Bri’s lips pulled downward as she sidled to the bed. She perched on its edge, hanging her head for a moment with a sigh. “They’re not witch hunters anymore. They’re hunting royal fae.”

“What did Augustus promise them to make them kill their own Queen?” Carys mused.

“That is an excellent question.” Bri rubbed the back of her neck. “I need to find Delta.”

“I bet you do.”

“Quit it,” Bri growled at her smirking friend. “She was a fun pastime, that’s it. My Fate is to take a crown, not a partner.”

Bri stared down at her boots, thinking of the words she’d heard over and over her whole life: The Eagle will seize the crown from its sovereign. The prophecy that loomed over her was finally less frightening now that the Eastern throne was vacant. The thought of taking the Eastern crown from the petulant child that was Augustus Norwood thrilled her. It made sense. Her Fate was to rule the East, the land she had grown up in. She would settle things in Swifthill and then go back to the Eastern Court and prove the Fates spoke true.

“I am here to help the West and then I am gone again,” Bri said. “Delta has nothing to do with this.”

Carys stood. “Mm-hmm.”

“I hate you.”

“I love you too.” Carys ruffled Bri’s hair. “Now let’s go find some food and then some answers.”

Bri stood and begrudgingly wrapped her arms around her friend, pulling her into a tight hug. “I’m glad you’re here.”

Carys grinned against her shoulder. “I know.”

* * *

Bri and Carys plodded through the sprawling castle and down the labyrinth of twisting stairs. Upon each landing, short hallways greeted them, splintering out like the branches of a tree. The floors undulated from stone to tile in detailed patterns that made Bri wonder how people didn’t trip.

“It makes the Eastern decor seem lacking, doesn’t it?” Carys asked, eyeing the hallway tables adorned with painted clay vases and thick fragrant candles, woven artwork hanging above them. “Reminds me of your house.”

“My mother created her own little Swifthill in the Eastern Court,” Bri said, frowning at a painting of the savanna. The Eastern simplicity of carved wood adornments did seem lacking compared to the warmth of the Western decor. “She was so certain this was my destiny.”

Carys hummed in agreement. “What do you think she’ll do when she finds out you’re here?”

“Celebrate,” Bri snarled. “I’m sure she’s buying gowns for a coronation already.”

Carys moved in front of Bri, making her stop. “Are you sure you want to be here, Bri?” she asked, arching her eyebrow. Carys was one of the few people who knew about Bri’s mother. She knew how Bri was treated as a child and all the reasons Bri had severed ties with her mother long ago. “We could send someone else. . . . It doesn’t have to be you.”

“You should have heard Delta’s voice.” Bri jutted her jaw to the side. “I’ve never heard her sound so panicked. Ever.”