Maxon releases his grip on me and softly nudges me toward the passage, while Nix swiftly flies past me into the abyss.
“Go. I’ll find you later.”
With one final look back, I slip into the tunnel, the darkness enveloping me as the wall seamlessly closes behind me.
Chapter twenty-one
Everly
Following Zaria and Nix down the dimly lit passage, I can hear the echo of our footsteps bouncing off the walls. I attempt to gather the bedsheet tightly around me, careful not to let it touch the grimy floor. This experience takes the walk of shame to a whole new level. I feel a deep sense of embarrassment as anxiety gnaws at my insides, wondering what thoughts are running through Nix and Zaria’s minds. I shouldn't care what they think but I do.
Instead of turning left toward my room, we take a right at the end of the passage. I’m amazed at how I successfully found my way through the narrow and dark passages and into Maxon’s room. I didn’t even know my new room had a secret passage until last night, and only then by accidentally bumping my desk chair into the wall, knocking a picture down. There, carved into the stone wall, was a button. Of course, I pressed it. And when the wall slid open, it felt as if an invisible force was gently guidingme forward, my every step accompanied by a faint whispering sound. Somehow, I knew I was going to Maxon, but I wasn’t sure how I knew that.
When the wall slowly slid open, my breath caught in my throat at the sight of Maxon standing there, his bare chest glistening in the soft light. In that moment, my mind went blank, overwhelmed by the sight of him. All I yearned for was to trace my fingertips along his skin, savoring every contour and relishing the sensations that awaited. My mind is so preoccupied with thoughts of Maxon that I don’t realize Zaria has stopped walking, and I accidentally bump into her, almost sending her tumbling.
“Sor–” But before I can finish, Zaria’s hand covers my mouth, her feline eyes glowing otherworldly as she stares at me, then cocks her head like she is listening for something.
“I’ll go first. Make sure the coast is clear,” Nix whispers.
Zaria nods and then looks at me, her eyes wide, as she places her finger to her lips. I nod in understanding, and she releases her grip.
The moment Nix disappears around the corner, I notice a beam of sunlight streaming through the path she just took. Five minutes later, there is a soft whistle, and Zaria sighs in relief.
“Come on.”
Hurriedly, we move forward, and Zaria pushes open a wall, peeking her head out before slipping through and waving at me to follow. I look around, but don’t recognize where we are.
“We are in the servant’s corridors,” Zaria explains, reading my confused expression.
The narrow servant corridor is plain, and its unadorned walls have low lighting in sconces that shine with a dim glow, no windows in sight. Zaria's hand tightensaround mine as she sprints down the corridor, the sheet slipping from my grasp, as she pulls me along.
As we turn the corner, she swiftly opens a small wooden door, tugging me inside before shutting it firmly behind us. Looking around the small room, I notice the cramped space occupied by a small bed, wardrobe, and a night table with a desk tucked away in the corner. Zaria moves toward the wardrobe, its wooden doors creaking as she pulls them open.
She rummages through it in a hurry, muttering to herself in frustration before turning and tossing a sage dress and apron at me. “Put these on.”
I hold up the dress and arch an eyebrow in question. “Really? It has a hole for your tail.”
“That’s what the apron is for.”
“Zaria, I’m at least two sizes bigger than you. Why not just take me back to my room?”
With her lip between her teeth, she anxiously sways her tail back and forth.
“Because the queen was on her way to your room. One look at you and she would know exactly where you’d been,” Nix explains, making her presence known.
I look up and see her perched on a ceiling fan, her eyes gleaming in the dim light. Honestly, the contrasting old architecture and modern appliances really make my head spin.
“Okay . . . ”
“I will tell the guards I had you helping me today. It’s the only thing I can think of to explain why you were gone from your room so early. Kian is already aware. He’s covering for us.”
My heart skips a beat. “Does he know?”
“About you and the crown prince? I think he guessed. We knew you two were . . . ” she trails off.
Nix flies down, her wings beating in agitation. “The prince’s fondness for you and the timing of your arrival may raise suspicions, leading the people to believe that you are here to deceive him. If they desire your demise, the prince’s efforts to protect you might prove futile. Zaria has already warned you to stay away, that nothing can come of this thing you two have, but no! You still wandered into his room last night!”
Disbelief wells up inside me, and my fingers instinctively tighten around the sheet. “Do you two think that? That I’m here to cause trouble? That I could hurt Maxon?”
