Red Ruse

Chapter Thirteen

Mare

She meets me in the shadows, the alleys of the courtyard that seldom catch the eye. There were more Newbloods this morning, a man whose skin was smooth as glass and hard as diamond. He glared at us, me most of all. I couldn't help but glare back.

"I don't trust you." My grip on her hand is iron, my smile a knife. "You know that?"

Elane laughs. "I would be a fool to guess otherwise."

A flicker of movement catches my eye, a head of sandy hair in the background. Too tall to be Lu. Too bold to be a servant. A noble without the good sense to stay away.

I snarl. "Who's your friend?"

She startles. Her eyes flicker to where I've pointed, widening. "Stay away from her." Elane tugs my sleeve. "We're not friends. We're not even enemies."

I blink. Elane's perfect mask has slipped, ghostly as Maven's for the first time. What demons lie beneath her smile?

I don't want to find out.

Anabel's estate was too far for my liking, an hour of Elane studying my face and peppering me with questions. Most were benign, such as how I found Whitefire, but others were more sinister, such as whether Maven had promised the Newbloods any titles. I don't engage, smiling until my face falls off.

The iron gates loom darker than before, the flames starker and more ominous. I find myself edging closer to Elane, who studies her nails and pretends I don't exist. My silence must've offended her.

A squeak resounds through the transport, and I stiffen. "What was that?"

"The wheels." Elane waves a lazy hand. "They do that sometimes."

It's my turn to squeak. "What?"

"Don't worry. Usually there's no accident." She props up her chin. "Usually."

I jolt, clutching the door. "I'm getting out."

"We're already here." Her hand grips mine as if afraid I'll flee. "Keep to the walls. We don't want to be thrown out before we have an audience."

My feet stumble onto the pavement, hands flinging against the iron bars. Elane leads me through the gates, falling behind once we enter. Our footsteps are louder than I expect, a strange echo off the marble. I swallow. "You ready?"

She chuckles.

I clutch my hand to my heart as we make our way through the halls, forcing myself not to glance behind. At some point, the echo stops, and I keep moving. Anabel's chambers are guarded by sentinels, and they frown as I knock. They don't say anything.

"Elane." I turn behind me, but there's only air.

Well.

Not quite.

Lupa grips my hands.  "I can help, I swear, just–"

The door creaks.

I hold an arm to hide her, but it's too late. Anabel surveys us both, eyes darkening. "You brought a Merandus here?"

"You recognized me?" Lu trips as she bows, stumbling into me. I narrowly avoid knocking into Anabel, bowing against the door as my palms begin to sweat. It had been her squeaking in the transport, not the wheels. Elane must still be behind us.

I swat at the air, lunging, but she's quicker, already long gone. Anabel watches me, skrunkling her brow. "Did you wish to bring me to your side by force?"

"I–" There is nothing left to say. Not anymore. Even if I revealed the truth, I would be proving myself too gullible to trust. I run, every sunbeam strengthening until they blind me. I trip.