Treachery Queen (The Callistra Chronicles #1)

NINETEEN

"I'm going to sleep."

"You are honestly a lunatic—"

A knock sounded on the door, quiet and timid, like a mouse was tapping its claws against the metal.

Seth sat up immediately. "Did you invite anyone?" he whispered in a rush.

Pasiphae threw up her hands, hissing, "No! Why would I? Maybe it's Psyche."

"Psyche wouldn't knock," Seth countered, breaking into a stride. He flung the door open, revealing a faery who immediately leaped back, balancing a silver tray in her hands.

She ducked her head, bobbing down into a half-curtsy.

"A calling invitation for you, Sir," the worker faery said. She raised the tray, the loose sleeves on her uniform falling back.

Seth plucked the card from the tray, skimming over the writing. His fingers tightened imperceptibly.

"Thank you," he said.

The faery bobbed another curtsy at the dismissal and turned to leave, her short hair swinging. Pasiphae narrowed her eyes, a flash of familiarity hitting her like a shockwave.

She opened her mouth to say something, though words hadn't yet formed on her tongue, but Seth had already closed the door.

"It's an invitation to join the Unseelie Queen for recreation," Seth read out. "Genuine, too."

"Have we been caught?"

There had been something off about the delivery faery. Did they all wear kohl around the eyes?

"It wouldn't appear so." Seth threw the calling card down, shivering as he did so. "Most high nobility are invited upon rotation. It shouldn't be a problem."

Their entire presence here was a problem.

"How did you establish yourself as high nobility anyway?" Pasiphae asked, the thought occurring to her. "I can't imagine the Court would have accepted that you just popped out of nowhere."

Seth made an amused noise. "I made sure my lie would allow me to mostly tell the truth," he said. "They think I was out of Court all my life, so I'm excused from any social blunders. They think I was raised in human society, so I'm excused for my strange mannerisms."

"But what about your sudden appearance?" Pasiphae elaborated. "Because Saulaces Videtoriae doesn't really exist, does he?"

"Of course not." Seth splayed an arm wide. "There was a lot of magic and false paperwork involved. I considered taking on the identity of a worker, but power gets you places."

The girl who brought the calling card flashed in her eyes.

Pasiphae's hand shot out suddenly, gripping onto Seth's arm in the revelation.

"By Callistra!"

Seth jumped at the sharp exclamation. "What?"

Pasiphae was already on the move, lunging for her cloak. "Check all your safety measures," she exclaimed. "We've been compromised." She secured the fabric with one hand and threw open the door with the other, already breaking out into a sprint. She ran blindly to the left, following the brightness of the lights.

Nothing.

Pasiphae backtracked, heading for the other end of the corridor, her hand reaching for the dagger in her pocket. She paused, listening for movement, raising her elbow into stance.

"Naeyrs!"

Silence.

Pasiphae took a step forward, the pad of her shoes clicking.