Page 32 of The Shadow Heir

She nodded, but her smile had faded. “You said the mortal woman refused protection? Do you think she could spy for you?” A scoff burst from my lips. “She refused help. She won’t want mine.”

“But the poisonings are starting again. Now that Father is gone, you know as well as I do that another coup will be attempted, whenever they find the right poison.” She shrugged. “You need a spy among the mortals. Relying on the journal isn’t enough. Eventually, whoever is behind the coup will find a poison that can kill us both.”

My heart pinched. “I won’t let that happen.”

Her expression softened. “I know. But think about it, Cas. She will eventually crack, like all the others. She’ll want help. You just need to be the one to offer it before anyone else does. And she seems to have a way of getting even the quiet mortals to talk. She would make a good spy.”

“I’d only have to kill her afterward.”

Alba bit her lip. “Yes, only that.” She sighed. “Well, if you choose not to offer her help, then someone else will, and then she could be spying for the enemy. Think about it. The mortals carry all the secrets around here.”

The mortals could lie, so the court employed a network of them to carry secrets and transfer information, enchanting themortals with spells that prevented them from ever speaking of the secrets they held to unwarranted contacts. Then the fae could then erase from their own minds the information the mortals carried. They were unbreakable lockboxes. The servants had long since been exhausted, and their minds were so filled with secrets and spells that most of them could offer little additional help. But the entertainers cycled through regularly. Their minds were fresh ground to be tilled.

I sat back down and crossed my ankles and threaded my fingers together over my stomach. The woman I’d brought here last night wouldn’t crack as easy as the rest of them. She was fighting against my control, and some part of me was enjoying the game. Finally, someone with a little fire in them.

My mouth twitched up at the memory of her small frame pushing violently against my own as we’d danced.

“How can I get her to trust me enough to accept my help?” I asked, glancing at my sister.

Alba rubbed her hands together. “Oh, I like a plan. So, you need to think of something she wants. Not your help, because she’s made it clear she doesn’t want that. Something she can’t refuse.”

My brow quirked up. “She mentioned a friend of hers, a woman who married a fae recently.”

Alba’s face lit up. “You know who that is, don’t you?”

Over my crossed arms, I shot my sister a frown. “How would I know who a random mortal is?”

“The news circulated all the courts. A mortal woman from Avencia recently marriedRafael del Sol.”

My lips curled into a satisfied smirk. Yes, I’d heard aboutthat. Now that I thought about it, the woman who’d married the Sun prince was said to be from Leor, the same town Zara was from.

“If she wants to know about this woman,” Alba said, “you can use that, Cas. Now you’ve got something she wants: information.”

My mind spun with possibilities, ways to ensnare this mortal into spying for me.

“You’re welcome,” Alba said, wagging her brows at me.

I shook my head, but a small smile played on my lips. “I’d say thank you if we weren’t discussing a coup designed to kill us both before Father returns.”

Her face paled, and for a moment, she remained speechless. “I’m not worried about the coup. I’ve got you to protect me. I’m worried aboutyou, Cas. How close are you to finding a cure?” Briefly, her eyes darted to my hands.

“Closer than before.”

Alba swallowed. “You have plenty of time.” Then she bent sideways, drawing my gaze. “How do you keep Father from knowing when you’re testing the antidote? Doesn’t the curse tell him every time you break his rules?”

I braced one hand against a shelf and drummed my fingers. “The curse only activates on his end if the pain gets strong enough. And I’m very good at ignoring pain.”

Alba’s frown deepened. “That’s a terrible answer.”

“And it’s the only answer you’re getting.” I shooed her back the way she’d come, needing to think without her barging in on my thoughts. “Nine more months, Alba. Nine more months to perfect the antidote to an incurable curse and kill all the humans who foolishly chose to entertain our court. And uncover a coup that wants to lop off both our heads. Should be easy enough.”

“You’ll solve it—all of it. I know it.”

To placate her, I nodded, but the pain I’d been denying for the past few minutes was growing, and I longed for a swallow of my tonic to dull the discomfort. I was running low, and Felipe had yet to replenish my supply, which meant I had to keep thelast few sips for when the curse in my blood was too painful to ignore.

Until I had a replenished supply, I’d have to stick closer to my father’s expectations of me, which meant no speaking to mortals. I only had to hope that Zara Valencia remained as strong for the next few days as she had last night, or someone else might offer her protection before I was able to.

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