His stone-cold assurance that he could prove his claims made me pause, but I refused to believe the worst. It just couldn’t be true. I would prove the goodness of the kingdom. “Clayton, I lived inside the castle for years. If that room were real, I would have seen it.”
“Only a rare few know of it. I only do because of William,” he said, turning to face me, his expression all seriousness. “Did he tell you why he left the Manacle?”
“He said that he refused to follow orders, and that he was imprisoned.”
“He disobeyed one order. One. After years of loyal service. And for that they tortured him with Guardian Flames. Did he ever tell what the order was?”
“No. What was it?”
“It’s not for me to say.” Clayton turned away from me and stared ahead again. “William was the best Hound the Manacle had ever seen, and the most loyal, too. He was so good that he had an honor bestowed upon him that no other Hound had ever received.”
“And what was that?”
“They trusted him with their secrets. They showed him the room.”
“That’s what made William leave? Why they imprisoned him?” I asked. Clayton nodded. “What exactly did they ask him to do?”
Clayton shook his head and stood to his full height. “I can't tell you that. Not here.” He scuffed his boot against the deck. “Tonight you'll see. And then you'll understand.”
“Understand what, the evil of the Manacle?” I asked.
“Yes. You haven’t seen it the way I have. And even I haven’t seen it the way my brother has.” Clayton fidgeted uneasily. “I hope you appreciate the risk William is taking for you. Personally I don't see that you're worth it, but as a witch you'll be of some value to us. Mostly though, I'm counting on you to do right by my brother and get him out of this alive. It's the least you could do for bewitching him into a situation he wouldn't give a fig about otherwise.”
“Of course I plan to get him out.”
“Did you know that William is the number one fugitive from the Manacle?”
I stifled a smile. I knew for certain that William had dropped down to second place on their list, but I held my tongue. How ironic that William and I had found each other. Or maybe not. Perhaps we were meant to meet.
Clayton's thoughts seemed to be wandering along the same paths. “I know you were led to us for a reason. Our cause needs you. Your magic, I mean. I hope after I assist you tonight and you learn the truth, you’ll throw your lot fully in with the rest of the rebellion.”
“I wouldn’t count on it, Clayton.” I bit my lip as I thought about what he said. “You keep talking about my magical ability, but I’m a novice. I’m really not sure how to use it.”
“Novice or not, I haven't met another witch in all of my travels who can do half of what you do.”
“What is it that you want me to do?”
“For now, I want you to create a concealment shield so that no one can see us as we sneak into the castle.”
I balked at him. “A concealment shield? I don’t even know any Guardians able to consistently manage that.”
Clayton winked at me. “Good thing you’re a witch and not a Guardian.”
I felt an arm slide around my waist and turned to see William smiling at me.
“Your brother was just telling me you're the Manacle's number one enemy.” I leaned my head on his shoulder.
“Was he now?”
“I had no idea I had married such an infamous man.” William chuckled at my joke. “Clayton wants me to enchant a concealment shield while we're inside the kingdom so nobody can see you.”
William nodded. “I know. It was my idea.”
“Your idea? But . . . William,” I said desperately, whispering in his ear, “you know I can't do that kind of thing.”
“I think you can.” He wrapped his arms around me and squeezed tight. “You're not the same feeble old woman that snuck aboard the Promise.”
I tilted my head so I could see into his eyes. “Yes, I am.”
William shook his head. “You’ve changed since then.” He dropped his voice and whispered. “Your magic has grown stronger. Go ahead. Try it.”
I exhaled in frustration. “All right, but I'm telling you, it won't work.” I stepped out of his embrace, shook out my hands and took a deep breath. Eyes closed, I brought my arms out in front of me and pictured gathering the air and bringing it, like wisps of a cloud, into a bundle that I could shape with my hands. I had tried this several times before, but this time I could feel energy crackling between my palms. My eyes popped open to find what looked like a huge soap bubble in front of me, flashing and pulsing with energy. Now that I had it I wasn’t sure what to do with it. Acting on instinct, I willed it toward Clayton.
The ball stretched as it reached him, expanding and then swallowing him whole. The magic energy pulsed around him, hugging the curves of his body. Clayton stretched out his arms and the bubble followed his movements, but he didn’t vanish.
It hadn’t worked.
Disappointment wrapped around me like an itchy blanket. Could I not do magic so close to Orea? I suddenly felt like the same magically incompetent Jade I’d been when sentenced to death.
“See?” I said to William. “It didn’t work.”
William whooped. “What are you talking about? You did it!”
Clayton and I glanced at each other and asked at the same time. “What?”
“You did it!” William repeated.
“He's still there,” I said, noticing a glint of humor passing Clayton’s face as he stepped toward William.
“Ow!” William said, touching his nose. The one Clayton had just twisted. “Did you do that, Clay? You might be invisible now, but eventually I’ll be able to see you again.” William waved his hand in front of himself, apparently not seeing his brother who danced away from his outstretched hands.
I bounced on my toes and clapped my hands together. “I did it!”
William laughed, receiving me as I jumped into his arms. He swung me in a circle.
“I knew you could do it,” he said softly, before kissing my cheek.
