NOTE: This is the third chapter in a five-chapter update. If you have not read chapter 58-59 and the "Code of Thieves" chapter, which have been published in the past two days, please go read those first. They are integral for this chapter. Thanks!

ARIELLE

The pod soared over the Antarctic landscape. Isolone, the capital city of Nefaria, was a bit inland, located along the Ross Ice Shelf where the biggest research facility during the Old Days used to be. Of course, Isolone is much larger than the former research facility, amassing a population well over three million people, shocking considering the living conditions.

The ice shelf expanded below us, the unyielding white expanse stretching in every which direction. The horizon was marked by far off mountains in front of us, and behind lay the little speckles of shadow which outlined the shipping docks. The sky was a strange golden color along one end while the other was completely dark. Antarctica would be heading into its summer months in a few weeks, so the sun had yet to fully rise over the horizon, though its reflection created an illusion of late evening light. I wondered if we would attend Isolone's Sunrise Festival this year.

I looked over my shoulder where the others were seated, Phoenix and Damien oddly quiet. Xavier, of course, had not uttered a word, which left the whole pod to be basked in silence. It felt strange to not hear Damien's ramblings or Phoenix's occasional curses, but at least it gave me time to think.

I had pursued Phoenix for as long as I remembered, hoping she would return and claim the crown from the moment she left. And even though I had been so determined to force her to take it, I never truly thought that she would. I always thought Xavier and I would claim our crowns together and it would be the end of our relationship, and possibly of the Assassin's reign. But I ended things with Xavier on my own accord long before our possible coronation and it would be Xavier and Phoenix who claimed the crown together. I would most likely have to fake my death, pretending that Phoenix assassinated me. It was the only way we could possibly allow her to take the crown without having to admit to the tumultuous decisions my parents made all those years ago.

But that I meant I would have to leave everyone behind—Xavier, Damien, newly found Phoenix, and my just reconciled father. I would go into hiding, having to flee to Variatus and hope that no one recognized or found me. I would never be able to see the people I love ever again, forced to only watch them rule from afar.

The thought made me sick.

But that wasn't the only thing making me hesitate about Phoenix's decision. I always thought I would be ecstatic, completely blown away, if she agreed to claim the crown. After all, its what I had been dreaming of for nearly a decade. But, instead, I felt almost...nothing. I tried to act how I imagined I should act. I tried to energize myself, tried to force myself to feel excited by pretending to be. But I wasn't. And, at first, I thought I was just shocked and needed a few minutes to process what had truly happened. I thought the reactions would kick in a little later. But it had been hours and I still felt nothing.

No. That's wrong. I do feel something. But it wasn't excitement.

It was a constant nagging in the back of my mind, a pull at the bottom of my heart, a knot in my stomach that almost made me want to throw up. It was the feeling of my hands shaking, even though they were perfectly still.

It was the feeling that something was wrong.

But what could possibly have been wrong? Isn't this what I wanted? Wasn't I ready to leave everyone behind? Wasn't I ready to give up my titles? To renounce my name? To give my crown to a sister far more deserving of it?

Not anymore.

The answer splintering through all of my thoughts like a bullet shattering glass.

Not anymore.

How long had this been the truth of my needs, of my wants? How long had I pretended and told myself lies? Told myself that I wanted to leave?

And what the hell am I supposed to do now?

I looked over my shoulder to where Phoenix was peering out the window.

I remembered our conversation after I dragged her out of the Grand Garden, after she told us she would claim the crown.

"What changed your mind?" I had asked.

She was silent for a long moment, not meeting my eyes as she said, "I saw Gladys."

The words were a punch in the gut. I hadn't pressed her further after that. The meaning behind her words were clear, or at least I thought they were. Seeing our dying mother made me change my mind, made me sympathetic to your case. Made me understand what you had gone through all these years alone, without me.

Could I tell her what I truly wanted after that? Admit that I was wrong, that I wished for my crown? That I had wasted her time, presented her with a dream of ruling that I was about to take back? Or should I keep my mouth shut, accept the consequences of my own foolish mistakes and live in misery, all the while putting Damien and Xavier in danger?

