“Which prince?” the blond snaps.
If I say Charming, it would be too suspicious given they are guarding his captive Cinderella.Think, Daphne, think.Who was the sleeping one? Um, Prince Paul? No, that isn’t it. Prince Patrick?
“Ah, she’s so overcome with nerves she can’t remember,” the copper-haired guard says. Thank you, Idols.
The blond tilts his head. “I don’t buy it.”
I resist the urge to roll my eyes as the copper haired dude speaks up. “What other reason would she be down here? It’s not like there’s anything of interest to a Burgher in this wing.”
My sister greatly interests me, but they don’t need to know that.
“I need to find the kitchens, otherwise I’ll get in trouble,” I repeat.
The copper haired guy swings his gaze to the blond. “I can take her, Nathaniel.”
The blonde’s gaze bores into me like he’s trying to see past my clumsy shell and into what nefarious plans I hold deep in my mind. “Can’t you both take me?” I try.
The blond folds his arms and stares me down. “Bart is quite capable of finding his way to the kitchens.”
Bart? Seriously? Wow, that is quite the name. “Okay, let’s go,” I decide. The Stirlings will need to think of something else to dispatch Nathaniel. I’ve taken out one guard. Bart’s hand falls to the small of my back as he urges me down the hallway, away from his suspicious comrade.
“Have you worked here long?” I wonder, as we take so many twists and turns, I get completely lost.
“I was born in The Hallows,” Bart tells me. “I’ve been part of the palace guards for three annuses.”
He seems awfully proud of this as he rambles on about his rise into the royal ranks. We walk under a large arch and enter a loud and busy kitchen. I blink. How many cooks does one palace need? I guess there are a lot of pampered blessed Hallowed to cater for.
“This Burgher is here to collect nuts,” Bart calls out.
One of the staff, a short woman in chef’s whites, shoves a tray toward me containing an array of snacks, including a bowl of nuts. They seem to just have these platters of goodies ready to go. I grab the tray and spin, finding a grinning Bart blocking my exit. Wonderful, I’ve gained a guard shadow for my troubles. Those Stirling brothers owe me big time, even if we are in this mess because of my demands to see my sister.
“Where to?” Bart asks. Aw, bless his heart, he understands I am directionally challenged and is trying to help.
I nibble my lip. “The Stirling brothers’ chambers,” I say. “They are the ones who requested I retrieve their nuts.”
Bart pales a little and nods. “For future reference, they are knights, not princes.”
He leads me out of the bustling kitchen and through several magnificent halls, and we begin the ascent up some stone stairs. They appear familiar, but I could be wrong. Everything is shiny and disorientating.
We come to a stop outside a door and Bart raps on it with his knuckles. The door flies open and Hart’s grumpy face hardens as he sees me standing next to Bart.
I lick my lips. “This kind guard helped me find the kitchens and return with your snacks.” I thrust the tray at Hart. Thankfully, he catches on and doesn’t feed me to the wolves.
“You are late,” Hart snaps as he steps back and waves his hand for me to enter.
I glance at Bart. “Thank you for your guidance.”
He bows and backs off before pausing. “If I may, would you be favorable to a walk in the gardens this sundown?”
Theo’s hulking form steps behind me, his warm and smoky scent wrapping around me as his shadow fills the doorway. “No, she would not be favorable. We will keep her much too busy for walks with guards.”
Hart slams the door closed. “That was rude,” I comment.
“Where are Nash and Mal?” Hart snaps.
I spin and put the tray of snacks on the table between the sofas before flopping down on one. “After we spoke to Gwyneth, we needed to sneak out via the hallway, but there were a pair of guards. Your brother’s plan was for me to seduce them away.”
“Did it work?” Hart asks.
