Book 3: Desperation

Hollis

Warm wine humming in my veins, I knock on Candace’s door. Father managed to schedule a parley with Soren tomorrow morning, before his meeting with Kieran, through the mind-link, and I need to warn her.

And, fuck, I want to see her. We haven’t been able to talk alone yet. She was supposed to be leaving the fucking castle today, even though we made plans for how to still see each other, and I can’t fall asleep knowing she’s still here.

The door explodes open. Candace stares at me, hazel eyes wild. My heart jumps into high gear.

“What’s wrong?” I step inside and close the door behind me then scan the room for danger. A smaller area will be easier to defend unless the problem is already in here with us.

“My mother,” she says.

My heart skips a beat. Of all the things I expected, Rowena is not one of them. “Isn’t she locked back up in Dun’s Crossing?”

Candace shakes her head and tugs on one ink-stained sleeve. “She’s suppos