Bri could barely hear her over the roaring of blood in her ears. She turned to her twin, tipping her head. “This way.”

She dropped from her horse, letting it bolt off into the gardens. She landed in a crouch and stood, her brother repeating the action a moment after her.

A shout rang out up ahead as the rest of their group barreled into the stables, distracting the guards. Rua and Renwick raced up behind the others, the Immortal Blade still in Rua’s grip. They would be okay, Bri told herself, even as she pushed her legs to the point of burning. She and Talhan ran around the outer walls, winding through the shadowed gardens, concealed by the heavy mist left in the storm’s wake. Panting, they reached the furthest tower, the top branches of a tree bursting from the dome.

“Here,” she breathed as shouts rang out from the stables. The battle was beginning and she had to get to Lina quickly.

The high arched windows of the Queen’s chamber flickered with soft firelight. There. Bri knew Lina would have pushed to be crowned immediately upon her return. She’d be in that room . . . if she was still alive.

Craning his neck up to the towering window, Talhan cursed. “We really have to climb that?” He whined as if he were being asked to finish his greens. “We could go up through the interior.”

“It will be barricaded with guards at every corner,” Bri said, already climbing over the bottom balcony. “This is faster.” She looked up again, sizing up the climb. “It’s balcony, window, balcony, ledge, window, and then that nick in the stone to climb into the archway.”

“A nick in the fucking stone,” Talhan grumbled, even as he climbed. “I wish you and I were still fighting.”

“No you don’t.” Bri grunted as she hoisted herself up to the second-story window ledge.

“No I don’t,” Talhan echoed, moving with a litheness that belied his lumbering frame.

Bri gripped the rain-slicked stone so tightly her fingertips bled. As one boot slipped out from under her, she placed the toe of her other foot into the nick in the stone and leapt. Her thighs burned as she sprung from the stone and her fingers gripped the highest window ledge. She got one hand over, using that purchase to lock her elbow over the sill. Rolling, she swung her leg over and tumbled unceremoniously through the window, crashing into the frame.

Glass shattered around her as she tumbled forward. Grabbing her dagger, she bolted to her feet. Five wide-eyed faces gaped at her.

“Bri?” Lina gasped.

Relief flooded through Bri at the sound of Lina’s voice, so potent she thought her stomach might rebel. Lina sat on her bronze throne, her battle-axe resting against the arm and the hollow eyes of the ram skull staring out over the room.