Arit wanted to fly at the woman and put her feet on an eyeball. Instead, she landed on a table—and stood there waiting. The old woman took what seemed like hours, but she finally put a glass goblet down over Arit.
“Now I have you!”
Arit obligingly pretended to be helpless and afraid as she put her hands against the glass.
The woman tipped the goblet to the side and slid her hand under it, seeming to trap the little Never inside.
Arit disliked standing on the woman’s hand. “Mekos!” she muttered. “And Ian! You two owe me in a very big way.”
The woman was smiling, proud of herself, and Arit had to endure the humiliation of being carried through the rooms. At least she’d done what she meant to. She’d distracted the woman from whatever Mekos and Ian were doing.
Mekos waved his hand to let Ian know that the woman was gone. A minute later, the sixth tumbler moved into place and Ian scooted back out of the keyhole. He sat on Mekos’s shoulders while he opened the cabinet.
Inside was just one item. It was a beautiful knife. The blade was crystal and the handle was gold set with blue stones.
They didn’t take time for more than a cursory look. Mekos shoved the knife into the band of his trousers and left the room.
When they heard someone in the distance cackling in triumph, Mekos stepped back into a doorway. The sound faded as the person moved away.
“What’s that?” Mekos whispered.
Hanging on the wall was a framed piece of old and stained paper. At the bottom were smears as though someone had dragged two bloody fingertips across it. The gold writing on it was clear.
Double royals. Fair by day. Dark by night.
“What does that mean?”
“I don’t know,” Ian said, “but it scares her. I’ve seen her shiver at the sight of it.”
Mekos took the document, frame and all, off the wall and put it inside his shirt. “If it says royal, I’m sure it means Aradella.” A minute later, they were outside the house and Mekos said, “Hold tight to me.” He moved swiftly through the trees until they reached the house where the women were.
As soon as Mekos stopped, Ian said, “Arit isn’t here.”
Mekos snorted. “My father probably called her to scratch one of the ridges on his back.” He looked at Ian. “You should know that if he calls her, she’ll walk into a volcano for him.”
Ian sighed. “She won’t askmyopinion. She has little use forme.”
Mekos cocked his head as he looked at him. “Arit is pretty, isn’t she?”
“She’s like the stars and moon had a child, then they put sunlight in her eyes.” Ian looked embarrassed at that, but then he said, “And what do you think of the princess?”
“Completely different,” Mekos said. “The sun is in her hair, and the moon in her eyes.” He shrugged. “But the rest is the same.”
Ian’s mouth twitched to keep from laughing. “Will you go to her wedding?”
“I do plan to be there, yes.”
Again, the men exchanged smiles of understanding, then Mekos said, “I have a plan that I think will work. Can you get me something to put Aradella to sleep? I want to take her to safety, then I’ll—” He didn’t finish telling his plan. That would come later. First priority was getting Aradella away from danger.
Aradella was dreaming. She could smell the fresh air around her and snuggled by her were little furry animals. They smelled a bit like Mekos so that made her smile.
“You must wake up!” said a female voice. “We have todosomething.”
Aradella snuggled deeper in her bed. Whatever was near her was so warm and cuddly.
“Wake her!” the woman ordered.
In Aradella’s dream, the little creatures around her came alert and began nudging her. “Go away,” she murmured. But one of them sank its tiny teeth into her arm. “Ow!” she said and opened her eyes.
