“Did he leave a note?” Ellina asked. “Or a message?”
“No. Neither.”
“But he must have saidsomething.”
“He only asked that I deliver the package to you. Nothing more.”
Ellina was quiet. She squeezed the leather scabbard between her fingers. Perhaps it was another trick. Maybe this, like Raffan’s words at the duel, was a test…or a caution. The gifting of a daggerdidhave a sort of worried quality, as if to remind Ellina that—dagger or no—she was still at Farah’s mercy. And yet, Ellina had the sense that the gift was also a kind of apology.
“How long have you worked in the palace, Livila?”
“All my life.”
“And yet I only met you recently. Why is that?”
“Servants are not meant to be seen. We are taught to stay out of sight until we are needed. We use the servants’ passages to move through the palace.”
Ellina knew this. She had used the passages herself, though her knowledge of that labyrinth was thin. To an outsider like Ellina, the maze was to be used with caution. Elves had been known to lose their way down there, never to resurface. Only servants knew the full extent of those tunnels. Like a language, fledglings were taught the dialect of the labyrinth, and grew up traversing its dark twists and turns.
“Can you take the passages anywhere?” Ellina asked.
“Almost anywhere, except to some of the suites, and the queen’s chamber.”
“But say, the towers?”
“Yes.”
“And the crypts?”
“That passage is blocked,” Livila said. “It caved in last summer.”
Ellina had expected this, but the pang of disappointment was as sharp as if she had been wholly unprepared. “What about a private room under the palace? One hidden beneath the library?”
“Do you mean Princess Ara’s old suite?” Livila nodded. “Yes.”
Ellina looked at her new dagger. She wondered if it was the sight of a weapon in her hands that had her feeling this way. Like she wanted to take a risk. She met Livila’s eye. “I need a favor.”
???
Ellina trailed a hand along the smooth tunnel wall. She listened, attuned to every sound, every distant echo. She carried no candle to light her way. No torch. Nothing to guide her but her own silent counting and Livila’s instructions, ringing clearly in her head.
Ten paces forward, then left.
When Ellina had laid out her request, Livila had not balked. She had not askedwhy do you need to get to Ara’s old suite unseen?orwhat happens if you are caught?Instead, the young servant asked for pen and parchment to sketch the path Ellina would take, explaining as she went.Here, you must be careful of the missing step. Here, the path is tricky, do not be fooled by the shadows. Here, watch for the trap door, it often swings open without warning.
When Livila was finished, she tried to hand the map over.
Keep it, Ellina had said.It will be too dark for me to read.
You can read by candlelight.
I am not bringing a candle.
That was when Livila had balked.
I cannot risk being seen, Ellina explained. What she did not add was that she refused to be caught carrying Livila’s map, which could easily be traced back to the young servant. Ellina had already mired Livila enough in her plans. She would not risk her further.
Let me come with you then, Livila had offered, uncharacteristically bold.My father taught me the labyrinth himself, and even he does not like traversing it alone. None of the servants do. It is one of the reasons we work in pairs. And it is not so simple as counting steps. If you miss even one turn…
