We sit together on a folded-out seat, and the girls give me a thick drink consisting of yogurt and pulped fruit, which settles my stomach.
The twin with platinum hair rises. “We live in Claypan, which means the guards check our van each time we enter and leave the Oasis.”
“I need to hide, then?” I ask.
Her sister takes my empty carton and places it under the seat. “We’re going to disguise you as a mannequin.”
They make me remove my Harvester uniform and encase me in a latex bodysuit that covers me from toe to hair. After rubbing a cool putty on my face, they coat my body in a white paste that hardens like stone.
I can’t see a thing, but I feel them attach a garment around my form. Weeks ago, I would say it was the strangest experience of my life. Now, I could collapse with gratitude for the Thymel family.
One of the twins pats me on the shoulder. “The search doesn’t take long, but we can’t afford to let them know we have you.”
Right now, I would endure any amount of discomfort for the chance to escape General Ridgeback. When the girls finish, they draw back, and I hear them settling into their seats and turning on their tablets.
“Those revelations had me reeling with shock.” Mouse’s voice fills my ears. “How are you feeling, Your Highness?”
“It’s disappointing, of course,” says Prince Kevon’s voice. “I was fond of Miss Calico, but that’s the nature of the Princess Trials. Now that she has revealed her true intentions, I can move on and find true love.”
Each word feels like a needle to the heart, but relief washes through my veins. If he’s speaking to Mouse about me, then it means he survived.
“Sorry,” says one of the twins. “We didn’t think His Highness would return to the royal court so soon.”
I make a sound in the back of my throat that I hope they’ll interpret as understanding. The only thing wrong with Prince Kevon’s physical state is his interfering, power-hungry mother.
Moments later, the vehicle stops, and the girls turn on music that consists of a woman yelling over a drum beat. The doors creak open, and heavy footsteps approach. I hold my breath and stay as still as I can within the mold.
“You two usually ride in front,” says a male voice. “Why are you back here?”
“We altered this gown for a customer, and now she’s pretending it doesn’t fit.” A twin places a hand on my covered shoulder.
“We told her teal would clash with her hair,” adds the other. “Would you believe she wants us to return her deposit?”
“Nobles,” he mutters to himself. I imagine him shaking his head. “See you tomorrow, girls.”
As the twins chorus their goodbyes, the guard jumps down from the van and slams the door.
I exhale my relief in a long breath.
Over the next hour, the twins free me from my disguise and update me on everything that has happened since the funeral of King Arias. Queen Damascena told everyone that Prince Kevon suffered complications due to being stabbed, and would spend time in the hospital with heart specialists.
“We saw the leaked footage of you in the stadium,” says Charmeuse, the platinum-blonde twin. “Most Artisans are disgusted at how they tricked you into murdering your own father.”
My throat thickens. “Do you know what they did with his body?”
Charmeuse glances at Chiffon, the silver-haired twin. They share identical, stricken expressions that remind me of how people look when they’ve accidentally shared bad news.
“They might return his ashes to Rugosa,” Chiffon says in halting words.
My heart sinks, and grief seeps through the wall of emotion-suppressant drugs that’s holding me together.
We fall silent for the rest of the journey. The twins sit close together and share Charmeuse’s computer tablet, while Chiffon lets me use hers. I stare at the black screen, not bothering to ask for help. I won’t be able to focus on anything until I know the fate of Mom and the twins.
The van pauses, and a breath catches in the back of my throat. Chiffon tells me we’re entering the gates of Master Thymel’s estate. King Arias gifted the land to the designer after elevating him to the Noble Echelon. It’s close to the Smoky Mountains, which means tall, electric fences surround their home to keep out predators.
When the van eventually stops, the back door opens, and Master Thymel stands inside a white room with his arms outstretched for a hug. He’s still the most peculiar person I’ve seen, with his young features, white hair, and buffalo-horn mustache.
I step out of the van into his embrace. Master Thymel wraps his arms around my shoulders and murmurs into my ear, “Everyone knows the truth about you, Zea. Prince Kevon wouldn’t have given up his throne for you if he wasn’t deeply in love.”
My face tightens, and I try to smile. They probably don’t know that Prince Kevon also forgave Vitelotte. Even without Queen Damascena and her threats, he knows the truth, and it has cut Prince Kevon deeper than any knife.
Master Thymel draws back from the embrace and gazes down at me with sparkling, brown eyes. “I received a message thirty minutes ago. Your mother and brothers are safe in the home of an associate who lives close to the Botanical Gardens. We need to work out a way to transport them without alarming the children.”
“Thank you.” I wrap my arms around his middle.
As Master Thymel leads us out of his storage room I blurt, “Is there anything you can do to protect Prince Kevon? Queen Damascena is using a remote control to affect the synthetic muscle fibers in his heart.”
He glances over his shoulder at the twins. “Do we have any of that faraday silk?”
They disappear around the back of the vehicle, and Master Thymel explains that it’s a fabric designed to block electromagnetic signals but won’t affect anything internal to the body like pacemakers. If Prince Kevon
