Other voices came closer, and soon, the sound of heels striking a wood bridge informed me that we were almost there. Once inside, we’d need to slip away and find a private place to grow.
“Halt, miss,” a gruff voice commanded, and the girl stopped.
I gripped the tulle tight.
“Name?”
“Ginny Grayfoam,” the girl chirped.
“Invitation?”
I heard the sounds of the girl pulling something out of her bag and presenting it to the guard.
“Thank you, Miss Grayfoam. We only have one more question.”
“What’s that?”
“Are you in any way related to the queen, or have knowledge of her blood relations?”
My jaw tightened. Relations? They suspected that I might be glamoured, or influencing someone else. And it seemed they also didn’t know that I could lie—otherwise, they wouldn’t even ask.
Xavier really had done me a favor, making me drink that potion right before I broke away from him.
“Blood relations?” Miss Grayfoam echoed. “Our dear queen has none.”
Because she was young, I figured that the mist that had erased everyone else’s memory of my parents hadn’t needed to erase hers. Her belief that she told the truth was clear in the smooth cadence of her voice. So unlike the brownie I’d questioned a week ago, who’d had to fight a lie past the enchantment.
Although her infuriating ignorance pissed me off, I’d chosen an excellent guest to hitch a ride in on. There’s no way the soldier could suspect her.
“Very good,” he replied, confirming that Miss Grayfoam looked as innocent as she sounded. “You may proceed.”
Chapter 24
Ginny Grayfoam gave us the perfect exit strategy when she excused herself to use the ladies’ room to powder her nose. Thank goodness that really was all she planned to do in there. Hatter probably would have flipped out and given us away if Miss Grayfoam had needed to relieve herself. We waited until she exited the restroom for everyone to slide down her skirts. Dee locked the door as soon as Ginny closed it behind her.
“That worked out perfectly,” I said, fist-bumping the pixies at their insistence.
“It was a clever entrance,” Sansu agreed, looking impressed. “Hopefully, the rest of the mission is that easy.”
I wasn’t holding my breath, but I also wasn’t about to bring anyone else down. Let their hope burn. We’d need the fire.
Knowing every moment was precious, I pulled the second bit of mushroom from my bodice pockets. Like everything else on my person, it had shrunk when I did.
“There’s no going back now,” I said, and bit into the mushroom. I shot back up to normal size faster and less painfully than I had with the purple drink in the tower.
“Whoa.” Alran stared up at me.
I laughed as I pulled off my cloak and hid it in a chest of drawers filled with perfumed sachets and the fae-equivalent of toilet paper. “Bet you’re not used to gazing up at others, are you?”
“Not unless they’re a giant,” the elf replied with a wry grin.
“And here’s hoping there are none of those in Heart Castle tonight.”
I offered the mushroom to them. The guys each took bites, and promptly shot up like weeds.
“Everyone ready?” I asked once my friends had returned to normal size.
My crew confirmed that they were, and I cracked the door open enough for Dee and Dum to poke their heads out.
