Page 28 of Lily of the Valley

Rather than the drain that Scout had used, Josiah led them around the wall until they were roughly where various outbuildings would be located—the blacksmiths, firewood storage, brewery, bakehouse, and so forth. Sure enough, they came to the west gate. Josiah halted them, save for Alice, who moved forward in near-perfect silence and made swift work of the two guards on the gate. Taking keys off one, she unlocked the gate. Josiah moved forward then to help her move the bodies, and after a few minutes, he returned and beckoned for the other two to join them.

Inside the castle walls, Josiah led them to the bakehouse, which was suspiciously quiet. That time of day, it should be busy, bordering on chaotic, as the bakers set to work on everything that would be needed for dinner and the following morning, alongside the stuff that had to be baked for soldiers, fieldworkers, and others who worked further afield and took their meals with them. One of the busiest places in the castle, the bakehouse was never quiet. Even in the deadest hours there was staff cleaning and preparing for the next day of baking.

Where were the bakers? What were people eating? The meat pies and stuffed pastries that the bakehouse made were a staple for nearly every worker and not a few nobles. They were made by the hundreds every singled day, twice a day. "This is bad."

"Very bad," Alice said. "I'm going to go check the smithies."

"I'll investigate the brewery. You two stay here, hide in one of the storerooms. If anyone else comes in, block the door with whatever you can. Don't come out until Alice or I say so."

"Of course," Lily replied, taking Penelope's hand and heading for the back. The bakehouse was enormous, and that space was divided roughly into thirds: the ovens, the workspace, and storage. Flour made from various grains, sugar, salt, yeast, and more—and that was just the dry goods. Cheese, cured meats, vegetables, other foodstuffs that needed to be stored in the cool and dark, were kept in the basement.

The main storeroom was divided into sections, and she went to the one that housed the various sugars that were used, so much of the stuff that a merchant would have a fit to see it so unguarded. She rolled the door shut and then used a broom to jam it.

Taking the barely three steps needed to cross the small space, she lifted up onto a stack of bags of sugar and sat. "Novels and plays always make reclaiming one's throne so much more exciting than sitting in a dark room breathing in sugar dust."

Penelope giggled. "Could be worse."

"Already has been worse. This is the easiest I've had it so far."

Before Penelope could reply, a rap came at the door, and Josiah said quietly, "It's safe."

Moments later they were gathered together at the front of the bakehouse again. "So what's going on?" Lily asked.

"I don't know, but nothing good," Alice said grimly. "Everyone is gone, at least in the outbuildings, and I didn't see much activity in the stables either, though it's hard to tell for certain at a distance. It's like everyone left, though by choice or by force, I have no way of knowing."

Josiah smiled faintly. "I'd wager by choice. Everyone is deeply fond of their queen, and greatly admired their late king, and only the most ambitious and conniving of the court would be happy about this coup. He can't make people stay, not without basically enslaving them, which wouldn't do him any favors."

"Numbers would be against him, too," Alice said. "He has the wolves, and some of the military, but if the whole castle rose up against him… well, that's exactly what we were banking on. Not sure how to proceed if we don't have the main force we were counting on."

Penelope said, "Let's move on to the kitchens. The bakehouse and brewery might have shut down, but there must be people there and we can get more information about what's happening. Also maybe an update on how Scout is doing against the wolves."

"We'll stay here," Lily said before Josiah could tell her too. "If I'm seen before we have a foothold, everything could turn ugly fast. Back to the sugar sacks we go, Penny."

Josiah hugged her, and Alice kissed her brow, and then they were back in the storeroom. Lily wound her shawl more securely around her to ward off the encroaching chill. "I thought there'd be a touch more storming the throne room, not going to lie. I really wanted to punch that stupid bastard in the face, even if it broke my hand."

"It would hurt, but it wouldn't break your hand," Penelope said with a laugh. "Surprised your Scout didn't teach you how to throw a punch."

"I think she knew not to waste her time. Mostly I caught up her sewing."

"Leave it to you to find needlework in a crisis."

Lily laughed. After that, though, they lapsed into silence, finely attuned to every single sound. There was shouting, more howls, but it was all distant and muffled. When she'd insisted on coming along, she'd—

Screaming rent the air, screams of unimaginable pain and fear. Lily was moving before she thought, throwing the broom aside and slamming open the door, running for all she was worth, ignoring Penelope's frantic cries behind her. She was nearly to the castle proper when a gut-wrenching howl filled the air. Scout, that was definitely Scout. "No!" Lily gasped out as she slammed into the door that led to the kitchen, teeth rattling and bones aching with the force of it even as she stumbled into the kitchen.

Barely staying upright, she regathered her footing and kept going, following the sound of screams. There was an acrid, bitter taste on the air, like blood and hot metal. As she went further into the castle, it grew stronger, and so she chased it.

And wasn't remotely surprised when it led her to the grand throne room. The very place her father had been assassinated. Ignoring the pain in her chest, focusing on her fear and anger, she ran faster, flying down the hallway and through an easily overlooked door that led to a servant's passage that in turn led to the back of the throne room, so they could discretely deliver drinks and more to the chamber behind the throne room itself.

She didn't register the guards at the door until too late, unable to stop herself in time, slamming into the nearest one and sending all three of them to the ground.

One of them grabbed her by the hair, and she reflexively reached up, digging her nails into his hands—but he wore heavy leather gloves, making the effort useless. "What have we—" the man broke off with a cry as light burst from her ring, and suddenly vines were spreading from it, twisting and twining, entangling the two guards.

Heart in her throat, Lily left them there and threw open the door. The chamber was empty, though it showed signs of recent use—and something going wrong, from the cup of spilled wine and an overturned chair.

Another scream, like some dying, and Lily flew across the room, throwing open one of the doors that led to the throne room proper.

There was blood everywhere, people and wolves lying prone, propped against columns. Soldiers, wolves, even scattered nobles. In the middle of the room, Josiah and Scout stood ready, but Scout was only standing on three legs, and Josiah had blood pouring down his face, one arm limp at his side.

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