Either way, I knew my fate.

I'm screwed. I screwed up. Badly.

My train of thought was interrupted as the pod came to halt. We were floating in midair, hovering over the unwavering ice. In front of us was crystal clear air, and the sight of the ice shelf transforming into rough, mountainous terrain as it met the antarctic landmass.

And then the air before us shifted and a little black box appeared, floating next to the pod. The screens at the front of the pod glared as the words "Incoming Transmission" flashed across the screen. Xavier clicked the notification and suddenly, an autonomous voice crackled to life.

"Please state your full name, any possible titles, nation of origin, and purpose."

"Xavier Kingston, Intellect Heir, Concorde, diplomatic emergency visit with the King of Thieves."

There was silence on the dispatch as it processed our request, before saying, "Please confirm your identity through hand scan."

Xavier pressed his palm against the window and the little box outside floated towards it, beaming red lasers which scanned his hand. And then the box faded away, disappearing before our very eyes. Before us, as though a door had slid open, a window of sorts seemed to appear from which we could look through. I could see the city through the opening of the Protective Cloaking Dome.

The speakers simply said, "Please navigate straight forward. Welcome to Nefaria."

The pod drifted forward, through the doors, and where there had been nothing before, there was Isolone, capital city of Nefaria.

White and gray buildings rose up from the snow. Most of the tallest buildings, unlike Cressida's skyscrapers, were stacked like pyramids. And, much to my surprise, the top of every building carried luscious green plants. There seemed to be UV lights hooked onto every roof to help with the vegetation.

"The dome not only works as a security measure, but also as climate control," Damien said, his eyes wide, face pressed against the glass like a child waiting for the ice cream truck. "The dome keeps temperatures at around 50 degrees Fahrenheit during the summer and 5 degrees during the winter. They're probably at around 25 right now since they're transitioning to summer.

"Still, most of the plants grow because the air on the roofs are heated and some of them are genetically modified to be able to sustain the cold. The sprinklers disperse rain or snow on water days year round, following a strict schedule. People are given holidays on water days, especially during the winter, so that they can make sure the rooftop heaters are working and turning the snow to water so the plants don't get buried under water. Sunlight is obviously provided by government funded UV lights. These plants are, afterall, a large portion of how much they eat. As you might have noticed, they don't import a whole lot of food from us."

"I always thought it was because they imported more food from Variatus," I said, "like how we import nearly 45% of our food from Variatus."

"They do import more from Variatus than they do us, but it's still not that much. 90% of their food is grown and processed here, on rooftops or underground. They also, of course, have a facility a little further out inside another dome like this with all the plants stacked in a pyramid structure."

"What's with all the pyramids?" Phoenix asked.

"Well, Isolone is located on the Ross Ice Shelf, not the main Antarctic landmass. While it should be pretty stable this far in, it could weaken drastically in the future if the rate at which it melts continues to speed up. So, building skyscrapers up on a single square base like we do could be too heavy for the ice shelf in the future. They need to disperse the weight across a wide base to disperse the level of force in a single area."

"Could the ice shelf break down anytime soon?" I asked.

"Hard to tell for sure since ice shelves deemed relatively stable collapse all the time, but Ross is the largest one in Antarctica. And Nefaria tries its best to preserve Ross. So, most likely no, unless someone really screws up."

"Makes sense," was all Phoenix said before she leaned back in her chair and looked to the right. I followed her gaze.

At the end of the city rose a large palace, with white marble columns and spires reaching up towards the invisible dome above. With a start I realized the palace was also shaped vaguely like a pyramid, something I had never noticed before despite all the times I've seen it in pictures and the one other time I saw it in person. It was just that instead of having large boxes stacked upon each other like the other buildings, the palace had rising levels of columns and towers, all of which was covered under a smooth, large prism. Snow drifted off the marble roof's slanted edges. It looked almost like an archaic temple with its columns and white stone, but the intricate designs along the edges gave it a more gothic look. Either way, I knew exactly what I was looking at.

The Marble Palace, the center of Nefaria.

