“That does sound pleasant but we are not supposed to go outside.” He tapped his chin. “But perhaps...” Putting his hand over mine, he gave me a smile. “Yes, perhaps it is time.”
Ha! I wanted to jump up and pump a fist in the air. Take that, everyone who had ever doubted my sweet-talking skills. I was definitely telling Haela this when I got back.
Pain wrung my heart into a tight knot at the thought of the energetic twin I had left behind in Pernula. I missed her enthusiasm and optimism. She would’ve loved adventuring across the continent and if I’d asked her to come with me when I’d left, she would’ve said yes in a heartbeat. But I hadn’t asked. I hadn’t even said goodbye. Though, given our current predicament of being captives in the City of Glass, maybe that had been for the best.
“Yes, let us go outside.” Niadhir snapped the book shut and placed it on the neat pile next to him. “Let me show you the splendor of my city.”
Chairs scraped against the floor as we both rose and got ready to leave. The scholar held out his arm. In the weeks I’d spend with him–in the library, on architectural tours of the castle, in the rooftop garden, at balls and banquets–I’d almost gotten used to being escorted around in this fashion. Almost. I took his arm and let him lead me downstairs.
Guards in spotless white armor watched us intently as we descended the stairs. Yeah, there was definitely no slinking past them. We needed that chute. When we at last reached the ground floor, Niadhir steered me towards the grand double doors that marked the end of Starhaven. My heart pattered in my chest. I would finally get to go outside.
Bright sunlight and warm air filled with the scent of summer flowers and the sea met me. I drew a deep breath. Being confined inside in the same place for weeks on end without the possibility of moving freely was not ideal for a thief. Even if it was in a large castle. Just stepping outside those thick doors filled me with renewed energy, and a tiny green sprout of hope popped up inside my heart.
As we walked down the white steps, I scanned the area as discreetly as possible. Given where the start of the chute was located, if the end was here it had to be set into the outside wall on the left and fairly close to the door. Sun glinted off something shiny a bit further down. My heart leaped. That had to be it. However, there was no way to inspect it closer right now without raising suspicion so I had to settle for devising a plan for when we returned.
“I am so pleased you suggested this,” Niadhir said as we began our walk along the stone street towards the city. “I have been wanting more time to talk.”
More time to talk? I cast a confused glance at him. Wasn’t that what we’d been doing constantly since I got here?
“About what?” I replied half-heartedly while continuing to map the area in my head for potential escape routes Elaran, Shade, and I could use once we got outside.
“About us. When you first arrived, you were a bit rough around the edges.” He gave me a kind smile. “But I very much like the woman you have grown into.”
Tearing my gaze from the smooth white walls that surrounded the castle grounds further down, I turned to meet his eyes. They looked so innocent and hopeful that I wasn’t sure how to respond.
“Uhm... thanks,” was apparently the best I could do.
The wrought silver gates at the end of the stone street had been left wide open but two guards in gleaming armor stood at attention on either side. They nodded at us as we passed. To get through them when we escaped, we’d need some kind of disguise.
“This is the City of Glass, capital of Tkeister,” Niadhir announced and swept the arm not currently attached to mine in a wide arc.
A rather superfluous statement since I of course already knew that. However, I figured that he wanted to be dramatic so I reacted with an appropriate ohh. When he gave me a satisfied smile in return, I knew I’d read the situation correctly.
Even though my exclamation had been a calculated one, there was some truth to it. The city was stunning. Houses made from that strange white material that looked like frosted glass spread out around us in well-thought-out patterns. Awnings in white and silver rustled in the gentle breeze and the sound of rippling water drifted from somewhere up the street, mingling with the soft murmur of people strolling on the smooth stones.
“I can see a future for us here,” Niadhir said.
Thankfully, a couple of star elves with long flowing hair stopped in front of a dressmaker’s shop and pointed into the window, blocking our path. Weaving around them gave me time to think. When we had passed them, I had finally decided that an innocent question was the best response.
