I nodded.
Despite the healing Ant had given me, I was so very weak. He’d closed the larger wounds, but I was still bleeding — if only a little — from more than a dozen small cuts. I didn’t move fast and Amber was half-carrying me. Finally, she laughed. “It’s amazing what we forget when we’re on edge.” I didn’t know what that meant until she said. “As much as I don’t like the idea of a spider on me, could you shift? You’d be a lot lighter.”
I laughed too, nodded, then veered into a spider, shifting myself up onto her shoulder. She rolled her shoulders. “Much better.” Then we were moving swiftly through the corridors of the palace.
There were people everywhere: guards running this way and that, terrified courtiers huddled in groups. Nobody seemed to know what was going on, which was good, since that meant few had a moment to spare for a woman in a red dress hurrying through the halls.
It wasn’t until she stopped suddenly, looking around that two guards approached from down a short hallway to her left.
“Bones,” she hissed. “I think I’m lost.”
“Excuse me miss, you can’t be in this part of the palace,” one of the guards said, approaching with his halberd lowered just a little, not threatening yet, but ready.
“Yup, bloody bones, somehow I’ve ended up in the royal wing!” She hissed to herself, and probably for my benefit. She turned to the guards with a smile on her face. “Hello, boys. I saw her look intently into one set of eyes then the other, then she waved her hand saying, “Forget me.” And she walked right between the two of them as they stood there, a bit stunned.
I turned around on Amber’s shoulder as she casually walked down the short hall, so I could watch what happened to the two guards.
“I thought…” one of them said. “Did you just…? I…?”
The other one sniffed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. We should get back to our post.”
“Ah… yeah… right.”
I thought, when they turned, they’d see us for sure, since we hadn’t yet passed beyond the doors at the end of the hall, but their gazes seemed to look right through us.
Amber opened one of the large double doors and entered, and the guards seemed to see nothing. They returned to their places to either side of the door, facing out, as it closed behind us.
I hopped from her shoulder, shifted back to human, and slumped into a large cushioned chair. “What are we doing here?” I hissed a whisper. “We’re in the royal chambers now!”
She smiled and shrugged. “The king and queen are dead, it’s not like we’re going to be interrupted. Perhaps I can find more plans and papers. Stay there, I’m going to snoop for a moment. Besides, the Royal wing is on the north side of the palace and opens up onto the top of that point of land. We can escape out there when we’re done.”
“But Ant… he won’t know where to find us if we’re not—”
“Don’t!” she spun harshly, lips tight and trembling, tears threatening. She lowered her voice when she continued. “Don’t say his name, please.” She drew in a deep breath and stilled her tears. “He’ll know where to go if we’re not in the room. He’ll find Fin, and so shall we.” She gave a valiant attempt at a smile. “We’ll all meet there.” And with that she spun and walked into one of the many rooms off this large main living area.
I didn’t realize I’d fallen asleep until a voice woke me. “By the gods!” the voice was male; not Amber. At first, I thought it might be Silence, then I opened my eyes and was gazing up into two of the most beautiful blue eyes I’d ever seen. Well-kept raven black hair framed a face that still held a hint of youth upon firm, manly features.
“Who are you?” the man asked me.
“Le—”
Not your real name he’s not an ally! Auwei shouted at me.
“Le—ana?” I hadn’t meant to make it sound like a question but I wasn’t fully awake yet and also… still only a few steps off from death.
“Leana?” He said then smiled. “What happened to you? How did you get here? What’s that on your face? Do you know what happened in the palace? I haven’t heard—” And a look of fearful uncertainty crossed his face.
My mind fully spun to life in that moment and realized who this young man looked like… the recently dead king. This was the prince!
And I… I was a foreign agent, lying in his suite, dress torn to shreds with my borrowed, blood-soaked cloak not quite covering me well enough. Then, there was the patch of spider-silk over the side of my face. Yeah, I must look a Pits-spawned sight indeed.
I blinked, feigning ignorance. “I… I don’t know. I was attacked, then saved by some men who pulled me in here.”
His face grew more concerned. It was clear he had no idea what was happening outside these rooms. He looked at the double doors. “I should call for the guards.”
“No! Please. Just… stay with me for a moment?” If he called the guards, they’d not have any clue how I got in here, which they should have, if I’d passed by them coming in. It would be too much to explain. I rose, though that wasn’t easy, and reached up to him. I put a hand behind his neck to help me up and to pull him down. I needed to distract him and the only thing that came to mind was a kiss.
He gave in, allowing me to draw him closer and even putting an arm around me to help me up.
