Hart grabs an amused Malachi by his arm. “You’ll figure it out,” he says.
“Wait,” Gwyneth says. “Can you escort Daphne back to our room? She doesn’t need to be sullied with Charmings’ seed, fake or not. A sister doesn’t need to listen to this.”
I jerk my head back. “I’m not leaving without you.”
Malachi tucks an arm around my waist and drags me towards the door. “Sure, we can escort her back to your room.”
Why is he speaking like that? All naughty and nice at the same time, making tingles erupt down my spine. Gwyneth gives me a stern stare. I huff and allow myself to get dragged from the room. She closes the door behind us, locking us out of whatever the Blazes she is about to do in there.
“Now it’s time for you to help us, Calamity,” Hart says, a grin stretching across his face, and it’s one hundred times more terrifying than his normal scowling expression. I’m about to discover that when Hart Stirling smiles, you run fast and far.
ChapterEight
Theo tilts his head as we step outside into the palace gardens. “You brought the pretty mouse?” he asks, still brandishing the body over his shoulder. I worry about their welfare—if they are alive, it can’t be healthy for them to be upside down for so long.
“We are late as it is, and the sensible stern one made us promise to get her back to her chambers,” Hart says. That’s my Gwyneth, sensible and stern.
Malachi’s arm tightens around my waist, making sure I can’t retreat to my chambers, not that I could find them. “What are you doing with that body?” I ask, pointing to the lump over Theo’s shoulder.
“Nothing your tiny Burgher brain needs to worry about,” Hart says as Theo turns and walks towards a group of tall bushes. We pass through a gap in them and then take a path to the right, left, and straight ahead. Not again. I glance over my shoulder at Hart. Oh bunkum poop, we are in a maze. I’m going to die in here. My poor Burgher heart can’t take the suspense. Maybe I should just lay down and take a nap. Some Hallowed would find me in the morning and take pity on me, right?
“Stop stressing,” Malachi says. “We share a dark secret now. You can trust us.”
“How do you know I’m stressing?”
“You’re trembling and your heart is pounding so hard I can feel it through your spine.”
I guess that would do it. No escaping the pounding heart and sweaty trembling body. Ew, gross, I’m sweating all over a Stirling brother and not in a sexy way.
“It’s all good and well saying we share a dark secret, but you guys are blessed Hallowed, and I’m just a Burgher. If it came down to it in the end, my life would be sacrificed and no one would remember me.”
“I would remember you, pretty mouse,” Theo calls out. “The pretty mouse that sunk a thousand ships.” He waves his hands like he can see my name. Also, that sounds about right. Given the chance, I’m sure I could sink a thousand ships. In fact, I am a devastating secret weapon that The Hallowed should treasure.
“Devastating, I agree,” Hart says. “But not treasure.”
“A devastating treasure,” I decide. “You better all watch out.”
Feeling a little more confident in my abilities, I stand a little taller and stop trembling against Malachi.Beat that, Idols, I am a weapon born of the Burghers.I puff out my chest and strut like I own the damn palace, and I’m on top of the realm for all of one tempo until a bush leaps out in front of me and tries to eat me.
“Argh,” I cry out, scratching my arms and battling with the leaf demon. “It’s alive.”
Strong arms yank me away, and I stare at the bush with accusing eyes. “I have no idea how she fell into a bush,” Malachi says. “One snap I was holding her, the next she was head diving into the greenery.”
“The bush attacked me,” I remind him. “Not the other way around.”
“We are nearly there. Be quiet,” Theo mumbles.
“Nearly where?” I whisper. “Where in the Blazes are you taking me?”
We emerge from the tight confines of the attacking bushes into the center of the maze. There are three attractive females dressed in black, trying to blend in with the sundown shadows. Theo slides the body off his shoulder and lays it onto the pebbled ground in front of the females.
“Who is she?” the blonde asks, nodding in my direction with a frown on her face.
Malachi steps in front of me. “No one you need to concern yourself with.”
I side step him because I can’t miss whatever is inside that package. Malachi glances at me over his shoulder and rolls his eyes.
“Check her,” the blonde frowny face says, pointing at the wrapped body at her feet.
