Maerilee

I don’t ask questions. I don’t stop to think or even take a breath. The moment Permiton’s words leave his mouth, I throw on a robe, my heart hammering in my chest, and run. The corridors blur around me as I race through the palace, my bare feet slapping against the cold stone floor. There’s no time to waste. Something’s wrong. Something’s terribly wrong.

When I reach my mother’s chambers, my pulse spikes. The door is ajar, a cold draft slipping through the crack as if beckoning me inside. I push it open, my breath catching in my throat at the sight before me.

She lies in her bed,...