I sat on one of the roots, the tree trunk to my back and the pistol on my lap, waiting for Violet to wake up. She was curled up around Samuel, who hadn’t left her side since we found her. It had been twenty-four hours since then, and another twelve since her nightmare.

I had only been able to sleep a few hours myself; it was too dangerous for both of us to be unconscious.

It gave me time to think. There was something more going on here, but I wasn’t quite sure what it was. I reached into my pocket, and pulled out Lee’s letter. From what it stated there, it was clear that Violet had no idea what his true intentions were. In fact, it appeared that Lee had played her.

However, this didn’t change the fact that she had to have been aware of the bombs in the laboratory. That she had played a part in setting me up. Though at some point, Lee had started to have difficulty with controlling her. That brought a small smirk to my mouth: The idea anyone could control Violet was laughable. She was far too headstrong.

Lee had mentioned giving her pills—did he do it to make her more compliant? If so, when did he start giving them to her? What kind of pills were they? Were they the same ones I had found in her bag? If so, would giving them to her make her more inclined to answer my questions when she woke up?

So many questions, and the source of any answers lay unconscious a few feet away from me. I ran a hand through my hair and sighed again.

Lee was behind the attacks. And now he was dead. Did Violet kill him? If so, was it in self-defense, or born of a desire to take the egg for herself?

I looked at the egg. I still hadn’t tried to open it—I wasn’t sure I wanted to know what was inside. I knew that I had been fed a lie by King Maxen now, who had said the egg was Patrian property, but it was clear from the letter that it had been stolen by Patrus from Matrus. And, given how desperately both countries wanted it, I actually found myself agreeing with Lee—maybe it was better that neither found it.

I had no illusions about the depths of depravity both countries would drop to in the name of the “greater good.” Whatever was in that case was dangerous—dangerous enough to kill for and spelled nothing but trouble for both nations. A part of me was seriously tempted to hike over to the river and toss it in so that no one could have it.

Violet stirred and I set aside my thoughts, watching her. She was looking much better, albeit haggard and dirty. She gave a deep sigh and then continued to sleep, and I frowned, returning to my thoughts.

The egg, created by Matrus, stolen by Patrus, stolen back by Lee and Violet. Only, Lee had then betrayed Queen Rina, killed her and her advisor, and fled the palace. He’d planned to kill Violet as well, or for her to take the blame for the murder at least, but somehow she had stopped him. Then she’d headed to The Green… Why? She had the egg. All she had to do was go back and explain, right? Especially if she could use the egg as leverage.

Then again, Violet had been on the wrong side of the law for a long time. Maybe she just didn’t trust the government anymore, and planned to do something else with the egg. Although what that could be, I had no clue.

Also, who was Desmond, the person the letter was addressed to? Whoever he was, it was clear that he and Lee were close. Maybe he was part of a terrorist faction? Lee was an anarchist against both countries, but would he go as far as to join a terrorist group?

It wouldn’t surprise me if he would.

“Viggo?”

Violet reclaimed my attention. She was sitting up, looking at me, her eyes wide behind her mask. An immediate flash of anger slid into me. How dare she look so innocent, I thought with disgust, my mind turning back to the bombing.

I leapt off the root, my legs bent to absorb the impact. “Mrs. Bertrand,” I drawled sardonically, offering her a little bow.

She grew pale and flinched. “Don’t call me that,” she whispered.

“Oh? Why not? It might have been a ruse, but you were legally married, after all.”

Violet shook her head. “It was for the mission,” she said hoarsely.

“You mean the mission where you planted bombs and killed people?” I asked. I was being intentionally cruel, but my anger needed an outlet, and the source of my anger was here in front of me.

“I didn’t want all those people to die,” she rasped. “Lee planted extra bombs that I didn’t even know about until it was too late. I had no choice. You have to believe me.”

“Believe you? After you set me up to go down for your crime?”

Tears were starting to form in her eyes. “I tried to talk Lee out of it! I swear I tried. I was trapped.”

I scoffed at her. “Like I should believe you. I’ve seen your file, Violet. I know about all the people you hurt or killed before you even started this mission.”

Violet swallowed, tears still spilling from her gray eyes. “I know,” she said. “I’m a murderer… and even those I don’t murder who are involved with me end up dying. The queen, Alastair, Lee, the girl in school and in the prison… everyone who touches me dies.”

I frowned, unprepared for her response. She continued, staring at her hands. “I’m toxic. I’m poison. Y-You need to stay away from me!”

I shook my head. “Oh no, Violet. I’m here to bring you back to answer for your crimes.”

Violet stood up, her knees shaky. “I’m not going back with you,” she exclaimed. “I may be responsible for those lab deaths, but I didn’t actually commit them. I’ve been a pawn in someone else’s game for too long. I’m not going back.”

“The hell you aren’t,” I growled.

She took a step back, raising her arm. “Don’t, Viggo! Please, don’t.”

I examined her. She was trembling, probably still weak from the venom and the lack of food. I hesitated, feeling a thread of disgust worm in through my anger. I was scaring her.

Instantly, I wanted to kneel down in front of her and comfort her. She looked so afraid, it was hard for me to believe that it wasn’t an act. I turned around for a second, collecting myself. My anger was overriding me. I needed to slow down and gain some perspective.

