Page 56 of Stars May Fall

I shook my head, resting my hand on his shoulder. “I need more sleep than you do.” I stood on tiptoes and kissed the light stubble on his cheek. “Good night.”

I walked upstairs leaving Kasten and Callum to chat alone. Meena was playing a card game with Beatrice on a low table beside the door to my room. They looked up in surprise, and my maid stood, bobbing a curtsy. Her hair, which was normally pushed back from her face, was a loose Afro, and she wasn’t wearing her normal apron. “We thought you’d likely be talking downstairs for hours.”

I shook my head. “I’m going to retire early. Beatrice, could you run me a bath?” The bath here was far smaller than the sunken pool in Kasomere but took significantly longer to prepare.

She nodded and left her cards discarded. Meena frowned at me. “Are you feeling all right, my lady?”

Yes. No. I didn’t know.

I smiled. “I’m just tired.”

I bathed, and Beatrice massaged oil into my skin before leaving me. When Kasten came to bed an hour later, I pretendedto be asleep, not responding to the tender kiss he placed on the crown of my head.

Until I had my emotions straight, I couldn’t let there be a repeat of last night. I needed to focus on our mission at hand.

The next day,I clenched my jaw in determination as I dressed in one of my finest gowns to meet Annabelle. She was a princess, after all, and I intended to look like I belonged. I’d found a new love of corsets now the aim of them wasn’t to make my waist as thin as possible, and I was pleased with my reflection. I’d wanted a chance to prove myself, and this was it. I wouldn’t let Kasten down. I wouldn’t letmyselfdown.

Kasten and I arrived at the palace arm in arm an hour before his military meeting was due to start. Meena trailed a respectful distance behind. I was still tired, but the constant thrum of adrenaline in my veins kept me alert as we entered through the grand front doors. When I jumped at a servant coming around a corridor, Kasten placed his free hand over where mine rested on his arm and stroked the back of my hand.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered. Kasten must be used to fighting enemies on all sides with terrifying weapons, and here I was, jumping at nothing. I wasn’t doing a very good job at proving to Kasten that he didn’t need to worry about me. I could have kicked myself.

He didn’t stop the rhythmic strokes. “Don’t be. It’s natural to be on edge.” He stopped and turned to face me. “Remember, you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. You can go back to Highfair at any time and rest safely there. Keep your detector on and stay alert. I’ll try and check on you when I can.”

I nodded, looking down and rolling my lips between my teeth. “I can go the rest of the way with Meena.”

Kasten shook his head, straightening and glancing up and down the corridor. He started walking again. “No. The least I can do is stay with you until you’ve reached Annabelle.” He turned into General Batton, his posture stiff and hard, glaring at everyone we passed.

Kasten stopped outside Annabelle’s room, kissed my hand, and left. I watched his retreating back, feeling the strength of his presence ebb away until he disappeared around the corner.

I knocked on the door, and Annabelle’s voice called for me to enter. I nodded to Meena. She took up a guard position by the door. It took effort to push my tangled emotions surrounding Kasten from my mind.

I pushed open the door, still feeling nervous despite how well things had gone two days ago. Annabelle sat by the window, looking beautiful in a deep red gown. Her hair was up and cascaded to her shoulders in tight ringlets. It was only an hour after dawn, and I wondered how early she had needed to wake to get those done.

Annabelle saw me looking and gave me a mischievous grin as she stood to welcome me. “Your image is a mask. If people think you’re spending hours on your appearance, they will think you’ve not been up to much else.”

I nodded. I understood how people judged you on your appearance all too well. I raised my hands to my own hair. Beatrice had left me to sleep as long as possible, then done a quick twist and clip with an emerald brooch, spending more time on getting the gown to sit well.

Annabelle took my hand and pulled me to the couches. “Your hair is fine. Now tell me what Kasten said when you told him what I had found.”

She poured me a mug of melted chocolate, added cream, and sat down next to the fire, tucking her legs beneath her voluminous skirts.

I settled in a much more formal posture, Annabelle’s relaxed manner difficult to emulate when we were inside the royal palace. “Did the envoys’ visit go well yesterday?”

She wrinkled her nose. “Well enough, considering how distracted I’ve been. To be honest, it was all a frustrating bore when I’m far more concerned by other matters. The trade routes had mostly been worked out beforehand by the head of the merchants’ guild. I merely presented it, smiled, laughed and nodded, and gave them a tour of the palace. Now what did Kasten say?”

“Kasten is worried that if there is a coup, Lord Lyrason may have bribed or otherwise convinced some of the palace guard to follow his orders. He suggested you subtly include some soldiers from Kasomere into your guard. Just in case. We have some in place already, but we’ve only been preparing for a couple of days, so it's going to be hard to get enough troops inside this building to make a difference.”

Annabelle snorted. “Let men loyal to Kasten into the royal guard? Father would have a fit and probably never forgive me.” She barked a laugh before cradling her cheek in one hand. “Kasten could just as easily use the Kasomere soldiers I bring into my guard for his own coup and kill my family.”

I raised an eyebrow, uncomfortable with her reaction. “If Kasten wanted a simple coup, he could do it single-handedly.”

Annabelle stirred her hot chocolate. “I suppose.” Then her eyes flicked up to mine, the casual motion failing to hide their intensity. “He still has it, then? That weapon he used before?”

I nodded, cautiously. I had decided to be honest with Annabelle, or she would never agree to help us. “He does. Thepower is inside him constantly. He can’t get it out. He doesn’t want to use it, though. Not unless we’re desperate.”

Annabelle tilted her head and took a sip of her chocolate. “Hmm. I never saw Kasten as a man of great restraint. I guess I was wrong.” She sighed and took another sip. “And what if Lyrason intends to take the palace by setting loose halfsouls?”

I grimaced. “Callum’s working on the cure as fast as he can.”

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