Creeping down the hall, I peered in each direction before making a sharp right turn at the hall’s end. There, just as Mira had said, was a door that led to a small staircase and a landing used for storage by the household staff. One flight below led to a hall behind the kitchen. One flight above provided access to the attic. I ascended quickly and came up under one of the roof’s gables. In front of me was a window with a sliding panel that overlooked the house’s back grounds.
I left the robe on the floor. That had been Mira’s suggestion. “Wear the robe over your clothes going in and out. Then if you’re spotted in the hall, it just looks like you got out of bed. A lot easier to explain that than why you’re walking around in regular clothes in the middle of the night.”
Outside the attic window was a trellis that more wisteria had climbed. Staring down, I reminded myself of how I’d successfully climbed the captain’s shelves on a rocking ship. Of course, the distance hadn’t been nearly so high, and I’d had Cedric to catch me.
Cedric. He was the reason I had to do this.
I swung out of the window and grabbed hold of the wooden slats. Mira had assured me the structure could hold my weight, and as I painstakingly inched my way down three floors, I saw she was right. The trellis stayed steady. I exhaled in relief when my foot touched the ground and allowed myself only a moment’s rest before I headed across the property. As I did, I couldn’t help but give a rueful head shake. If there was a secret way out of the house, of course Mira would be the one to find it.
A bright quarter moon and stars shone in the clear sky above as I moved at a steady jog. Warren’s words rang in my head about how he was leaving soon to assemble his men. I had to hope there’d been some delay while they organized themselves in town, but they’d most certainly make that up if they traveled on horseback. Mira had been adamant about where the Alanzans in Cape Triumph would meet tonight. I only needed to follow her directions.
It didn’t take long to reach a wooded area she’d described to the north. Whereas Blue Spring had acres and acres of manicured grounds, Wisteria Hollow’s were almost immediately reclaimed by the wilderness. Little had been cleared, and there was no obvious path. Only the position of the moon let me know I was still going in the right direction. It was rough terrain, and I stumbled on fallen logs and branches, my skirt snagging on brush and other obstacles. It was a good thing these ship dresses were almost never worn anymore, because I’d have a lot of explaining to do if it was scrutinized.
I reached a highway of packed earth that was supposed to lead to a fork. Although uneven in places, the road made for much easier traveling, and I picked up my pace. But as more and more time passed and no fork appeared, I began to wonder if I’d misheard the directions. And where were Warren and his men? How much time had passed? Surely it was getting close to the two-hour mark. For all I knew, I’d show up just as Warren’s men swooped down on Cedric. Or maybe they’d already arrived.
No, I told myself sternly. That’s not an option. I haven’t gone to all this trouble to save him from persecution just to see him caught right in the open.
The fork appeared at last, and I left the road as directed. I found a steep slope with a valley below and, eventually, an oak grove. At first, I wasn’t sure how I’d locate the Alanzans. As I approached, I could soon discern the glow of tiny lanterns, just like the ones Cedric had used at Midwinter. I picked up my pace, moving at a jog across the open area of the valley, feeling conspicuous in the moonlight.
But no one called out to me, and when I reached the oaks, I could see the dark shapes of the Alanzans in a circle around the lanterns’ diamond configuration. They seemed to be saying some sort of prayer in old Ruvan. I’d learned the language from an old governess. Most of the words seemed to be about stars and light and reconciliation, but the setting gave it a sinister edge. That old fear came back to me, bringing up all the stories I’d heard from priests and gossips. It was nearly enough to make me turn around and leave them to their fate.
But I knew Cedric stood among them somewhere, even if I couldn’t pick him out in the silhouettes. I hoped there might be a natural break in their invocation, but it just kept going on. With time ticking, there could be no graceful way to get their attention.
“Hey!” I yelled. “You need to get out of here! The governor’s men are coming!”
The chanting abruptly died away, and all those dark figures turned toward me. My heart stopped. This had been a terrible idea. Maybe they didn’t use dark curses, but there were certain ugly physical ways of harming someone, especially an intruder to a sacred ceremony.
“Who is that?” demanded a deep male voice. “Somebody get hold of her before she reports us!”
“I’m trying to help you!” I shouted.
Two people surged toward me, and I started to scramble backward when a familiar voice in the circle exclaimed, “Adelaide? What are you doing here?”
The men reaching for me stopped and glanced back uncertainly. “Do you know her?” one asked.
“Yes.” Cedric broke from the circle, his features becoming clearer as he approached. “What is this? You shouldn’t be out here.”