“What do you mean?”
He gave me a rueful shake of his head and waved a hand in front of his face as if to say that his comment had been silly. Since most of my attention went to finding ways for us to escape, I didn’t press the matter and instead savored the silence that let me scheme in peace.
As we approached an intricate silver arch set into low white walls, the sound of rippling water grew louder. The polite scholar led us through it. On the other side, a manicured garden stretched out before us. Jasmine and white roses had been artfully placed alongside gleaming sculptures, benches, and a large glass fountain.
Joyful laughter rang out behind me. I stepped nimbly out of the way as two young star elf children raced past us on the footpath. They disappeared into the bushes on our right.
“You move with the grace of a cat,” Niadhir said. His pale violet eyes drifted over my body, studying me. “I have rarely seen a human do that.”
When you’re a cat burglar, it kind of comes with the job description. But instead of informing him about my highly illegal choice of trade and the skills that come with such an occupation, I simply smiled and went back to filling in my mental map of the gardens.
Perhaps Niadhir could sense that my mind was otherwise occupied because he drew me to a bench nearby and sat us down. Placing an elegant hand on my cheek, he turned me towards him until I could see his earnest eyes roaming my face.
“I mean it,” he said. “You are very beautiful.”
Now that I didn’t have to simultaneously keep a conversation going and map an ever-changing area in my head, what he said actually sank in. I blinked at him.
“You’re serious?”
“Yes.” He nodded at me. “Every time you dress up for a ball or a banquet, I see a born lady of the court. Has no one ever told you that before?”
I shook my head. “No.”
How could he possibly find me beautiful? My looks were average, at best. If someone saw me in a crowd, they would’ve forgotten they’d ever seen me as soon as I’d left. A great attribute for a thief but not something that would inspire love songs. And that was among the humans. Here, not a single elf I’d come across could even be considered average. Everyone looked good. So to learn that he found me, of all people, beautiful was very hard to grasp.
Niadhir patted my hand and gave me a kind smile. “You have not been spending time with the right people, then.”
“I’ve...” I trailed off when I noticed a figure across the garden.
Maesia was standing as still as the statue next to her. She fixed me with a hard stare. For a moment, she just stood there, silent and unmovable like a gravestone while her dark violet eyes bored into me. Then, she slowly shook her head. I frowned at her. Still holding my gaze, she raised a hand and drew her thumb across her throat.
What in Nemanan’s name was wrong with that girl? I shot to my feet and turned back to Niadhir. Best not stay and find out. And besides, I still had a mission to complete.
“Let’s get out of here.”
His pale brows were furrowed in confusion and worry as he looked at me. “Is something the matter?”
“No, no, not at all.” I cleared my throat and gestured vaguely at the scene around us. “I’m just excited to see more of the city, is all.”
“Oh, of course.” The scholar rose from the bench and held out an arm to me. “I have so much more to show
you.”
Sun continued beaming down on us as Niadhir escorted me through the city. Sometimes he would stop and launch into a lengthy explanation about some architectural feature or other. I only listened with half an ear when he talked because I was busy scheming. So far, I’d spotted a few potential safe houses but since we hadn’t walked anywhere near the edge of town, I still hadn’t figured out how to actually get out of the city.
After a while, my talkative escort had said something about the heat and the walk wearing me out and steered us back towards the castle. If he only knew the things I’d endured in my life, he wouldn’t think a simple stroll under the sun was detrimental to my health.
“I am sorry,” he said as we stepped onto the stone street leading to Starhaven.
“For what?”
“For whatever happened to you that invited this darkness inside you.” He looked down at me with concerned eyes. “It must be such an awful burden knowing that you have sold your own soul to a demon.”
Pretending to brush a speck of dust from my dress, I averted my gaze. “Yeah, I wasn’t expecting that.” My show of a carefree shrug fell kind of flat but I tried to make my voice light anyway. “I mean, I’ve always assumed that I’d been going to hell because of everything I’ve done. I just...” I drew a deep breath. “I just didn’t expect that I was already doomed from the start.”
