Broken Crowns by Lauren DeStefano

Author:Lauren DeStefano
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

I walk back to the shuttle in a daze. I knew that Nimble would have some plan brewing, but murdering his own grandfather? Now I see why he was so adamant about my delivering that envelope to Celeste directly.

The shuttle begins to move.

I wonder how he’ll do it. Will he stage an accident? Will he march up to the palace and cut the king’s throat?

I wonder if Birdie knows. I think, after everything, she would want to help. It took weeks for her to emerge from her coma, and even longer for her to regain awareness of her surroundings. When she learned that Riles was gone, I worried that the news would destroy her. She cried for days. She said that she hated the king, and her father too. Nim tried to quiet her, but only because he didn’t want anyone to overhear her spouting treason.

I understand. My king killed someone that I love, too. I wouldn’t object to someone killing him either. Maybe that’s a good plan. Kill both kings and just start over.

The shuttle comes to a stop. I’m led back into the clock tower, smiling at the thought of King Ingram and King Furlow both dead. Justice.

I feel guilty for this thought when I see Celeste. Vile or not, King Furlow is still her father, and I know that she loves him, in her way.

She closes my bedroom door behind her, and her eyes are bright. “So?” she says. “Did you meet with Nolan Atmus?”

“Yes,” I say. “He told me we’re waiting to hear about King Ingram.”

Celeste sits on the edge of the bed beside me. “Oh good,” she says. “We can’t discuss it here. You understand. For your own safety, it’s best we don’t talk about it in great detail.” She giggles giddily. “But it will all work out, won’t it? And I was so happy to hear from Nim and know that he was willing to help. Our child is going to be an heir to two kingdoms one day. Just think of it.”

“Your plan for King Ingram seems . . . drastic,” I say. “But perhaps necessary.”

“There are two kingdoms at stake,” she says. “Desperate times.” She puts her hand on mine. “Listen, Morgan. You’ve seen how brutal things can get on the ground. All that land, all that greed. There are two kingdoms at war over a fuel source that we offer to people on Internment for free. Money talks down there. It’s terrible. And I tried to reason with King Ingram; you know that I did. But the truth is that he has no regard for anyone’s life, not even the people in his own kingdom. If we let him go on, he’ll strip Internment of its resources and then do away with us all if it suits him.”

“I know,” I say. “I do know that. But—” I cut myself off and think better of what I was about to say.

But Celeste already knows. “You’re going to say that my father is the same way.

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