“That’s actually another reason the Council is offering you this appointment,” Grady added as Sophie’s skin turned prickly with responsibility. “They want to send a message—loud and clear—that you’re officially on their side.”

Sophie chewed her lip. “Am I on their side, though?”

“I think it’s time for you to be,” Grady admitted. “If the Neverseen are working to sway the public to their side, then the best thing you can do—for yourself, the Black Swan, and the Council—is prove that you’re not some rogue rebel circumventing our weak leaders. Show everyone that you’re a valuable ally working in unison with the Councillors because you respect and trust their authority. Make the Council look good, if you can. And take advantage of the resources that only a Regent is entitled to have.”

“Like what?” she asked. “I still don’t even know what a Regent is.”

“Their specific duties and privileges vary,” Edaline told her. “So try to think of it more as ‘redefining your relationship with the Council.’ You’d be one step closer to being their equal, and as such, they’d grant you the power to make certain decisions that an ordinary citizen wouldn’t be authorized to make. Like… choosing moments to bend the rules of telepathy—or break them. Or when to teleport to important places, even if they’re technically forbidden.”

“So… things you already do—but now you wouldn’t get in trouble for them,” Grady teased, jostling her gently. “And there’s a lot more to it than that. But, like Edaline said, it’s hard to know the specifics until you have your first assignment.”

“They’re going to give me an assignment?”

“They’re going to give you lots of assignments,” Grady corrected. “That’s why the nobility exists—to provide the Councillors with reliable people who can assist them with the projects they either don’t have time for, or that require special skills. The title just provides you the clearance to access classified secrets and the authority to act on the Council’s behalf.”

“Lady Sophie,” Edaline said, her voice all singsongy.

Sophie winced.

Keefe would have way too much fun with that.

“Please tell me people won’t have to curtsy to me,” she mumbled.

Grady laughed. “They won’t have to unless you demand it. But they’ll probably do it on their own. Or bow.”

She groaned.

It was bad enough walking through the halls of Foxfire surrounded by all of her bodyguards. If people were dipping curtsies or bowing, she might as well ask Magnate Leto to set up a permanent spotlight to follow her around.

“What happens if I don’t want to be a Regent?” she whispered.

“Then you won’t be a Regent,” Grady said simply. “No one’s going to force you to accept the appointment. But at least hear the Council out before you make up your mind, okay? I know they’ve made some huge mistakes, so I don’t blame you for having reservations. I’m sure you remember how hard I resisted becoming an Emissary again after what happened with Jolie. But… I think the problems we’re facing with the Neverseen are reaching a point where having the Council on your side is going to be essential. For example, the title will be a huge help when you’re dealing with King Enki. He responds better to those with obvious authority.”

“Will the Council tell me what my first assignment will be before I have to decide?”

She’d have to make sure it wouldn’t interfere with everything Mr. Forkle needed her to work on—and the search for her genetic parents—and Keefe’s missing memories—and Tam—and…

“I know you have a lot going on,” Grady promised. “And so does the Council. I got the impression that their assignment will be right in line with everything you’re already tackling. But we’ll find out more tomorrow. They wanted to explain everything to you personally.”

She blew out a breath, wishing she didn’t have to ask her next question. “Will I have to tell them I’m unmatchable?”

“That’s up to you,” Edaline jumped in. “If you’re worried that there will be problems once they find out, then it might set your mind at ease to clue them in and see what they say. But it’s also private information—and it’s a status that may very easily change if you track down your biological parents. So, you’re definitely not required to share.”

“Take the night and sleep on it,” Grady recommended, leaning in and kissing her on the forehead. “You’ve had a long day. I’m sure everything will feel clearer in the morning.”

Sophie grabbed his wrist to stop him from leaving. “Wait. You didn’t tell me what the Councillors said about the Neverseen probing Tam’s memories.”

She was really getting tired of all the matchmaking drama sidetracking her from the bigger problems they were facing.

But Grady shrugged. “They actually weren’t worried—but that might be because Tam doesn’t know anything that specifically compromises the Council.”

“I take it that means you didn’t tell them I lost Kenric’s cache?” Sophie asked, even if “lost” wasn’t technically the right word to describe what happened.

“I didn’t,” Grady agreed, “because if the Neverseen had a way to open the cache, they would’ve used it already. And that’s actually what the Council said about all the secrets that were stolen from Tam. The Neverseen have had that knowledge for long enough to do something with it, and yet nothing’s changed. So the Councillors feel that the more important lesson is for the Black Swan to be much more open with them in the future, to ensure that our enemies never have more knowledge than our leaders.”

“But shouldn’t we—”

“I’ll update Grady on all the things Sandor told me about Tam and Keefe while you get some sleep,” Edaline interrupted, snapping her fingers to make Sophie’s dinner tray disappear. “Try not to stress. You’ve done all you can for today.”

“But—”

“You need to rest,” Edaline insisted, pulling the covers back so Sophie could crawl underneath. “Sandor told me what happened with your echoes—and thank goodness Flori’s song was able to calm them again. But that was still an incredibly close call, and you need to let your body recover.”

Sophie wanted to argue, but… she was pretty wiped.

The exhaustion hit even harder when Edaline turned off the lights.

“Sleep,” Edaline told her. “That way you can get back to work tomorrow feeling as strong as possible.”

“Sweet dreams,” Grady added, which should’ve been impossible, given her current list of worries. But Silveny reached out telepathically after Grady and Edaline left, filling Sophie’s head with soothing scenes of Wynn and Luna snuggling.

The nuzzle-filled memories left Sophie just enough concentration to warn Silveny to keep Wynn away from the gorgodon. Then she drifted off into dreams filled with cuddly alicorn babies.

Somewhere in the night, though, the scenes shifted to glittering castles and cheering faces. And among them were two blurry figures—one male, one female—standing apart but somehow also together.