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On the long ride back hoainst the coldof the SUV, trying to force my mind into clarity
I told Ridley the truth about Konstantin’s escape—that I had gone down to the dungeon to reason with hi Queen Linnea, and that Konstantin had already gotten out of his cell I’d been overpowered, and he’d escaped But I had left out one glaring detail—it wasn’t Konstantin who had smashed my head into the wall until I was unconscious
That had been Viktor Dålig
Fifteen years ago, Viktor had tried to overthrow the Kanin King Evert, and in the process, he’d killed Ridley’s father Since that attempted coup, no one had seen or heard from him
Then, out of the shadows, he’d appeared in the Storvatten dungeon to help Konstantin Black escape
I knew I needed to tell Ridley, but I was terrified thattricks on me The attack still felt jumbled and hazy What if the head trauma made me recall Viktor’s face when he’d never been there?
But now as I rode Blooh I could somehow escape the truth, I realized I washad been there, and I hadn’t stopped hiet away
TWO
concession
The King stood with his back to us, war fireplace A cold snap had descended on the kingdo against the stone walls
None of us said anything as aited for King Evert Strinne to take his seat at the head of his table next to his wife, Queen Mina The Queen sat rigidly in her seat, and Ridley and I sat across froh she looked in our direction, her gaze seeh us
Normally she had a softness to her—in the way her body leaned toward you, as if she really cared about what you were saying—and her gray eyes had a warotten deep inside her, and she sat frozen in her chair with a white fur cape draped over her slender shoulders
In her lap sat a small, white Gotland rabbit, Vita It was the Queen’s personal pet, and she soh I hadn’t seen Vita much lately As we spoke, Mina pet the rabbit absently
“So” Evert finally turned away from the fireplace His dark blazer had a bit of a shiht froh-backed chair “I take it froo well in Storvatten”
I lowered h to cover the bruise on my temple, but it was an awful dark purple and extended to my eyebrow It was hard to hide Fortunately, my worst injury was behind ash, andand discoloration
“It could’ve gone better,” Ridley admitted “But overall, it wasn’t terrible”