Chapter 32
“I’d sayI’ll fly out of here, but I have no idea how to shift.” I follow Clio along the dim servant corridor running parallel to the main hallway. I’d known the royal palace was huge and a complicated construction with secret passageways, but I’m learning only now just how many side corridors and hidden pathways were integrated into this building.
Clio shoots me a warning look. “You’d better not. I need you coherent and able to communicate when we make our way out.”
“Besides, a bird fluttering through the palace draws more attention than another servant,” Kaira adds, for once not arguing with Clio.
Since we’ve left my room, they haven’t agreed on a thing, Kaira reluctantly letting Clio take the lead since the female has been staying at the palace a lot longer than her. But occasionally, they need to consolidate their knowledge when the approach of servants or guards forces us to divert from the original route Clio chose. At least my face is more or less concealed by the low light as long as I keep my head down, allowing Kaira to navigate me by directions spoken into my mind. I’m surprised Clio hasn’t caught onto our silent conversation.
“Here,” Clio pulls me around another corner, her hand surprisingly sweaty, like a normal human’s. Between Kaira, the part-Flame, and Clio, the subdued fairy, I am the one with the best senses at this particular moment, so I do my best to warn them about approaching boots and voices. Most of them are on the other side of the wall in the main hallways, though I learn quickly, tuning out that portion as best I can so I don’t give the others a heart attack every time I hear something.
“We’re almost at the side entrance,” Kaira narrates in a murmur this time. “If we’re lucky, no one has noticed you’re gone yet, and the guards there won’t heed us any notice when we stroll out the door.”
“So much for that theory.” Clio glares over her shoulder, apparently not satisfied with Kaira’s hopeful nature. “I’ve lived long enough to know practice is never quite what you plan for.”
The wisdom in her jade eyes tells me it’s not solely to get on Kaira’s nerves, even when half of her comments might have been.
“How did you even shake your own guards?” Kaira demands. “I thought you were escorted everywhere.”
“I was.” Clio leaves it at that, but her hand tightens on the knife she’s hiding in the folds of her skirts. I’m surprised not to find any blood on her.
“You could have disposed of them earlier,” I whisper, my own voice thundering through the narrowing stone path like thunder—at least, that’s what it sounds like to me. Clio needs to strain to hear me.
“Who said I disposed of them? I left them at your door when I entered.”
When we both glance at Kaira, she wildly shakes her head. “I didn’t kill them.”
“Herinor—” I don’t know how I feel about him risking so much to help everyone else so they can help me.
“I would assume it was him,” Clio agrees. “Smart male. If he weren’t so fucking stubborn, we could have gotten out long ago.”
“He’s not stubborn,” Kaira interjects, and I nearly smile as her affections for the male surface so casually it almost feels like we’re on an evening stroll… Then we reach the end of the tunnel, and two guards are eyeing us with expert assessment, their hands on their swords as one of them demands to know where we’re going.
“We are on an errand for Lord Ephegos,” Kaira lies without hesitation, and I’ve never been more grateful Eherean fairies can lie like thieves. “He is indisposed at this moment, but he needs a few things from his estate in the city for his … guest.”
The guard cocks his head while the other one’s young features soften. “Good to see you, Kaira.” His gaze lowers to her mouth then to her chest as if he’s recently seen more of her than just her face. His long, braided hair and trim beard are in stark contrast to the short gray hair and shaved jaw of the older guard whose grumpy expression hasn’t changed.
“And you Julj.” The way Kaira’s lashes flutter at Julj makes me dizzy.
The small gesture is apparently enough to take Julj’s mind off why we’re here to begin with, and I’m not certain I like the way he’s appraising Kaira like she’s his favorite pastime.
“I’ve been hoping to…” His eyes dart sideways, skipping over me as he notices Clio’s curved form. “See you later tonight.”
