“Yes,” Henri cut me off. “If you proceed unprepared, someone would notice and suspect something. If they told the queen, you’d be toast. As far as I’m concerned, freeing your aether magic is thebestpreparation.”
Dum piped up. “She definitely would cut off your head, Alice. She’s horrible.” The pixie shuddered.
“Let’s compromise,” Henri said. Taking his sweet time, he poured the water into his cup before turning back to me. “We go on this journey. If you’re really not aether-blessed, it will take four days tops. Once we return, I will personally oversee reconnaissance of the castle, and put together teams to help you achieve your goals. If youareaether-blessed, the first part will take longer, but you’ll have a much better chance of defeating the Red Queen.” He paused and a small smile grew on his face. “You might even thank me.”
I’d never rolled my eyes harder.
I was sure that if I could use aether, I would have done so by now. It would have made my job as an assassin a hell of a lot easier. Why would I resist that?
Then again to have another skill and teams behind me when I met my parents’ murdererwouldbe useful. I might consider myself a lone wolf, but I wasn’t idiotic or proud enough to think I could take on the queen and the soldiers she commanded all by myself. At least not after seeing just how many of them there were the other night.
Four days tops . . .
I hated that I’d have to wait longer to avenge my family, but the payoff was worth it.
“Fine. I’ll take that deal.”
“That’s what I like to hear,” Hatter said with a grin that made my stomach flutter. “I’d like to get started soon. What do you say we eat on the run?”
“Yes, let’s get this over with,” I replied.
“Great.” Henri sipped his tea. “Pack a small bag of clothes and whatever else you’ll need to travel for a couple of days, and meet me in the entryway.”
I stood. Even if I didn’t want to go on this side venture, at least we weren’t wasting any time in starting it.
When I met him in the entryway thirty minutes later, Henri had a cloak in one hand and a travel bag slung over his shoulder. The cloak was embellished with gems on the hems, and was much heavier looking than the one he’d insisted I wear the night of my breakout.
“Put this on,” he said, extending the garment to me. “And hide this inside the pocket.” He produced a dagger with the other hand.
I took the weapon happily, but gestured out the window where the sun streamed in. “It’s really warm out there, and this looks thick. Can I use the other one? It’s more lightweight.”
“You could,” Hatter replied. “But I’ll need an alibi for vanishing, and I figured you’d want to see the city. If you’re playing the part of one of my clients, this cloak is a better costume.”
My ears perked up. Hell yes, I wanted to see more of the city.
I snatched up the cloak, and threw it over my head, careful to keep my white-blonde hair tucked behind my ears, and the braid trailing down my back. “Let’s go.”
Hatter swept his eyes over me. “Perfect. No one will be able to tell who you are.”
He opened the door, and for the first time since I tried to escape, I stepped outside.
Heat engulfed me, and the varied sensations of the city filled my ears. Vendors yelled out deals, rickety street stalls roasted small animals—probably rats—on sticks, and down the street, skinny children, who were only a few missed meals away from starving, laughed and kicked a ball around.
I hadn’t been outside in two days, but in the hours I wasn’t training, eating, or sleeping, I did have time to sit by my window and watch the people of Heartstown walk on by.
As far as I could tell, Henri’s neighborhood was poor, but the fae were mostly happy. I’d often wondered how much of that was due to him helping others whenever he could.
“Stick close to me so people will think you’re a client visiting from a village. That should give me an alibi for not being seen for a few days.” Hatter gestured to the embellished cloak. “We’ll stop by the fabric stalls in the central market so no one can question it.”
I had no idea what he did for money, but since Hatter didn’t bother expanding, I didn’t bother asking. Instead, I focused on memorizing every twist and turn of the city that I could.
As we walked through the streets, people called to Hatter like he was some hometown hero. He waved and smiled at each of them. When a young girl dressed in rags asked him to sing her a song, he obliged. A crowd gathered around him to listen.
I stood off to the side, pressed up against the red rose bushes that lined the streets like trees. The girl looked so happy that I was content to wait.
That is, until Henri locked eyes with me, and extended his hand in my direction.
My eyes widened, and I shook my head vigorously from side to side.
