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“Honestly, I haven’t seen her. She’s not here.”

I watch my sister suspiciously.

“She’s not here? Or you haven’t seen her?” Her nervous chatter is a dead giveaway that Birdy is hiding something. “Which is it?”

“Shouldn’t you be, like, helping the queen or something since you’re head of the Guard?”

“Or something.”

I’ve had my eye on her all night… until I was pulled away. How could I have royally screwed up so badly?

Dammit!

“Where were you anyway? You said you were locked out?”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m here now.”

The crowd parts, and the queen moves so quickly toward me it’s as if she’s floating.

Murmurs and whispers of the missing princess spread like wildfire.

“You two! Come with me. Now!” The queen’s smile is so tight it looks painful.

“What did I do?” Birdy cries out as she grabs her bare arm.

“Exactly, my little bird. What did you do?”

My sister looks to me with genuine fear in her eyes.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Your Majesty. Birdy has been with me the whole time, since I rescued her from those vile twins from the Seventh.”

The queen looks back and forth between us. I’m not sure if she’s buying the story I’m peddling, so I decide to turn the tables and pray I live to regret it.

“Where were you?” I question her, earning me a glare.

“I was locked in the chapel with Draven.” The queen watches Birdy for a reaction.

She gives nothing away, and thankfully, the queen turns her anger back to me.

“Where were you?” she hisses, careful to keep her dark lips in a smile.

“Like I said, with Birdy.”

She walks a slow circle around us, weighing my words. Hopefully, the scales tip in our favor because the crowd’s patience won’t hold for long.

“How ironic is that the only two people in this entire castle, besides myself, to have contact with the princess were together when she just, poof, disappeared?” Her long nails click together violently when she snaps her fingers. “And yet neither of you saw a thing?”

“No—” Birdy starts, and I shake my head at her to let her know I will handle this.

She’s obviously done enough.

“It was chaos. Did you expect anything less having the Twelve all in one place?” The twelve separate kingdoms that make up the Haeream Realm used to be united as one, operating together in balanced harmony, like numbers on a clock, until the queen’s promise of power and enchantment divided the kingdoms twenty-one years ago after the fall of King Philip.

“Are you sure the Twelve are the only ones here? Because one of the other men said he thinks he saw one of those filthy dogs here.” She’s talking about Lucien.

The disdain on her face at the mere thought of one of the Brothers Lycan being here tonight. They might be a part of her kingdom, but she will never rule them, and therefore, they are forbidden inside the castle walls until they bend a knee and pledge their gift to her.

“Which guard was that?” He will need to be dealt with. No one can know that one of the secret Brotherhood was here to see me tonight, to deliver a message. Or a threat, depending on what I do with the information I was given when my sister set the princess free.