Flight of the King Read Online Free

Can’t have a visible injury when Viviana’s around.”
    Gwen set the bow and arrows down next to her pallet, and twisted a lock of her short red hair in her fingers. She too was anxious about Viviana’s impending visit. She wondered what the
Elder would do if he were here. Try to confront Viviana, maybe, or persuade Tremelo to gather the Velyn and move against her.
    â€œYou’ve been here all alone?” Bailey asked her, taking in the stark tree house.
    â€œI’ve been visiting her,” said Phi. She set Bert on the ground, where he looked around once, and then closed his eyes and seemed to fall asleep.
    â€œPhi’s been bringing me food, and books from Tremelo,” Gwen said.
    â€œWhile Tremelo does what?” Bailey asked. “Sit in his office tinkering away?”
    Gwen cocked her head like a bird’s and looked at him closely. She hadn’t seen Bailey since he’d left school for break. He had been excited about his Awakening then, and eager
to do more to help the kingdom. Now she saw the way his eyebrows knit close together and the way his eyes cast down to the floor as though pulled there by heavy thoughts. She knew the feeling well.
Being cooped up in a tree house, all alone, made her miss the Elder even more. She looked sadly at the leather box that contained Melore’s harmonica; it sat on top of the small pile of books
Phi had brought her. She hadn’t played it for weeks for fear of drawing attention.
    â€œTremelo’s worried,” Bailey said, “and there’s a lot to be worried about—but that shouldn’t mean that we do nothing.”
    Bailey glanced at Phi, and Gwen saw Phi nod slightly, as though encouraging him.
    â€œDid you two have something in mind?” Gwen asked.
    Bailey sat up straighter.
    â€œIt’s a lot to ask,” he said. “But we need someone to trail Viviana while she’s here. Tremelo won’t do it—”
    â€œAnd we can’t very well leave class to keep an eye on her the whole time,” said Phi.
    Gwen bit her lip, thinking. She hadn’t told Bailey and the others yet about her previous encounter with Viviana, at the Dominae rally where Grimsen the owl was killed. They didn’t
know that Viviana had seen her, and might recognize her. But did that matter, when she could stay out of sight? Her new friends needed her help.
    â€œYou’re the only person who can do it,” said Phi. “We can’t trust anyone else.”
    â€œI can try,” Gwen said. “Tremelo will be upset.”
    â€œI know,” said Bailey. “But he’s scared. He doesn’t want to take any risks—and this might be the only chance we’ll have to figure out what Viviana
knows.”
    â€œThat’s true,” said Gwen. “And we still don’t know the extent of Sucrette’s influence here in the school. She could have left all kinds of clues for the next
spy to come along—or for Viviana herself.” This was a dangerous plan, she knew. But she couldn’t help feeling that the Elder would be disappointed if he saw how she was hiding.
For him, she would take the risk.
    â€œThank you,” said Bailey. “We know it’s not going to be easy.”
    â€œBut be careful. We have no idea what to expect,” Phi said solemnly.
    I do, thought Gwen. She remembered her heart beating frantically at the Dominae rally as she watched Viviana command two bears that were not her own kin. And she could still hear the clatter of
Grimsen’s body, shot through with a metal arrow, hitting the stone floor of that theater. She cast a glance at her own bow and arrows lying on the floor of the tree house. She could never use
it to hurt the kin of another person—not out of sheer malice. But Viviana was different. She wouldn’t think twice. And for all she knew, Viviana could be looking for her as well as for
the Child of War. But that was a