The Young Elites (The Young Elites, #1)(37)

“And so she is,” Teren interrupts, his pale eyes focused on me. “I’ve been watching you make your way toward the tower.” He gestures for me to come closer.

I swallow hard, then hurry past the two Inquisitors with my head down. When I step into the tower, Teren shuts the door behind me. I sag in relief at the knowledge that I’m no longer exposed outdoors.

Then I shudder at the sight of the tower’s great hall, decorated with the same furs, tapestries, and symbols of the eternal sun as the tower in Dalia where I’d been imprisoned.

Teren leads me into a narrower hall, then into a chamber with a long table and chairs. There, he pulls a chair out for me and offers me the seat. I sit, shaking. My throat feels parched. Teren sits down beside me, then leans back in a relaxed posture.

“You kept your promise,” he says after a while. “I appreciate that. It saves me a great deal of trouble.”

I don’t want to ask what he would have done if I hadn’t shown up. Instead, I meet his gaze. “Is my sister safe?” I whisper.

Teren nods. “Safe and unharmed, for now.”

“Let me see her.”

He laughs a little at that. The amusement never reaches his eyes, though, and the ice in his stare chills me to the bone. “How about first you tell me something I want to know?” he says.

I stay quiet, unsure of what to say. My thoughts blur together into a frantic river. How little can I tell him, to keep Violetta safe? What will satisfy him? I take a deep breath, then gather all the courage I can muster. “I’ll tell you nothing, if you can’t prove you have her.”

Teren’s smile widens, and he regards me with a more interested look. “A bargainer,” he murmurs. He waits a long moment before he leans back in his chair. He reaches into the space between his sleeve and his armguard. “I thought as much.”

As I look on, he pulls something out and tosses it onto the table. It lands with a clink.

I peer closer. It’s a sapphire necklace that Violetta likes to wear. But it is even more than that—tied to the necklace’s silver chain is a long, thick lock of Violetta’s dark hair.

My heart jumps into my throat.

“Before you begin,” Teren says, cutting through my thoughts, “I want to make something very clear.” He leans forward. His eyes pierce me. “My word is always good, so do not make a habit of testing it. You will want to tell me the truth. I have many, many eyes in this city. If you lie, I will find out. If you deny me what I want, I will hurt her. Do you understand?”

He has her here. I press my hands hard into my dress to keep them from trembling. “Yes,” I whisper. I don’t dare question him further.

“Now. Since it seems like you are at a loss for where to begin, let me help you along with some questions.” He leans on his knees with his elbows, and taps his hands together. “What have you been doing with the Elites, up until now?”

I take a deep breath. I need to stall this for as long as I can. “Resting, mostly,” I reply. I’m surprised at how level my words are. “I was unconscious for many days.”

“Yes, of course.” Teren almost looks sympathetic. “You had many injuries.”

I nod in silence. “They don’t trust me yet,” I decide to say. “They . . . they wear those silver masks. I don’t know their names or identities.”

Teren is not so easily fazed. “What do you know?”

I swallow. The air feels so heavy. I must tell him something. As if in a dream, I feel the words emerge. “They visit me occasionally at the Fortunata Court,” I whisper.

Teren smiles. “Do they operate from there?”

“I’m not sure.” I can hear my heartbeat. The darkness growing in my chest makes me dizzy. I sway in my seat, hungry to use the power. I wish I had Enzo’s abilities, I suddenly think, and the wish makes the ambition in me surge. I wish I had the power to burn this entire tower to the ground.

“Tell me, Adelina,” Teren says, watching me curiously. “What are they planning?”

With a great effort, I push the rising darkness down. I cannot use my powers on him. I’m too weak. Besides, what would a bunch of shadows do? I clear my throat. What can I tell him, what will do the least harm? “They are planning something for the Tournament of Storms,” I manage to say. “I don’t know what.”

Teren considers my words. Then, he claps his hands once, and a moment later, an Inquisitor opens the door. “Sir?”

Teren waves him over. He whispers something in the other man’s ear that I cannot hear. The man casts me a wary look. Finally, Teren pulls away. “Tell the king immediately,” he says.

The other Inquisitor bows low. “Of course, sir.” He hurries off.

“Is that all?” Teren asks me.

Raffaele’s gentle face appears in my thoughts, and with it comes a stab of guilt. I’ve given him so little. Please, let this be enough to satisfy him. “That’s all I know,” I whisper. “I need more time.”

For a long moment, Teren doesn’t move.

Just as I start to think that he’ll demand more from me this visit, he relaxes and looks away. “You came to me today,” he says. “And that is a useful start. Thank you for your information. For keeping your word, I shall keep mine. Your sister is safe.”