Total pages in book: 200
Estimated words: 189930 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 950(@200wpm)___ 760(@250wpm)___ 633(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 189930 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 950(@200wpm)___ 760(@250wpm)___ 633(@300wpm)
“The Royal Guards will come for you.”
I retrieved the curved bow by the grip. “I’m positive Vikter left for the Rise the moment he heard the horns.”
“And Hawke? Their duty is to protect you.”
“Vikter knows I can protect myself, and Hawke won’t even know I’ve left my room.” I paused. “He doesn’t know about the servants’ entrance.”
“You’re injured, Poppy. Your back—”
“My back is almost completely healed. You know that.”
“And what of the Dark One? What if this is a ploy—?”
“This is no ploy, Tawny. I saw them in the mist,” I told her, and her face grayed. “And if the Dark One tries to come for me, I will be ready for him, too.”
She followed me as I crossed the room. “Penellaphe Balfour, stop!”
Surprised, I spun around and found her standing right behind me. “I have less than two minutes, Tawny. I will be trapped in here—”
“Where it’s safe,” she reasoned.
I grasped her shoulder with my free hand. “If they breach the walls, they will take the city, and they will find a way into the castle. And then there will be no stopping them. That, I know. They got to my family. They got to me. I will not sit and wait for that to happen once more.”
Her eyes frantically searched mine. “But you didn’t have the Rise to protect you then.”
That was true, but… “Nothing is infallible, Tawny. Not even the Rise.”
“And neither are you,” she whispered, her lower lip trembling.
“I know.”
She drew in a deep breath, her shoulder sagging under my hand. “All right. If anyone comes, I’ll tell them you’re ill with fright and have locked yourself in the bathing chamber.”
I rolled my eyes. “Of course, you will.” I let go of her shoulder. “There are several bloodstone daggers in the chest, and a sword under the pillows—”
“Please tell me your head is not resting above a sword every night,” Tawny demanded, voice ringing with disbelief. “No wonder you have nightmares. Only the gods know what kind of bad luck using a sword as a pillow—”
“Tawny,” I cut her off before she really got going. “If the castle is breached, use the weapons. You know how.”
“I know.” And she did only because I made her learn in secret, just like Vikter had taught me. “The head or the heart.”
I nodded.
“Be safe, Poppy. Please. I will be so very disappointed if I’m assigned to serve the Duchess. Or, worse yet, given to the Temple in service to the gods. Not that it wouldn’t be an honor to serve them,” she tacked on, placing her hand over her heart. “But the whole celibacy thing…”
I cracked a grin. “I will return.”
“You’d better, Poppy.”
“I promise.” Giving her a quick kiss on the cheek, I spun and headed for the old servants’ door beside the bathing chamber. This was the whole reason I had all but begged and pleaded to be moved to this room in the older, far uglier portion of the castle. These pathways and accesses were no longer used, but they connected to nearly every room in the old part of the stronghold including the stone bridge that led directly to the southern portion of the Rise.
Old hinges creaked as I opened the door. The pathways allowed me to move undetected throughout the castle. Over the last years, I’d used them to meet with Vikter in one of the old, unused rooms for training, and it was also how I was able to slip out of the castle without being seen.
But, most importantly, the old stairs and halls could provide a quick escape if necessary.
“Poppy,” Tawny called out, stopping me. “Your face.”
Confusion rose for only a moment, and then I realized that my face was unveiled.
“Right.” I lifted the heavy hood, tugging it into place before I slipped out into the narrow, winding staircase.
Stone slid against metal as thick, iron doors rattled and began their descent as I raced down the cracked, uneven stone steps. My slippers weren’t the best footwear for such a thing, but there hadn’t been time to ferret out the only boots I owned from their hiding place, tucked under the head of the bed. If the maids found them, they would be sure to talk, and eventually, whatever they said would make its way back to someone.
I had less than a minute to get out.
Dust and small rocks drifted from above as the castle continued to tremble. Moonlight broke through the cracked, dusty windows as I rounded the final set of steps, slipping over the bottom two and all but sliding out into the empty pantry. The movement caused nothing more than a dull flare of pain where the welts were healing.
Thrusting the bow into the folds of the cloak, I darted into the chaotic kitchen where servants clamored for access to the hidden safe rooms that doubled as food storage. Guards rushed for the main entrance, where the largest shield would be locking into place within seconds. No one paid me any mind as I ran for the back hall, where one of the iron doors was already halfway down.