The eagerness in her face reminded me of one of the few chapters in Issa’s POV deep in book five and I nearly groaned. She would come up with a way to persuade her captors, all right.
For his part, Sir Key seemed unfazed by the series of events—he’d seen Queen Elthra take greater risks—but Lord Parable couldn’t help but try one last time. “Your Grace, you’re going to willingly allow the Dark Mage’s soldiers here? They’ll kill anyone they come across on sight.”
“I’ll protect Her Majesty,” Ironclaw said.
“Don’t be so daft,” Queen Elthra said. “We’ll all simply go to bed early. Issa, dotryto make yourself visible. There’s no need for them to tear the whole castle apart.”
Then it really hit me for the first time—the deadly apprentice of the Dark Mage was going to be here, in Castle Creneda, tonight.
I turned to Lord Draw. “Can I by chance get a bedroom with a very heavy lock?”
Chapter Six: A Night on Silken Sheets
Lord Draw brought meto a wooden door.
“I just...go in?”
“Well, you can’t expectmeto accompany you into the Maidens’ Chamber, can you, Lady Mayfair?”
I don’t get my own room?He saw the grimace cross my face.
“It’s not as if the Dark Mage is hiding in there, just go in”—he waved his hand dismissively—“and the other women will help if you need something.”
It was the other women I was apprehensive about. I tried to picture going to a sleepover with Sara and Gemma but couldn’t—and I’d known them for a year! I needed to be likable if I was going to sway the plot. I didn’t know how to do that much less come across as a reasonably social person for a whole evening.
Draw disappeared down the hall and I had no choice but to push the door open.
Eight single, wood-framed beds stood throughout the room. Narrow, slitted windows broke up the stone wall sparingly and thick rugs covered much of the floor to stave off the cold of the stone. On one end was a dresser set with a vase of woodland flowers and a golden tabletop mirror. The women inside wore white nightgowns and were gathered around one bed, a few of them sitting hip to hip on the mattress, others in nearby chairs brushing out their hair for the night. It looked exactly like the sleepovers I’d been terrified to go to in middle school.
“Um, hello. I’m supposed to sleep in here for the night.” I realized I was hunched over like a little mouse and straightened my back.I was supposed to be a witch’s apprentice, for goodness’ sake.
The women paused in their conversation, staring back at me, the intruder.
Then their faces lit up and half of them were on their feet.
“Welcome, Lady Dottie!”
