CHAPTER FOURTEEN ISI #2
“Is it really infiltrating if we walked in the front door?” Lexie asked with a tilt of her head.
“Details.” Kerralyn waved her hand in the air. “Now, tell us everything while we eat. I want to know exactly what we’re dealing with here.”
Trew settled in a chair opposite us. Pherin swooped down from her perch to steal a piece of roast from the tray, dragging it to the edge where she could tear into it.
“She has excellent manners,” Kerralyn said, watching the minxpip with a smirk.
I stroked the bird’s spine while she snarled, ripping into the meat. “She sure does.”
While we ate, I told them everything we’d discovered at Thorne’s home. About the west tower where my father had kept Addie prisoner. About the torture and sickness and Thorne’s flight to save her.
Lexie’s food sat forgotten on her plate. Kerralyn’s pencil flew across her journal, recording everything in a code I was sure only she could understand. Trew interjected what I missed.
“Your mother had property south of Syllavar?” Kerralyn asked, looking up from her notes. “In what’s now a wasteland?”
“That’s what he said.” I reached for my cup of tea, needing something to do with my hands. “She never mentioned anything like that.”
“The wasteland only appeared sixteen years ago,” Trew said. “Before that, the land was fertile. Beautiful. Rich with magic.”
His words made my chest tighten.
“And your mother’s death was sixteen years ago?” Kerralyn said. “That’s too convenient to ignore.”
“Coincidence?” Lexie asked. “Yeah, right.”
The pieces were there, hovering just out of reach. My mother’s mysterious property. Her death on the stairs. The wasteland’s sudden appearance. The Skathes that came with it.
I set down my cup with shaking hands.
“So the immediate search for Addie is over,” Lexie said, her voice turning sharp and practical. “Our mission has changed.”
“Thorne has her. That’s the most important thing.” My voice came out steadier than I felt. “Now we need to focus on the people in those cells. And my father.”
Trew tugged me up from the sofa and sat again in his chair, pulling me down onto his lap. I sank into his warmth, resting my head on his shoulder as he wrapped his arms around me. The quiet determination in the room was a better balm than any platitude.
“We’ll need to study the layout of the dungeon,” Kerralyn said, tapping her pencil on her journal. “And guard schedules.”
“Lexie, you take the patrols,” I said, a plan starting to form. “Use your new hire status. Be wide-eyed and curious. The lower-ranking guards love to feel important.”
Lexie grinned with a predatory flash of her eyes. “I can find out patrol routes and shift changes. Easy pickings.”
“And I’ll listen while I work the kitchens,” Kerralyn said.
“Staff gossip. The head chef complains constantly about the extra rations for the prisoners. I can use that to learn which guards are assigned to the dungeon, when food is delivered, and who has the keys. Logistically, that’s our entry point. ”
“Coordinate your findings,” Trew said. “We’ll build a complete picture of their security.”
“That leaves the west tower and the doors opening mystery Thorne mentioned,” I said.
“Even if Addie is gone, the reason for her sickness might be there. And we’d be silly not to consider that door means veil.
There may be clues in the west tower about how the veil was opened and even more important, how to seal it closed for good. ”
Trew stroked my arm. “Agreed. While they gather information on the dungeons, we’ll focus on the tower.
Your father plans to parade you around for your suitors, and I suggest you stroll through every single corridor inside this place.
I’ll be your shadow, mapping the castle’s weaknesses.
We’ll use your tours as cover to scout the approaches to the tower and find a way in. ”
The mention of the suitors made my stomach clench, but I saw the opportunity.
“I can’t avoid them, but I can use them.
I’ll play the curious, naive princess. Crestin is cunning.
He might know things about my father’s true plans beyond what he reveals to the court.
Lord Alfred is the eldest son of Noctvale Court.
They may be involved, especially if my father hopes to form an alliance with them through me.
I’ll ask questions that won’t feel threatening. ”
“Weaponize the courtship,” Lexie said with a nod of approval. “I like it. Twisted, but I like it.”
“Just be careful,” Trew said, his hold on me tightening.
“We’ll find a way to rescue those in the dungeon before the Day of Mercy,” Kerralyn said. “And we’ll find a way to stop the impending war. Is that everything?”
“I’ll fill Derren in on what we’ve discussed,” Lexie said. “He plans to arrive tomorrow and apply to work as a guard. That’ll give him access to much of the castle.”
“Perfect,” I said.
Kerralyn closed her journal with a snap. “Good. We have the start of a plan.”
At least we had a purpose. We weren’t reacting anymore. We were hunting.
“You don’t have much time before you have to choose a suitor,” Lexie said, her tone thoughtful. “What happens if you refuse?”