Stolen Heart

chapter 19




Annika and Kieran quickly dressed and grabbed some food on the way out of the hotel. They made their way to the mark’s house and Keiran waited across the street, hidden in an alleyway. Annika stood a block down on the route the man would take toward the palace.

About a half an hour before sunrise, the door to the man’s house opened and he walked out. He turned down the street and headed straight for Annika. Kieran fell in step behind him, keeping careful distance so he wouldn’t be noticed. It was still dark enough that Kieran wasn’t too worried about being spotted.

As the man approached Annika, she stepped into his path. He looked up in surprise at her and gave her a quick smile.

“Excuse me. Can you tell me which way to the palace? I’ve been out for an early morning walk and I’ve seem to have gotten myself lost.”

“Of course. It’s right this way. I’m headed there now.”

“I can’t thank you enough. It’s so easy to get lost on all of these streets.”

Annika and the man headed down the street and she kept up a constant chatter with him so he would be distracted. As they were approaching a side alleyway, Kieran had caught up and walked up close to the man. Touching him on the shoulder, the man spun around but Kieran whispered a quick binding spell, causing the man’s body to stiffen like wood. He was able to carry him to the darkness of the alley. Annika followed them in.

Laying the man gently on the ground, Kieran put him in a spelled sleep then searched his pockets. He quickly found the man’s papers and scanned them.

“It appears he works on a cleaning crew. It doesn’t specify any particular crew, so hopefully that will gain you access to anywhere in the palace.”

Annika nodded. “I should only need a few hours. I hope you both can stay hidden here until I get back.”

“It shouldn’t be a problem. When we checked it out last night, I figured we can hide behind that low wall over there that houses the garbage. I should be smelling quite nice by the time you get back.”

Annika grinned at him. Then she pulled out a tiny flask from the pack that Kieran had been carrying. She had whipped up a quick potion last night that would help her keep her glamour if she became distracted having to use other magic. She hoped she didn’t get into a situation that called for that, but it was better to be prepared. She downed it in one gulp and grimaced. “Man that’s gross.”

Closing her eyes, Annika quickly morphed before Kieran’s eyes. She was an exact doppleganger of the man. “How do I look?”

Kieran was amazed. Not only did she look exactly like the man, but she sounded like him too. Well, at least he thought she sounded like him. It was deep with the same accent he had heard from other Balvrainians. He had not been able to hear their conversation as they were walking, but hearing the man’s voice had allowed Annika to duplicate it as part of her glamour.

Not waiting for a response, Annika leaned in close to Kieran. “Are you going to give me a kiss for good luck?”

“Not a chance,” he laughed. “But please be careful. If you are not back in two hours, I’m going to storm that palace to look for you.”

The thought made Annika feel warm inside. It was nice to have someone that cared. Feeling playful and before he could move out the way, she gave him a quick kiss on the lips.

“Ugggh…that so was not sexy.” Kieran wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

Annika grinned. “I’ll make it up to you tonight.” And then she walked away from him toward the palace.

Kieran picked up the man and moved him behind the low wall and set down to wait.

***

Annika had no problem making it through the gate. The guard gave her papers a cursory glance then nodded her through. She went straight to the palace door that she saw most of the workers entering.

Once inside, Annika veered away from the others and headed down a side hall. She nodded at those she passed, giving small smiles here and there. Most people smiled back. Some said hello. She hoped to the stars that she didn’t run into someone that knew the man whose body she wore.

Finding a flight of stairs, she walked up them and then turned right down another hall. At the end, a door stood closed with a guard posted on the outside. She approached the guard who looked at her warily.

“What business do you have here?”

“I’m here to clean up a spill inside. Orders were just called in.”

The guard went on alert. “Nothing has been spilled. Who are you?”

Before the guard could move, Annika reached out and uttered a spell that made the guard fall to the floor. She winced as he hit his head on the door and hoped it didn’t leave him with too much of a headache when he woke up.

Quickly opening the door, she grabbed the guard under his arms and pulled him in. He was heavy but luckily the polished wood floors made from some easy dragging of his dead weight. She shut the door behind her and turned to look at her surroundings. She was in a small sitting room furnished with a couch and several lounging chairs. There was a balcony straight ahead and the doors were wide open to let the breeze in. To the left was another door that was closed. Annika walked to it and opened it up.

Stepping inside, Annika saw a young woman sitting behind a desk. She had long dark hair that was curly, hanging long past her shoulders. Her amber eyes looked up to Annika in surprise. Annika had found the young queen, Claire Moldevaine.

“What are you doing here? This is my private office.” It wasn’t said with menace, just surprise.

“Hi Claire,” Annika responded.

Claire’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. Then Annika let her glamour go, changing back into herself.

“Annika! Oh, I’m so glad to see you. I thought you’d never come.”