Page 116 of Queen of the Night
I glance at the door to check for gloam, but there’s none. I’d bet the sword Ikar gave me it’s locked.What a way to begin a marriage.I blow a strand of loose hair out of my face and check the door anyway. The knob doesn’t move.
I curse even though I’m not surprised.
I turn to head toward the other door, dreading what I risk finding behind it, but I stop when I hear a familiar voice in the hall. It’s muffled, but I would recognize it anywhere.
Two firm knocks sound.
I approach the closed door. “Tatania?”I whisper.
My response appears to be permission enough to open it for the guards.
It swings open, and I rush forward. “Tatania!” I hug her tightly with relief. “You’re alive!” I step back, my words rushing out. “I’m so sorry I didn’t come back for you?—”
She shushes me as she glances over her shoulder at the door as if reminding me there’s a guard listening as she steps further into my room. She closes the door behind her. “I’ve come to get you out. It’s about time you finally woke. This is the third time I’ve come to check; the guards wouldn’t let me in without you awake.”
I frown at the scolding in her voice. How was I to know? Not my fault Renton froze me. Something feels off. But my entire life is off right now, so I squash the thought.
“Are any other Tulips here?” I ask.
“No. Just you and I. They’re all safe. We must go now.” She grabs my hand. “There’s no time for questions. You should have stayed hidden.” Her voice is tinged with a mix of chastisement and sorrow.
I sputter a bit. “I didn’t even have time tohide,” I whisper in an attempt to defend myself.
She throws a censuring look over her shoulder, and I press my lips together as she pulls me out the door and past the guard who says nothing as he watches us go. Has she gained so much trust in this short time? I tuck my questions away; I’ll have time aplenty to learn about her clandestine methods after we’re away. Then another thought, one I can’t ignore, has me pulling back on her hand as soon as we’re out of sight.
“I need to find the tulip first,” I whisper.
“There’s no time.” She shakes her head, growing more agitated and impatient than I’ve ever seen her. “Even if therewas, there’s no chance of that when Renton keeps it with him at all times.”
I let her pull me forward again, deciding it doesn’t matter now—especially if both of us are escaping this time. I just need to get out so I can figure out how to fix this mess. If I have to trek all the way back to the Field of Tulips to get another, I’ll do it. I’m not sure how she plans to get us both out of here, but I don’t ask; I simply follow. She had a plan last time and it worked, didn’t it?
My confidence grows as we leave the hall behind and run down several flights of stairs. Hope burgeons as we enter the weapons area and not one of the soldiers or servants we see on our way stops us. What must Tatania have sacrificed to gain this sort of status with Renton? I remind myself that with her beauty and natural air of authority, it makes sense that Tatania would excel at subterfuge. I temper the concern again—I must focus.
Here, in the weapons area, we’re alone. We sneak past walls filled with all varieties of weapons. I’m tempted to snatch one, but most of them are obviously crafted for warriors, if their size alone is any indication. I eye them closely for one that’s a bit smaller and spot a row of daggers and a selection of short swords nearby.Perfect.I stop only long enough to snatch one off the wall. At the same time, I hear the ring of a sword behind me. Panic races through my veins until I remember Tatania is here. She’ll be able to talk us out of this.
I spin around, prepared to face whatever gloam soldier has caught me, but it’s only her. My shoulders sag in relief. It appears she had the same idea I did—better to escape with a weapon than without.
I laugh sharply. “The stress is getting to me. I thou?—”
She lunges.
“What?!” I yelp as I dodge to the side. “Tatania!”
“All he ever talks about…” She stabs again. “…isyou.”
“Me?” I jump to the side again, wishing I’d grabbed an actual sword instead of a dagger.
“He knows I’m as powerful as you, and still he wants an ill-mannered, filthy urchin,” she spits.
Ok, that hurts a little, but I don’t have time to let it sink in. With every dodge of her swings, I’ve made it close enough to snatch one of the short swords. All the practice Ikar and Rhosse forced on me suddenly becomes worth it as our blades meet with a ring—loud in the enclosed room. The vibrations run up my arms. Where did Tatania learn to use a sword?
“If I kill you, he’ll have no choice but to choose me,” she grinds out as she prepares to swing again.
“I think we can come up with a better solution than that,” I offer, panting. “I don’t want him.”
And I don’t want to kill the woman who I always trusted to keep me safe.
She roars in the most unladylike way I’ve ever seen as she swings again; it would be comical if the blade wasn’t coming towardme. With both hands on the hilt, I bring mine up to block hers, but I’m pushed back into the wall of weapons with the force of it.
