“Where’s Dad?” he asks.
Mom shakes her head, a silent admission that she hasn’t yet broken the news.
“Shhh.” I wrap my arms around his little body
While the rebels ransack the Noble’s house, Mom and I sit side-by-side, each cradling a twin. I inhale Yoseph’s familiar scent and think of happier times.
We wait out the intruders for hours, and I drift into the first real sleep I’ve had in days. Partway through the night, Leo wakes me. He's dressed in a Harvester uniform and offers me a gentle smile.
“There’s no news on what’s going on in the palace.”
I stretch and yawn. “Oh. What about your friends?”
“They’re awake now.” His smile widens. “We’re going to Old Phangloria. Do you want us to bring your Mom and brothers?”
My brows draw together. “What’s that?”
“The underground city they talk about in the history books. It’s beneath the Oasis.”
Realization soaks through my sleepy haze. They never told us that the underground bunker where Gabriel Phan had developed to survive the wars was still functional. Leo stares at me with expectant eyes, and I realize I haven’t answered his question.
“Thanks for the offer,” I reply. “But I want them away from the Oasis.”
He nods. “Georgette said you would prefer them with the Thymels, but I wanted to check.”
“How is she?” I glance around the room.
Georgette stands in front of a closet with the now-awakened Nobles, who carry bulkier automatic rifles than the guitar-sized one wielded by Meadowhawk. Our gazes lock, and she offers me a sad smile.
“She blames herself for the death of that Harvester,” says Leo.
“It was an accident,” I murmur.
He raises a shoulder and grimaces, and I understand exactly what he means by the expression. Guilt doesn’t fade with a few well-chosen words.
“Where are the rebels?” I ask.
“They trashed the house and left hours ago,” he replies. “I’ve washed the vehicle you left downstairs. If we leave now, we’ll reach the Thymel compound before dawn.”
Mom yawns. “What’s happening?”
“Leo and Georgette will take you and the twins to a friend,” I reply.
“You’re not coming with us?” She blinks faster, as though trying to stave off fresh tears.
“I’ve got to find Prince Kevon before they—”
She grabs my arm. It’s the first time she’s touched me since I killed Dad. “Carolina will murder you for getting her sent to the Barrens.”
My mind drifts to the night Lady Circi brought me to the Rugosa dome, and I had to read out that awful speech. Carolina had begged me for help, but I couldn’t waver from my speech. If I disobeyed, the guards were under Queen Damascena’s orders to shoot Vitelotte’s entire family and everyone on that stage, including Carolina.
A knot tightens in my stomach, but I shove those feelings aside. Carolina won’t kill me immediately. She’s cold-blooded, calculating, but she isn’t impulsive. I’m also betting that some of the Red Runners might guess that I had been coerced into saying those things.
I meet Mom’s pleading eyes. “Carolina’s more likely to use my notoriety to further her cause. I’ll find a way to use that to save Prince Kevon.”
“If this is about what I said earlier, I’m sorry. It wasn’t your fault. I was the one who persuaded you to join the Princess Trials—”
“Mom.” I place my hands on hers. “This is nobody’s fault but the people manipulating others into killing. Trust me. I have friends in the Red Runners who won’t let me die.”
“I can’t lose you, too.”
Gathering Yoseph in my arms, I rise and settle him on the sofa next to Mom. “I’ll return to you with Prince Kevon as soon as I can.”
She nods, but the pain in her eyes says she’s not so sure.
I place a hand on Mom’s cheek and a kiss on her temple. After kissing the twins goodbye, I thank Leo and Georgette, nod a greeting to the Nobles, and smooth down my Harvester apron.
It’s time to step into the palace and face the Red Runners.
Chapter Three
We all stand in the mansion’s abandoned hallway. Glass covers the carpeted floors, and light flickers from what was once a beautiful atrium. Now, it’s just a skeleton of curved frames, strewn with wilting plants. Harvesters have never been so wasteful.
The Nobles are the first to say goodbye. Amon and Troy introduce themselves and assure me that they never doubted for a moment that my confession to Prince Kevon was coerced. Amon resembles Garrett and Prince Kevon, and is probably a close relative. He wishes me luck and copies the coordinates for my borrowed watch in case I need help once I’ve extracted the prince from the palace.
Georgette places a hand on my shoulder. “I’m sorry about earlier.”
I shake my head. “So am I.”
The tiniest of smiles curves her lips, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. Cricket and Meadowhawk’s deaths will haunt her dreams. “Good luck, Zea.” She pulls me into a hug. “I wish I could go to the palace with you—”
“Keep my family safe,” I murmur into her ear. “Since I passed the audition round, everyone’s used their lives to control me. Taking care of them means more than I can express.”
“Alright.” She draws back, leaving Mom to say goodbye.
Mom’s lips tremble, and fresh tears fill her eyes. “Are you sure about this?”
I nod. “Prince Kevon would save me if I was being held prisoner.”
Her brows draw together. She’s probably wondering why he let us suffer in that arena. There hadn’t been time to explain that Queen Damascena’s new lady-at-arms had attacked his heart and gotten him confined to a hospital bed.
“Remember what you said about the Nobles always crushing uprisings?” I ask her.
Mom shakes her head. “You didn’t see all that footage. Carolina’s people were thorough—”
“They probably didn’t account for the navy or the border guards, or any of the other systems in place to protect Phangloria.”
She reaches up and places both hands on my cheeks. “I can’t lose you, too.”
“If things look hopeless, I’ll come back.” I inject as much truth into my words as I can muster. There’s no way I’ll hide and let them execute Prince Kevon.
Mom bows her head. “Alright.”
Leo claps me on the back and wishes me good luck. He and Georgette each carry a sleeping twin and usher Mom through the hallway that leads to the underground parking space. As she walks through the door, Mom turns around, and our eyes meet. The desperation in her eyes makes me wonder if she’s memorizing me or if this is a last goodbye.
I straighten and offer her a determined smile. “See you soon.”
Her shoulders sag, and she steps into the darkened hallway.
A warm breeze streams in through the mansion’s broken front door, beckoning me toward the palace. Outside, the scent of burning metal drifts across the lawn expanse. Dawn feels an hour away, and the moon is still bright, illuminating the trees and pale wisps of smoke.