Cove- Unknown Page 0,3
Sentinels, the
other guards and officers posted throughout
the palace, and of course Maven himself. I’m
not leaving this place unless I leave behind
his corpse—or mine.
I think about killing him. Wrapping my
chain around his neck and squeezing the life
from his body. It helps me ignore the fact
25/1016
that every step takes me deeper into the
palace, over white marble, past gilded, soar-
ing walls, beneath a dozen chandeliers with
crystal lights carved of flame. As beautiful
and cold as I remember. A prison of golden
locks and diamond bars. At least I won’t have
to face its most violent and dangerous
warden. The old queen is dead. Still, I shiver
at the thought of her. Elara Merandus. Her
shadow ghosts through my head. Once she
tore through my memories. Now she’s one of
them.
An armored figure cuts through my glare,
sidling around my guards to plant himself
between the king and me. He keeps pace
with us, a dogged guardian even though he
doesn’t wear the robes or mask of a Sentinel.
I suppose he knows I’m thinking about
strangling Maven. I bite my lip, bracing my-
self for the sharp sting of a whisper’s assault.
But no, he is not of House Merandus. His
armor is obsidian dark, his hair silver, his
26/1016
skin moon white. And his eyes, when he
looks over his shoulder at me—his eyes are
empty and black.
Ptolemus.
I lunge teeth first, not knowing what I’m
doing, not caring. So long as I leave my
mark. I wonder if Silver blood tastes differ-
ent from Red.
I never find out.
My collar snaps backward, pulling me so
violently my spine arches and I crash to the
floor. A bit harder and I would’ve broken my
neck. The crack of marble on skull makes the
world spin, but not enough to keep me down.
I scramble, my sight narrowing to Ptolemus’s
armored legs, now turning to face me. Again
I lurch for them, and again the collar pulls
me back.
“Enough of this,” Maven hisses.
He stands over me, halting to watch my
poor attempts to repay Ptolemus. The rest of
the procession has stopped too, many
27/1016
crowding forward to see the twisted Red rat
fight in vain.
The collar seems to tighten, and I gulp
against it, reaching for my throat.
Maven keeps his eyes on the metal as it
shrinks. “Evangeline, I said enough.”
Despite the pain, I turn to see her at my
back, one fist clenched at her side. Like him,
she stares at my collar. It pulses as it moves.
It must match her heartbeat.
“Let me loose her,” she says, and I won-
der if I misheard. “Let me loose her right
here. Dismiss her guards, and I’ll kill her,
lightning and all.”
I snarl back at her, every inch the beast
they think I am. “Try it,” I tell her, wishing
with all my heart that Maven would agree.
Even with my wounds, my days of silence,
and my years of inferiority to the magnetron
girl, I want what she offers. I beat her before.
I can do it again. It is a chance, at least. A
better chance than I could ever hope for.
28/1016
Maven’s eyes snap from my collar to his
betrothed, his face falling into a tight, sear-
ing scowl. I see so much of his mother in
him. “Are you questioning the orders of your
king, Lady Evangeline?”
Her teeth flash between lips painted
purple. Her shroud of courtly manner
threatens to fall away, but before she can say
something truly damning, her father shifts
just so, his arm brushing her own. His mes-
sage is clear: Obey.
“No,” she growls, meaning yes. Her neck
bends, inclining her head. “Your Majesty.”
The collar releases, widening back to size
around my neck. It might even be looser
than before. Small blessing that Evangeline
is not so meticulous as she strives to appear.
“Mare Barrow is a prisoner of the crown,
and the crown will do with her as it sees fit,”
Maven says, his voice carrying past his volat-
ile bride. His eyes sweep through the rest of
29/1016
the court, making his intentions clear.
“Death is too good for her.”
A low murmur ripples through the
nobles. I hear tones of opposition, but even
more agreement. Strange. I thought all of them would want me executed in the worst
way, strung up to feed vultures and bleed
away whatever ground the Scarlet Guard has
gained. But I suppose they want worse fates
for me.
Worse fates.
That’s what Jon said before. When he
saw what my future held, where my path led.
He knew this was coming. Knew, and told
the king. Bought a place at Maven’s side with
my brother’s life and my freedom.
I find Jon standing in the crowd, given a
wide berth by the others. His eyes are red,
livid; his hair prematurely gray and tied into
a neat tail. Another newblood pet for Maven
Calore, but this one wears no chains that I
can see. Because he helped Maven stop our
30/1016
mission to save a legion of children before it
could even begin.