Chapter 14 #2
As though intent on claiming yet another victory over my unraveling composure, his smile softened, losing some of his teasing edge. “Though in fairness, I suspect I’ve merely been fortunate. If the legends are true, it would take far more than one stubborn lock to defeat Mirelle the thief.”
A puzzled frown tugged my mouth. “Legends?”
His dimple deepened. “Every remarkable woman deserves at least a few.”
My heart quickened. “How did you learn my name?”
He shrugged. “You’re the princess. It would be disloyal for me not to know it.”
Somehow, I sensed his knowledge extended beyond my pedigree, especially when the question stirred a strange sense of deja vu, as though I had asked it once before, in another time and place.
Both times, I was certain my treacherous heart had quickened in the same way at the sound of his honeyed voice cradling a name so rarely spoken now.
Perhaps this partnership had been a foolhardy mistake after all.
The thought grounded me, pulling my wandering thoughts back to the more pressing matter of escape at hand. Now that the door had been unlocked, I was one step closer to uncovering the mysteries shrouding the palace. I stared down at the door handle, but couldn’t make myself reach for it.
“Didn’t you want the door open?” Evander asked, laughter in his voice.
I bit my lip. “I just remembered that there are guards outside the door.”
He tilted his head. “That does complicate matters.”
I eased the door open a fraction. Sure enough, two armored figures stood at attention beyond it. I shut it at once.
“Still there?” Evander asked.
“Did you expect them to vanish?” I asked.
He shrugged. “One can hope. But considering they locked you in, it would be poor form to abandon their post.”
I glared at him. “Your brilliance continues to astonish me.”
His smile returned. “Shall I create a distraction?”
“How? By charming them while invisible and silent?” I asked dryly.
He offered another flirtatious wink. “Not to worry, you’re my only target for that particular demonstration.”
Heat crept steadily into my cheeks, the second blush he’d stolen from me this interaction. I crossed my arms, as though the futile gesture might shield my wildly pounding heart. “And how, exactly, do you propose to be helpful when you can’t be seen?”
He grinned, a hint of mischief slipping through. “Attention is easier to redirect than you might think...as you’ve already discovered.” He stepped a fraction closer, his voice lowering just enough to brush the edge of something dangerous. “Watch the master at work.”
His eyes held mine for a fraction before he eased the door open just wide enough to slip through.
It swung soundlessly, as though anything he touched went as unnoticed as he did.
Though the guards stood at rigid attention, they didn’t so much as glance his way as he slipped past them and disappeared down the corridor.
The silence stretched tensely as I waited.
After a few long moments, I realized he was likely gone, enjoying his freedom while I remained trapped in my room.
I’d thought he had a true interest in working together, but either he’d grown bored of the idea…
or he’d already gained what he needed from me.
Rage bubbled to the surface at the idea, but it was oddly mixed with disappointment.
I’d long since given up trusting people so it had been years since I’d felt disappointed in someone’s actions.
But Evander’s abandonment cut far more deeply than it should have.
I chastised myself for my weakness in allowing myself to think of him almost as a friend or teammate.
Thoughtfully, I examined the hallway as best I could through the slit in the doorway, wondering if I could create my own distraction that would work long enough to flee down the hall and around the corner.
Before I could attempt to throw a candlestick at the fragile-looking vase in an alcove, a sudden crash shattered the stillness.
The clamor of something heavy striking the ground echoed through the hall, followed by the sharp ring of metal colliding with stone.
The guards jerked upright. “What was that?”
“It came from down the corridor. Quick!”
Their footsteps thundered away. I stared after them a startled moment, and didn’t even attempt to mask my amazement when Evander reappeared at my side.
He dusted his hands together with an air of innocence. “Distraction successfully executed. I’ll accept my well earned accolades.”
“Those will have to wait until after your diversion proves sufficient.”
I wasted no time slipping from the room, moving on silent tiptoe down the corridor in the opposite direction the guards had run, keeping to the shadows between the torchlit sconces.
My heart pounded hard enough that I feared the sound alone might betray me.
At least I wasn’t exhibiting any symptoms of sleepiness, a timely miracle.