I only hoped I could do it when it mattered.
We waited an hour after sundown before we left the Promise and made our way towards the kingdom. When the captain had agreed to our deal, he decided to dock in the town of Tait, instead. It was much closer to the palace than Rizo or Castleport, and we would be able to walk there in only a few hours. Dorian took the lead, hands tied, with Clayton holding a dagger to his back. Lafe strode miserably behind, feet tripping over the fabric of the dress he was wearing. A floppy bonnet sat on his head, one with a heavy veil that covered his face. He was playing me in this adventure. Dorian would bring Lafe in as if he were the captured Emmía, presenting them with the medallion, while Clayton, William, and I moved forward under a concealment charm. I also had been practicing another spell that Dorian wasn’t aware of.
The dark road we were walking on forked as the withered hedge came into view. Dorian started veering toward the left. William chuckled. “Oh no. We won’t be using the Hounds’ entrance.”
Dorian turned back toward him with a snarl. “Of course we are. They would suspect me instantly if . . .”
“No,” William cut in. “I was a Hound, remember? I know very well that the gates on the left are only entered to signal distress. We go to the right.”
Clayton quirked up his eyebrow and pressed the point of the dagger against Dorian’s back. “Go.”
“The left entrance is covered with Hounds,” William explained. “They’d instantly see through Lafe’s disguise and realize he wasn’t Sherry. Arrests made without problems enter through the gate on the right.”
Dorian called William a traitor again and then winced as Clayton brought the dagger from his back around to his throat. “Want to say that again?”
William put his hand on Clayton’s shoulder. “We need him alive.”
Clayton paused before releasing Dorian and repositioning the dagger to the
Hound’s back. “Go.”
William slipped ropes around Lafe’s wrists, taking care that they weren’t too tight to slip out of easily. After that, I tied another rope between Lafe and Dorian, making Lafe seem like a captured criminal.
“Remember, you’re doing this for payment. Six vials of blood,” Clayton reminded Dorian as we approached the guard tower. “Do your job well.”
The plan came down to me. And magic. Me using magic. What could possibly go wrong? I took a steadying breath to clear my head and cast the concealment charm, taking care that it covered me, William, and Clayton, but left Lafe and Dorian visible. The world looked strange as I stared out from the clear surface. I could see William and Clayton next to me, but no one else could. Dorian jumped several inches when the captain’s voice appeared to speak out of thin air.
“Give the sentry the signal.”
Dorian grunted and dragged Lafe toward the hedge on the right.
“Here returns one of your number in peace,” he said loudly.
“Ho there, Hound,” a voice greeted, echoing through the cool night air. The sentry appeared around the corner. “Welcome back, Dorian. You found another one?”
Dorian nodded and opened his mouth to speak, which I’d prepared for—payment and threats would never be enough to keep Dorian quiet, and this would be the very first opportunity he had to double-cross us. I mumbled a different spell, to mute his voice but in my haste fumbled over the words. My error broke my concentration and the concealment charm wavered. I refocused, holding onto the concealment charm for all I was worth, and re-uttered the mute spell just in time. His lips moved soundlessly. Pride coursed through me. It had worked, another first in successful spell casting.
Dorian understood what was happening and threw an evil glance in my general direction. He then pressed his lips together and nodded toward the guard, who lowered the barrier and let Dorian and Lafe in with the three of us pressed in close behind.
Once we were inside the barrier and clear of the sentry, William whispered directions to Dorian that led us into the seldom-used hedge maze. As soon as we reached the point William had in mind, he pulled out a strong-smelling handkerchief, which he held over a struggling Dorian’s mouth. After a minute, the Hound collapsed to the ground, taking Lafe with him.
Lafe slipped the ropes off his hands and climbed to his feet, pulling off his dress and muttering about the discomfort of female clothing. While William untied the knot from Dorian’s hand, I peered at Dorian’s face. His usual scowl had softened in his unconscious state, and he looked almost pleasant. William tied Dorian’s wrists behind his back and then secured that knot with one around Dorian’s ankles. Clayton shoved the handkerchief into the Hound’s mouth, and the two of them rolled him roughly under one of the hedges. Once that was done, I extended the concealment spell to include Lafe.
“Pearl will be in there,” William said gesturing to the tower closest to us. “In the room with the stained glass window.” I could see the treated glass glistening in the moonlight.
Clayton pulled on a pair of worn gloves as he nodded. “William, you and Sheridan go to the room from the inside. Lafe and I will scale the outside to the window.”
I glanced up at the tower more than forty feet high. “Is a maggot nestling in your brain? Have you seen how high that is?”
Clayton grinned like a mischievous schoolboy. “I’ve climbed higher.”
“You don’t think anyone will notice you scurrying up the wall like an insect?”
Clayton shrugged. “We’re facing the ocean.”
I folded my arms. “I think it is a senseless risk.”
“As is this whole adventure.”
“Climbing the wall isn’t necessary.”
“Aww, don’t tell me you care for my safety.”
I glared at him. “That isn’t it. Believe me.”
He chuckled as he and Lafe left William and I standing alone. They became visible again as soon as they left the protection of the concealment shield.