As we approached the Palace I noticed the large swaths of green tucked within the columns and towers, the vegetation growing wildly. It seemed as though all the produce the Palace could ever require was grown right here, within its own walls. Damien was right. They were quite good at providing for themselves despite living in a barren, frigid desert.

The pod descended just before the Palace wall, the massive front gates thrown open. Two rows of a dozen guards stood waiting, adorned in pitch black polyester clothing, probably designed to be as silent as possible while still being practical. They were, after all, thieves. One of their key skills is stealth.

Behind them stood two guards dressed in gray uniforms, blending in with the slight shadows of the sun which had yet to start its ascent for the summer. They were most likely the guards on duty to man the gates—the rest had been marched out the moment the system logged Xavier's arrival. Of course, they weren't expecting our visit, but nowadays, surprise visits have become more and more frequent thanks to worries over the cybersecurity of our communications systems. As such, they must've prepared the guards and staff in the case of every unplanned diplomatic visit.

I shook my head and looked around the pod. "Leave your weapons. We want to make sure they know this is a diplomatic visit."

The others shuffled without a word, pulling out numerous guns and knives and placed them on the counter. I unsheathed my own golden blades, feeling their weight in my hands before I placed them on the counter. I repressed a shiver. It felt strange to not feel them hugging my waist. It was as though I was naked, unarmed, unprepared. Vulnerable.

The pod finally touched the ground and the door slid open with a hiss, letting the chilly air burst in. I put on my jacket and stepped out, following Xavier, impervious to the cold. Thanks to Isolone's climate control, it wasn't much colder than a winter in Cressida.

The pod door shut behind us just as a voice called out, "Welcome to the Marble Palace."

From beyond the gate, a young woman approached us, taking careful, graceful steps. She was tall and slender, though most of her was covered in the swaths of loose silk of her white dress, which seemed to hang like a current of water flowing downstream. Her dark hair was almost lost in the shadows if not for the diamonds glittering in the curled waves.

A flower was clipped to the front of her dress—a white rose with black outlining the petals' edges. A symbol of mourning, most likely for the Prince who had died of illness just a few days ago. The Thieves, unlike the Assassins, mourned publicly for two weeks after the funeral, carrying roses and armbands, handing out flowers to encourage visits to their loved ones' graves. It was a luxury the Assassins were never given.

"Your Graces," she gave a Thief's bow to us—head lowered, bending at the waist, with their arms spread out at their sides, hands wide open as if to show that there was nothing in them. That she didn't steal anything. We gave an Assassin's bow in return.

"Princess Eris," Damien greeted as he took her hand and pressed it to his lips. "It may have been years since our last encounter, but you are still as lovely as ever."

"Thank you, Your Highness," she smiled. "Though I do believe that was precisely the same compliment you gave during our last encounter. Not much development over the past five years as far as compliments go?"

"Not when they remain as true as ever."

She laughed. "I apologize for the lack of formal introduction. Unfortunately, we are unable to announce one on such short notice."

"That is quite alright, Your Highness," I said. "We did not wish to trouble you."

"Oh, not at all!" She waved a graceful hand through the air before glancing behind us at Phoenix. "Apologies, my lady, but I do not recognize you."

Xavier spoke immediately. "Her name is Sophia Livingston. She is a new Unassailable advisor for our Court."

Phoenix gave an Assassin bow, one that was surprisingly in perfect form after all these years. "It is an honor to make your acquaintance, Your Highness."

The princess blinked before smiling.

"As you, Ms. Livingston," she said with a slight nod of her head. She clasped her hands together. "I do believe you have urgent matters to discuss with the King."

"Quite urgent," I emphasized.

She nodded. "Please, follow me. He awaits you in the Throne Room."

We started across the courtyard, following Eris, the guards at our sides. I looked up at the sky. The dome was nearly invisible from this side as well, though I could see a vague outline of lines, almost like waves vibrating across the sky. I followed the lines, craning my neck as they extended back towards the direction we had come from. And then they stopped. I blinked and tilted my head as I noticed a large gap in the dome. The dome's doors, the very ones we entered through, were left open.

"Your security is quite relaxed," I said.

