Maines nods, barely reacting to Oak’s bombshell.
I glance between them, annoyance creeping in. “When did you two plot this?”
Maines smiles smugly. “Don’t worry about what I do in my spare time with this fool.”
Oak chuckles. “She’s a pain in my ass. Always using me for my brain.”
I roll my eyes. “This is a bad idea, but I don’t disagree that this might be our only chance.”
Maines and Oak exchange a high five, and my stomach clenches. This isn’t going to end well.
Chapter 21
We head back to the party for a while just to show face. We need to be seen so that people can vouch for us being there. I am the first to leave. It’s not uncommon for me to slip away from these parties unnoticed, and my father won’t care. Oak left next, excusing himself for some fresh air, and headed for the balcony. Once the coast was clear, he moved back inside the castle, closer to the study. Maines was the last to go, distracting a few of the men with flirtations before heading for the door, leaving them rejected and embarrassed.
We meet in the hallway, just a few turns from my father’s study. Once we enter, there’s no escaping by magic. The claustrophobic feeling of being trapped in there sends chills down my spine.
“Okay, you have fifteen minutes to look around. I think anything longer than that, we are pushing our luck,” I whisper, glancing at the time.
Maines stands post around the corner, the hallway most likely someone would travel down.
Oak and I move toward the door, praying it’s unlocked. To our surprise, it opens with ease, the feeling of excitement and caution moves through my entire body.
Grabbing Oak’s wrist, I pull him toward the desk. Numerous books and scrolls sit, cluttering the area. Taking the closest one, I flip through the pages, trying to find anything that looks remotely like the crystal’s markings. My hands tingle with adrenaline as I notice the pages slightly trembling in my hands.
Oak flashes a look my way. “If you don’t calm down, you’re going to leave sweat stains on the pages.”
I roll my eyes and exhale, trying to do what he says.
“I’m not seeing anything different than at the House of Hedro,” Oak admits. “We don’t have much longer to search before we overstay our welcome.”
I feel the panic rise in my body as I know this may be our last shot at finding something in this study. I reach for the drawers, expecting them all to be locked like before. “Oak!” I gasp. “These were locked the last time I was in here.”
Oak rushes to the back of the desk. One scroll lies deep inside the drawer, hidden from plain sight. When I unroll the scroll, my heart stops at the sight of the marking.
“That’s it!” I shout, louder than intended. “That is the exact thing I found on the crystal.”
Oak leans in, taking a closer look. “That’s no Rigil I’ve ever seen before. It’s old, and I don’t think it’s something we should ever mess with.”
“What does it say?” I ask. “We need to hurry.”
He reads the script on the following pages as I scan the room, nervousness taking over. A slight knock on the door makes my heart fall to my stomach. Our time is up and sweat forms on my brow.
“This is taking too long,” I whisper.
The door opens. Oak grabs my hand, pulling me under the desk. My father enters the room with someone trailing him. I peek around the corner. Elrod follows him in and Calia is by his side, holding his hand. They move into the room, speaking in hushed tones that I can barely make out.
Oak looks at me with wild eyes and places a finger to his mouth.
My stomach twists with terror. If we get caught, we’re dead. My father won’t care that I’m his daughter. To him, this will be treason. A public punishment would be the least of my fears, and I’ll have to convince them we were doing something far more inappropriate than reading.
Oak peers around the desk, trying to get a closer look, but when he jerks his large body back, his hands shake slightly. He barely fits behind here to begin with.
Where is Maines?
He grabs my hand to steady my nerves. It doesn’t work.
“How dare you try to go over my head with this, Elrod,” my father snaps. “Are you trying to make me look stupid?”
