I tried counting crows, but it was no use. Despite the murkwood-induced grogginess, my mind wouldn’t rest. Not with my hand aching despite the pain tonic, not with so many unanswered questions rebounding in my head, and not when my fate and the fate of my kingdom would be decided in the next couple of days.

Then there was Ericen. I didn’t know what to make of him. He was a product of his mother’s neglect and cruelty, but he could change. I’d meant what I had said to Kiva: Illucia needed a ruler like him.

And he likes me.

Guilt rattled my chest. Using Ericen’s feelings for me to manipulate him into joining me was something Razel would do. No, I hadn’t given Ericen any reason to think I thought of him as anything more than a friend. Besides, manipulation required subtlety. Not my greatest skill. But maybe that was okay. If he didn’t immediately refuse to ally with me, it might mean he was interested and willing to listen.

I groaned and pressed the fingers of my uninjured hand to my temples, the beginnings of a headache threatening. This was too much to think about at midnight after a long day, but sleep still proved elusive.

Carefully, I slid out of bed. My dress had been replaced with a thick nightgown and a long pair of socks, which I covered with my boots. A cloak hung in the corner, and I secured it over my shoulders before slipping outside.

The sona lamps scattered throughout the training grounds were dim, the moonlight mostly obscured by clouds. The cool air soothed my stress and the heat of my burns. I took a deep breath, then froze.

I wasn’t alone.

I turned but saw no one. A presence in the shadows pulled at me. Familiar, quiet, comforting. I followed it. The feeling grew stronger as I entered the lounge beside the training grounds, then followed the hallway past the kitchens and servant quarters. I was about to round another corner when voices echoed down the corridor.

“Is everything ready?”

Shearen. I stopped, pressing my back to the wall.

“Yes, my lord. The queen has requested your presence,” responded a female voice.

“Fine. Leave.”

I slipped into a nearby alcove, trying to make myself as small as possible as an older servant bearing a torch walked past. Once she was out of sight, I crept to the edge of the hallway and peered around in time to see Shearen disappearing around another corner.

Keeping my steps light, I followed, staying a good distance behind as he took turn after turn deeper into the belly of the castle. The humming grew stronger, dancing through my veins and settling in my stomach, drawing me closer.