Page 19 of Empire of Flame and Thorns

All I want to do is to put them on and jump into bed to see if it feels just as heavenly as it looks.

However, before I can do that, I catch sight of myself in the mirror on the other side of the room. Turning, I face it fully. A dusty and exhausted-looking fae rebel stares back at me from the mirror.

I drop the nightgown and robe in a flash, suddenly afraid that they’re going to start smelling like fish guts if I hold on to them for too long. Shaking my head, I take a step back from the bed.

I’m covered in dust and sweat from the sprint across the grasslands and the hike around the iron wall, and blades of grass still cling to my hair from the half-hour I spent lying on the ground after I made it over the wall. Not to mention that I spent all morning with my hands wrist-deep in fish guts.

Backing towards the door, I shake my head at the beautiful room again.

No. I need to take a bath first. Then, and only then, can I climb into that wonderful bed without fear of ruining it.

The hallway outside is empty when I slip back out of my room. I take that as a good sign and hurry towards the large door at the end of the corridor. Imar said that there would be a bathing chamber there. Hopefully, everyone else is still trying to find their rooms so that I can wash off alone.

For once, luck is on my side and I find the bathing chamber empty. However, voices start echoing from the hallway before long, so I finish washing off quickly. Right after I’ve finished getting dressed, another person strides in through the door.

It’s the woman with ice magic who jumped over the wall earlier. Her blue and silver eyes are sharp as she scans the bathing chamber. When her gaze lands on me, I give her a small smile. She doesn’t return it, but she does give me a nod in acknowledgement.

Since I can tell that she’s not in the mood for conversation, I leave it at that and instead walk back out into the corridor.

My heart jerks when I find Alistair and his gang standing clustered together close to my room.

“Shit,” I mutter under my breath.

Even though we’re not allowed to hurt each other in here, I don’t want to show him which room is mine. Just in case. So instead of heading back to my room, I slip past them and continue out into the next hallway. I might as well scout out this wing so that I know where the dining room and everything else is located.

Firelight dances over the stone walls as I make my way through the palace.

There are lots of twisting hallways containing doors with numbers on them, which further strengthens my assumption that this wing is entirely dedicated to guests.

As I skulk down an empty corridor behind the dining room, I wonder where all the dragon shifters are living. When I walked through the main palace doors, I was immediately ushered towards the south wing. But I know that there are several other wings too. The Icehearts are probably staying in the royal chambers, but I wonder where Draven and?—

I slam to a halt, yanked out of my thoughts, as I round the next corner and suddenly find myself face to face with the ruthless dragon commander that I was just thinking about.

Draven Ryat comes to an abrupt halt as well, looking equally surprised to have found me in this corridor at this hour.

I flick a glance out the nearest window, realizing that the night has grown later than I thought. Scouting through all the different corridors and levels and public rooms has taken more time than I had intended.

For a few moments, only the soft hissing of the torches breaks the tense silence.

Then Draven cocks his head, a sly smile spreading over his mouth. “Well, aren’t you a little rebel?”

Panic cracks through my chest like a lightning strike.Shit. Does he know that I’m a member of the resistance? How could he possibly have found that out? How could?—

“…sneaking around at night like this.”

My brain malfunctions for a second as his words register.

Then my mind finally catches up.

Oh. He didn’t meanrebelas inmember of the fae resistance. He meantrebelas insomeone sneaking around the castle late at night while she should be in her room.

Relief washes through me. Thank Mabona.

Draven takes a step closer and narrows his eyes at me, and I suddenly realize that I still haven’t actually responded to his statement.

“You shouldn’t be here,” he declares as he advances on me.

Instinctively, I back away. But then I remember myself right before my back can hit the wall behind me. Raising my chin, I stop a stride away from the wall and meet his eyes instead.

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