Book 5: Festival of First Wind

Ingrid

“I still don’t understand,” Joli says as we disembark in Kubilay.

I follow her gaze to Amval, who is unloading bags from one of the carriages. “I told you, I didn’t trust the other groom. There is someone missing from the stables, and we don’t know how that’s related.”

Joli shrugs. I bite my thumbnail. Talking to the stable master, getting him here—it was beyond stupid. I never should have done it. Every time I look at him, my blood boils. He lied to me for two weeks–intentionally.

And I caught him watching the two of us, looking like he’d give just about anything to stand beside us. Joli said this was his favorite festival.

I am a fool.

But at least this way, he can’t be murdered while I’m halfway across the kingdom. For better or worse, if anything happens, I’ll be right here.

“Do you smell that?” Cirocco asks as he piles out of the carriage.

I take a deep breath, and a fragile sort of sweetness fills my lungs