardened as he looked at Cordelia, his blue eyes fierce with pain and anger. “I don’t think you only talked to Connall once, after all. I think you’ve been talking either to him or to Mother all along—and lying to us about it every step of the way.”

“Don’t be an idiot!” Cordelia shoved herself to her feet, Lady Elianora’s grip an iron manacle around her wrist. “You know I wouldn’t do that!”