Page 146 of Of Masks and Fury

I felt Trew’s hesitation in the way his fingers tightened on my waist. He was still learning to trust, still fighting the instinct to keep everything close.

I covered his hand with mine, a silent reminder that he wasn’t alone in this.

He took a breath and released it. “We’re moving forward with freeing the prisoners in Caldrith’s dungeons. I told them I had to leave for a few days, though I didn’t tell them where I was going, but that when I return, I’ll tell them my plan, and we’ll act before the Day of Mercy.”

“All that at once?” I said, anticipation and worry racing through me. A few days wasn’t much time to prepare for somethingso dangerous, but enough that we wouldn’t be rushing in without a solid plan. It wasn’t like we had a choice. We had to seal the veil or… Well, I didn’t want to think of a world where we didn’t.

“That’s tight timing,” Derren said, lifting a piece of cheese and popping it into his mouth. He grabbed another and held it in front of Dare’s nose. Dare’s whiskers twitched, and he snatched the cheese from Derren’s fingers without even opening his eyes.

“It has to be,” Trew said. “They’re scheduled to die. I won’t let that happen.”

Warmth bloomed in my chest. This man, who’d been raised as a king, who understood strategy and politics and the careful dance of power, was willing to risk everything for people he’d never met, solely because it was right.

“How?” Kerralyn asked. “Caldrith’s dungeons are heavily guarded. You two barely escaped the last time you went there. You won’t be able to bring them all out through the tunnel you used to escape. And don’t forget the lovely army that will soon march this way.”

“We have a possible way in.” Trew’s voice remained carefully neutral. “Details are still being worked out, but there’s hope.”

“Such as?” Derren asked.

I explained about Naveah and the tunnels.

Derren nodded. “Perfect.”

“We’ll go in, break them out, then flee on dragons,” Trew said. “The fine details will be worked out over the next few days while we prepare for the advancing force.”

I nodded.

“What did your advisors have to say about you stealing prisoners from Caldrith’s dungeon?” Lexie’s eyebrows rose. “That must’ve been an interesting conversation.”

“They have valid concerns.” Trew lifted his cup, and I shifted enough that he could drink. “There are significant strategic risks.”

We both reached for bread at the same time, then laughed. He loaded a slice with meat and handed it to me. I did the same for him, our fingers brushing in the exchange.

“They also understand the value of offering a home to Caldrith’s condemned,” Trew said around a bite.

“You’re not doing this for strategic value,” I said, turning my head enough to meet his gaze. “You’re doing it because you can’t stand the thought of anyone else dying for the crime of possessing magic.”

His eyes softened, and he kissed my temple. The gesture was brief but tender, and it made my heart squeeze. “You see through me clearly, Minx.”

“Someone has to.”

Pherin made an approving sound from the headboard. On the windowsill, Gavelle added his own chitter of agreement.

Even with the wards Trew had placed around my room, I couldn’t shake the feeling that we were missing something. I trusted my friends. But someone in the corridors and chambers of the palace was paying attention to our movements. They’d already proven they were willing to betray us. Kill us.

Derren cleared his throat, drawing my attention. “Speaking of strategy and information, we found some interesting things in the library tonight.”

Right. We’d been so focused on Trew’s council meeting that I’d nearly forgotten the stack of discoveries waiting to be discussed.

Lexie shifted, scooping Levar off the floor and placing him on the bed. She offered him a bite of meat, and he wiggled as he ate it. “We didn’t find everything we were hoping for, but we found enough to raise more questions.”

“Because we definitely needed more mysteries,” Trew said dryly.

Lexie pulled out a folded piece of parchment, handling it with the kind of care reserved for ancient artifacts. The edges looked water-damaged, the ink bleeding in places where moisture had seeped through the fibers.

“Where did you get that?” Kerralyn asked.

“I borrowed it from the library.”