I don’t know about that, but if he can walk, he can take me back to Emberfall.

“You’re not going!” Jake says.

I slide out of my chair and move across the kitchen to fetch the surviving pieces of Grey’s armor. “I am. I couldn’t—” My breath almost deserts me, and I turn back to the table with his bracers and greaves. “I couldn’t save Mom, but I can do this.”

When I drop them on the table in front of Grey, Jake grabs my arm and turns me around. His grip is almost painful. “You aren’t doing this, Harper. I don’t know where you think you’ve been or what you think you’ve been doing, but this sounds like an elaborate setup. If I have to drag you into your room and lock you in there—”

All of a sudden he’s jerked away from me. Noah scrapes out of his chair in alarm.

Grey has Jake’s arm twisted up behind his back and his dagger point sits at the soft bit of skin just below Jake’s ear. “You will do no such thing,” he says.

I look up at my idiot brother’s wide eyes and sigh. “I wasn’t lying when I said he was scary.”

“Let me go,” he grinds out.

My eyes shift to Grey. “Let him go before you hurt yourself. I’ll help you put your armor on.”

He does, and Jake jerks free. Grey eases back into the chair, trembling again.

“Keep doing that,” says Noah, “and you’re going to rip those stitches out.”

“Harper,” says Jake, his voice dark—though he doesn’t touch me this time. “You can’t do this.”

“I can.” I kneel and pull the boots over to Grey. “And I will.”

Grey is sweating and pale and breathless by the time he’s replaced the surviving armor. I want to beg him to wait. But he holds my gaze and I know he won’t. If I won’t come, he’s still going back. If Rhen is gone, he has people to protect.

Jake hasn’t said a word. He’s silently fuming, watching all this from where he stands, leaning against the kitchen counter.

“At least wait until morning,” says Noah. “One night. Six hours. Give the stitches time to set.”

“I do not have a night, healer,” says Grey. His voice is breathy. “Nor does Emberfall.”

“How are you going to keep her safe?” says Jake. “What if you go back and you’re attacked?”

“We will be cautious,” says Grey. He grips the table to help push himself to his feet.

“Cautious? You’re crazy. All of this is crazy.”

A knock sounds at the door and we all freeze.

It’s nearly midnight.

What did Jake say when he came in with coffee?

There’s a car outside. I think it might be Lawrence’s guys.

I look at Jake. “What do we do?” I whisper.

He doesn’t have time for an answer. Wood splinters, men shout, and two men burst through the doorway, guns drawn and aimed. “Those necklaces were worth a lot. What kind of game are you playing here?”

Jake shoves me behind Grey. Noah’s weight presses against my back.

“There’s nothing,” Jake says. “We don’t have anything.”

“Who’s this guy?” says one of the men.

Grey moves. Drawing a weapon, I think. I can’t see.

A gun is cocked. A bullet will beat a blade. This is all happening too fast. We need a plan. A course of action. We need—

The gun fires. I flinch.

And then we’re in the woods, autumn warmth pressing around us. In the distance, torches hang at regular intervals, marking the castle territory. I’m still half ducking. My ears ring from the gunfire.

We’re in exactly the same position we were before: Grey and Jake in front of me, with Noah beside me. Everyone is standing. Everyone is breathing. My heartbeat is so loud I almost can’t hear anything else.

“What just happened?” says Jake. “Where are we?”

“Emberfall,” I whisper.

“But—what happened?”

“Wait,” says Noah. “Wait.” He sounds like he’s on the edge of panic. I remember that feeling.

Grey turns and looks at me. He’s so pale, even in the dark. “We must walk. Karis Luran’s soldiers have moved close. The castle could be …” He blinks hard. “We must walk.”

Without warning, he’s falling again.

Jake catches him like he did in the doorway.

“This feels super cautious,” he snaps. But because he’s Jake, and he does what needs to be done even if he doesn’t want to, he gets Grey’s arm around his neck and holds him upright.

“You there! Halt!” Three soldiers appear from between the trees. Bows are drawn, three arrows pointed at us from all sides. In the dark, I don’t recognize any of them.

“It’s the commander!” one yells. “Lieutenant!”

