“Fosco! Stop please!” I stumbled as he dragged me down the corridor, my heels skidding over the stone floor. “We can’t let this happen! They’re going to kill him!”

He halted abruptly and spun to face me, pinning me to the wall with a hand braced beside my head. “And what would you have me do?” he snapped. “Take on the entire royal guard myself? Gosto knew what he was doing. He’s survived this before.”

Tears blurred my vision, hot trails down my cheeks. “This time’s ...