Harpies can be tamed.
I can freeze time.
Love can survive madness.
My magic hummed beneath my skin, ready. Waiting.
Chester paused at the door, his golden eyes gleaming in the darkness. He winked at me.
“Ready, little witch?”
I nodded.
He opened the door.
“Who goes there?” A guard spun toward us, hand flying to his sword.
I stepped in front of Chester and held out my palm. Power surged through me—familiar now, an extension of myself.
“Freeze.”
The guard had unsheathed his sword, but now he stood frozen in time—blade raised, mouth open mid-shout.
Chester slipped past me, only his grin visible in the dim light. “Follow me, little witch.”
I ran after him, my bare feet slapping against the cold stone. Everyone was probably at the wedding. This was Alanna’s big day, her grand triumph, and she would want everyone there to witness it.
She must have presumed the castle was secure.
Minimal guards.
No threats.
A mistake that would cost her.
My dress clung to me, the filthy fabric tangling around my legs with every step. I needed to move freely. I needed my own clothes.
I froze two more guards before Chester and I reached the room where Brynn had taken care of me.
I opened the door, hoping to see Brynn, but the room was empty. On the queen-size bed, my tunic and leggings were neatly folded. Clean. Waiting for me.
“Thanks, Brynn,” I whispered.
I grabbed the clothes and ran into the bathroom. I took the fastest sponge bath of my life, scrubbing off the filth and sweat and dungeon stench. Just doing that gave me more energy; I felt like myself again. Not a prisoner. Not a victim.
A fighter.
I pulled on my tunic and leggings, the familiar fabric like armor against my skin.
“From prisoner to predator in ten minutes. The queen won’t like this. Not one bit.” He bowed slightly. “How wonderful.”
“I just wish I had my bow and arrows.”
Chester’s body faded, leaving only his grin floating in the darkness. “They are here, in the armory. Locked away with sharp things and dangerous toys.” His golden eyes reappeared, gleaming. “Your Hatter’s sword is there too. Waiting. Hoping. Just like him.”
“Take me to it.”
The bedroom door swung open on its own, silent as a whisper. Chester’s voice drifted from the shadows. “Stay close, little witch. Time is not our friend.”
