Page 25 of The Traitor Queen (The Bridge Kingdom 2)

“Nah,” Nana said. “Just had what I needed. Goodbyes would’ve put all that I’d worked for at risk.”

Lightning fast, Coralyn moved, her hand cracking against Nana’s face. “That’s for the lies. And for abandoning the harem.”

“I suppose I deserved that.” Nana rubbed her cheek with one hand, then, to Lara’s shock, closed the distance and hugged the other woman tightly. “You’ve seen my grandson, then?”

“Oh, yes. Quite the pretty thing Aren is—he inherited your good looks.”

Sarhina guffawed, but both women ignored her. And Lara lost her patience.

“Is he all right? Has Father hurt him?”

Exhaling, Coralyn shook her head. “The Magpie isn’t fool enough to harm him in any visible way—not while Silas is still attempting to negotiate the surrender of Eranahl in exchange for Aren’s life, and certainly not with the Harendellians grumbling over his imprisonment in the first place. But as for Aren’s mind . . .” She trailed off, giving a slow shake of her head. “Guilt is nearly getting the better of him, and it is compounded every time you lot send another person to be caught and killed. Serin has them tortured and then strung up in the gardens, and then ensures your boy spends a healthy amount of time out there with nothing to do but watch them rot. It’s only a matter of time until the Magpie’s tactics break him.”

Lia gasped, and Jor’s face tightened with grief. But all Lara felt was icy resolve filling her core. “I’m going to kill him. I’m going to cut out his goddamned heart.”

“And he fully expects you to try,” Coralyn answered. “He’s ready for you, Lara. If he catches you, he’ll kill you in the worst of ways.”

“Prepared for me, but not for all of us together.”

“And imagine how pleased he will be that you’ve made his desire to have every one of you dead that much easier to achieve.” The old woman shook her head, the heavy earrings she wore swaying back and forth. “You girls need to go. Need to run as far away from Maridrina as you can get.”

“No.” Lara growled the word, and she heard her sisters shift forward, not one of them backing down. “If you care so much for our well-being, then help. Give us the information we need to get Aren out.”

“There is nothing I could tell you that would make a difference. You’d need an army to get him out, which you don’t have. And I’ll not help you with anything that puts the lives of the harem and its children in danger.”

“You can tell us where he’s kept. Give us information about the layout of the place and where the guards are stationed. You can help us find a way in.”

Coralyn’s jaw tightened and she sharply shook her head. “In? In is the easy part, girl. It’s trying to get out, especially with Aren in tow, that will get you all killed. The palace was built to contain. It’s nothing more than a beautiful prison.”

“She’s right.” Nana’s voice was rough. “I never intended to spend an entire year inside the harem, but once I was in . . .” She exhaled a long breath. “Getting out was impossible. My only choice was to work to earn enough of the king’s trust that he’d allow me to leave the palace under escort. Even then, it took multiple attempts before I was able to escape. And I wasn’t under near the scrutiny that Aren will be.”

A dull roar filled Lara’s ears.It’s impossible. Impossible.

“But you can get usin.” Sarhina’s voice cut through the noise filling Lara’s head. “You said that was easy, although we’ve not found that to be the case.”

“Easy is relative.”

“Please answer the question, Aunt,” Sarhina said. “Wewilldo this, with or without your help.”

Silence.

“What sort of training were you given in the desert?” Coralyn finally asked, giving them all an appraising look. “Not the warrior spy nonsense. Your other skills.” She held up a hand before Lara could answer. “A different question—Whodid your father have training you to be wives?”

Lara gave Sarhina a quick glance, then said, “Mistress Mezat.”

Coralyn’s face darkened, but she nodded. “I may have a way, but I’ll need some of the younger wives to help.”

“Do you think they’ll agree?” Lara asked, dubious that women who were closer in age to her and her sisters would care about decisions her father had made over sixteen years ago, much less be willing to risk everything to punish him for them.

Coralyn nodded. “You girls weren’t the only children Silas allowed the Magpie to spirit away. And you certainly aren’t the only ones whose lives are in danger from him.”

“Excellent,” Sarhina said. “Now we just need to figure a way out of a place we haven’t seen in over sixteen years.”

What they needed were eyes on the inside. And not just any eyes.

Biting her thumbnail, Lara considered the problem. Coralyn would be able to provide them descriptions of the interior, but she lacked the training to spot the details that might be useful for an escape. For that, they needed someone who knew everything there was about defense, and therefore every possible way to get around it. “I have an idea.”

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