Counting Shadows (Duplicity)

complain, going back to rubbing my head.
    “That was the point.”
    I sigh. “What are you doing here, Jackal?”
    His gaze flicks around, searching the balcony for other ears. When he finds no one, he looks me straight in the eye. “You’re in danger, Faye. Someone has noticed you. They’ll be coming for you soon.”
    I bite my lip and take a deep breath, quelling the anxiety rising in my chest. This sounds like one of Jackal’s usual delusions: Mysterious, dangerous people coming after someone. Frightening, but not actually harmful to anyone.
    “Okay,” I say, keeping my voice serious. “I’ll be careful.”
    He reaches out and grabs my arm in a vice-like grip. “Don’t brush me off like that, Faye.
Listen to me.
” He shakes me a little to hammer the words home, and I grip the railing tighter. “Someone is after you. You
need
to be on alert.”
    I grit my teeth. “Who is this someone, Jackal?”
    “I don’t know his name.”
    “Then what does he look like?”
    “I don’t know that, either.”
    I rip my arm out of his grasp. “Look, Jackal, I appreciate the warning. But I don’t think I have much to worry about.”
    His hand whips out and grabs my throat. He doesn’t squeeze, but just keeps his fingers clenched around my delicate skin. “You’re not
listening
.”
    “Let go of me, Jackal.”
    He grips a little tighter. “Faye, you—”
    “Jackal!”
    Farren’s voice cuts into our conversation. Jackal curses and whirls around. Farren stands at the entrance of the balcony, his mouth set in a tight line, his fists balled at his side. “Let her go.”
    Jackal smiles, the expression predatory, and releases me. He swings around and jumps down from the railing, landing on the balcony, and strides purposely toward Farren. My twin takes a hesitant step back, his fists clenching tighter.
    Jackal stops just a foot in front of Farren and leans toward him. Farren swallows hard, but doesn’t budge. After a moment of tense silence, Farren growls, “You shouldn’t be here. You’re banned from the castle grounds.”
    Jackal scoffs. “You think I don’t know that?”
    “I think you’re unaware of the consequences.”
    “
Farren,
” I groan, shooting him a warning look. Neither of them acknowledge me.
    Jackal tenses, one hand rapidly clenching and unclenching, the other straying toward his side, where he keeps his dagger. He takes a single step toward Farren, closing the distance between them. Jackal towers over my brother, and his shoulders roll forward with aggression.
    “You don’t intimidate me, Jackal,” Farren says.
    Jackal spits at Farren’s feet. “Of course I don’t. You’ve always been too stupid to recognize danger, even when it stares you in the face.”
    “Get
out
,” Farren snarls, pointing to the doorway behind him.
    “Oh, what’s this?” He paces in front of Farren in a half-circle, his boots striking the stone in a menacing rhythm. “Did I upset the little princeling?”
    Farren’s hand wanders toward his waist, where he keeps his dagger. I curse and snap, “Jackal, leave. Come back later, okay? Sometime when Farren isn’t here to interfere.”
    Jackal whips his gaze toward me. “So now you’re giving me orders, huh?”
    “She’s Irrador’s princess,” Farren says, his voice disturbingly steady. “She’ll tell you to do whatever she wants.”
    Jackal rolls his eyes. “She’s powerless.”
    Farren smiles thinly. It’s not nearly as vicious as Jackal’s expression, but it still takes me aback. Since when did Farren learn to look scary?
    “She might be powerless,” Farren says. “But I’m not. I could have you killed for trespassing in her chambers.”
    “You wouldn’t,” Jackal says. “You’re too weak.”
    “Try me.”
    Farren’s voice is starting to grow louder, and he’ll attract the attention of the guards soon. Jackal looks cautiously behind Farren, into my chambers. He curses.
    “You,” he says, pointing to me. “Be careful. You’re too valuable to die.”
    I nearly fall off the railing.
Valuable?
Had Jackal
actually
acknowledged that I have some kind of worth? This is definitely a first…
    I don’t get a chance to reply. Jackal storms back into my chambers, turning toward the library. He’ll use that hidden passage to get out of the castle, like he often does.
    Farren stares after him, his fists slowly unclenching. Then he shakes his head and walks over to me.
    “You’re going to kill yourself up there.” His voice is