Page 68 of Down Comes the Night

“Ms. Southerland and I have been investigating this case undercover,” Hal cut in. “We have reason to believe the murderer was targeting soldiers. It seems every civilian who fell ill before me was…”

“A test case?”

He nodded, his mouth a thin line.

Hannah slumped against the wall, laughing weakly. “I already grieved them once. I don’t know that I can do it again.”

“I’m sorry.” Hal’s voice was so gentle, it nearly gutted Wren. There was no pity there, only understanding. “I can’t imagine how difficult this is.”

“Just tell me what I can do to help.” At first, Wren mistook the flatness in Hannah’s voice as defeat. But when she looked into her eyes, she saw steel and fire. Raw determination.

“I want to know who did it,” Hannah said.

Wren and Hal exchanged a look.

“For now, I need you to help cover for my mistake,” Wren said. “The Queen’s Guard is after me because of a misunderstanding. I know I can set this right. If Lord Lowry asks, tell him I’ve left for a few days and brought Henry with me. He probably won’t even notice we’re gone.”

Panic flickered in her eyes. “And what will I tell him if he does?”

“We went to the next town over. Henry’s condition worsened overnight, and I had to leave at once to find an herb for the remedy. I need you to tell him that.”

She made no immediate reply. Then, quietly, “How do I know you’ll come back?”

“I promised you I would cure this disease. I promised no one else would get sick. I kept those promises, didn’t I?” Wren met her eyes steadily. “I know it’s hard to trust me right now, but I swear I’ll be back, and I swear no one will hurt you while I’m gone.”

She hated to prey on Hannah’s trust and her hope, but what else could she do? She and Hal couldn’t stay here.

After a beat of silence, Hannah lowered her head and sighed. “Fine. I’ll do it.”

The resignation in her voice might haunt Wren forever.

Hal followed her back to her room, no doubt eager to hear her grand plan. In front of Hannah, she’d sounded confident. As if it were simple to slip out of this house without Lowry knowing andbide their time until they were prepared to strike. But really, she had no idea what to do, no idea where to go. Wren was no investigator. She was only a frightened girl who’d wandered too far out of her depth.

Tossing the wanted poster on the ground, Wren collapsed into her bed and pulled a pillow over her head. It smelled of her lavender soap and the indelible must of this place. Although she wanted to shut out the world—shut outherself—the sound of rustling paper caught her attention. Wren lifted the pillow from her head to see Hal smoothing the wrinkles out of the poster.

He scanned it with a raptness befitting some newly unearthed apocryphal text. “You’re wanted for assault and desertion?”

“It was hardlyassault.”

Together, they listened to the groan and hiss of the house in the wind. “Did you know that girl?”

Sighing, she said, “Yes. I know her. She’s my commanding officer and my best friend. Former on both counts, I suppose.”

Hal sat beside her on the edge of the bed, his features washed in shadow. “What are you really doing here?”

“I never lied about that. Lord Lowry hired me to heal you. I just didn’t know it wasyouwhen I said yes.” She rolled onto her stomach. “The problem is, the queen never gave me clearance to take this job. So I kind of… left.”

“But she knew where you were going,” Hal said slowly.

“I know, I know, Iknow.I don’t need your criticism right now, Cavendish.” She buried her face in her pillow again. “I had my reasons, alright? Lowry made a lot of promises.”

“I understand.” Mercifully, he didn’t push her, although she almost wanted him to. He more than anyone would understand how it felt to be one of the most hated people in Danu. “What now?”

“First,” she said, “you need another dose of antitoxin.”

That, at least, was something she could accomplish. Without waiting for his response, she rolled off the bed and went to her desk to prepare a syringe. Behind her, fabric rustled. Buttons popped on his shirt. Heat curled within her belly as she listened to the slide ofstarched cotton against his skin. Imagined the candlelight pooling in his collarbones. Wren drew in a deep breath as she flicked the air bubbles out of the vial. Her confinement in Colwick Hall had begun to reduce her to depravity.

“You think leaving is the best option?” he asked.