Page 137 of The Witch Queen

All attention pivots in my direction, Jacquetta’s as well.

“Capture?” she repeats, her brow furrowed.

“You admit to being a witch,” I say simply. “You could be casting a spell, even now. Or luring us into a trap.”

The way she lured me.

“I’m not—”

“Then prove it,” I say. “Take us to the others. We capture them, bring them back to the palace, and thentheycan convinceusof their intentions.”

As I hoped, the fickleness of the court works in my favor. The idea instantly begins to take root. Courtiers nod along, their bloodlust ignited.

“Such a plan would grant us the upper hand,” Warbeck muses.

“No,” Gavin objects. “We shouldn’t—”

“Quiet, boy,” his father barks, nudging him hard with his elbow.

“I might agree with you, Warbeck,” Margaret adds, considering Jacquetta. “After all, should we arrest the witches, we can use them as part of the Justice trial.”

“Use us?” Jacquetta snaps, aghast. “You said I—we—would be safe.”

And she should have known better than to trust Margaret.

“You will be,” I say. “So long as you comply with our demands.”

Jacquetta looks to me. She isseething,her blue eyes like daggers.

“And if I refuse?” she asks.

I smile at her, spreading my shadows around me like wings.

“Then you will remain our prisoner. And will be treated as such.”

And this time,I say with my eyes,I will not hesitate.

I will throw her into the pyre myself.

—

I remain long enough to watch as they haul Jacquetta away to wherever they’ll be keeping her. The dungeons again? I don’t care. Let herrot. She brought this on herself. I stalk through the halls and back to my chambers, intent on summoning Shade. Forming our plan to seize the rest of the witches’ power, which is what I should have done as soon as Jacquetta set foot in the palace.

Yes,that deep instinct urges.Take what is yours.

But when I return to my rooms, I find I’m not alone. Blodwyn is waiting, fury rolling off of her in waves. Nettle sits beside the princess, her tail twitching and I could swear that evensheis glaring at me.

“How could you do that?” Blodwyn demands.

Nettle trills, as if to second the question.

“You don’t understand. Jacquetta—”

“Was helping us,” the princess interrupts. “She devised a way for us to work with the covens. Exposed herself to do it. That couldn’t have been easy for her.”

“And what do you know about it?” I challenge. “Were you involved? Perhaps you arranged her little audience with your aunt?”

She balks. “I didn’t. But maybe I should have. Jacquetta risked everything to try to establish peace and you—”