Of course, I could just search the castle at night. And honestly, you’d think being equipped with a superspy’s memories would help me with something as simple as escaping my room
Unfortunately, I’ve realized that Cassandra’s voice is more like an aggressive muscle memory. She can talk me through using a hairpin to pick the lock on my bedroom door, but since she never used magic, she can’t show me how to break whatever ward or spell is keeping it sealed.
It’s probably immature to resent my past self.
I make a mental note to be a better person – after I’m no longer surrounded by ‘nice guys’ whose egos are the only things that have experienced personal growth.
Sleep might help, too. I spent hours last night trying to find a way to sneak out. I even tried Leon’s door today while he showered, ready to risk slipping into his room tonight if it meant I could break out.
No luck.
Leon’s hand worms over my thigh, tugging my leg closer to him.
Terror and dread wash over me.
Ineedto find a way to free Irena, fast.
Thump.
My eyes fly open, but the room is pitch-black.
It’s nowhere near morning.
Disoriented, I scan the shadows, wondering what woke me.
Another thump, louder this time, is all it takes for adrenaline to flood my veins. It’s the door connecting Leon’s room to mine. It’s hitting the wardrobe.
Leon is trying to sneak into my room.
My pulse thunders in my ears, but I don’t move a muscle. If he knows I’m awake, he might order me to let him in.
I watch, horrified as the door thumps against the wardrobe once again, only this time it’s accompanied by the sound of the wardrobe screeching against the floor, just for a second.
He’s trying to force it open. But at the loud noise, the door finally shuts again, and I hear his footsteps as he retreats to his own bed.
I don’t sleep another wink that night.
Chapter 11
Vivian’s Point of View
Rule eleven:When exploring new boner-killing strategies,paniccreativity will get you everywhere.
There’s such beauty in screaming into the endless void.
Of course, all my screaming is internal, and the endless void is yet another fancy function where I’m being paraded around like a fur coat (pretty, and very much dead inside).
The Council is reconvening after returning to their home realms. Apparently, they were concerned about the disappearance of souls and were adamant about looking into their own realms before deciding on a course of action. Now, they will begin discussions on how to address the issue.
How do I know all of this?
It turns out that having years of experience as an introvert translates well into not being allowed to speak. Even though Leon keeps me under a magical gag, I’m mentally logging everything I hear.
I’ve been on edge, waiting for him to explode about me locking him out. But he hasn’t said a word about last night. And while I haven’t made any progress on finding Irena, hopefully, my odds are about to shift for the better. As of tomorrow, Leon will be tied up in meetings with the Council, and I’ll be handed off to one of Need’s babysitters.
I’d like to think that a change of jailer will give me more opportunities to go poking around, but only if I survive long enough to enjoy the upgrade.
To celebrate the Council’s reconvening, Need is hosting a dinner for all the realm leaders and their ambassadors. Before we left the room, Leon emphasized how important this party was and noted that if I embarrassed him, he’d have to punish me with extreme force. His voice turned regretful as he tutted over what a shame it would be to lose all the ground we’ve gained on healing ‘us.’
