Page 71 of Blooms of Darkness

I mayactuallybe sick if he continued babbling on.

“Well, if you'll excuse me, I’m just going to lie down and rest for the remainder of the day. I look forward to seeing you both once I am well. Good day.” With a quick bow of my head, I slowly hobbled down the remainder of the corridor, pausing to clutch my quilt tighter as I climbed the stairs to my chamber.

The act was complete. I made it to my chambers, closed the door, and laughed to myself at how easily Frederich had bought our tale. With a sense of purpose, I quickly changed into my Hidden Henchman ensemble, clasping the cloak around my shoulders. I kept my mask tucked away in the inner pocket of my cloak. I wouldn’t need the cloak or the mask for the entirety of our journey, but until we snuck out of Ellevail and were on the open road, I needed to be unrecognizable.

For a moment, I took in the roses left on the mantel above my hearth. The range of colors were so exquisite. It reminded me how grateful I should be to live in a world where such elegance existed. While I couldn’t contribute to the prosperity of our kingdom in any magical sort of way, I knew discovering information about the darkness was something Icoulddo. Something I didn't need magic in order to accomplish.

The chime of the clock struck nine a.m. Where were they?

Anxiously, I peeked around the curtain, through the window, into my private garden. Empty.

Trying to keep myself occupied, I fluffed the pillows on my bed to make it appear like I was lying there, asleep. I adjusted the sleeve of the nightgown, filled with towels, draped across my sheet. My “hand” landed underneath the mountain of pillows, invisible to anyone from afar. Kalliah would be at my bedside to ward off any unwanted intruders who made it through Elisabeth’s warnings to let me rest.

Kalliah whispered “Hello” as she opened and closed the main doors, before she entered the room. Slowly, she exhaled a breath the way she always did to calm her nerves and nodded. “Good luck.”

“Thank you, my friend,” I said sincerely, holding my hand to my heart. “I owe you.”

A caw sounded from the garden.

The time had come.

Kalliah and I stared at each other a moment longer, before running toward each other, our embrace saying all the words which would go unsaid. I hadn’t been away from the palace overnight since childhood. Which meant, I hadn’t been away from her, either.

Pausing at the balcony doors, I glanced back into Kalliah’s eyes once more, giving her a reassuring smile as I readied myself for the journey ahead.

“Be careful,” Kalliah whispered as I quietly slipped through the doors, quickly leaping down the steps to my hidden alcove. I could not be seen by any of the passing guards, or the ruse would be for naught.

Ian’s hawk form landed in the garden and his Fae form appeared before me, his eyes the last part to shift. While I had witnessed his transformation a thousand times, it still fascinated me. When his eyes were in the form of his hawk, it seemed as if he could see into the depths of my soul, reaching parts of me I didn't even know existed.

“Is Kalliah in place?” he asked.

“Yes, she’s in the room, the bed is made up,” I replied. “Elisabeth is going to be around in about an hour to declare my fever has spiked and I am to be left alone until it is broken.”

“Are you sure you want to go through with this? Sneaking away at night is one thing, but leaving for two and a half days? What if your parents come looking for you? The likelihood this will work is slim.” Ian’s voice rose slightly higher with each question. He seemed more anxious than usual.

“It has to work. We have to find out what is going on with the darkness.” I made sure to steady myself before we left. This was the right thing to do. I could feel it. “I can no longer wait for my father to provide me with information. It’s clear he is not going to tell me anything, and the longer we let this go, the worse it might get. No more doubting, Ian. Let's go!”

I grabbed him by the hand and dragged him through the hedgerow toward the concealed exit beyond.

Hunched behind gloriously large hydrangea bushes, I murmured, “Where is everyone else?”

“Kade and Storm are meeting us at the edge of Eomer Forest. I didn’t want them to know about our getaway tunnels. Leif and Corbin are staged on the main street, per their usual route. We will meet them at the edge of the forest once they’re through.”

“Smart. While they have earned some of our trust, they don’t need to know all of our secrets just yet.”

Ian snorted. “Right, and it would only be an additional nuance for you and Kade to argue about.”

I pinched Ian’s arm, but he didn’t react.

Know-it-all.

A few beats more, and the Royal Guard on duty rounded the corner, signaling our window to escape had begun.

Quickly, we ran the route we knew so well. The route which led to the reason I persevered without magic. The route which helped so many people of Brookmere. The route which led to freedom.

While I’d been to the forest for Hidden Henchman duties plenty of times, something about this journey made freedom seem so different. As soon as the grate opened and we made it past the wall, I ran, allowing the wind to sail over me, kissing my skin and encouraging a smile.

In fact, I didn’t stop running until I jumped over a fallen tree into the woods of the forest. Ian kept pace but gave me space to enjoy myself.

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