Page 31 of Blood & Roses

I laughed, a little horrified that he was making light of what we were about to do. I was going to say as much when there was a knock on the door.

Rowan glanced down at me, frowning as I opened my mouth to ask who it was. He pressed a finger to my lips to stop me from shouting or calling out, still as a statue as the knock sounded a second time.

I rolled from his arms, wrapping a blanket around me as I went for my daggers. Rowan didn’t bother with clothes, prowling for his bow completely naked and positioning himself behind the door.

He motioned to me, a gesture that I understood to mean to ready my daggers. I nodded, perched at the end of the bed in case I needed to duck behind it for cover.

Rowan pulled open the door, and a piercing shriek—a shriek I knew well—filled the hallway, causing several other doors down the hall to bang open in surprise.

Rowan swore, covering himself with his hands as he whirled away from Sera, who was staring with wide eyes at Rowan’s mostly uncovered body.

I yelped, ducking behind the bed as my sister took me in with wide eyes, her shoulders shaking as she stifled her laughter.

“What are you doing here?” I hissed, pulling my blanket more tightly around myself as Rowan fumbled to cover himself. “Explain, Sera!”

She slipped into the room, closing the door behind her with a click. A pointless effort, as half of the inn knew something was going on in this room.

“I’m sorry,” she said, a blush coloring her cheeks as she glanced back at Rowan, now covered somewhat and glaring at her with a furious gleam. “We didn’t realize you’d be…indisposed.”

“We?” I asked. Rowan had scooped up clothes and escaped to the bathing room. He emerged wearing only trousers as a squeak sounded from Sera’s cloak, and she produced a small, brown mouse from an interior pocket.

It was my turn to shriek as I jumped on the bed, almost losing my blanket in the process. Sera rolled her eyes, leaning down to place the mouse on the floor. It grew and stretched until Prince Tristan of Elandor, tall and blonde and—thankfully—fully clothed, stood before me and bowed.

Rowan caught me as I fell off the bed in surprise, his own eyes wide as he took in his brother, whole and awake.

“Tristan,” he breathed, setting me on the floor still wrapped in my blanket and striding toward his brother. He embraced the golden prince, who winced at the strength of his elder brother’s grip.

“Surprise,” the prince said, a little meekly as Sera rolled her eyes again, this time at the prince.

“In my defense,” Sera said as I continued gaping at her, “this was allhisidea.”

We got the story from them over breakfast, both of us blessedly fully dressed as Tristan explained that he’d finally woken and insisted on joining us.

Lena had tried to prevent it, and he’d decided to bribe Sera to help him sneak out in the middle of the night.

“You are an absolute wretch,” I chastised, frowning at my impetuous sister, who looked gloriously unconcerned as she balanced a dagger on one finger. “Lena will go out of her mind. And Orson is likely on his way here now.”

“I left a note,” she drawled defensively, as if this made up for everything. “Plus, you know my magic will be useful. I can disguise us all.”

“You will not,” Tristan said sharply, glaring at Sera, who glared right back.

Despite their collaboration in evading my family, there was something sharp and edged between them. Something I decided not to pry into until later when there wasn’t a wicked queen to murder and a throne to restore.

Sera conceded first with another roll of her eyes—I was certain they would fall right out of her head—and resumed looking bored.

“We have a perfectly fine plan that doesn’t involve either of you,” Rowan growled. I winced, knowing our plan was anythingbutfine. “Go back and wait for us with the Nightshades.”

“I will not,” Tristan said, crossing his arms and glowering at Rowan. The look was so similar to Rowan’s own glare that I had to stifle a laugh. “She murdered my father.Ourfather, Rowan. She stolemythrone.”

“Which I fully intend to get back for you,” Rowan argued, eyes narrowed on his fair-haired brother. “I don’t need or want your help.”

“Too bad,” Tristan replied. His tone was steely. ”What’s the plan?”

Rowan growled, but I recognized the same streak of stubbornness in Tristan that Sera possessed, and I sighed, explaining the plan to poison the queen.

“She’s too careful,” Tristan said, shaking his head. “Everything is tasted and tested. She never goes anywhere without someone else to test for poison. And she has all the palace guards enthralled to her will.”

“Enthralled?” I asked, frowning as I tried to think of a magic that could do such a thing. Mindweaving perhaps, but it was a rare gift.