Page 93 of Of Thieves and Shadows

My sister shrugs, but the gesture is forced. “Perhaps she’ll think I’m barren.”

Like being less useful is much better than being disobedient. Whatever Remy thinks, I’m not convinced Madame wouldn’t remove her from the picture and try to replace her if she couldn’t bear children.

But it’s a moot point, because Madame is nothing if not thorough.

“Don’t you think she would have made sure of that ahead of time, and healed anything that was an issue?” I say, ignoring the way Einar shifts uncomfortably in his seat.

Aika doesn’t look surprised and lets out a sigh.

“Which you already thought of,” I accuse her. “But you’re still going to go.”

“You said yourself this is a war, Zaina, and it’s one we’ll lose if I don’t show up tonight.” The resignation in her tone is worse than if she were speaking sharply.

“We could hide you,” I offer, knowing full well it would be a terrible plan.

But the thought of sending her back into the lion’s den—sands, into the lion’s jaws—goes against every instinct I have.

“And she would know something was wrong,” Aika says. “You and I were both trained for this. Don’t pretend you wouldn’t do the same thing in my place.”

The worst part is that she’s right. I can’t pretend that I wouldn’t go in her position, and Einar’s grave face reminds me that he and I have had this argument before.

The midnight clanging of the palace bells keeps me from having to admit that I’m wrong. My relief is short-lived, though, since that’s apparently the signal Aika was waiting on to leave.

She deposits her monkey in the circle of Einar’s crown on the table to distract the thing, forcing a smirk to her lips when Einar raises an eyebrow. Then, with a mocking salute, she’s out the balcony doors and into the night.

Into all the danger I nearly killed myself trying to keep her from.

* * *

Though I didn’t stop her, I find myself tracking each minute that Aika is gone. Thirty-two of them have passed when Remy sneaks into our rooms. Something twists in my gut as he takes in the parlor, his eyes landing on Pumpkin before narrowing at me.

“Where is my wife?”

Of course he doesn’t know. I bite back a curse at her for leaving me to explain this.

“She’s gone to Madame’s to check in,” I tell him, careful to keep my tone even as I pour myself another cup of tea.

A sharp intake of breath.

“Why did she go early this week?” he asks, suspicion edging his voice.

I exchange a glance with Einar before deciding on the truth.

“Madame sent for her,” I say, stirring cream into the tea. “I’m assuming she wants to check on her…state.”

Once again, worry creeps in, and I wonder at how much damage Madame could have done in the handful of minutes since Aika has been there. Was I wrong not to stop her? Was I wrong to even try when I would have gone in her place?

Remy shakes his head, running a hand over his face in exasperation.

“I knew she was acting strange earlier,” he says.

Then, his face darkens and the lines of his mouth tighten.

“Surely Madame doesn’t expect results in only one month?” he asks. “I won’t claim to be an expert, but I’m told these things take time.”

I say nothing, because I can’t quite bring myself to tell him that Madame does, in fact, expect results in one month. That she has ways of checking. That Aika has gone to accept her punishment.

I take a sip of my carefully blended chai tea, but it tastes like ash in my mouth.

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