Niadhir squeezed my arm tighter. “I cannot even imagine the crushing weight you must feel every day.
Honestly, between the devastating loss of identity and the rootlessness, I barely noticed the added load. I mean, what was one more boulder when you already had a whole mountain pressing down on your chest?
“I’ll survive.”
My concerned walking companion stopped and placed a hand on my cheek, forcing me to meet his eyes. “I hope so. The curse of dying by one’s own hand hangs heavily over all Ashaana. Please be careful. I do not think I could bear it if that happened to you.”
“I have no plans on dying yet,” I said and forced a light laugh.
Inside, however, strange feelings swirled. He cared whether I lived or died. People didn’t usually do that and I wasn’t sure what to do with those emotions. I shook my head. There was no time to deal with that right now because we neared the tall white walls of the castle and I had a plan to execute.
“Oh gods!” I exclaimed and pointed to a thick jasmine bush. “Look! A cat.”
After expertly detaching myself from his arm, I rushed over to the bush and started moving branches aside.
“A cat?” Shoes thumped against stone as Niadhir followed me. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, a white one. I saw it slink in here.”
I only had a few seconds before he reached me so while I pretended to look inside the bush, I flicked my eyes to the left and studied the metal plate set into the wall. A small stone path had been constructed between the bushes and it led straight to it. My eyes roamed over the flower etched into the metal. It was the same one. Casting my gaze up, I tried to estimate where this would be in the castle. This had to be it.
Slumping back on my heels, I transformed my face into that of a sad young girl. “Aw. There is no cat. I was so sure I saw one but it must’ve been the white flowers.”
In my heart, I knew it had been a ridiculously flimsy excuse but I could think of no other way to suddenly rush over to a random part of the wall without drawing attention. I just hoped that his habit of seeing me as a clueless human and the fact that the metal plate was some distance away had kept him from realizing my true intent.
Bending down, he helped me to my feet. “I am sorry. Do you like pets?”
“I like cats.”
That was true enough. I admired their stealth but I had never planned on keeping one as a pet. Niadhir didn’t appear to see through my lies because he just patted me on the hand while leading me back to the front doors.
“They can indeed be a great comfort in times of distress.” When we had stepped across the threshold and into the cool hall beyond, he motioned at the stairs. “Come. I will take you back to your room so that you can rest. I understand that it has been a trying day, walking so far in this heat and thinking about the awful curse placed on you.”
The day I had been one second away from being hanged in Dead Men’s Square, that had been a trying day. This one didn’t even make my list of slightly uncomfortable days. I shook my head. People sure had differing views on what constituted a difficult life.
“Thank you, that would be nice,” I said instead because I wanted to be left alone so that I could draw a map of the city while it was still fresh in my mind.
Now that I had finally found the end of the chute, we could start plotting our escape for real. Anticipation sparkled in my chest as we ascended the stairs. Soon, we would all be out of here for good.
19.
Murmuring filled the corridor. I met Shade’s eyes from across the sea of star elves in white and silver. He bent down and whispered something in Nelyssae’s ear. She glowered for a second but then accompanied him and moved towards me and Niadhir.
The polite scholar had come to collect me for dinner after he had given me a few hours of rest. Or so he thought. I had of course spent them all scheming.
“Ah, Lady Nelyssae and Shade,” he said as the assassin and the lady reached us. “How are you this evening?”
“Very well, thank you,” Nelyssae replied with a pleasant smile before turning to me. “Oh by the Stars, your skin looks a bit red.”
Suppressing the urge to roll my eyes, I instead plastered an insincere smile on my face. “Yes, that’s what happens when you finally go outside into the sun after spending weeks locked indoors.”
She leaned her curves further into Shade’s athletic body and placed a hand on his chest. “Maybe you and I should go outside too.” Her pale violet eyes took on a wicked glint. “Perhaps we should go swimming.”