Eris peered over her shoulder. "Typically, once the doors are opened, the jets are guided towards a holding area where all the passengers and the jets' contents are inspected. If they try to evade inspection they are shot out of the sky. But, of course, since we know who you are, we decided to allow you to enter the Palace."

"And what of the dome doors, if you don't mind me asking?"

"We like to keep them open as often as possible to allow for fresh air. The dome is only locked when aircrafts are sensed nearby."

Is that how the Ravens snuck in? How they stole their technology? Perhaps they managed to evade Nefaria's radar and simply flew through the dome?

I looked to the side at the Kingstons. Damien met my gaze, showing that he was thinking the same. But Xavier... I couldn't read. Of course, I could never read Xavier, but I could tell something was off. He was distant, his mind whirling, thinking about something else. Or perhaps he had simply closed himself off after the breakup yesterday, rebuilt the walls that had been torn down between us.

My chest clenched at the thought, but I shoved it away. I had work to do and Ravens to kill.

The wide doors were pushed open and we entered the palace, finding ourselves in a large hall. Warm air graced my cheeks. Marble columns stretched out all across the edges, reaching to the roof, holding up the arches. Dozens of men and women lined the walls next to the numerous fireplaces. They were dressed in ornate clothing, freely talking amongst themselves. This had to be the Court of Thieves. They must've just concluded a meeting. Or perhaps we had interrupted one.

Oops.

Eris led us across the hall to where another set of wide doors sat, most likely the entrance to the Throne Room, much like our own Great Hall. They were just about to push them open when Xavier paused.

I turned, watching as he stood still, staring at a part of the crowd. I followed his gaze, though I could not tell who or what he was looking at. None of them seemed to cause alarm. At least, not to me.

"Princess," Xavier called. Eris turned. "I wish to speak with members of your Court, if it does not burden you. Your Highness may continue to the Throne Room."

"Of course," Eris said. "Our Court is at your service, Your Grace."

She bowed and he bowed back, turning to the milling Court, but not before his eyes met mine. The message in them was clear.

Be careful.

And then he disappeared. I shivered, but not because of the cold. Whatever it was that had set Xavier so off guard had to be serious. Something was wrong.

Still, we had a job to do. I turned back to the doors and held my head up high as they were pushed open.

We entered the Throne Room.

It resembled our own Throne Room, with the high ceiling and the benches lining the walls, but there was only one throne at the end. It was raised upon a platform and, much like the rest of the palace, made of marble. It looked like an ordinary throne, but the backrest of the throne split into two, like two adjacent paths veering away from each other, forming the sigil of the thieves. The forked cross was also proudly displayed in white against two black banners which hung on either side of the throne.

I looked at the floor. It was a different kind of marble, one that almost looked soft, the texture made to imitate the surface of veiled ice. It was as though the Throne Room was blanketed in a thin layer of snow. Etched into this soft stone was the Code of Thieves.

The Code was mostly based on the Blood Laws—after all, the Thieves lived in Concorde during the Assassin's conquest and aided the group known as the Shadow Guild. After they won, the leaders of the Shadow Guild—the original Fortiers and Kingstons—gave Nefaria to the Thieves as a reward and a sign of good faith, building a long-lasting alliance between the two groups. As such, many of Nefaria's laws were based on Concorde's, with the exception of there being two rulers. Nefaria seemed perfectly content with just one.

I looked down at my feet to find myself standing on the final law of the Code, the one concerning the succession of the monarchy based on who was the better thief. The law was practically copy pasted from the Blood Laws, with a few words changed here and there.

Eris paused before her father and bowed. He nodded to her, strands of his dark, graying hair sliding to the side. There were bags under his dark eyes, highlighted by the bright crown placed atop his hair. It had large, glistening diamonds adorning the front with spires of silver weaving between them. According to legend, each of the diamonds were stolen from various jewelers by the First Monarch of Nefaria during the Assassins' Conquest. The rest of the crown was designed around the precious diamonds as a gift from the Crown Fortier. Or maybe it was the Crown Kingston. The story tends to vary, though rumors state that, whoever it was, has their name engraved into the metal alongside the First Monarch's. After all, they were supposedly lovers. Of course, that was just common gossip.

