The Mirror King (The Orphan Queen, #2)(92)

Claire shook her head. “You place so much of your safety in Patrick’s hands, even while keeping him in your dungeon.”

Unsaid was her counterargument: that Patrick would claim to break ties with the Red Militia, reminding everyone he was in prison while the riots and hostage holding were happening. And I’d come back with the point that Patrick was in prison for assassination and betraying me. And we’d go in circles about blame and who was at fault.

Melanie bumped my arm twice, the signal that she’d plotted an escape, but we’d have to fight for it.

No, I wouldn’t fight. Not this time. As an Osprey, I’d have disabled them and left. Black Knife would have insisted we find police to help the wounded.

But as a queen, I had to behave differently. I couldn’t jump to violence every time.

So what would Queen Wilhelmina do?

I sheathed my weapons. “Mel.”

She wanted to resist—I could feel it in the way she tensed—but she didn’t hesitate to slide her daggers back into her sheathes.

The Red Militia dropped their shoulders, hands falling away from weapons.

“Let’s talk.” I met Claire’s eyes; hers were steel gray—an unusual color here.

“About what?”

“You lured us here, didn’t you?”

“I sent information when I heard someone was looking.” Her glare shifted to Melanie. “I wasn’t sure who I’d catch, but I couldn’t feel luckier.”

“If my source is working for you,” Melanie said, “he’ll be in prison by dawn.”

“Are you loyal to your queen?” Claire lifted an eyebrow and inclined her head toward me.

“Of course.”

“Then leave that boy where he is.” Claire did smile this time. “Astor, find somewhere for us to have a nice conversation. Laura, take three and check if the building is secure. The rest of you find something useful to do.”

They all snapped and thumped their chests, and moved to follow orders.

It was the same salute the Ospreys used. But they weren’t Ospreys. We didn’t incite riots. We didn’t kill people.

A minute later, Melanie, Claire, and I were seated in one of the cramped offices. A desk dominated the room, papers and dirt and unidentifiable debris swept to one side; a sleeping pallet peeked out from behind. Astor arranged the chairs so that none of us had our backs to the door and the large, blown-out window on the interior wall.

Claire sat and threw one leg over the other, leaning back, her arms crossed. “Tell me what you hoped to find here.”

“You, actually.” I forced the shaking from my voice. Dawn was still hours off, so James wasn’t likely to notice us missing for a while, but we’d need to get back to the castle without being spotted. Sleep wouldn’t hurt, either. What had been a simple look-and-leave mission had grown to more than I was prepared to handle at this hour. “We wanted to see if there was anyone here. If the information was good.”

“And that’s it?”

“Then,” Melanie said, “I was going to send in the military.” She smirked and leaned back, one elbow resting on the desk. “But we can be persuaded otherwise.”

Claire scowled and eyed the door. “I won’t let you bully me.”

For a moment I feared she’d close off, but Melanie knew Claire; she knew how to handle her, I hoped.

“Well, if you cooperate, I won’t send the military in for a visit.”

Claire narrowed her eyes. “What do you want?”

Melanie shifted her posture, signaling my turn.

“I’d rather talk than fight. Don’t you agree?” I leaned forward, making myself open and approachable, but not too much. If she’d spent much time with Patrick, she would know our tricks. “How’d you end up here? In the factory. Or with Patrick.”

Claire hesitated, but when she threw a glance toward the window to check on her people, there was real concern. She was hard, but not like Patrick.

“I want to help my kingdom,” I said. “And that means learning about its people. You. Tell me how you got here.”

Suspicion gleamed in her eyes, as though she was considering all the ways I could use the information to hurt her. But at last, she softened. “My parents worked in this factory when I was a child. When Colin took over, the factory was shut down and all the flashers arrested. I survived only because my neighbors claimed I was theirs, and I never saw my parents again.” Claire’s gaze leveled on me. “Does that surprise you? That this factory was still operating before the One-Night War?”

It did, but I wouldn’t say so.

“This place provided clean water to most of the lowcity. The highcity and castle have other sources, but the lowcity relied on this factory not just for clean water, but to keep the marshes at bay. Perhaps you’ve seen the way it’s eating at the houses there.”

“Unfortunately, I haven’t had a chance to tour the city because I’ve been busy trying to stop the riots.” I pulled back and twisted my little finger at her.

“Watch it, Queen. I’ve been fighting for Aecor freedom while you were hiding in the Indigo Kingdom these last years.”

As though I’d been lazing around Skyvale Palace this whole time, coddled and turned against my own kingdom. “I’m sorry about your parents. I lost mine, too, and I’ve been fighting. Just because you haven’t seen it doesn’t mean that isn’t the truth.”