Page 65 of Heart of Night

A soft knock on the door has both of us holding our breath. Clio pulls a knife from the skirts of her uniform, stepping in front of me like she is ready to kill. Knowing her, she is.

“Just me, Ayna,” Kaira announces herself through the door before it swings open. I instantly relax.

“Come in.” Placing my finger on Clio’s arm, I indicate for her to lower her weapon as Kaira joins us, a satchel slung over her shoulder and a skirt draped over her arm.

“Herinor told me what happened,” she informs us as she closes the door behind her. “The guard is gone for now, but he’ll return soon. If you want to run, now’s the time.” She doesn’t spare Clio a glance. “And you should wear this instead.” The skirts she pulls from her arm unfold into a servant uniform, white apron and all. “It will be easier to smuggle you out if you blend in. Nothing against you, Princess,” she says sweetly to Clio, who glares daggers at her. “The pants are perfect for running once we’re out of the palace, but until we’re past the gates, you’d better put on these.”

Thankfully, Clio’s pride is second only to her need to get her mate out of the dungeon. And that makes her pragmatic more than ever. With a few efficient movements, the two females have me in the uniform, adding the white cap to my head to cover most of my hair.

“You got my note, then?” Kaira asks as she pulls her satchel to the front, digging up a piece of bread. “This one is clean.” Out loud, she says, “You’re probably hungry if you missed another meal.”

My stomach grumbles, but I still have the taste of bile on my tongue. “Later. Let’s get out of here first.”

Thirty-Two

Ayna

“I’d say I’ll fly out of here, but I have no idea how to shift.” I follow Clio along the dim servant corridor running parallel to the main hallway. I’d known the royal palace was huge and a complicated construction with secret passageways, but I’m learning only now just how many side corridors and hidden pathways were integrated into this building.

Clio shoots me a warning look. “You’d better not. I need you coherent and able to communicate when we make our way out.”

“Besides, a bird fluttering through the palace draws more attention than another servant,” Kaira adds, for once not arguing with Clio.

Since we’ve left my room, they haven’t agreed on a thing, Kaira reluctantly letting Clio take the lead since the female has been staying at the palace a lot longer than her. But occasionally, they need to consolidate their knowledge when the approach of servants or guards forces us to divert from the original route Clio chose. At least my face is more or less concealed by the low light as long as I keep my head down, allowing Kaira to navigate me by directions spoken into my mind. I’m surprised Clio hasn’t caught onto our silent conversation.

“Here,” Clio pulls me around another corner, her hand surprisingly sweaty, like a normal human’s. Between Kaira, the part-Flame, and Clio, the subdued fairy, I am the one with the best senses at this particular moment, so I do my best to warn them about approaching boots and voices. Most of them are on the other side of the wall in the main hallways, though I learn quickly, tuning out that portion as best I can so I don’t give the others a heart attack every time I hear something.

“We’re almost at the side entrance,” Kaira narrates in a murmur this time. “If we’re lucky, no one has noticed you’re gone yet, and the guards there won’t heed us any notice when we stroll out the door.”

“So much for that theory.” Clio glares over her shoulder, apparently not satisfied with Kaira’s hopeful nature. “I’ve lived long enough to know practice is never quite what you plan for.”

The wisdom in her jade eyes tells me it’s not solely to get on Kaira’s nerves, even when half of her comments might have been.

“How did you even shake your own guards?” Kaira demands. “I thought you were escorted everywhere.”

“I was.” Clio leaves it at that, but her hand tightens on the knife she’s hiding in the folds of her skirts. I’m surprised not to find any blood on her.

“You could have disposed of them earlier,” I whisper, my own voice thundering through the narrowing stone path like thunder—at least, that’s what it sounds like to me. Clio needs to strain to hear me.

“Who said I disposed of them? I left them at your door when I entered.”

When we both glance at Kaira, she wildly shakes her head. “I didn’t kill them.”

“Herinor—” I don’t know how I feel about him risking so much to help everyone else so they can help me.

“I would assume it was him,” Clio agrees. “Smart male. If he weren’t so fucking stubborn, we could have gotten out long ago.”

“He’s not stubborn,” Kaira interjects, and I nearly smile as her affections for the male surface so casually it almost feels like we’re on an evening stroll… Then we reach the end of the tunnel, and two guards are eyeing us with expert assessment, their hands on their swords as one of them demands to know where we’re going.

“We are on an errand for Lord Ephegos,” Kaira lies without hesitation, and I’ve never been more grateful Eherean fairies can lie like thieves. “He is indisposed at this moment, but he needs a few things from his estate in the city for his … guest.”

The guard cocks his head while the other one’s young features soften. “Good to see you, Kaira.” His gaze lowers to her mouth then to her chest as if he’s recently seen more of her than just her face. His long, braided hair and trim beard are in stark contrast to the short gray hair and shaved jaw of the older guard whose grumpy expression hasn’t changed.

“And you Julj.” The way Kaira’s lashes flutter at Julj makes me dizzy.

The small gesture is apparently enough to take Julj’s mind off why we’re here to begin with, and I’m not certain I like the way he’s appraising Kaira like she’s his favorite pastime.

“I’ve been hoping to…” His eyes dart sideways, skipping over me as he notices Clio’s curved form. “See you later tonight.”

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