Damien and I gave a deep Assassin's bow. The King of Thieves merely nodded and extended his arms—the best version of the Thief's bow he could do while seated. His hands shook ever so slightly. He must've been tired after his eldest son's funeral.

"It is an honor to meet you, Your Majesty. We apologize for the sudden intrusion."

His white silk glittered in the slowly setting sunlight seeping through the ceiling windows as he shifted his hands back into his lap.

"The honor is mine, Your Graces," he replied then hesitated and corrected himself. "Your Grace. And Royal Highness."

"Apologies, Xavier Kingston had decided to become acquaintanced with the members of your Court."

The King raised an eyebrow at Eris. Eris only returned with a slight, unreadable smile. I couldn't tell if we had offended them or not. Having the Crown Heirs arrive at their doorstep unannounced and then one of them decide to not even greet the King couldn't look great for diplomatic relations.

Damnit, Xavier. What were you thinking?

Whatever caught his attention better be good.

"My brother," Damien laughed, only the slightest, nearly imperceptible, nervous tinge lining his voice. "Ever the diplomat."

Now the King raised his eyebrow at Damien. "Forgive me if I am wrong, and I do not wish to offend, but isn't that your task as the Royal Heir?"

Damien didn't hesitate as he laughed again. "Apparently my ever jealous brother seems to find happiness in stealing my job on occasion. What can I say? Siblings."

The King gave a polite smile and merely turned to Eris. "Perhaps you should keep His Grace company. Act as a diligent guide. I'm sure many of the faces of our Court are quite unfamiliar to him."

Eris bowed and turned, her dress rippling behind her as she slipped out the doors. They fell shut behind her.

"And I am Sophia Livingston, a member of the Court of Assassins and acting advisor to the Crown and Royal Heirs," Phoenix said, bowing elegantly. I had nearly forgotten she was still here.

The King gave her a quick glance and waved a hand. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Phoenix straightened once again, though she was rigid. Tall but stiff, like jagged icicle. The King continued.

"Due to the nature of your visit, I take it you have an urgent and sensitive matter to discuss?"

"Yes," I replied. "We do not wish to add further troubles during your mourning period, but we must inform you that we believe Nefaria is facing a security breach."

The King stilled, face falling blank. "A security breach?"

"I believe you are familiar with the Ravens, a large rebellious conspiracy of criminals and thieves. They have plagued Concorde for the past few months and plotted to kill the Queens, succeeding in their murder of Erilia Kingston and hospitalizing my mother."

"My deepest condolences," the King said to Damien. Damien merely nodded, though his shoulders went stiff.

"You may have seen on the news that we demolished the Willis Tower for construction purposes."

He nodded in confirmation.

"That's not the whole story. We had reasonable suspicion that the Ravens were headquartered within the Willis Tower. So we led a one day operation to extract information from their databases and destroy the headquarters. But what we had discovered inside was astounding."

Damien stepped forward, whipping out a spare Tab on which he uploaded all the necessary information. As it lit up, he explained, "First of all, we have conducted many inspections of the Willis Tower before thanks to local rumors. There was never any previous evidence of anything suspicious. It was mostly abandoned, and while there were signs of some upkeep, it wasn't anything large or astounding. It was decreed that someone had inhabited the tower before, since the Fall of Chicago during the Assassin's Conquest, but they had since abandoned the building.

"When we prepared to infiltrate the Willis Tower, we had presumed that the Ravens had cleverly altered the sizes of rooms and floors, building between the walls and ceilings. However, after we entered the base we discovered large rooms that couldnt have possibly fit between the walls labeled on the blueprints. There was some other trick at play, another technology. The ability to entirely cloak objects."

Damien handed the Tab to a servant who stepped forward from the shadows. He took the Tab and ducked through a side door, no doubt to take the Tab to screen for any malware and create cohesive report for the King to review.

The King cocked his head to the side. "I sure hope you have more evidence than mere assumptions."

