The princess’s face softens as she absorbs that. “I’m honored—”
“The king’s guard will be crawling over this place soon. We must go now,” the tall, lethal-looking warrior declares in a raspy growl, watching the street beyond the wooden gate. Shouts sound nearby.
“Right.” Romeria shakes her head. “Come with us to Ulysede.”
“What? Now?”
“Yes.” She waves me toward her.
“But I can’t leave Lilou and Suri.”
“We’ll go and get them.”
“Romeria,” the warrior warns in a stern voice. “The longer we wait, the more people we have to kill to get out.”
“I’m not leaving them here!” she snaps back.
I don’t want them killing anyone. “It’s okay. Besides, I can’t leave. There is an entire ballroom of mortal children who need me.”
“Where?” Her eyes widen. “Which one is he keeping them in?”
So she knows about that. “The west wing.”
She nods slowly, as if fitting that information into a plan. “That ballroom has doors that lead directly to the royal garden, does it not?”
“Yes. They’re heavily guarded, though.”
“We’ll be executed,” Pan chirps.
Shouts sound again, closer this time.
The warrior draws two swords as if preparing for battle.
Romeria curses under her breath. “Okay. You will keep those children safe for me.”
“Of course.”
“And I need you to pass along an important message. Can you do that?”
“Mika, go on over there and help Silmar with the horse.” I goad him forward with a hand against his back, waiting until he’s out of earshot. “I owe you my life and that of my children. If you’ll trust me with the message, I will get it where it needs to go.”
She sighs with relief. “Tell Wendeline that we had it wrong and the door is already open, but the prophecy is real.”
I repeat her words, an unease sliding over my spine. “I will deliver that.” How, I have no idea, but I will figure it out.
“I will see you again very soon. I promise.” She slips on her mask and Romeria is gone, replaced by a stranger.
Pan offers a wave at Mika and Silmar, and then the three of them rush around the corner and are gone from sight.
I tuck the gold coin in my pocket and beckon Mika.
He trots over, a dazed look on his face. “Did she tell you how she did that?”
“Using special magic that you can never talk about with anyone. I mean it, Mika. I don’t care whose head has been chopped off.” I collect his hand and tug him inside, equal parts furious with him and thrilled that his disobedience led us to the princess.
But what is she doing here?
And why were her hands covered in blood?
The guard ignores us as we pass him, sparing nothing more than a smug smile for Mika, but the boy’s not paying attention, too enthralled by what he just witnessed.
I recite the message to Wendeline over and over in my head as we walk, praying I don’t confuse or distort it. I wish I had paper and ink to mark it down, but those are next to impossible for a servant to find these days.
A rush of pounding metal boots sounds from the nearby main hall.
“Fetch the caster!” Someone shouts. It’s Kazimir. “Drag her out of bed if you have to and get her to the king’s chamber at once.” Four soldiers rush past as we reach the entrance to the hall.
My mouth hangs with horror at the sight of Atticus’s limp body held among them, his tunic soaked in blood, his face pale.
“You!” Kazimir points at me, his eyes wide with panic. He has a sword slash across his cheek. “He’ll need a vein as soon as the caster is done.”
“Right. Of course.” I collect Mika’s cheeks in my hands. “You go straight to the ballroom right now. Do you understand?”
His head bobs up and down, his bottom lip wobbling with fear.
“Go! Now!”
Mika tears away, and I follow Kazimir up the stairs.
Praying Atticus survives and that Romeria’s bloody hands had nothing to do with this.
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
ROMERIA
Pan trips over the slain guard’s boots and stumbles into the cedar hedge.
“Imbecile,” Jarek mutters.
“I can’t see anything in the dark!”
“Shhh!” I warn sharply, and Pan clamps his lips together.
I look over my shoulder for the hundredth time to make sure no one followed us. We snuck past the flock of guards, again using my cloaking skills. It seemed too easy. “At least they didn’t find him.”