Someone came in every week or so to collect all the dirty clothes and linens, and while I stood, knees trembling in the bedroom, I could only pray to Hecara they were part of the plan, or else I was in big trouble.
An elf beta woman I didn’t recognize pulled a large cart into the bedroom. She tilted her head towards it mouthing “Get in,” and I did so immediately.
As I crouched inside, she handed me a scent blocker, and moved to strip the bed, dumping the sheets and blankets on topof me, followed by the contents of the hamper. She went into the bathroom next, taking all of the towels.
The sound of fabric rustling came last, as she made the bed and refreshed the linens.
“All done, ma’am,” she called. Ember meowed loudly, and I willed every ounce of what magic I had left in my body to instill in him the need for quiet.
He chuffed but thankfully obeyed.
The wheels rolled smoothly over the penthouse floors as she pushed the cart to the front door.
“Ready, sir,” the elf called after a brief knock.
The door opened, and I heard Giorgi’s voice, the sound muffled through all of the sheets and clothes on top of me.
“Remind the company that all staff and schedule changes need to be approved ahead of time. Premier Corvane doesn’t like any deviations from the routine, and he prefers to pre-screen anyone who comes here.”
Ember squirmed, but didn’t make a peep, and I held my breath again as the cart stopped.Please, Hecara, I prayed, sure that if it wasn’t my scent, blocked as it was, the smell of my sweat would tip Giorgi off. Or the sound of my pounding heart.Don’t let him check the cart.
“I’m sorry, the regular girl is out sick today. But please don’t worry. I’ve been caught up to speed on the particulars of this stop. As far as I’m concerned, I was never here.”
“Good,” he grunted. “And keep it that way.”
The cart rolled further and then stopped for another thirty seconds or so, until I heard the gentle chime of elevator doors opening.
I shook as the wheels ran over the gap, and the doors chimed again.
This could work, this could work, this could work…
When the elevator finally stopped and we exited, we took a circuitous route to another elevator, and it lurched into motion, descending far faster than the first. My stomach floated somewhere near my throat as the pressure changed, my ears popping beneath the steady hum of the cables. The air grew cooler with every floor we passed, carrying the faint, oily tang of concrete and machine grease that told me we were heading towards a garage.
I clutched Ember to my chest, his ribs fluttering against my palm, his warmth the only thing anchoring me to my own body.
The doors opened, and the soundscape changed entirely.
No plush silence, no city noise filtered through thick glass—just engines idling somewhere in the distance, tires screeching on concrete, and the low murmur of voices echoing in the cavernous space.
The temperature dropped, biting through the thin fabric of my nightgown, and I sucked in a sharp breath before I could stop myself.
The cart rolled forward, and each bump sent a jolt through my spine. I tasted dust, detergent, and my own fear, coppery like blood and sharp at the back of my tongue. Headlights flared briefly through gaps in the fabric, then vanished again as the elf turned sharply to the left.
We stopped, and I heard the sounds of a truck door opening and something sliding down to the ground. Then the cart was pushed with a groan up a small ramp.
The linens shifted, the world tilting sideways, and I pressed my face into Ember’s fur as I was transferred, carefully, into the back of the vehicle. The door shut with a solid, final thunk, plunging us into darkness.
The engine rumbled to life, and I didn’t breathe properly until the truck began to move.
Every stop stretched into an eternity, and each turn made me dizzy, but I concentrated on them anyway, counting each one just to keep sane. Soon, the rhythm of the road smoothed out and the city noise mellowed into something more residential.
Finally the truck stopped completely, and the engine turned off. I was rolled back out. There were footsteps, voices, and a bell chiming overhead.
Warm air spilled in, thick with the scent of crushed herbs, beeswax, and something sweet and musty.
It was familiar. I knew these scents.
“Alright,” the elf said gently. “We’re here.”