"When I extracted information from the Ravens' databases, I found some alerting data," Damien continued. "The Ravens have a base in Nefaria. We don't know where or how. But there is at least one somewhere on this continent."

"And, as we left the Raven base we intercepted a helicopter," I added. "A man we know as the Raven Lieutenant, the second in command to the Raven Ruler, boarded the helicopter and openly displayed the chopper's ability to turn invisible. This technology is only developed here and is highly secured. It could only have been created in Nefaria."

There was a heavy silence in the vast throne room. Slowly, the King stood, clasping his hands together, his fingers brushing against a thin bracelet along his wrist made of silver and onyx gems. Phoenix seemed to flinch but said nothing.

He took a prancing step down the throne. Then another. And another. Finally, he was standing right before us, hands stiff at his sides. From up close he seemed even more tired than before, but his eyes were also filled with something else. A sense of cold anger, of a war commander watching the enemy and drawing the battle plans. He started to circle us.

"Our ancestors," he started with a low tone that reminded me of Xavier, "the leaders of the Shadow Guild who took over Concorde and Nefaria, forged an everlasting alliance between the Assassins and Theives. They ushered in an age of peace, one which had not been broken once in the past two hundred years."

I started. "And we value your unending sup—"

"And yet," his voice rose, "you come here, mere days after my son's, my heir's, death to accuse me of helping a conspiracy of low-lifes? Of attempting to declare war against Concorde? Of cowardly using the Ravens so Nefaria might avoid the consequences and bloodshed?"

"No," I objected quickly.

"Certainly not," Damien added.

Phoenix remained silent.

The King began to circle us again. I stared forward as I took a deep breath and stealed myself. I would not let us loose our greatest ally over an insult.

"You have mistaken us," I tried again, voice steady. "We merely came here to warn you. The Ravens must've breached your forces, or even your government, in order to exploit your cloaking technology and make one world power, if not many others, crumble into chaos and anarchy. They will reverse the progress we have made, will revert the world back to the lawless land that our ancestors fought to save nearly two hundred years ago."

He rounded on us, standing right in front of me once again. He stood silent for a moment, contemplating as he rubbed his silver and onyx bracelet once again. It was a brief and light gesture, easy to miss. A nervous habit perhaps? Or maybe just a sign of deep thought. I couldn't tell. I wished Xavier were here. I would be able to tell what he thought of the movement.

"We want your help and cooperation in defeating the Ravens. Give us access to your security reports and we will provide our best agents to help with the investigation of your technology. They will merely help you track the breach in security and figure out how the Ravens got their hands on your cloaking technology. You may use them as you see fit. In return, we only ask that you provide valuable men and resources in our battle against the Ravens."

"And that you provide insight and methods to track the use of your cloaking technology," Damien added.

The King went stiff. "Providing another nation with the means to track our cloaking technology would render it useless. If our cloaking technology were to fail, the Ravens would be the least of our worries."

I nodded. "I understand. That's why it won't be operated by our men. You may require that your own agents will work and use the technology. We can provide the security necessary to guard the details of this process, if you wish."

As he tilted his head, digesting the deal that we were offering him, I pressed on. "The Ravens have attacked both of us and threaten to shatter the very foundation upon which our nations are built. They are a weed that must be dealt with immediately, before their roots sink so deep that we cannot remove them. Join forces with us. Help us. Let us tear them straight from the ground, make sure that they won't grow any longer."

"And how can I trust your security when it's clear the Ravens have breached it on numerous occasions?"

"Our collaborated activities will only be known to a very tight circle, including us and our most trusted agents. There are very minimal chances of moles getting a whiff of your work."

He stood in silence once more. I resisted the temptation to bite out that he should just say something, that he should tell us what he was thinking instead of making us wait after every sentence, driving us to madness. But Xavier would've been disappointed. And perhaps the King did this on purpose, to elicit this exact reaction. To make me uneasy, cloud my judgement. I wouldn't let that happen. Though, it would've been much easier to remain calm if Xavier was here.

Stop. You can do this without him.

I spared a glance at Damien who met my eyes. He looked entirely calm, but I knew him. I knew he was panicking, his thoughts running around like headless chickens in his mind.

