Book 4: Sacrifice

Finn

We leave the council meeting with no answers. Andrija, who I’m starting to believe might just be an idiot, seems convinced we can send Alden a fake prince. Denidor didn’t suggest a plan other than sending Xandra away. Zdenko kept offering more and more brutal military methodologies to keep Alden on the other side of the river—which Luna Maris mostly refused, even though she looked more tired and resigned every time she did. It was a slice of what every council meeting here has been like, I could tell.

Except for Xandra, sitting beside me and clinging to my arm, getting paler and paler. I couldn’t believe she didn’t collapse when Sime reported the message, much less that she didn’t leave to get sick. The meeting stretched so long that people had to bring us lunch, and exhaustion drags her steps.

I start to lead her back to our room without saying anything. She has to lie down, and she has to know that.

She shakes her head. “We need… to ta