Page 83

“Perla,” I said, my voice containing all the anguish I’d felt upon seeing her here.

Keil’s smile fell. “I know. We’ll—”

The curtain rustled behind him, and my stomach flipped. I shoved Keil away, drawing upright. If anyone saw us like this—

The panic drained out of me. It was just Goren and Dashiel.

“What are you doing?” Goren growled. “Holden said you ran off like you were being chased.”

“Belated sea sickness,” Keil said smoothly. “She’s much better now.”

Goren eyed me suspiciously, and I looked away, not wanting to tell my trainer how close I’d been to landing us all in danger.

“Bad news,” Dashiel said, making my stomach plunge once again. “The attendant wouldn’t divulge much about the security breach, except that the Guard force has doubled outside Holden’s office building, covering every entrance. Including the service entrance.” He looked grimly between me and Keil. “We won’t be breaking into the office tonight.”

Or maybe ever, he didn’t have to say; the possibility was already looming over me. Yet it was a possibility I couldn’t entertain if we were to leave this island with the Unbreakable Blade.

I was already mentally scrambling for a new plan when Dashiel added, somber, “Valeria told us about Lady Perla.”

“Where is she?” I asked.

“She withdrew to her chambers.”

“But not before Holden made a remark about seeing her at midnight,” Goren added bleakly.

I flinched, a more potent fury rising in me. “We need to get her out of here.”

“Out where?” Goren asked. “Erik must have sent her here as tribute before Arun deployed his agents. Our main concern should be why. If this impacts the treaty—”

“A young woman is trapped here,” I hissed, “and all you care about is the treaty?”

“I care about completing the mission Rheya set us, and you should too if you want the Gallery’s protection. Or should I remind you that a Hunter may have already crossed into Banarrat looking for you?”

Keil stiffened, not yet having heard our theory that Mara was responsible for the security breach.

“We’re risking enough here trying to get the sword,” Goren continued. “Perla is not our problem. She’s a courtier, being treated as a person of honor.”

“She’s a prisoner, being treated as the main attraction in an animal enclosure,” I bit back. “Ansoran courtiers volunteered to come to Banarrat. Perla didn’t get a choice.”

“How do you know she didn’t?” Goren crossed his arms. “And that she’s not working with Erik right now, planning to feed him information about you?”

I faltered, suddenly uncertain. I’d known from Perla’s expression that she didn’t want to be here. But I’d also noticed that flash of anger when she’d seen me.

Could I really trust her?

“She helped me escape Erik,” I said, firm despite my doubts. “She wouldn’t be working with him.”

“Allegiances can change with the right incentive,” Goren said, and I winced, reminded of Erik’s own words. People can only bend so far before they break. What if he’d already broken her?

Keil slipped his hands into his pockets, frowning. “Val and I will be keeping Holden occupied during dinner tonight. We may not be able to access the office, but we can still exploit his distraction.”

“And if we can get Perla alone,” I said, my hope rising, “we can find out whose side she’s playing for.”

Goren looked me over. “Val said Perla didn’t seem happy to see you. She could sound an alarm if you go knocking on her door.”

I held his stare, determination now coursing through me. “Who said anything about knocking?”

The night air was heavy with moisture, a fabric mask cocooning my hot breaths. I’d worn black for this excursion, from my fitted blouse to the hood covering my hair, and resembled one of Keil’s companions from that long-ago night of my kidnapping.