Page 52 of King of Storms and Feathers

“No, unfortunately.”

Grendal’s gray eyes twinkled. “Perhaps you can’t remember anything because you spent your days in the human forests serving others, and it’s too depressingly similar to your current fate. So you’re repressing it.”

“That’s possible.” I laughed and ducked through a doorway into a palace foyer, a large service elevator visible on the other side of it. “How are things in the kitchen?” I asked.

“The same as always. Rumor and delight ran rampant the night you served the king in the hall and he got down on his knees before you. I truly wish I’d seen it. Shame he hasn’t dined in the hall this past week.” She nudged my ribs. “The entire court would appreciate a repeat performance.”

I groaned. “How humiliating. And thankfully, you won’t see the king in the hall anytime soon. The Sayeeda says he’s been busy murdering raiders during the day. He often doesn’t return until the early hours of the morning.”

“That’s a pity,” said Grendal.

Under the watchful eyes of the elevator guards, we dumped our bags of gold on the floor and followed the line of servants back to the loading bay.

“So the king goes on raiding missions without his faithful guard dogs, Raiden and the blue-haired shrew?” asked Grendal.

“Ari said they’re the only two he trusts enough to oversee the gold deliveries. Apparently they’re very special,” I said, grimacing.

“They certainly think so. But it sounds as though you’re gaining the Sayeeda’s trust. That’s a good thing. Maybe one day, she’ll even help you get out of here.”

“She’s very loyal to Arrow. But at this point, she’s definitely my best option,” I agreed.

“If a plan eventuates, be sure to let me know. Perhaps I can help.” Wearing a wide grin, she bumped her hip into mine. “And maybe even come with you.”

“Thank you. It’s nice to know that someone in Coridon is on my side. And I’ve got your back, too.”

As we went back and forth moving the gold, I asked Grendal if she knew anything about the king’s waterfall pool. She didn’t but suggested I take a peek around the passage at the bottom of the stairs that we traipsed up and down to see what lay around the corner.

It was a risky move, but the dock was crowded, and if I ran as fast as my chained ankles would allow, I’d only be gone for a few minutes and no one would notice me missing.

We waited until Esen entered the carriage. Then, when we reached the base of the stairs that led into the palace, Grendal dropped her bags with a yelp and collapsed on the ground. Servants crowded around to assist her, and with my heart pounding like a drum, I scrambled through their legs.

As fast as I could, I ran along the corridor, the chain scraping the ground between my feet.

The path hooked left, then right, and then left again before it opened onto a beautiful garden arranged in four quadrants that stretched as far as the eye could see. I clenched my fists, spying the moat-like waterfall pool against the palace wall in the distance.

I couldn’t see the water that poured through Arrow’s river room, but I heard it—a great gushing noise that sounded to me like freedom. My heart thudded while I scanned the area, committing landmarks to memory.

“Leaf!” a deep voice boomed behind me, and my heart stopped beating entirely.

I whipped around and gasped. Arrow. Shit. I was in so much trouble.

“What do you think you’re doing?” said the king as he stepped around a column painted with black and gold feathers.

He was dressed in full Storm Court armor, his favorite gold-feather ear cuffs, and the black cloak he’d wrapped me in that day at the river. He looked as if he’d just leaped off his horse and hurried over to the loading dock, hoping to catch me doing something wrong.

Well, he’d caught me. So now what? If I had to bet on it, I’d say nothing very good.

Just in case I never got to see it again, I stared briefly up at the cobalt sky, then down at my gold-painted toenails—anywhere but at the king. I already knew what I would see if I looked at him—storm-lit eyes blaring his strong desire to grab my neck and snap it.

“Leaf? Answer me,” he said, stalking forward.

Damn. This looked like an escape attempt, and nothing I could say would change that. Surely now he would throw me into the fires without ceremony.

I swallowed hard and took a deep breath. “Admiring Coridon’s exotic architecture?” I said, more of a question than a statement.

The air crackled, and blue light circled Arrow’s arms as he sighed, one hip hitched forward and boot tapping the paving.

“I’m helping unload the gold, like Raiden directed me to.”

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