Heart pounding in his chest, Petyr sneaked out of his room. What is she thinking? Why didn’t she just come out before?!

  He padded down the stairs, careful not to wake anyone, then stared down the length of the gloomy hallway that led to the front door. The moonlight pouring through the window was interrupted for a flash by something moving outside.

  Gods damn it.

  What if his father saw him? What if Alis decided to come downstairs on a whim?

  Gritting his teeth, he glided over to the door and gently opened it. Avesta stood at the threshold, arms crossed, glaring right at him. “Have you lost your mind?” he spat, but most of it was just face movements. “You can’t be here!”

  Avesta rushed him and placed the tip of the bolt emerging at her wrist right against the soft tissue under his chin. Careful, he thought, a surge of panic flooding through him. Fucking careful!

  “You snake!” she whispered. “I should kill you where you stand. You led them right to me!”

  “You’ve lost it, girl,” he said, trying to sound composed.

  “And yet the non-human that is your friend found her way directly to my camp. Strange how that is, no? What did you tell them?” Avesta’s hand gripped his throat—it was cold. Was she scared, maybe? “Tell me, and I’ll make this painless.”

  If any more proof had been needed that she was completely nuts, then this was it. How could she even begin to think he was involved in that? It hadn’t even crossed his mind.

  “I haven’t said anything about you to anyone,” he insisted.

  “Liar!” she hissed, pinning him hard against the doorframe. “I gave you a chance. I considered you partly innocent. That is a mistake I will not commit a second time.”

  Was she crazy enough to kill him? Petyr wanted to think this was just angry bluster.

  On the other hand, she had almost cut his entire ear off—thankfully limiting herself only to a part of his earlobe.

  “I… didn’t… do it…” he croaked.

  “Then who did? Hmm? No one knows that I am here. Only you. I’ve been very careful with my movements. Not soul enters that forest. And yet, your oni friend is frolicking through the forest with that blood-eyes. Who is he? Speak now.”

  As he looked into her eyes, Petyr wondered why he was allowing her to push him around like this, especially when he had done nothing wrong. Sure, she acted like she was some big shot assassin or whatever. But what had she truly done?

  She doesn’t have it in her to kill me, he thought. And I’m stronger.

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  Petyr raised his hands to her wrists and grabbed them. Avesta’s eyes flashed with indignant rage for a moment, then she sneered. “Stop that! Do not make me kill you here and now, Petyr!”

  There would be no time for that.

  Surprised at his own strength, Petyr yanked the bolt away from his chin. A moment later, it released and struck the porch ceiling, splintering the wood with its force.

  Petyr imagined that elegant silver rod passing under his chin and embedding itself down the length of his skull. His heart stopped. “Are you insane?” he growled.

  Avesta gritted her teeth, trying to reassert herself.

  It didn’t work.

  Petyr grinned, amazed that he could’ve put her in her place so easily all along. “Kinda forgot you’re a girl, huh? Just because I’m not a beefcake doesn’t mean I’m not strong, you know.”

  In the next instant, it seemed she gave up.

  Her arms went slack.

  Avesta took a deep breath, tossed her head back to get a few strands of the wig out of her eyes—

  —then slammed her forehead into his nose at full strength.

  THUNK!!

  His vision darkening and blurring, pain exploding from his nose, Petyr stepped back, tasting blood in his mouth. “You bitch!” he cried out. “You f—”

  Avesta slammed him into the wall to the side of the door. “You are right: I am weaker; but you are much dumber.”

  Petyr felt like punching her, but wondered if he wanted to make a permanent enemy out of her.

  He pinched his nose shut instead and swallowed the blood that built up at the back of his throat. “You’re out of your mind.”

  Avesta retrieved her bolt with a loud crack as she snapped it out of the ceiling. “I warned you. Be thankful you did not receive worse. You could very well have ended up dead.”

  Before he could answer, they both heard the sound of a door opening. Following it came a drawled out cry of, “Petyr? Is that you out there?”

  Avesta gave Petyr a knowing raise of her eyebrow. He frowned back at her. Then he sighed.

  “Dad, come on! I’m with someone!” he yelled, acting as if he were just spending some time with a fling.

  “Oh,” said Gregory, quietly withdrawing. “I was just worried. Carry on, son, carry on… Good luck!”

  The door closed.

  Petyr let go of his nose and tested taking a breath. He eyed Avesta judgingly. “Do you have any idea how stupid it was for you to come here the way you did?”

  She crossed her arms and tilted her head mockingly. “Is that so? The way I see it, it may well be the safest place. I doubt your co-conspirators would think I’d be hiding inside your home.”

  “They are not my co-anything! Listen, do you seriously think I could’ve lead them anywhere? How the hell would I have explained to them where you were? I wouldn’t even know how to find your camp if I went out there myself!”

  Avesta scrutinized him for a moment, her tension lifting. “That is true—you are an idiot.”

  Petyr bobbed his head sardonically. “Yes, thank you…”

  “Nevertheless, you must admit it is strange that it was your friend that came there.”

  “My friend,” he drawled, wiping some blood from his nostrils, “is with a guy I don’t know. He’s not from here. I figured you’d know more about him than I do.”

  Avesta scoffed skeptically and leaned back, as if the very notion was too much for her. It was an oddly cute expression... “How would I know anything about such a man? Blood-eyes aren’t types I associate with.”

  Was it fate, then? First, he and Mora witnessed that Soverni skysail blowing that pirate ship to smiethereens together. Now, a Soverni girl—a princess, by her own account—pursued by a pirate from that very same wrecked ship.

  Petyr was not a big believer in a coincidence, but even if the event in question explained their presence here, it in no way explained why it was that he ended up with Avesta and Mora ended up with Vares.

  What are the odds?

  “We should go,” Avesta stated abruptly, breaking his chain of thought. “It is not safe out here. Not any longer.”

  “Go where?”

  Avesta head snapped to the doorway. “Where else? To your room.”