Capture the Crown (Gargoyle Queen #1) -Jennifer Estep Page 0,68
plot? Just like that?”
“Just like that.”
“And what about . . . the Ripleys?” Once again, he stumbled over my family’s name.
I shrugged. “The Ripleys wanted me to find out who was stealing their tearstone. I already did that, and Conley should be rotting in jail even as we speak. But the Ripleys probably think I ran off, instead of being waylaid by you. Returning with information about what Milo is plotting will help smooth things over with the Ripleys.”
I might be twisting the truth around to suit my own purposes, but I wasn’t lying about everything. Learning about Milo’s plans for the tearstone would go a long way toward appeasing my father and grandfather, who were sure to be livid about the danger I was putting myself in.
Thinking about my family prompted me to toss the bag of coins back at Leonidas. “Keep your money. Give me a Cardea mirror instead. A small handheld one will do.”
His eyes narrowed again. “Why do you want a Cardea mirror?”
“So I can contact my employers and tell them what I’m doing. That way, if my body does show up in some alley, then they’ll at least know why I was killed.”
Once again, my words weren’t all lies. I did want to let my family know what had happened to me—and especially that Milo was targeting Andvari.
Leonidas hesitated. Uncertainty creased his face, along with a faint flicker of worry.
“No mirror, no deal,” I said.
His features iced over, and he stepped forward, looming over me. In an instant, he had morphed back into the same dark, deadly shadow knight he’d been in the mine. A prince that you either obeyed or suffered his wrath. “I don’t have to agree to your demands or your deal. I can summon some guards to have you forcibly removed from the palace right now.”
Worry snaked through my stomach, but I gave him a nonchalant shrug. “Then I’ll just find some way to slip back into the palace.”
Frustration filled his face. “You are going to get yourself killed.”
He was probably right about that, although I would never admit it.
“I am not yours to command,” I repeated, my voice even colder than before. “My life is my own, and this is the gamble that I choose to make with it.”
Leonidas glared at me, fury sparking in his eyes. I glared right back at him. The prince’s fingers twitched, as though he wanted to throttle me, just as I wanted to throttle him right now.
“You want to be partners? Very well,” he snapped. “If I give you a Cardea mirror and help you skulk about the palace, then you will leave Myrkvior the moment we figure out what Milo is planning to do with the tearstone. That is my demand.”
I hesitated. Despite all my tough talk, I still had serious misgivings about this scheme. Being in Blauberg had been dangerous enough, but now I was in the Mortan capital, in the heart of the royal palace, literally surrounded by enemies on all sides. If anyone were to even suspect that I was Gemma Ripley, then I would be imprisoned and tortured—at the very least. As much as I despised the Morricones, I had to admit they were exceedingly sly and clever. All it would take to doom myself was one wrong look, one false word, one small slip of the tongue.
Still, I would never have a better opportunity to prove myself as a spy—and as a future queen. Everleigh Blair and Zariza Rubin had defended their kingdoms from the Morricones, and I wanted to do the same, just as my father, grandfather, Armina Ripley, and all my other ancestors had done before me. People might think I was Glitzma, a ditzy, dumb, pampered princess, but I wanted to show everyone I was more than that, that I was strong enough to protect them. This would be my chance to prove that to everyone.
Perhaps this would also convince my father and grandfather that I could take care of myself and that I wasn’t the scared, battered, broken girl who’d returned from the Seven Spire massacre and hadn’t been able to leave her room for days at a time.
Perhaps it would finally convince me of that too.
Either way, it was simply too good an opportunity to pass up. If Milo Morricone was stockpiling tearstone for an attack on Andvari, then I needed to know exactly what he was plotting. Plus, skulking around the palace would also give me a chance to spy on the