There was a long silence between us, and finally, I broke it, turning back around toward her. “Sit down. You need to eat something.”

I was surprised that she actually sat and I moved over to my backpack, pulling out a few tins. I used grabbing them as a distraction, so I could slip a pair of cuffs into my pocket without her noticing. She’d balk if she saw them, and I was not in the mood to overpower a girl who was recovering from the brink of death.

I handed her one of the tins, which she snatched out of my hands. I watched with a mixture of revulsion and fascination at how quickly she gobbled it down. I knew she’d be hungry waking up, but not that hungry. She asked for another one, but I shook my head. “Wait for that to settle. We have a limited supply and I want to make sure you’re not going to vomit it up before I give you the next one.”

I handed her the water and watched her take long pulls from it. Once again, I took it away from her before she was willing to stop. She accepted it though and, after wiping her mouth, she lowered the mask back to her face.

“Thank you,” she said. I nodded, setting the water canteen on the ground in front of me. Samuel decided to remind her that he was there, by placing his head in her lap. She made a cooing sound, and began rubbing his head. He squirmed into her lap, his tongue lolling, and I felt an irrational surge of jealousy toward the dog.

“How did you find me?” she asked as she rubbed Samuel’s belly.

“Tracker technology,” I replied.

“What? Via the tracker Lee put on me?” She frowned hard. “He said he removed that software from his computer.”

“It seems your husband couldn’t be bothered.”

She flinched. “Please don’t call him that.”

“Why not?” I taunted. “You were married.”

Violet narrowed her gray eyes as she looked at me. “I understand that you’re angry with me for my part in the bombing, and setting you up, but there is no need to be cruel, Viggo.” Her tone was icy. “Be angry, don’t be cruel.”

I considered her words and knew she was right. I tried to convince myself that I didn’t care if she found me cruel, but it didn’t work. I did care.

That was the whole damn problem.

“Fine,” I said begrudgingly. She inclined her head to me in a wordless thank you, and I tipped mine back at her. “So, explain to me what happened.”

Violet’s eyes met mine, her face guarded. “Well, it seems like you know a great deal. I’m guessing you read Lee’s letter?” I nodded. She pressed her lips together in a thin line. “Well, I had no idea about most of it. The bombs, yes, but I didn’t know so many people would get hurt. I never realized how good at lying he was.”

“Who’s Desmond?” I asked.

Violet shrugged. “That’s Lee’s middle name. Do you know Lee’s story?”

I shook my head.

“Lee’s mother was from Matrus,” she explained, “his father from Patrus, and he was born on a boat in the middle of Veil River. His mother gave him the middle name of Desmond. I think he was writing to himself.”

I frowned, mulling that over. “You think he had two personalities?”

“It’s the only thing I can think of—I think he went insane and was trying to punish the two countries that wouldn’t accept him.”

“But they did accept him,” I said. “Matrus trusted him to spy for them, and Patrus obviously believed his patriotism. He could’ve done anything for either of them.”

“He felt like a pawn, Viggo. I get that feeling, even if I don’t agree with what he did.” She cast me a sidelong glance. “So should you,” she added softly.

My jaw clenched at her declaration. I ignored her small jab, focusing on the task at hand. “Why did you come here, Violet?”

She sighed, and rubbed the back of her neck. “Lee and I… well, when I discovered he had killed the queen and Mr. Jenks, I went to confront him. He was already taking off on that stupid flying motorcycle, so I… I grabbed on. We fought, and then he tried to drag me off. I upset his balance and he fell. I killed him. After that… I just sort of… I don’t know. I was in shock. I had read his letter, and opened the egg, and –”

“You opened the egg?” I interrupted.

She nodded, pulling out the key that hung around her throat. “Yeah.”

I stood up, holding out my hand for the key. Violet eyed me warily, her gray eyes searching mine. Eventually, she folded, and untied the cloth securing it to her neck.

I walked over to the silver case, and fit the key to the hole. There was a hissing sound, and then it opened. I stared at the orange colored case, and at the small, barely formed embryo for a long moment, and then turned to Violet, who shrugged.

After several seconds of examining the strange embryo and the container, I pulled the key, sealing it up. Violet looked at me expectantly when I approached, and I returned the key to her, not wanting her to end her story prematurely.

She took the two ends of her makeshift necklace in her hands and began securing it to her neck while she continued, “Anyway, Lee was heading north, and I didn’t know how to fly the damn thing. I crashed into The Green, got bitten by a centipede and… well… you know the rest.”

“Why were you heading back south?”

Violet shrugged. “I figured… I figured out the bite was venomous and I decided to bargain the egg with Matrus for a cure. And for my brother.”

“And if you hadn’t been bitten?”

She tilted her chin up. “I would’ve carried on north. To find my brother.”

I had heard enough. It was a pretty convenient story, but it was just that—a story. There were enough elements of truth to it to make it believable, but I wasn’t hearing them. She had betrayed me, and cost innocent people their lives, no matter what her regrets were.

I stood up and crossed over to her, ignoring the feeling of how wrong I was in doing what I was about to do. I’d been sent out here to retrieve her and the egg, and that was what I was going to accomplish. It was far easier than dwelling on what she had told me right then.

“Violet Bates Bertrand, you are under arrest on the authority of King Maxen of Patrus,” I announced, slipping the cuffs on her wrists before she could stop me.