Page 65 of Promise of Darkness
I don’t know why I kept it.
I never expected to see the dead bane’s family—which is what this Baylor must be. No, I threw it in my jewelry chest and then forgot about it.
Until now.
The gold feels warm beneath my touch as I turn the amulet over. I know who they are now. Baylor and Lysander, the shapeshifting twins who act as two of Thiago’s generals. They were legends during the wars and served the Grimm himself before turning their loyalty over to the Prince of Evernight when the Grimm was locked away in a prison world.
It’s strange how Thiago seemingly collects such misfits.
Baylor and Lysander served an Old One, Cian’s Unseelie, and Eris is….
I don’t know what Eris is.
Not fae. Or not wholly fae.
Then there’s the prince himself.
The right thing to do would be to return it to Baylor and tell him what happened to his brother.
But how do I tell him my sister killed Lysander? How do I admit that I shot him too?
There are legends that speak of him. Eris, Baylor, and Lysander have always been considered Evernight’s most vicious generals. The Blackheart, they call him, though he’s as golden of hair as Andraste is.
If he discovers his brother is dead by my sister’s hand, then there’s no guessing how he’ll react.
The walls of my tower room seem to close in upon me. One of the servants escorted me here so I couldn’t take any detours, and I know there’s a guard standing at the door. Clearly the prince doesn’t want me wandering through this castle, which makes me wonder what he’s hiding.
I haven’t felt this alone since I arrived here.
It doesn’t help that every time I unearth a clue, another question forms.
Why is the prince treating me like a dangerous enemy that needs to be locked away in her rooms while we’re here? Why did he blindfold me through the portal? It’s clear he doesn’t want me here in Ceres, and only the threat of Angharad made him bring me. But what doesn’t he want me to see?
And how did Lysander recognize me that day in the forest?
A soft rap comes at the door, making me jump.
“Come in,” I call, snapping the lid of my jewelry case shut.
Thalia enters, carrying a tray covered with a purple cloth. “I thought you might be hungry after your journey.”
The thoughtfulness surprises me. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” She lays the tray on the bed between us and sits down.
A swift glimpse reveals an Asturian beef stew with hot bread rolls that still steam from the oven, slabs of butter, a pair of honey cakes, and a handful of grapes. All of my favorites on one tray.
It’s either impressive or unnerving.
“The prince has clearly been paying attention,” I murmur, plucking a grape free and popping it in my mouth.
“He notices everything,” Thalia says, rolling her eyes. “Especially when you don’t want him to notice.”
“Either that or he has an agenda.”
She smiles. “That too. Don’t ever think he’s not up to something.”
“I don’t.”
