I looked lazily at Jack, whose mouth was hanging open, his grip loose upon the ear plugs.
Sighing, R?ven took our hands and led us towards the balcony doors. She knew the area well, for she delivered mail here almost every day of the week. I guessed she had chosen this particular balcony because the room on the other side of the wall was currently unoccupied.
As we slipped through the unlocked doors I gazed around at the pretty room. Clearly it was a guest room for it was quite generic in its decorations, though charming none the less.
R?ven pointed to the wardrobe and at this point I was quite confused.
“What-?” I began, but she was already handing me some of the finest garments I had ever seen.
“Why-?” Jack also began as R?ven pushed a bundle of beautiful clothes into his hands. Next we were shoved behind respective screens for privacy while R?ven waited.
“Oh well.” I rolled my eyes stepping out from behind the screen once I was dressed to see Jack standing before the mirror, looking very smart in a suit and tails of deep blue.
Jack turned to see R?ven and myself standing side by side; R?ven looking very natural and beautiful in her clothes, where as I looked thin and angular in a strangers clothes.
“We will fit in this way.” R?ven whispered.
Jack smiled at me and I turned away.
“Let’s go.” I muttered, “We’ve wasted enough time.”
They both nodded and once again R?ven took the lead. I really had no way to repay her for all the help she had been over the last few weeks.
She opened the door to the hall just enough to poke her head out and see if anyone was coming. With a wave of her hand R?ven led us into the hall. I felt horribly exposed simply walking through the castle, Jack at my side and R?ven leading the way. I had no idea where we were going, and I had no way to defend myself without my power. If anything happened to R?ven we would not be able to accomplish what we had set out for.
“Where do you think they would keep him?” I said in an undertone to Jack.
Jack shrugged and made a face, “No idea. Perhaps R?ven remembers where she heard the yowling from that day she was delivering mail.”
My steps slowed down as I saw two figures approaching us. They were dressed in identical uniforms and talking in hushed voices. They barely gave us a second glance. Both women gave R?ven a small nod of acknowledgement, and ignored Jack and myself. Heaving a sigh of relief I was glad that I had not been recognized. They had only been cleaners by the looks of it.
My heart drummed wildly in my chest. We were close to Hawthorne, I could feel it. Closer than we had been for weeks, anyway. This place was huge and it would probably take a long while to find him. Though R?ven seemed to have a good idea of where we were going. She led us up many flights of stairs and I vaguely wondered why we couldn’t have flown to another balcony higher up, though I didn’t bother to ask, for if R?ven replied I would go momentarily brain dead. We kept on our guard the entire time, my legs were quite wobbly from nerves and fear of being discovered however all went well for the first half an hour. Higher and higher we went climbing each flight of stairs hoping they would be the last. R?ven often seemed a little lost but after a moment’s thought she would shake her head, point upwards and we would continue to the top. I figured she hadn’t memorized the entire building. I wondered if anyone ever had. Surely it was far too big to remember where everything was.
I was lost in thought when a hand shot out in front of me causing me to halt. R?ven had thrown out her arm and had placed her finger to her lips to indicate silence. We listened hard and sure enough voices could be heard close by.
“Aye, Frost ‘as gone to tha’ Forsythe weddin’” a loud man’s voice could be heard, “Me brother wen’ with ‘er an’ all o’ course.” He continued proudly, “I ‘ad to stay ‘ere see? Fer teleportation purposes, I did.”
Jack’s eyes widened with fear and he mouthed a rather foul word, right before hissing at R?ven and I “It’s one of the Creeley twins.”
My heart jolted. I had heard bad things about these brothers. Yet at the same moment I felt horrible bubbling anger welling up inside me. It had been the Creeley twins who had managed to capture Hawthorne with their teleportation Power. Scowling, I was unwillingly dragged into a broom cupboard by R?ven and Jack. Together we hid in the darkness and peered through the crack between the door and the wall. Sure enough only moments later a large and well built lad swaggered past in the company of a rather pretty little maid who looked no older than sixteen. Clearly this Creeley twin was flirting without so much as a blush. I already hated the git.
“If only I had my power.” I muttered darkly.