Before she could say a word, I held up the bracelet for her to see, and she nodded in acknowledgment. I wore borrowed trousers and a shirt that North had scrounged up, but the Sorceress Imperial’s extravagant robes no longer had any effect on my confidence.

“I need to speak with you,” I said. “Immediately.”

North looked at me in surprise, but Hecate’s face did not betray her curiosity. After a moment she nodded again.

North took a step as if to go with me, but Oliver held out an arm and blocked his path. I cast a reassuring smile over my shoulder at him as we walked up the steps into the castle.

We made our way through the long halls and winding staircases in silence. The castle felt different to me now, subdued and dark. Everything in Auster had been so bright and clean, so well cared for, that in contrast Provincia seemed in danger of collapsing under the weight of dust and grime. How had the city—the kingdom—fallen into such neglect?

The interior of the Sorceress Imperial’s quarters was sparse, decorated only with maps and shelves of musty old books. She sat down in a leather chair, never taking her eyes off me. I sank down onto a settee. A portrait of a dark-haired family—a husband, wife, and their mischievous-looking son—looked down on us from the fireplace.

“I have very little time to waste on you,” Hecate said sharply. “If you’re expecting some sort of apology, you should realize how blessed you truly are that I haven’t had you killed.”

“What would killing me solve?” I asked bitterly. “I’m surprised you won’t just throw me out to the battle, hoping I destroy Auster without harming Palmarta.”

“Keeping you alive poses more of a threat. I only allowed them to go after you so Auster wouldn’t use you against us,” she said.

I shook my head, my anger building as she continued.

“Having you here is an even larger risk. If any one of us were to obtain your blood, he would become the most powerful wizard alive. You do know what you are, of course, but you have no idea what your presence does to the balance of magic in the world. In the past, jinxes have always been put to death for this very reason.”

“So why am I still alive?” I asked. “Why not kill me now and take the power yourself?”

Hecate held my gaze. “Why did you wish to speak to me?”

“I have information for you about Auster,” I said.

“You and my son have already provided me with information.”

“The situation has changed,” I said. “The king may be dead.”

“What madness is this?”

“They believed I was the vessel of their goddess, and asked for my blessing,” I began. By the time I had finished relating the story, Hecate’s face had gone stark white.

“Is there any proof of this?” she asked. “I won’t base the policy of this country on the word of a silly girl.”

“It’s the truth; ask Oliver,” I said. “This is your chance. If the king really is dead, there’s no reason to go ahead with such a foolish war. Make amends with the queen and find a peaceful solution.”

Hecate turned toward her desk, lifting a blank sheet of paper. When she looked up, I thought I saw real shame there.

“Get out,” she said harshly. “I have letters to write.”

I made my way back to my former quarters alone, wondering if my things were still where I had left them. I had thought about trying to find North, but with men and wizards filling the palace to capacity, it was like searching for a drop of water in the sea. Some stopped to look at me as I passed, but no one bothered me. It was a nice change.

After a considerable amount of wandering, I found the dark corner of the palace the Sorceress Imperial had assigned me. Unlocked, I thought, thank Astraea.

Inside, my room was almost exactly as it had been. My clothes were spread out across my bed, washed and folded. I picked up the blue dress my father had bought for me years ago in Provincia, holding it up to the light streaming through the window.

“It’s like you’ve never seen a dress before,” a voice said from the door. I spun around, to see Henry leaning against the doorframe.

“That’s my favorite,” he said. “It matches the color of your eyes.”

He took a step inside and shut the door behind him. My fingers tightened on the dress. I turned my back to him.

“I need to change and wash up,” I said. “Can we please talk later?”

“I want to know what’s going on. Why you’re dressed like that. Why you up and disappeared a week ago.” He put a hand on my shoulder, forcing me to turn around.

“I can’t tell you,” I said. Henry was staring at me with those brown eyes. I didn’t want to lie to him, but there wasn’t a chance in the world he would understand what was going on.

“Can’t, or won’t?” Henry asked. “The last time I checked, we were friends. We used to tell each other everything.”

“We’re not children anymore,” I said, and threw the dress down on the bed. “You keep acting like nothing’s changed, and you know it has.”

Henry took a step back. “Nothing has changed, Sydelle, not for me. But I can see that’s not the same for you.” He nodded toward the bracelet on my wrist. “Do I even need to ask who gave you that?”

“I’m sorry,” I said, choking on the words. “I don’t want to hurt you, but I can’t pretend anymore.”