"I didn't do anything," I say immediately, which makes Jossie's expression darken even more. "We were just—""Gynith, Briar, please look after Alistair and make sure he doesn't bleed too much in preparation of our journey back to the camp," she commands without looking at them. "Come with me, Lora."She grabs my wrist and leads me to the side of the clearing. Her gaze is so sharp that I just want to cower, to cover my eyes so I won't see her anymore. But of course, she makes it impossible for me not to see. She stands before me, squaring her shoulders as though preparing for a fight."Jossie, I'm so sorry." I bite my lip. "I didn't know it would happen. We were just talking before I went and looked for you and—""Did you find the scroll?" she asks, her tone fairly calm. When I nod, she sighs. "Did it turn out to be fake?"I nod again. "He got mad."“I figured.” She massages her temples. “What did you do?”

The Demika Circus disguise is on. The carriage with its colorful banner is the first in the long lines of small carriages pulled by our strong horses. We’re on the fast track towards Gailis, and even though the journey is long, our crew is pumped with energy.It didn’t take any hard convincing to leave immediately. The moment Briar shared the news, Alistair was on the move, instructing everyone to pack up faster and load the carriages.“About eight miles, and we’ll finally be in Gailis,” Alistair announces, sitting in front of the carriage and steering the horses. He glances at all of us who are inside, flashing a smile. “You guys excited? Because I know I am.”“I would be more excited if we’re on steady ground,” Gynith says, sulking in the corner hugging her knees. Jossie told me that she tends to be sick whenever they’re traveling, and right now her face is in an awful shade of green. “I f

We’re underwater, yet there’s fire everywhere. On my skin, on my lips, all over my body. And when I feel Alistair’s fingertips brushing the sides of my waist, I almost lose it. I gasp, but his lips close over mine, kissing away the soft sounds and breaths that escape me. A blazing trail is left at the spots he caressed as his hands slide on my back, gently tracing the length of my spine until he cups my bottom and pulls me towards him. I feel something hard and long pressing against me, and a thrill invades my heart when I realize what it is. I bob up from the water, wrapping my arms around his neck and deepening the kiss. I’m drowning in him, slowly losing myself in the warmth of his skin and the firmness of his body. I’m moving with him as he starts to kiss me more urgently, his hands going from slow and gentle to needy and hungry. And as I get submerged in the sensation of him, images start to flash in my head. I see a big black wolf in a f

I look at the other side of the grand ballroom and catch Jossie’s eye. We’re both dressed in the white uniforms of servers, both holding flutes of liquor on gold platters, going around the place to offer drinks for the hundreds of guests. Tonight is the night. Everyone is in position, and tension is high. But I would say luck seems to be on our side. Getting inside the Governor’s mansion was surprisingly easy. We just had to wear the uniforms and go our separate ways, then we instantly got picked up by the ones in charge of the logistics aspect of the party. In no time, after lingering at the back door of the kitchen, Jossie, Gynith, and I were steered inside and instructed to hold drinks for the guests. Meanwhile, Alistair and Briar are just patrolling around the mansion. Kalem and Scion are waiting outside, hiding inside the carriage that we’ll use to get away. Everything is set, right from the beginning. We had a good start and now it’s up to us to keep it

Steeling my breath, I brace myself for who’s about to enter. Everything seems to be slowing into a stop, even time itself. From the length of the staircase, I can hear footsteps and scuffles, low muffled groans and hissed commands. My skin drumming with pain, my eyes watering as I keep my gaze fixed on the bottom of the stairs, but I still feel a clearTwo figures come in, shadows at first, elongating with the flickering light of the gas lamps.The room seems to draw breath when I see that it’s Alistair.And dragging him into the dungeon is no other than Briar.“Ah, there you are,” Governor Celso calls out to him gaily. “Bring him here. Right in front of the lady.”The sheer shock from what I’m witnessing is enough to paralyze me. For a second I’m not entirely sure of what I’m seeing. It’s Briar. Our supposed ally. The one who helped Alistair many times. Yeah, he’s not a good person,