“This is your master plan?” I asked.
William frowned at me. “You think you could do better?”
“I know I could do better. I was trained by some of the brightest minds in the kingdom. I should have been involved in the planning.” I shook my head in disapproval. “We could have avoided stupid risks.”
William gave me an indulgent smile. “Next time we break into the Manacle, we’ll include you in our planning.”
“What are we going to do with Dorian? We can’t just leave him here. He knows who I am and who I’m traveling with. He’ll come after us.”
“We’ll leave him here and be glad to wash our hands of him. He was in the brig the whole time, so the only thing he could know is that Clay and I are enemies to the kingdom—if they hadn’t gotten the message with Clay’s attack on the prince and my outright refusal to help, then they’re daft. But if he wakes up before we get back, the oil in the cloth will keep his tongue numb for a full day. He won’t be telling anyone about us.” William bent and retrieved the medallion from Dorian’s pocket. “Is our concealment still in place?”
I nodded.
He seemed to have the castle grounds memorized. He took a path through the maze I was completely unfamiliar with and found a patch of the hedge thin enough for us to slip through. I stepped through the plant and found myself staring at a previously concealed door at the base of the tower.
William knocked three times.
“Who are we meeting?” I whispered.
William pressed his ear to the door listening. “We have friends inside the castle. One is waiting for us.”
William stepped back as the door swung open. Benjamin’s blonde head appeared. He waved us inside and closed the door behind us. “Excuse me but I must leave before I’m missed.” He disappeared around a corner before I could thank him.
William led me the opposite direction. He stopped when several different openings appeared in front of us.
“We’ll stay straight until the third branch-off,” William said under his breath.
I opened my mouth to speak but William shook his head and pressed a finger to his lips. “We need to be quiet,” he mouthed. He held up his fingers as we passed different openings.
On the third, he headed up a set of stairs and I followed. The first five levels were vacant of guards, but nearing the sixth we pressed ourselves against the uneven stones of the circular staircase until the beat of marching feet had passed, then sprinted up the last four flights, I was panting and my calves burned. William peered around the corner and motioned us to follow with a jerk of his chin.
The corridor was well-lit and utterly silent. Most of the servants were in bed for the night, and my nerves strained against the quiet. I’d expected to see a sentry, a servant . . . someone. Where was everyone?
William frowned and kept glancing over his shoulder, his hand poised over the hilt of his sword. We paused beside a warped wooden door with a simple lock. William borrowed a pin from my hair and quickly picked it open.
He leaned near the worn wood, and sniffed. “I think your sister’s in here,” he whispered, “but she’s not alone.” He closed his eyes and inhaled slowly. “Two more, I think. Be ready.” He pushed open the door.
There sat Pearl.
A weight lifted off my shoulders to see her alive.
She glanced up from her embroidery. “Is it time for dinner—?” She let out a little scream when she saw William standing there with his sword drawn. Her sampler dropped to the ground and she pressed back into the chair.
She could see us? That meant I’d dropped the spell. I tried to cast it again but it was too late.
Two guards jumped out from the shadows of Pearl’s chamber. One blew the whistle around his neck, as the other lunged at William, his sword raised. The shrill whistle rang through the room, a warning that would be easy to hear from anywhere in the castle. We had to get out. Fast.
William swore as he parried the attacks of one guard and swu
ng around just in time to stop the second from piercing his heart.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” I said, stabbing at the other guard, catching his arm.
He fell back a step, but grabbed Pearl, twisting her long hair around his knuckles with one hand and gripping his sword with the other. “I’ll rob you of your prize.”
Pearl screamed.
He wasn’t bluffing. I could read it in his crazed eyes. He swung his sword and he left me no choice but to pierce his flesh with my sword again. I cut across the back of his sword hand. He dropped his weapon as he howled, and Pearl broke free, scrambling into a corner.
“I’ll take these two,” William said, cutting a slice in his opponent’s belly. “Watch our back. There’s more coming and they have pistols. I smell gunpowder.”
I wouldn’t make the mistake of offering leniency again. Two more guards charged into the room, the first meeting my blade in the chest as he entered. The second raised a pistol at William, but I shoved the dying man into him, and his shot went wide, splintering the fireplace mantle. I pulled out my sword and swung at the shooter, but he ducked back into the hall.
I jumped over the one I’d stabbed and lunged at the other. His sword was out and he parried my blow, taking a step back. I pressed forward, but he was quicker than I expected and he sent me careening into the wall. I turned to catch his sword on mine but his strength outmatched me and he forced me back, pinning me to the wall. I struggled to push him off, but his blade inched closer to my throat.
A shot sounded and the man collapsed. William held a still smoking pistol and winked. “Told you I was better with the pistol.”
William cocked his head, sniffing, and groaned. “Incoming.”
Two more appeared, one from each side of us. William and I fought them in unison; he went low while I hit high. We moved together like we’d been choreographed and were performing a stylized, yet bloody, dance. When our two opponents were felled, he turned to me.
“You’re amazing at the swords.” William smiled.
I beamed at him. Pearl’s shriek hurried us back into the room. The captain’s head poked in through the window. “Did we miss all the fun?”