The Mirror King (Orphan Queen) by Jodi Meadows Read Free Book Online Page A

should have gone after Lien,” Tobiah said. “Your presence wasn’t required here. You’d have been more useful tracking him.”
    Before I could form any sort of response, a knock sounded and a wiry man in messenger livery came in.
    With owl-wide eyes, the stranger glanced around the room and seemed to take in his mistake all at once. The queen. The crown prince. The princess. The duchess. And the Indigo Order captain.
    He swung back to the prince standing on his own.
    The prince, who should have been on his deathbed.
    Our secret was out before it’d even begun.
    Tobiah sighed. “What is it?”
    “Refugees, Your Highness. Majesty. Highness. Hundreds of refugees are approaching Skyvale.”
    “Refugees from which direction?” If they were from the east, that simply meant those who’d left during the Inundation were coming back. If they were from the west, more Liadians—and people from kingdoms beyond—might have made it through the wraithland.
    “From the south. They’re from Indigo Kingdom villages all along the wraithland border.”
    “What does that mean?” Meredith’s hands were knots of white knuckles.
    The messenger’s reply came gravely. “It means the wraith is moving again. Faster.”

SIX
    ACTIVITY EXPLODED ACROSS the room.
    James, Tobiah, and I started for the messenger. Meredith looked to the crown prince for guidance. Francesca turned her glare on me, as though this were my fault; maybe it was.
    But Tobiah could barely stand, let alone walk, so with a pained groan he crumpled. James switched trajectories and the queen regent rushed around Meredith to help move the prince back to his bed.
    While the others were busy, I approached the messenger. “What else do you know about the wraith? How fast is it coming? What towns? How many refugees?”
    “Nothing. That’s all I heard.”
    I grabbed the messenger and shoved him against the wall. His head thudded. I held my knife to his throat and growled, “What kind of messenger doesn’t get important details andthen barges into the crown prince’s chambers? Do you work for Patrick?”
    His eyes widened.
    “You’re too incompetent to be an assassin. Are you trying to lure Tobiah into public so someone else can kill him?”
    Meredith let out a peep of surprise, like she hadn’t even considered that, but then she saw my knife. “Captain Rayner,” she breathed.
    From the corner of my eye, I could see everyone looking at me.
    “That’s a little excessive, Wil.” James spoke as though I were a spooked animal. “I know him. He’s no assassin and he doesn’t work for Lien.” He met Tobiah’s eyes for a heartbeat, nodded, and came to take the messenger from me. “It’s all right.”
    The man’s face seemed caught between fear and excitement. His wide owl eyes darted around the room, taking in the details.
    I stepped aside for James, not putting away my knife. “I don’t trust him.”
    “You don’t trust anyone.” James opened the door to escort the messenger out. “This way, Alain. We—and all of these men—need to have a talk about the crown prince’s quarters. . . .”
    The door shut behind them, leaving me alone with Tobiah, his mother, and his fiancée. A moment later, muffled yelling came from the other room as James dressed down every guard by name.
    I shifted my weight to one hip. “I don’t think Alain will keep his mouth shut. The secret is out.” I leveled my eyes on Tobiah. “He saw you standing. A second miracle in as many days.”
    “How did James heal?” The queen’s eyebrows drew in. “Princess?”
    “I was locked in my quarters.” My glare landed on Tobiah, who’d managed to sit up straight, but his skin was ashen with the effort. “I was allowed to believe James was dead.”
    “Regardless,” Meredith said, her cheeks red as she attempted to forestall another fight, “Princess Wilhelmina is correct. The secret is out. There’s nothing we can do right now but hope Alain takes Captain Rayner’s request