nne

nating the dust motes dancing in the air. Sweat dripped from my chin, splashing onto the st

wu

chain, a testament to a forc

stared at me, his mouth agape. He hadn't seen m

ing to my limbs. The dull, constant ache in my bones had receded to a fain

nd. "Just one day, and she restored

s eyes. "Highness. Miss Grant is settled in the safe house on Kingfisher Lane, as you ins

on a shirt. "Any m

reported. "She was headed to

stes no time. Good. Make the arrangements.

y' to the Clerk of Petitions in your name this morning. I assured him you had a personal inter

t didn't end in a fit of co

na

pression serene. I wore a simple, elegant black dress, my silver hair pulled ba

nted the Grant family signet ring and a letter of introduction that Garrick's for

d paper and power. I approached the petitions desk and ha

s. But then his eyes caught it. A tiny, almost invisible stamp of a wolf's head in the corner of the parchment.

k's hand

he bottom, but right on the very top of

g sunlight. The first chess piece was on the board

t Garrick's network had secured for me. Celeste was waiting by the window, her fac

the moment I stepped

the mark. He knew what it meant." I unpinned

m tea, my mind turning over every possible outcome. Celeste pac

ienna straightened.

re. Our signal. Celeste opened it to a scruffy street boy, barely twelve,

ning. "Miss. The news has spread. Th

my teacup

urs, every noble house knew. An Omega petitioning to reject an Alpha-a Grant rejecting Stone. And

f my mouth twitch u

ut the servants at the Stone residence say he's been raging. His father has been trying to call i

ck in my ch

ce flat. "They'll try somethi

dow, looking out at the darkening sky. The first lamps were being lit along the stre

as trapped, his allies abandoning him, his reputation crumbling in the court of public opinion. But I knew bette

ve at

. Also, tell my sister-in-law, Elise Reed, about what happened these days. When the time is r