“He is armed.”
The shout reached Evelyn before the palace guards found the balcony.
She was already moving.
Marcus followed her through the gallery while bells struck across Ravencrest. Guests pressed toward the windows. Nobles demanded explanations. Below, people ran toward the eastern quarter, carrying the rumor faster than any official command could stop it.
Lucian had entered the old arsenal.
If he opened it, the city would have enough weapons for a rebellion before midnight.
The blood debt barred Lucian from acting directly against her person and required him to protect her life. It did not prevent him from arming Ravencrest around her, which made every step toward the arsenal a test of the debt’s edge.
Evelyn took the stairs two at a time.
Pain tore through her healing should
