“Servants and belongings will be taken through a different entrance, and your carriages will be taken to the stable,” he snarled.
I’ll release the zephyls and send them back to Evergorne,Lore said in my mind.We’ll flit from here once we have the talisman.
I blinked to show him I understood.
“The stinking nyxin remains with theladies,” the guard added. “It's not allowed on the lower grounds.”
Farris snapped at him, sending the man stumbling backward.
“My pet travels with me.” Ice coated my words. “No arguments.”
“Suit yourself. If something happens to it, don't blame me.”
Wind whipped through the open door as Lore's power stirred. The man's face went pale.
“You’ll speak to Lady Rutherford with respect or you won’t speak to her at all,” Lore growled. A flick of his finger and wind hit the man, making him fall back on his ass. As he rose, fear flashed across his face. “Disembark…my lord.Her ladyship.” He gave a deep bow.
Continuing with our ruse, I turned to Calista and Moira. “I’ll see you in our rooms, ladies. Please unpack my possessions and ensure any wrinkles are smoothed from my gowns before you hang them. Inventory my jewelry, if you please. Be aware I will inspect everything when I arrive and if anything is missing…”
“We need to go with you.” Moira’s low growl rang out, but she softened her features, sliding into her new role. “Of course, Lady Bliss. We’ll ensure everything is arranged to your satisfaction.”
We stepped from the carriage, Farris leaping out along with us. My boots struck the gravel, the sharp clicks echoing in the dense forest around us.
Lore offered me his arm, and I fitted my fingers into the crook of his elbow, feeling the heat of his skin through his sleeve. He looked every bit a noble, though the dark edge in his eyes told a truer story. That edge promised violence to anyone who threatened what was his. The possessive heat in his gaze when it settled on me sent warmth spiraling through our bond.
For all the plainness of Dorion’s disguise, he carried himself like a man who'd never once worried about losing his life. I envied how he could project that impression despite how he might be feeling inside. I could only hope to do the same.
Farris trotted at my side as we approached the portcullis and stepped through, into a gloomy garden speckled with flowerbeds and statues. Thin, creeping vines snaking over the pale marble figures and wrapped around trees in gray spirals.
“Remain on the path. You’ll come to the entrance at the top.” The man gestured to a stone walkway lined with trimmed hedges.It wound upward around the steep hill, leading to the castle perched at its summit like a pale blue bird of prey.
It was beautiful, but it felt odd. I wasn’t sure how to describe it other than that.
The air shifted as we passed under the stone archway.
No insects buzzed. No birds called. Great, great. What was it with the birds lately?
Even our footfalls faded, swallowed by moss and silence. The garden didn’t just muffle sound, it seemed to feed on it.
Farris froze, whining, his tail spiking out behind him, but for now, I didn’t see anything we might need to defend ourselves against. No harm in keeping my blades handy, however. I released Lore’s arm and drew them, watching as he did the same. Only Dorion remained unarmed, though he wore a decent-looking dagger strapped to his side.
The path carved its way through arbors choked with flowering vines. Pale and sweet-smelling, the blossoms drooped unnaturally. The petals had browned at the edges as if they were dying mid-bloom. Some statues stood beneath taller vegetation, while others had been placed out in the open or tucked into stone alcoves. Still others had been set near fountains with dry, cracked bowls. It didn’t look like water had flowed within them for years.
The figures appeared artfully arranged at first. Then I saw their faces.
Too twisted. Too real.
One man clutched his throat, his mouth frozen mid-scream. A woman reached toward the sky, terror etched in every line of her body. Their eyes gleamed with unnatural moisture, as if tears had just dried. As if they were still alive inside the stone.
My skin recoiled.
Another man cowered, curled in on himself, as if he was expecting a blow. He wore trousers, boots. A simple tunic, and heheld a pin in his fingers in red and silver, the twin dragons of Evergorne circling each other in eternal watch.
Lore saw it too and stopped.
“Don’t react,” he said under his breath, speaking aloud for Dorion’s benefit.
The other man grunted.
