last night when Maeven had left the throne room.
That even though the queen was gone, I was in more danger than ever before.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Corvina flounced out of the dining hall without saying another word to Delmira, Reiko, or me. As soon as she left, one of the servants came over and spoke to the princess in a low voice.
Delmira nodded at the servant, then looked at Reiko and me. “Ladies, I must take care of something. Thank you again for the lovely jewelry. I’ll see you both tonight at the ball.”
Reiko and I both bowed our heads to the princess and left the dining hall. It was after ten o’clock now, and servants, nobles, and others were moving through the palace. Reiko and I walked along, smiling and nodding at everyone we passed. Finally, we came to a pair of open doors that led into a library.
Reiko glanced around, making sure no one was paying attention to us, then grabbed my arm and dragged me inside. No one was sitting at the reading tables or browsing through the bookshelves, but she still pulled me into a dark, deserted corner.
“Why did you use your magic like that?” Reiko hissed, releasing my arm. “That was a foolish risk to take.”
“But?” I challenged.
“But I would have been in trouble otherwise, so thank you.” She muttered the last few words, but the dragon on her hand actually gave me a small, grudging smile.
“You’re welcome.”
Reiko leaned against a bookcase and crossed her arms over her chest. “I must apologize. I underestimated you, Gemma.”
“How so?”
“I didn’t realize you had so much magic—or that you were a mind magier.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I tried to keep my voice calm, but I could hear the strain in my words.
“You know exactly what I’m talking about. You used your mind magier magic to fix my brooch. I know that sort of power when I see it.” Reiko gave me a speculative look. “Smart of you and your family to claim that you were only a metalstone master. The Morricones would probably double their efforts against the Ripleys if they realized what you truly are.”
“Maeven already tried to kill me once at Seven Spire,” I snapped back. “And she doesn’t need the excuse of my magic to plot against my family.”
Reiko shrugged, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. “Either way, you need to be more careful. Maeven might have been distracted by you tripping that servant, but she is no fool. You should leave the palace before she realizes who you really are.”
This time I shrugged, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. “Perhaps I saved you so that you would owe me a favor and help me leave.”
Reiko eyed me. “No, I don’t think so. You did it simply because you wanted to help me, to save me.” She shook her head. “You must have read too many storybooks as a child. Being a spy is not about saving people. It’s about keeping your own head attached to your shoulders.”
Xenia had expressed similar sentiments to me over the years, and she would have heartily applauded Reiko’s ruthlessness now.
I hesitated, wondering how to proceed. Despite my snooping last night, I still needed more information about what Milo was plotting—information that Reiko might have, if she was as good a spy as she claimed to be.
“What have you found out?” I asked. “About Milo’s plans?”
Her eyes narrowed, and her inner dragon gave me a suspicious look. They were both back to not trusting me again. “You first, princess.”
I glanced around, but we were still alone. “I snuck into Milo’s workshop last night.”
“You and Prince Leo, right?” she drawled. “Skulking around the palace together after dark? How romantic.”
I ignored her insinuation. “You might be interested to know that Milo is fucking Emperia Dumond.”
“His future mother-in-law?” Reiko’s nostrils flared in disgust. “That’s a new low, even for a Morricone. Does Corvina know?”
“Oh, she knows, but Corvina has her own affair to manage. She’s fucking Captain Wexel.”
Interest filled Reiko’s face. “Really? Tell me more.”
I stared at the dragon morph, wondering how much I could trust her, but she was still the closest thing I had to a true ally here. And if something unfortunate did happen to me, then someone needed to get this information out of Myrkvior and to the leaders of the other kingdoms.
So I told Reiko everything that Milo, Emperia, Corvina, and Wexel had said last night, along with their plots against each other and Maeven too. I also plucked the arrow I’d