“Who do you think got her away from the poisonous lord who abused her?”
“You,” she breathed. The Leif shifted and Wren glanced at all the other silent occupants of the room before taking the letter from Vienne. “I have much to think about, but I have a question. Why wait to pull me from the palace?”
The smile her aunt gave her was chilly. “We needed to know you were strong enough for the task.”
“What task is that?”
“Bringing Verlanti to its knees.”
It sounded too good to be true. “I can commit to nothing.”
Vienne bowed her head. “Spoken like a wise woman.”
“I have more questions.”
“Which I promise to answer, but not here. I’m sure the Beast is already searching for you.”
Wren’s stomach swooped. Was it anticipation or foreboding she felt?
The door opened and an elf with blond hair stepped inside. His gaze snapped to her and held for a moment. Wren’s jaw dropped. It was one of the guards that had tailed her most days.
“He’s—he’s,” she stuttered.
“Welcome, princess,” he murmured, closing the door behind him. “I’m happy to see you made it.”
“This is Josenu. He is one of our spies,” her aunt supplied.
Josenu nodded once and then turned his grey gaze to Vienne. “He has already dispatched soldiers. We must seek a more secure shelter. You need to move now.”
The masked people burst into action.
Wren gathered up her wet, soiled dress in her arms, watching in silence as her aunt barked out orders. Leif slipped his hand into her right one and she blinked at him.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
He eyed her; his expression serious. “Giving comfort, like you did for me in prison.”
She dropped her attention to their laced fingers and something in her chest cracked. When was the last time she’d experienced a touch like this? It felt like years.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“No need for thanks among friends,” he murmured back.
“Wren.” She focused on Vienne. “It’s time to leave. Will you come with us?”
Leif squeezed her fingers.
She swallowed. “If I choose not to help you, will you leave me here?”
“No,” her aunt replied, her lips thinning. “You have a place with me for as long as you like.”
“I will go.”
“Follow Josenu. I’ll be right behind you.”
The palace guard waited by the back entrance and opened the door. The masked rebels slipped out. Leif darted forward, not letting go of her hand and she hauled more of her dress against her chest as she hurried after him.
“Do not leave my side,” Josenu whispered, the moonlight turning his gaze silver. He eyed her dress. “Will you be able to run in that?”
“I can.” It wouldn’t be easy.
The spy must have spotted something in her expression. He knelt and cut off two feet from the hem, exposing her legs to the night air. She muffled a squeak when he yanked on the dress twice, forming a high slit over each thigh before placing his blade back in it sheath.
“Leif, where she goes, you go.”
The boy nodded his head and Wren almost rolled her eyes. “I can handle myself.”
Josenu nodded once. “Which is why I have not thrown you over my shoulder.”
Her eyes narrowed as he turned his back on her and ran down the cobbed alley. Leif dropped her hand and urged her forward. Wren sprinted after the spy. They clung to the shadows, weaving through the labyrinth of streets. Her thighs began to burn as they trekked to the north, away from the bay.
The spy, cursed and darted to the left. She and Leif followed suit.
Josenu crept to the barrels and climbed the nearest one.
“What are you doing?” she whispered.
“The commander’s men are blocking the roads. We must take to the roofs.” The spy launched himself upwards and caught the edge of the building and climbed up, his cloak disappearing from view.
“You next,” Leif said.
Wren grumbled underneath her breath. While she wasn’t afraid of heights, scrambling across roofs in a gown, barefoot didn’t seem like the best idea.
You can do this.
She took a running start, using the boxes and barrels to help with her jump. Wren grunted when her fingers caught the edge. Her arms shook as she managed to pull herself up some but not quite all the way. She slipped and her heart pounded faster.
Blast it.
She was going to fall.
Josenu grabbed her forearms and lifted her onto the terracotta roof as if she weighed nothing. Pulse pounding in her ears, she nodded to him on hands and knees “Thanks.”
Leif scrambled up after her, not winded in the least.
“Let’s move,” the spy commanded.
Hauling herself to her shaking legs, Wren ran after him, trying not to think about how slippery the soles of her feet were against the roof. Josenu lept to the next building, and she didn’t give herself another chance to second guess herself and jumped. A scream caught in her throat as she cleared the dead space beneath her. She landed a little too hard, and her ankle twinged but she kept going.
The immense palace lay to her right and she balked when the spy lead them in that direction. Wren cleared another roof and grabbed Josenu’s cloak before he could move out.
“We are going toward the danger?” she hissed.
He crouched down next to her, scowling. “The prince has already set up a perimeter farther out. If we go east, we’ll be caught. The only way to get out is to move toward the palace and then disappear into the forests. Then we’ll double back into the city. Now that your curiosity is assuaged, may we continue?”
She waved her hand. “By all means,” she said, sarcasm lacing her voice. What a dolt.
A dolt that’s helping you escape.
Her skin prickled as they slowed their pace and began making their way west, closer to the palace. They made it to another building. Josenu sprinted across the top and then dropped to the ground on the other side.
Wren ran to the edge and gritted her teeth. It was a far drop. There was no way she’d make it.
“I’ll go down first,” Leif said. “Josenu and I will catch you.”
She nodded as the bard jumped down, hardly making a sound.
The hair at the nape of her neck rose and goosebumps erupted down her arms.
Wren lifted her head and once again looked at the palace looming to her right. Her attention focused on marble stairs that lead to the entrance. A lone figure stood atop, dressed completely in black, his long sliver hair waving in the breeze.
Arrik.
She froze as he stared back her. She could feel his gaze on her, running over her skin. Angry, possessive, and… hurt. Time stretched and she heard Leif hiss her name, but she couldn’t tear her eyes from the prince.
He nodded to her like he was accepting a challenge.
Her belly quivered. She had thrown down the gauntlet when she’d tricked him.
Wren blinked and the spell was broken.
The prince ran down the stairs, and she could hear him shouting.
“Wren!”
She didn’t think twice and jumped from the roof. Her breath whooshed out of her as Josenu and Leif caught her. “We have a problem,” she breathed. “The prince saw me.”
“What?” both men said at the same time.
“He was standing at the entrance of the palace.”
“Rot it,” the spy growled. “We must go to the sewers.” He ran to a round iron cover set in the cobbles and lifted it. “Leif, you first. You know the tunnels better than anyone.”
“That I do,” Leif sang. He skipped over to the hole in the alley and jumped inside without hesitation.
Wren followed him and peered down into the hole. It smelled something horrible.
“Come on, dragon princess, I will catch you,” Leif called softly.
She looked up at Josenu. “You’re coming behind us?”
His jaw set. “No, I must close the cover and make sure to get back to my patrol.”
“May the winds be with you,” she whispered, then sat down and swung her legs into the hole.
The spy nodded. “Be careful, princess. His reach is far. Never assume you are safe. Trust no one.”
The prince had said something similar to her. She took one last look at Josenu’s face and then jumped. Leif caught her easily and set her down. Her feet sunk into water that was slimy and she gagged.