Okay, so maybe we can't.

Where the hell is Xavier? Why isn't he back yet?

My mind whirled as I gave the King a blank stare. Finally, he spoke, the words slow and measured.

"If I were to contribute my thieves and resources to your cause, you will ensure that the Ravens are expelled forever?"

My heart thudded. He was considering it. This was working.

"You have our word," I assured him.

After another moment of silence, he nodded. "Then, I suppose I should order my Head of International Affairs to draw up a contract. We will clearly identify the terms of our partnership with your chosen legal representative to ensure that everything runs smoothly. However, in the mean time, I will warn our Active Agents Force of the potential Raven security breach. They may be able to sniff them out."

I looked to Damien, matching his wide-eyed excitement.

"Would you like the services of the Silent Thieves?" he asked.

The Silent Thieves. The legendary force of Nefaria, equal to the Alphas of Concorde. The King was serious about his aid.

"Yes," I forced out. "If you could spare them, that would be wonderful."

He turned to his servant, the one who had taken Damien's Tab earlier, and ordered, "Call upon the Silent Thieves."

YES.

"You can't."

The voice echoed through the throne room, resounding against the cold marble. The room fell pindrop silent. I turned to the voice.

Phoenix. I had forgotten she was there.

"Excuse me?" The King hissed.

"You can't call upon the Silent Thieves."

I scrunched my eyebrows, shaking my head silently.

"What the hell are you doing?" I mouthed. But she wasn't looking at me. Her eyes were fixed in an unflinching stare on the King of Thieves.

"I can't call upon the Silent Thieves," he repeated to himself, chuckling though there was no humor in his voice.

I looked to Damien for support, but he was focused on Phoenix, looking her up and down, deep in thought. I could see the gears in his mind whirling, calculating. And until the calculation was done, I knew he would be in his own little world. I was on my own for this one.

I turned back to the King. "I deeply apologize for the interruption. I believe my advisor has merely been dehydrated during the travel—"

"Actually, dear sister, I'm feeling quite alright."

My blood ran cold. I froze in place, eyes wide.

"Sister?" The King asked. He was looking between the two of us, inspecting our features.

A half-smile played on Phoenix's lips. I snapped out of my stupor.

"It's just a term of endearment," I stammered quickly. "To show how much we value each other."

His eyes narrowed. "So you two are close?"

"Quite."

"Depends on your definition of close," Phoenix said. "I'd say we're rather estranged."

I turned to Phoenix, scanning her face. Her eyes were cold, her smile lethal as a knife. The past few days I thought I had grown closer to her, that I could read her again as I had when we were younger. But looking at her now, I couldn't read her. She was a stranger. A stranger who was trying to destroy our plan.

What the hell is she doing?

"Your Majesty," I said, turning back to the King who was now seated back upon his throne, heart still hammering in my chest. "Shall we continue discussing the terms of our—"

He held up a hand, his eyes fixed on Phoenix. "You said I cannot call upon the Silent Thieves."

She folded her arms, her smile falling back to a tight line. "I did."

"Please, tell me, why can't I?"

She shrugged, her face blank. "Because it's the law."

He raised an eyebrow. She continued. "Only the Monarch of Nefaria or a dictated Regent can call upon the Silent Thieves."

"I am the Monarch of Nefaria."

She gave mock sigh of exhaustion, as if she was explaining a very simple concept to a child. I reached towards my belt, my fingers finding only air. I longed for my blades.

"No," she said. "You're not."

"And why might that be?" he laughed, as if he was just playing along with her silly games. But I could hear the wary tinge of his voice, the hint of tension. "Why am I not the Monarch of Nefaria?"

The throne room fell silent, as if it had joined me as I held my breath waiting for my sister's answer.

The corners of Phoenix's lips curved upward.

"Because I am."

Just a quick side note, the next two chapters were originally also supposed to be a part of this chapter (chapter 60), but they were getting really long when I was writing them so I split them up into three parts. That being said, I do want them to be published pretty close together, so you will be getting the other two sometime today!

So don't die before then!
-Sreenija Paruchuri