Page 2 of Turret

I frowned. Transporting itself to a new location was one of its many powers. How could it simplystop? “Do you think its enchantment is weakening?”

He said nothing for a moment, his expression thoughtful. “It’s a possible explanation.”

My mind whirled with the implications of such a thing. It was hard to imagine the tower losing its magic, especially when all of its other powers remained in full effect—its ability to provide us with food, firewood, and other necessities; its tendency to shift its rooms or create new ones entirely; and especially the protective enchantment that prevented me from leaving.

I reached a cautious hand out towards the open window to test the tower’s protective spell. As always, I didn’t get far before my hand hit an invisible barrier that prevented me from reaching any further. If we ever managed to escape, it wouldn’t be through the window…though that had never been a viable possibility considering I hadn’t overcome my fear of heightsthatmuch.

Quinn swiveled around to fully face me. “I doubt the tower is what’s really on your mind. What’s bothering you, Gemma?”

I stilled at his use of my name, something he didn’t use often despite my insistence on dispelling formality—after all, what use was the title ofprincesswhen we were all trapped within these walls? But Quinn and Melina often insisted on the title. It not only created an unwelcome barrier between me and my only companions, but the reminder of my royal status left me feeling uneasy considering it was a title I continuously failed to live up to.

When I remained silent, Quinn spoke again, more hesitantly. “Princess?”

I couldn’t quite hold back my sigh. So he was back to formality. I wasn’t sure why it bothered me, especially when as my guard it was to be expected—I only knew that it did.

I was trying to find the words to answer him when I noticed something out of the corner of my eye, causing my foolish heart to lift. I tried to lean out as far as I could, but the tower’s barrier kept me from getting too far. From my perch I scanned the clearing surrounding us. Had Mother decided to visit after all? But she wasn’t there. My heart sank and I felt foolish for having gotten my hopes up; the disappointment only escalated my loneliness and restlessness, which would make them more difficult to endure than before.

Quinn leaned closer, eyes shrouded with concern. “Gemma?” So much filled that single word.

I forced a smile. “You’re unfailing in your duties. While you’re charged with my physical protection, you go beyond your duties in order to inquire after my well-being.”

“This isn’t about duty, Gemma. You’ve been melancholy for weeks. I’m genuinely worried. How can I help you?”

Dear Quinn. He’d been my guard for years, far longer than any of the others I’d had before him. I used to get a new guard every year as my previous guards had quickly grown bored of their unchanging position standing outside my bedroom door with little variation.

But from the beginning, Quinn had been different. He’d been guarding me for seven years now and had yet to weary of the position of protecting a sickly princess who did almost nothing but stay in bed all day, and had thus remained year after year without fail. The day we’d become trapped, he’d even had a chance to leave yet had instead chosen to remain with me in this prison.

The painful memories from that day returned, bringing with them the pain that always accompanied them. Once again I forced them from my mind, but my distress lingered in my expression, causing Quinn to bridge the usual proper distance between us; he slid along the windowsill closer to me until he was right beside me.

“Gemma?” Both his tone and expression were far more earnest than before, while worry filled his gaze as he studied me.

“It’s nothing. I’m just…remembering.”

By his knowing expression, he didn’t need me to clarify. His manner hardened, the way it always did whenever he thought about the day my imprisonment had begun. I used to fear it was because he resented his fate becoming entangled with mine, but over the years I’d come to realize his anger was only on my behalf and for the injustice that had been dealt to me.

“You won’t be trapped here forever,” he said, a promise he’d given me far too many times to count. “I’m still searching for a way out. Now that the tower is no longer shifting locations, I have reason to hope the circumstances of its enchantment are changing. If they are, I intend to take full advantage of it.”

I bit my lip as I returned my gaze to the window, where I strained to look beyond the trees. Somewhere out there was the Malvagarian palace, my cold childhood home. If the tower’s magic really was fading, allowing me to breach its walls for the first time in the three years we’d been imprisoned…I gave my head a rigid shake. Such a thought felt like not only an impossibility but a ratherfrighteningone. Anxiety swelled, making it difficult to breathe.

Though deep down I knew this was a prison, the thought of leaving was still terrifying. The longer I remained, the more I was beginning to believe I no longerwantedto escape, and that thought was almost more frightening than being trapped forever.

Chapter 2

Istruggled in vain to wriggle from Melina’s surprisingly firm hold around my shoulders, causing my growing headache to pound as she led me away from the window and back to my bed. “I’mfine,” I said for the dozenth time, but as usual she ignored my protests; when it came to my health, she was far more stubborn than my old physician back at the palace, which spoke volumes for her relentless determination.

She gave me a look that told me quite plainly that arguing was utterly futile, and indeed we’d played this very scene out far too many times for me to have any hopes of actually winning.

A fit of coughing forced me to reluctantly relinquish the fight. What princess was so weak she couldn’t even get her most loyal servants to obey her wishes? Now thanks to my hours spent near the open window with its cool autumn breeze, I’d likely be trapped in bed for the remainder of the afternoon, a sentence that would undoubtedly stretch into the evening and tomorrow morning.

Melina helped me climb into bed. Despite it being large and comfortable, it was my least favorite place; even the most elegant shackles were still shackles.

She eased me down with the expertise of having done this very thing hundreds of times during our time together before she rested her hand on my brow. Worry puckered her own. “You’re quite warm.”

“I feel fine,” I lied, trying to ignore the heat behind my eyes that usually came with the onset of a fever. But it was utterly pointless; Melina was now an expert in not only fevers but my other usual ailments, with the ability to detect even the slightest change in my health no matter how much I tried to hide it. All the experience she’d gained from tending me throughout our imprisonment would rival even the most competent physician within the five kingdoms.

By the familiar gleam in her eyes, I knew she wouldn’t relent until I’d been thoroughly smothered by her overt attention. I cast a long-suffering look towards Quinn, hoping he’d take the hint and rescue me, as was his job, but he merely remained at his post along the wall, arms folded and his expression rather serious.

I bit my lip to suppress another sigh; Quinn alternated between defending me against my handmaiden’s enthusiastic administrations, standing by and allowing her to tend me, or on worse days being an even more frantic nurse. Despite my repeated pleading looks for him to intervene, he remained rigidly at his post; it appeared I wouldn’t be getting any help from him. It didn’t help my cause that I couldn’t suppress a few more coughs as Melina fretted over me.

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