Friend or Foe?

Emory's gaze didn't flinch. She let me measure her, and she just waited.

Was she being honest? Or just a really good liar?

I tried to remember all that David had said.

She was smart. She knew the ways of this place—he believed she'd been raised "noble" in a far-off land—which was just so much shit. I needed to find out how she'd managed that. But given what she was saying about these people who could move between the worlds, I was guessing they'd set that up for her.

She was ambitious, there was no doubt about that—she wanted to win. She wanted to be powerful. And as David's wife, I could bring her power. At least in this world.

The truth was, I didn't get a hint of a lie from her. I was usually a pretty good judge of honesty, and what she was saying rang true. She didn't like that I'd been chosen. But she wasn't mad about it, either. She was being pragmatic.