Page 30 of Rise of the Phoenix King (Crown and Crest 4)

She perches atop the wall, swinging her legs back and forth, tapping her booted heels against the stone. She looks so much like a child dressed up as a warrior, I’m tempted to pull her to safety.

“You sound awfully confident for a man who has no idea what he’s up against,” she says.

“And you do?” Henrik asks, but the question doesn’t come out as snide. Rather, he says the words slowly. They’re filled with dread, heavy with trepidation.

“Of course I do—unlike you dolts who spent your time celebrating Camellia’s too-convenient death,Iactually kept an eye on her.”

I gasp, turning the information over in my head to study it. “You know who stole Camellia’s body? Was it Barret?”

“What did I tell you?” she says, ignoring me as she addresses Henrik. “What did I say about killing her?”

My eyes pass between the two of them, lost.

Henrik looks just as confused as I am. “What do you mean?”

Maisel watches us intently, leaning forward. “Just because Camellia is dead doesn’t mean she’s no longer a threat.”

“Stop being cryptic,” I say impatiently. “You have news—spit it out.”

“She embraced the darkest blood magic, Clover.”

It’s always bad when the gnome woman uses my real name.

“Malicious, evil magic. The type that blurs the lines between life and death.” Maisel pauses, gathering her thoughts. “Camellia is dead—yes. But she’s notgone.”

8

HENRIK

“Tellme exactly what you’ve seen,” I say to Maisel, clenching the ledge of the stone wall with my hand. “Everything.”

“I can do better than that.” She hops down and lands in a crouch like a cat. “I’ll show you.”

Maisel walks through the doors like she owns the place, confident we’re right behind her. Because it’s so late, most of the soldiers are asleep or at their stations. And no one expects to see a Dorian gnome wandering the barracks anyway.

“Should we get the others?” Clover whispers to me.

“Not tonight,” Maisel answers. “More numbers will increase our chances of detection. This is a mission for stealth.”

“Can I at least get my bow?” Clover asks, growing frustrated.

Maisel stops in the dim hallway, pausing for a moment before she jerks her chin to give Clover permission. We backtrack a little, going down another hall that leads into the women’s quarters.

“I’ll wait for you here,” I tell them.

“We’ll hurry,” Clover promises, and then she and Maisel disappear around the corner.

I wait, wondering if I look as suspicious as I feel. After a few minutes, footsteps echo down the main hallway. I lean against the wall and cross my arms, trying to look natural.

A night guard pauses when he sees me, bowing his head. “Evening, commander.”

I nod, hoping he’ll keep walking.

His eyes stray from me to the entrance of the women’s hall, and he frowns. “Are you looking for someone?”

“No.”

His brow furrows. “Is there anything I can do for you?”

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