There is a serial killer in Castle Krakenburg. And they're plotting to murder the Queen of Nohr.
Prince Leo is in charge of the investigation, but with no evidence and little time, he's struggling to keep his sister safe. He desperately needs help...
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When I woke up the next morning, Commander Jago was standing outside my cell.
Leo had not found any evidence to prove my innocence.
Commander Jago came in and wrapped a big, strong length of rope around my wrists. The feel of it chilled my heart. This was it.
He said nothing to me as we walked out the dungeons and up the steps to the castle; nothing as he marched me down the corridors; nothing as he pushed me towards the group of wyverns that were waiting on the platforms outside.
King Xander, Queen Kassandra, Princess Camilla, Leo, Elise, all their retainers, and a handful of the Royal Guard were there. They, too, were all silent, as if they were already observing my death. King Xander's expression gave nothing away, but Queen Kassandra turned her head from the scene, crossing her arms over her chest and showing him her back. Princess Camilla touched her shoulder tenderly. Elise's eyes were red from crying, and now more tears slid down her cheeks.
Leo was standing at the head of them all, his hands clasped behind his back and his posture like Crown Prince Leo, the way he had been when I'd first met him. But his eyes were filled with grief.
I looked away. Commander Jago guided me towards the wyverns.
"Hold!" Leo called, his voice echoing in the solemn silence.
Jago froze.
I looked over my shoulder at the royal family. Leo had moved his hands from behind his back and clenched them into fists. "Captain Grace will ride with me."
King Xander frowned. "Leo --"
"Captain Grace will ride with me." He spun on his heel to face his older brother, and the temperature of the castle grounds dropped.
Even though they were family, I thought that Leo had probably overstepped the mark. It felt as if the order of the whole universe was balancing on a knife's edge.
King Xander sighed and broke eye contact, turning away. When he spoke, his voice was weary. "Fine. Bring Captain Grace to Leo's wyvern."
Commander Jago marched me back over to them. As King Xander and Queen Kassandra went one way and Elise and Princess Camilla went the other, only Leo remained still.
When we reached him, Jago backed away. Leo stepped forward and put his arms around me.
"Leo," I whispered against his shoulder. I could feel the eyes of almost everyone in our company upon us.
"It doesn't matter," he said, even though I would have bet that he was blushing. "I don't know how you have managed to get so far under my skin, but I will help you to escape from Windmire today or die trying."
He pulled away and put his hand on the rope that was binding my wrists together, leading me towards the wyvern that Niles was holding.
Leo gave me a leg-up onto the beast so that I was sitting in front of the saddle. Then Niles helped him on, and he put one arm around my waist. "As you can't hold on to anything, this should stop you from falling."