“Swimming! What a great idea!” an excited voice called.
The chatting star elves shuffled aside to allow Princess Illeasia and Elaran to pass. Smiles appeared on the beautiful faces around us as the princess pulled the embarrassed-looking wood elf forward by the hand.
“We’d love to go swimming too,” she said, breathless. “How about heading to the beach tomorrow?”
Nelyssae looked like she wanted to say no but couldn’t because one doesn’t refuse royalty. She forced a smile.
“Of course.”
The princess gave her a vigorous nod before turning to me and Niadhir. “Are you coming too?”
“Oh, I am not sure if it is appropriate for men and women to bathe together in this fashion.” He scrunched up his eyebrows. “But it might be nice to spend a day at the beach. Yes, I think we will accompany you.”
Before I could comment on his strange sense of propriety, a commotion broke out by the doors to one of the smaller dining rooms that were used on days when there was no banquet. The crowd stirred and grumbled. I was just about to ask what was going on when a man in a white apron pushed forward and raised his voice.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I’m afraid dinner will be slightly delayed. There has been an unexpected accident in the kitchen. Thank you for your patience.”
Princess Illeasia squinted at his retreating back. “We should see if we can do anything to help.” Letting go of Elaran’s hand, she turned to Niadhir. “If this is a mechanical problem, they might need your expertise. Please come with me.”
The scholar glanced from me to Elaran to Shade. “But what about...?”
“I think they can survive fifteen minutes without us.” She waved a graceful hand to the gorgeous elf next to her. “I’m sure Nely can keep them entertained.”
Reluctantly detaching himself from the group, the scholar followed the princess towards where the cook had disappeared to. The otherwise confident lady looked uncharacteristically uncertain now that she was surrounded by nothing but foreigners. She clung tighter to Shade and was just about to open her mouth when panic
flashed over her face. In a heartbeat, she had taken her hands off the assassin and stepped away from him.
Frowning, I twisted around so that I could follow her line of sight. Captain Hadraeth emerged from a room further down the corridor. I glanced between the anxious lady and the oblivious Guard Captain. After locking the door, he strode in our direction.
With her eyes still on the armor-clad elf, Nelyssae cleared her throat. “Excuse me, I will be right back.”
Her sparkling dress swished against the floor as she disappeared further into the wide hallway. When she materialized in front of Hadraeth and pulled him towards the wall, an idea flashed through my mind.
“I have a plan,” I whispered to my two friends. “Come on, I’ll explain along the way.”
Taking my word for it, they followed me through the mass of bodies without question. Polite conversation mingled with discontented muttering from the star elves about the delayed dinner as we made our way towards the door the captain had appeared from.
“I found the end of the chute,” I said as we cleared a group of elves impatiently shuffling their feet.
“Where?” Shade demanded.
“Outside. I’ve also been scouting the city. I’ve got a couple of potential safe houses but if we can get inside Captain Hadraeth’s room now while everyone is distracted, we might find important stuff like guard schedules or even a clear route out of the city.”
“Unless you’re carrying lockpicks somewhere inside that dress, we’re not getting inside,” Elaran hissed just as we arrived at the intended door.
I threw a scowl in his direction. “Have you met me? I always carry lockpicks.” Placing a hand on each man, I pushed them into position. “Now, pretend that you’re just standing here chatting casually. Make sure you block their view of me.”
We were close enough to the rest of the dinner guests that we wouldn’t look suspicious if someone noticed us but far enough away to enjoy some privacy. Kneeling down, I got to work on the lock. When that very satisfying click sounded, I edged the door open and slunk inside. I had assumed that this was his private room but when I stepped inside, panic shot up my spine. It was some kind of meeting room. If someone else was in here, I was screwed. Logic pushed through the dread and pointed out that if someone else had been here, Hadraeth wouldn’t have locked the door behind him when he left.
A Storm of Glass and Stars (The Oncoming Storm Book 4) Page 12