Red Ruse

Chapter Eighteen

Mare

A/N: Revision, first half added jun 11 2026

You've been getting too comfy, Mare.

Maven's words echo in my ears as I clutch the scrap of paper to my chest, as I stare into the distance with all the resolve I can muster. Three days. He gave me three days. Three days to sit with what I need, what I'll lose, all that hinges on keeping Volo's good will.

You can't run from this forever, darling.

I grit my teeth. The ghost of him comes back to me, the feel of his hands in mine, the way he pressed me against the wall and tipped my head back to stare at him. I don't need you, but you need me. And I'd love to help you, but only if you earn your keep.

My hands tremble. Kissing him wasn't enough. Seducing him wasn't enough. No. Maven wanted something deeper, more intrusive, a betrayal of all I was and all I ever could be.

I'll give you a moment to think on it. Until then–His breath had feathered my face, and even now, I still shiver. Don't forget who made you, Mare.

I chafe. The moon shines against the polished wooden floors, the dance and Cal's kiss echoing all around me. He was betraying his brother. I was betraying my cause. Neither of us knew how deeply Maven would betray us both.

"Ambassador Barrow." Ada's voice makes me jolt, more so when she halts in the middle of the room. "There's something we need to discuss with you."

I bite my lip, crumpling the piece of paper in my palm. The speech he'd written for me to perform, laid out in bare, sprawling ink. I swallow. "You too?" The speech burns, already sour on my tongue. "Great. Just what I needed."

She blinks, drawing back. "Apologies. I merely meant to ask what your intentions are."

My breath hitches. "Sorry." I brace myself against the wall, shaking. "I'm a little . . . jumpy."

"Understandable." Ada smiles, though it doesn't reach her eyes. "I would be too, were I in your position."

I grit my teeth. He can't make me. He can't force the words from my lips. But I don't live just for myself anymore. I have Newbloods counting on me, Reds I've lured into the waiting jaws of this court. If I let them down . . .

"I'm at a crossroads, Ada." I stare into the distance, hair falling in my face as I lower my head. "You know? And I don't know which path's the best one."

She bites her lip. "Is it true? What you said to Atara?"

I exhale, sharp. "I said nothing to her." I aim to brush a hair behind my ear, and end up clutching the side of my head. "She made a proposition to me. I read between the lines."

"Right." Ada cocks her head. "What do you think of it? Her proposal?"

My breath catches in my throat. "It's a fantasy. It'll never happen." My fingers dig deeper into my hair. "Even if I wanted it to."

"But do you?" She lays a hand on my shoulder. "Because if you did, I'd help you."

I stagger back, breaking free of her grip. Maven's words clench around me, the empty, empty promises that can never be. "Doesn't matter." I suck in a breath. "What could you even do?"

"I don't know yet." She looks down, a sharp breath. "But a red queen . . . think of what you could do. Not just for us. For all of Norta."

I lay a hand on my chest, biting my lip. "Maybe." I shake my head "But what of the cost?"