“Stop flirting, and let the women do their job,” the older guard scolds the younger one, his stern face landing on Kaira while Clio casually shifts in front of me, looping her arm through Kaira’s.
“We really need to go, or Lord Ephegos will be very disappointed and not give any of us leave.” She says it to the older guard, but it’s the younger one who seems disappointed as he gets the message.
“We wouldn’t want that.” His gaze hops back and forth between Kaira and her as if he’s planning not only tonight but his entire week’s evening activities starring the two servant women in front of me, who mercifully have managed to keep the guards’ attention off me.
“Definitely not,” Kaira agrees and winks at Julj as he opens the door for us.
My stomach tightens as they walk out the door and I follow, setting one foot after the other on my path between the two men, their eyes alert and ready to discard any danger from outside—or from within.
I’ve almost made it when a hand lands on my shoulder and the older guard stops me. “Wait.”
“Kaira,” I reach for her through our connection when every spoken word would give away that something is wrong.
The part-Flame slows, her hand slipping from Clio’s arm, who turns, her whole body tense for a fight.
I don’t face the man as he steps to my side, studying me from a head above.
Shit. If he recognizes me, this is over. Between the three of us, we might defeat two palace guards, but the noise would alert more guards, and even if we managed to escape, Ephegos and Erina would hear about it, and they would make Myron and the others pay for it.
“Keep your calm, Ayna,”Kaira orders. “Breathe.” Out loud, she says, “Anything wrong?” Her gaze darts past the older guard to Julj before returning to me.
The man hasn’t lifted his fingers from my shoulder—the very same shoulder that hurt like mad earlier when Katrijanov stabbed Myron in the tattoo. I try not to cringe, try to stand tall while keeping my face slightly averted and in the shadows the palace walls throw over us.
His fingers slide to my neck, and I can hear the sound of spines snapping under the force of a hand. I’ve seen too much during my years on the Wild Ray and in the prison at Fort Perenis not to know what a deliberate hand can do to a neck like mine. My hairs stand at the back of my neck as fear floods my veins, pushing me to run-run-run like an animal.
“It’s the Crow instincts, Ayna. Don’t listen to them. Focus on your breathing, or you’ll shift right here.”Kaira’s voice is a soothing anchor, keeping me from jolting into a run. If I run, he’ll know. If I run, I’ll damn Myron to more pain. If I run?—
The hand reaches higher, grazing the nape of my neck, and I almost quake, my body tensing to fight in a mirror of Clio’s readiness to slaughter. My gaze meets hers, signaling that I’m prepared.
She shakes her head ever so slightly, indicating for me to hold still.
The fingers curve around my bound hair and tug.
I flinch.
“Hold still, foolish woman,” the guard grumbles. “I’m just fixing your hair. You know how much King Erina hates when his staff is perceived as sloppy. It reflects on the reputation of his court.” He pulls hard enough to hurt, until the hidden lengths of my hair slide free of my clothes and flop down between my shoulder blades. I don’t breathe. “There, better. ”
He drops his hand, stepping back into position beside the door, and I don’t hesitate when Clio waves me forward. Kaira walks to my other side as they frame me until we make it to the next corner.
I only manage a full breath when Kaira drags me into a narrow alley where the sparse light doesn’t reach and the noises of the palace no longer follow.
Clio takes off her maid’s cap then fiddles with mine until it comes loose. “That was close.”
“Close enough to make me wish I’d packed fresh underwear,” Kaira agrees.
I instinctively sniff, wondering if she is joking or if she really peed her pants.
“Joking,” Kaira informs me through our mental connection. “But I really don’t have spare underwear in here.” She rummages through her satchel, pulling out a small canteen of water. “Drug-free. Promise.”
Clio steps out of her servant uniform, revealing the same linen pants and shirt I’m wearing before she helps me take off my skirts and apron, while Kaira is changing into a set of leather pants I wish I knew where she got.
“Let’s find a place to hide until the two of you have the drug out of your system.”