Page 32 of Blood & Roses

“The mirror,” Tristan said, voice cracking. “She uses the mirror.”

“Explain,” Rowan demanded, leaning forward on his knees as he studied his brother.

Tristan opened, then closed his mouth as if unable to find the words. It was Sera who finally said, “It’s how she is controlling people. Tristan, the guards—all of them are under an illusion placed on them by that mirror.”

“She killed Father with poison,” Tristan said, shaking his head as his sky-blue eyes met his brother’s forest-green ones. So different, these brothers, although the mannerisms and facial structure were the same. “He offered me a whiskey, saying he had something important to discuss, and he was dead before I took my first sip.”

“How did you know it was Amira?” I asked, glancing at Sera who nodded to confirm. Mora must have seen this in his memories.

“I went to confront her,” he replied, shrugging with a bit of a wince. “I should have gone for the guards first, but I went to her. Found her standing before the mirror in her study. The big silver one she received last Winter Solstice,” he added to his brother. Rowan frowned as if trying to remember this gift, but Tristan continued, “I called for her, but she wouldn’t turn from the mirror, so I stalked up behind her and then…”

He trailed off, breath shuddering a bit. Sera was looking on with a raised brow, and I wondered again how they could be both allies and enemies in such a short space of time.

“She ensnared you,” Rowan finished for him, a hand on Tristan’s shoulder.

Tristan nodded and looked up at his brother, eyes lined with silver. “She did something. Convinced me Iwasa stag. She tried to kill me right there in her study, but I bolted as she called for the guards.”

“Who she also ensnared with the mirror,” I said, loosing a breath as I took in the prince. “It will be difficult to prove her guilt.”

“We need to prove nothing if she’s dead,” Rowan pointed out, looking at me darkly. “Only the guards were told Tristan murdered the king.” I noted that he didn’t refer to their shared father as such, but it wasn’t the time to press it. “She told the High King’s Guard that he was dead too. Murdered.”

“How exactly did she convince them of that,” Sera mused, turning to Tristan, “without your body? Surely they’d find the poison as well after testing your father’s blood.”

“I don’t know,” Tristan snapped, glaring at my sister, who gave him a sedate smile in return. “I assume through her various illusions.”

The vitriol with which he spoke to my sister made it suddenly clear to me why they were at odds. He didn’t trust her magic.

“Sera is not like your stepmother,” I said, feeling overprotective despite Sera’s seeming indifference to the prince’s hatred. “She would never—” Sera shot me a look that reminded me she certainlywoulduse her illusions for nefarious reasons. “Hurt anybody,” I finished lamely.

“Regardless,” Sera said, waving me off, “your plan is shit. It sounds like Amira is well-versed in poison, and there’s no way you’ll get close enough to touch her, Izzy. Not for long enough to incapacitate her so Rowan can kill her.”

“What doyoupropose then?” I asked.

Sera grinned, and I suppressed the chill of fear that ran down my spine. “I’m so glad you asked.”

Chapter 16

Itcouldwork, this mad plan of Sera’s. Every single thing would have to go right, but itcouldwork.

Sera’s illusion hid us, making the two of us invisible as we walked beside Rowan, who held his brother to his chest wrapped in a blanket from the inn.

“Are you sure about this?” I asked, speaking quietly so the crowd watching Rowan approach the glass palace wouldn’t hear disembodied whispering.

“No,” hissed Sera, visible to only me. I hadn’t had a chance to speak to her about Tristan, and her sharp look beneath the illusion told me now wasn’t the time. “But if Rowan can play his part, it will work.”

She had been right, of course, my devious little sister. Our original planhadbeen shit. Too many possibilities for failure. She was also right that we should have brought her along from the start, but I would never tell her so. Her ego was big enough.

Plus, if she had come, we wouldn’t have—couldn’t have—done what we had done the night before. I blushed, thanking the gods and Sera for my invisibility.

“I can play my part,” Rowan murmured in annoyance, approaching the stairs that led to the palace gates and wholly unaware of the filthy direction of my thoughts. “No more talking.”

I said a silent prayer to all the gods that the queen would buy our ruse. That the magic I’d used to lull Tristan into sleep, slowing his heart rate and breathing enough that he appeared to be dead, would hold. That Sera’s illusions would hold long enough for her to find the mirror, and for Tristan to fool the queen. I just had to keep my hands on him long enough for Rowan to do his part.

I held my breath as we approached the gate, two guards standing silent and blank-faced as they halted our approach with crossed spears.

“I have what the queen has been seeking,” Rowan said, his voice cold and empty. It was how the other hunters had spoken afterAmira sent them out, he’d said, and if he hoped to fool her into believing our ruse, he had to seem to be ensorcelled.

The guards lifted the blanket, revealing Tristan’s sleeping face. Sleeping, but apparently dead. They took in Rowan’s travel-worn clothes and bow, their eyes skipping over me and Sera completely as they nodded for him to pass.