allowed to bring her backpack and was led to the conservatory, where Amaranthus sat in a fan-backed chair of white wicker, her court surrounding her. Jazzy music crackled in the background as a man sang about not wanting to set the world on fire. Sylvie, in a little dress of gray gauze and striped stockings, sat tensely in a chair. Narcissus Mockingbird leaned against it. At his feet was a small cage with the moth fluttering inside.
Amaranthus rose to address her people. “Are you all afraid of this little girl?” She sauntered across the floor, her ring-decorated hands holding up the hem of her gown, revealing her scratched legs and dirty feet. “You should be. She’s a queen killer . . . and she’s going to pay.”
She gestured to a set of glass doors frosted with images of birds in flight. The doors opened to admit two figures in hooded coats. The one in the lead flung back its cowl to reveal Caliban Ariel’Pan. He smiled at Finn and said, “I had more teeth and claws than the Jacks and Jills did.”
Then his companion drew back her hood and reality crashed to pieces around Finn. “Lily?”
The last year had never been. Her sister had never killed herself. The funeral and the numb days afterward, when sleeping had been more of a comfort than living, had been a lie. All of it, all of it, had been a Fata trick. Because Lily Rose, fierce and flushed with life, stood across the room from her, in a black gown beneath a coat shimmering with rain. Finn felt a dazzling rush of relief, joy, shock—and despair that she and her sister would soon be parted again.
“Finn!” Lily dashed forward, but Caliban yanked her back.
Amaranthus wound a cold hand around Finn’s wrist and said, “Crom cu. When the two sisters cross paths, the bargain is made. The queen killer goes to your Wolf and Lily Rose becomes our hostage.”
“Seth Lot doesn’t trust you, Mockingbird. You tried to take his prey before, at the Ban Gorm’s. And where’s the Jack?”
“We haven’t found the Jack. It was you who separated them, sugar. We’ve only got the girl.”
Finn met her sister’s wide, blue gaze, saw Lily’s lips form her name, the questioning slant of her brows, and knew she couldn’t allow herself to believe this was Lily until she could touch her and make sure.
“Seth Lot gave you the fox knight’s heart to bargain a betrayal.” When Caliban shook Lily Rose, Finn felt snarly. “What I don’t understand is why you want this girl and not that one, the one who killed Reiko. Weren’t you and Reiko besties? Or frenemies? Or something similar to that nature?”
“This is the most satisfying revenge, crom cu. Seth Lot gets something he wants and I get to keep the braveheart’s sister from her as long as they both live. They’ll never see each other again.” Amaranthus shoved Finn forward. “Go on, sugar. Say farewell.”
Caliban released Lily. Finn walked slowly across the floor. Lily moved just as cautiously. When they were a few steps away from each other, Finn, her voice breaking, whispered a question she’d been asking far too much lately: “Is it you?”
“It’s me.” Lily stepped forward and folded Finn into her arms. Her sister smelled the same, of an exotic perfume like fire and flowers. Her skin was cool, her voice angry as she said, “You weren’t supposed to come here.”
Finn drew back. She gripped Lily’s hands and studied her, worried about how pale her sister was, the shadows beneath her eyes. “I still can’t believe . . . you were broken and bleeding . . .” Her voice caught.
Lily hugged her again and said into her ear, “Don’t let them take you. Don’t let them take you to him.”
“Here.” Finn fumbled the bracelet of silver charms from around her wrist and held it out. “Look, it didn’t decay.”
Lily gazed warily at it. “Where did you get that?”
“Moth—”
“Ladies,” Caliban called, “it’s time.” He dragged Finn back, and the bracelet fell to the floor between them. As Lily’s gaze flicked up from the bracelet to Finn, Finn yanked away from Caliban. He held out a hand, his smile so evil it made Finn flinch. He said, “For you, I’ll be a gentleman. Would you like my coat? No? Been drinking the elixir, have you? All strong and such?”
He clamped a hand around her wrist, and she had to hurry to keep up with his long strides as he dragged her