I bowed, then hesitated. I had thought we were already in Icarius’s bedchamber.
Discreetly, Penelope tilted her head toward the adjoining room. I gave a small, grateful smile and headed inside, certain I could feel her eyes following my every step.
In the darkened room, I could just make out the shape of a giant bed, piled high with invitingly soft furs and blankets. Along the right wall was a small table where I found a bronze water bowl and a rag.
Carefully, I dipped the rag into the water and ran it over my arms and legs, watching my skin lighten to its usual freckled shade of pale olive. Once the water had turned cloudy and dark, I attempted to tackle my curls, using my fingers to untangle the knots. Eventually, I gave up the pointless battle and began to pace.
It did not take long for tiredness to set into my bones, weighing down my steps. My mind reached for my mother. We had never spent so long apart, and her absence ached like a bruise.
“Again!” I heard Icarius’s voice reverberate through the walls.
I was not sure how long their games would continue, nor did I know what would happen when they finished, but I pushed that thought from my mind as I continued pacing.
As time wore on and my legs grew sluggish, I decided to perch myself on the edge of the giant bed. I sat rigidly, ready to jump to my feet if I heard anyone approaching. But the bed was so soft and inviting, I could not help but sink a little lower, down and down, until sleep rose up to greet me…
“Wake up.”
I jolted upright. “Mama?”
“Shh. It’s all right.” That voice came again as two gray eyes greeted me. “It’s Penelope.”
My cheeks warmed. “I…I wasn’t sleeping or nothing.”
She smiled. In her hand, she held an oil lamp, the small flame illuminating her face with a honeyed glow.
“It’s time to go,” she told me.
“Go where?”
“Back to your mother.”
“Now?”
“Yes. I shall take you.” She motioned for me to stand.
“What about Master Icarius?”
“He has dismissed you.”
I frowned. “Did…did I do something wrong?”
Penelope’s gaze was edged with something like sadness, but sharper. “Not at all. Come, we must go.”
I followed her back into the main room where Icarius was slumped in his chair, snoring loudly. As we crept past, I couldn’t help but stare. He seemed a lot less scary now, face smoothed by the soft hand of sleep, and I noticed his lips were stained a dark crimson.
“Father always falls asleep after too much wine,” Penelope whispered as she led me out into the hall, a small smile curling at the corners of her mouth.
We walked in silence through the passageways. Nyx had fully taken hold of the palace now, stealing away all its beautiful details. I found myself inching closer to Penelope, reassured by the oil lamp and her steady steps. She walked with such purpose, as if she paid the darkness no mind at all.
“How’d you know the way?” I asked her after a while, hoping my voice might chase away any beasts lurking around us.
“My uncle took me on a tour once.”
“And you remember it all?”
“Yes,” she said simply. “What is your name?”
“You…want to know my name?”
