The filtered light cast heavy shadows over the sitting area. Bold patterns of black, cream, and bronze covered the furniture. The room dripped in the trappings of the Western Court, from the finely crafted vases to the earth-toned patterned fabrics. Even though the Queen had banished Bri’s family from the West, trinkets from the Western Court had filtered into her home over the years—painted clay pottery, woven wicker furniture, and vibrant tapestries detailed in the bronze colors of the West. The furnishings felt both foreign and strangely familiar all at once.

A scuttling noise sounded from across the room, and Bri narrowed her eyes at the far door she assumed led to her bedroom. It could be a curtain blowing in the wind . . . or it could be an assassin. The Queen had just been murdered, after all. She couldn’t be too careful.

Her pack hit the ground with a hefty thwack as she unsheathed the amber dagger strapped to her hip. Moving on silent feet, she reached the far door, preparing to battle the intruder even as she twisted the knob.

Her eyes went wide as she threw open the door.

Carys lounged in an armchair, twirling her knife. A foxlike grin spread across her face as Bri gaped at her.

She smirked. “Happy to see me?”

“How in the Gods’ names did you get here before me?” Bri stumbled over her words as her mind whirled to keep up. “And what are you even doing here?”

“You’ve been so adamant to stay out of the West that you don’t know how to navigate it very well. It’s only a day’s ride from Valtene, if you know the right roads to take.” Carys winked. “I saw Talhan’s face when he returned to the tavern after you left, and I made him tell me everything.” Carys lifted her legs off the chair and planted her feet down on the plush rug. Flipping her knife in her hands, she said, “You thought you could just go off without me knowing? Me?”

“Carys—”

“Nope,” she said, cutting Bri off as she sheathed her knife. “I let you go north with Rua, but this? This is Swifthill, Bri. This is the place you’ve avoided your entire life, and I’m not letting you plunge into the belly of this beast without me.”

Bri dragged a hand down her face. “What about the Eastern Court? Aren’t you meant to be overseeing the election of a new sovereign?”

“The council has been assembled there now. They can handle most things, and Talhan will be there once he’s recovered too.” Carys shrugged as if it were that simple.

Bri quirked her brow. “Tal is going to help the council?”

“I know, his worst nightmare, right?” Carys chuckled. “But he’ll keep an eye on things while we sort out the West. He’s in no condition to be battling anyone right now. Besides, Augustus Norwood was last spotted heading out to sea along the Western coast. Being here is strategic for me as well. I’ll keep an eye out for Norwood while you help Delta get control over the witch hunters.”