“Then tell him we're leaving the city. If you tell them where we're going and this magic-user gets to them, they could betray you without meaning to.”
“Magic-user?”
“It's someone with either magical skills or a magical item.”
The Dragon King sighed. “Very well.” Then he headed for the bathroom.
“Where are you going?”
“I need to relieve myself, shower, then pack before I tell anyone anything. After that,”—he glanced back at me—“we will leave this castle, and no one will see us go. I promise.” He winked at me and closed the door behind him.
Chapter Fourteen
Less than half an hour later, the King and I left the royal apartments through a hidden door in his dressing room. It led to a stairwell that spiraled down to a tunnel.
“A secret exit,” I said as I pointed my lighting tube down the dark stone tunnel. “I like your style.”
“Not mine. I wish I could take credit, but it was King Hendir who built the castle and designed the escape tunnel.”
“What happened to him?”
“I think he died sneaking out one night.” The King paused, cocked his head, then said, “No, it was sneaking back in. He was intoxicated.”
“Holy shit! Was it in this tunnel?”
Cyn smirked.
My shocked expression turned into a grimace. “You really aren't funny.”
“It's damn funny that you think a Dragon, much less a Dragon King, could die from a drunken fall.”
“Yeah, all right. Excuse me for trusting you.”
He snorted. “Don't be bitter. It doesn't suit you.”
“You know what doesn't suit me? Getting caught abducting a king. What did you tell your knight?”
“I told Sir Drasik that I was leaving the city until the threat was over. He argued with me over it but finally saw the wisdom in our plan. He won't announce my exodus for another hour. That will give us plenty of time to get to the Forgotten.” He waved at the door that appeared before us in the beam of my light. “Ah, here we are. This lets us out into a house across the street from the castle.”
“Is the house guarded?” I grimaced, realizing I should have asked all my questions before we left. But then, Cyn hadn't told me how we were leaving.
“No. Only I know of the tunnel and the house. The information is passed from king to king.” He opened the door and waved me into an empty cellar.
“And none of the neighbors wonder about the owners?”
“I'm sure they do, but if anyone looks into it, the house is owned by the crown and used for security.” Cyn headed for a set of stairs.
“Security?”
“The security of having an empty house across from the castle gate.”
“Ah.”
We went up to the ground floor and entered the kitchen. There was no cold cabinet or even an oven. Only the cabinets and a sink. We left the kitchen and headed through the house, past empty rooms. The only adornment in the house were curtains, but I had the impression they were more about secrecy than beauty. When we reached the front door, Cyn reached for the handle, but I stopped him.
“Hold on. Let me have a look.” I went to the slim, tall window to the right of the door, pulled back the heavy curtain, and peered out. “The sidewalk is empty, and the gate guards are in their shack. They could still spot us, though.” I dropped the curtain and waved at his cloak. “Raise your hood.”
The King lifted his hood and settled it low, then hunched to hide his height and his face. I nodded in approval, then got the door for him so he could keep a hold on his hood. We slipped outside, the cold blasting us, and I yanked the door shut.
