Valtira.
“I… I was feeling really stuffy,” I said, forcing the tremor from my voice. “I just needed a little breather. Some fresh air.”
The words slipped out small and ordinary, like the lie I tried to dress them in. I kept my shoulders loose, my fingers folded beneath my dress, all the while measuring the distance between escape and capture in heartbeats.
Jesse’s lazy grin didn’t falter. He folded his arms with deliberate ease, his tone a smooth drawl. “Yes, that’s exactly it. Brother, you do know the palace can feel too… tight sometimes. She wanted to step out for a moment.”
I caught his cue quickly, nodding in agreement, it felt brittle, like spun glass. I hoped it looked like nervousness, not plotting. I hoped Zarek would see nothing more than a tired Luna needing air.
“Exactly. T