I moved quickly, trusting the palace map I’d carefully committed to memory. Unfortunately, Evander’s distraction had drawn the guards along my familiar route, forcing me into an unfamiliar wing. After several turns, the corridors began to blur together.
I slowed, unease prickling. Something was wrong. Each embellished tapestry, suit of armor, and ornate decoration seemed to bleed into one another, offering no clear landmarks to guide me
“You’re escaping with quite a lot of confidence for someone who’s lost.”
I startled, then spun to be greeted by Evander’s now familiar smirk. I hadn’t heard him following me…and for the first time, I wondered if he ever had, or if he simply appeared whenever it suited him.
“I’m not lost,” I snapped, though my irritation did little to mask the relief at his timely arrival. “I’m just…exploring. In case you hadn’t noticed, I’ve spent most of my time at the palace as a prisoner locked in my chambers.”
“A weak excuse, but one I can accept.” He frowned in the direction of the guards we’d just evaded. “They certainly don’t treat you like a princess.” His gaze returned to me, lingering a moment, as if reassessing something.
Something in his measured perusal sent a flicker of unease through me. I wanted to ask if that judgment came from his experience as a prince himself, but that knowledge belonged to a dream I did not yet trust. Better to keep it in reserve, a card to be played only when necessary.
“Because as I keep insisting, I’m not a princess at all,” I said, exasperated. “The world is shifting…but as you so implied, you seem to know why.”
I gave him a searching look. He lifted his hands in a cajoling gesture. “All in due time. I can’t very well give away my only bartering tool that’s secured your cooperation so easily.”
I sighed. “I often wish you weren’t so clever; it would be more to my advantage if your confidence wasn’t entirely warranted.”
“Does this mean demonstrating my capabilities has earned your trust as I’d hoped…and perhaps persuaded you to like me a bit more?” His smile turned just a shade more knowing.
“Perhaps you’re not entirely useless,” I conceded. For my snappy retort, I couldn’t quiet my reluctant silent admission that his charm had worked…much to my annoyance.
He dipped into a gallant bow. “I’ll take whatever compliment I can get from someone who guards her praise so closely, and give you the credit due. My distraction was only part of the equation—you’re remarkably graceful, nimble enough slip past unnoticed.”
Such praise was nothing new after years of successful heists. Yet somehow, hearing it from him sent warmth rising unbidden to my cheeks. For one frustrated moment, I found myself speechless. “Flattery won’t work on me,” I finally managed. Except that it already had.
Being with him unraveled every rule of my profession, stripping away the careful mask I’d worn for years, leaving me exposed. Once more, I wondered if Evander had materialized for the sole purpose of leading me astray. If that was his intent, he was succeeding far too well.
I glanced around, as though a safer topic might be hidden nearby, waiting to be claimed.
After a prolonged silence, I nodded towards the corridor we’d come from.
“That was quite the distraction. What did you break?” The question felt neutral enough, distant enough to avoid deepening my growing attachment.
“Don’t concern yourself,” he said. “I always hated that particular suit of armor. It wasn’t particularly valuable, nothing worth stealing.”
I gave a small huff. “You assume value is measured solely in coin, but an object’s true worth has little to do with its monetary value.”
He tilted his head, curiosity sharpening his expression. “A rare philosophy from someone who steals for a living.”
“There is more than one currency essential for survival.” Though in my case, it was more emotional than physical.
Such as memories of lives and connections I had never truly known, fragments I chased through stolen moments, hoping to quiet the loneliness they left behind.
He only looked more intrigued. For the first time, I felt the dangerous urge to confide in him about my power, about the stories hidden within objects and the strange, fleeting comfort they brought.
But those were truths I had spent my entire life guarding.
It would be foolish to surrender them now…
especially to a man I had every reason not to trust.
And yet, the desire lingered.
I hesitated, weighing the risk. “I believe it’s one who possesses an object that gives it meaning through the memories it holds,” I said. “Life is more than survival; it’s about purpose.”
Something in his expression shifted, softening. “Admittedly, that particular suit of armor made for an excellent hiding place when escaping my tutors or playing hide-and-seek with the servant children.” His gaze drifted, distant with memory. “Perhaps that suit of armor had value after all.”