Grey is all but unconscious, most of his weight supported by my brother.

I don’t know if they recognize me, but I’m in jeans and a sweatshirt—not exactly princess attire. They definitely don’t know Jake and Noah. Our situation does not look good.

A fourth soldier steps out of the trees with a sword drawn. “Explain yourselves.”

I recognize him. Thank god. “Jamison.” I’m so relieved that I almost run forward to hug him.

He sees me and blinks. “Princess.” I watch his eyes flick up and down my form, and then he looks at the soldiers. “Stand down.”

They lower their arrows—but not all the way.

That alone tells me how far I’ve fallen in their esteem.

Mentally, I’m trapped between Emberfall and DC. I wasn’t ready to snap right out of my kitchen into the role of Princess Harper. I need to get it together or I’ll unravel whatever’s left. “Commander Grey is injured. He needs assistance.”

“We saw the monster seize him.” A weighted pause. “We searched for his body. We thought he was dead.”

He’s looking for some kind of explanation.

Think, Harper. Think.

“I was returning to the castle when the monster attacked my entourage,” I say. “My carriage was destroyed. We were forced to proceed on foot. We came across Commander Grey, and luckily my healer was with me.” I glance at Noah.

He’s staring back at me incredulously.

Please, I think. Please don’t mess this up.

I imagine what Rhen would do in this same situation.

“Have your men carry the commander,” I say. “I’ll need a room and supplies for my healer. We’re prepared to assist with those injured by the monster.”

“Harper,” says Jake, his voice low and warning.

The soldiers all turn to look at him. Arrow points raise a few inches.

“Who is this man?” says Jamison.

I look at the sword hanging in his hand. The arrows sitting nocked. Whatever happened with Karis Luran has deeply damaged any trust Rhen and I built.

“My brother,” I say. “Prince Jacob. Heir to the throne of Disi. Captain of … of the Royal Army. We’ve heard of the lies spread by Karis Luran, and we are here to fight.”

Jamison hesitates—but then he gives Jake a nod. “Forgive me, Your Highness. We are on alert. There have been rumors of soldiers from Syhl Shallow in the woods. And the monster, of course.”

“Forgiven,” says Jake. His voice is hollow. I reach down between us and squeeze his hand.

“Help the commander,” Jamison orders his men. He gives me a nod as well. “We are pleased to have you return, Princess. We’ll escort you to the castle.”

CHAPTER FORTY-NINE

MONSTER

Harper?

Pain.

Sleep.

CHAPTER FIFTY

HARPER

The castle is darker than I’ve ever seen it, even at night—every window has been barred. Candles burn through suddenly claustrophobic hallways. Two of the soldiers have taken Grey to the infirmary, but Jamison personally leads us to my chambers.

The stationed guardsmen at the end of my hallway study me warily now, but Freya sweeps me into her arms when she sees me. “Oh, my lady,” she says, her voice hushed because so much of the castle is asleep. “I’ve been so worried. The talk has been so troubling. How is your mother?”

She’s so warm and soft and smells like home. I didn’t realize how desperately I needed a hug until her arms came around me. I cling to her. My voice breaks. “Freya. She died. I barely made it in time to say goodbye.”

“Ah. So sad.” Her hand strokes up my back. “I am so sorry.”

Then I see Zo, a short distance back. My guard. My friend. If she looks at me with distrust, I don’t know if I’ll be able to take it.

She strides forward and tackles me with a hug that nearly knocks me off my feet.

I hug her back. Tears spring to my eyes for a new reason. “I missed you so much.”

“I thought I would never see you again,” she says. “I asked the commander to allow me to come after you.”

A man coughs behind me, and then Jake says, “Uh, Harp?”

His voice isn’t unkind, but it’s a reminder that they’re stuck here with me—at least until Grey can wake up. I sniff and get myself together. “Sorry.” I straighten. “Zo and Freya, this is my brother, Jacob.” I force myself to speak without hesitating. It’s one thing to play a role myself; entirely another to rope my unprepared brother and his boyfriend into it. “The Crown Prince of Disi. And Noah, the king’s personal healer.”