Chapter 13 · The Black Key Talks Back

The key burned through my palm.

I nearly dropped it.

"Mara." Ronan's voice cut through the shouting court. "What did you find?"

Drake was still on his knees three steps away, wrapped in silver-blue magic that crawled over his arms like live wire. He'd stopped fighting the spell. That didn't mean he'd stopped watching me.

His eyes locked on the black key.

For the first time since I had met him, Drake looked scared.

That scared me more than the knives, the chains, and the dozen guards aiming spears at my back.

Nia tugged at my sleeve. Her fingers were cold. Too cold.

"Mara," she whispered, "we have to go."

I looked down at her.

Her lips had gone pale. Blood had soaked through the bandage around her wrist, and every breath came shallow, like her ribs hurt. She had spent the last ten minutes hiding behind a shelf, watching me put a crown on a half-dead wolf king while the entire palace decided whether to kneel or kill us.

Now she was swaying on her feet.

My stomach dropped.

The key pulsed again.

Once.

Twice.

A sharp little beat against my skin, like it had a heart of its