Damn the man. The trouble was, he was actually an excellent liar. I could practically hear the thoughts going through the princess’s mind, wondering why I’d accuse my father of not caring about my welfare.
“I have been worried, Isabel. What with that contract forcing you out to Rose Castle, and no telling what the duke wanted with you. These past few weeks have been a torture of uncertainty. Especially as I know it was my fault. Can you forgive me, my girl?”
I stood up. “Forgive you? When you didn’t care a whit about me, only your own hide? Everything you’ve done has been against my interests. Why should I ever forgive you?”
“Now Isabel, I know you are upset, but—”
“Upset? I am beyond upset. Don’t pretend you made a slight error in judgment. You knew exactly what you were doing every step of the way. No one forced you to sign that contract in my name!”
It was the quiet gasp coming from the princess, still sitting at the table only a few feet from me, that reminded me of my location. The audience to this unfolding drama. The error I had made by confirming that a contract had been involved in my disappearance.
“I know I made a mistake, Isabel,” Edwin said with a quaver in his voice. “I can only hope that the duke didn’t do anything so terrible that you’ll never see your way toward forgiving me.”
“Get out,” I snapped. “You’ve accomplished your goal. So leave.”
To anyone else, I was certain my father looked contrite and forlorn as he trudged back out the door, but I had seen the flash of satisfaction in his eyes. He hadn’t come into this tavern by chance tonight.
I sank back into my seat and hid my face in my hands. “It isn’t what it sounds like.”
“Indeed?” the princess said archly. “So the Duke of Truthhold, with control over the most powerful node in the kingdom, did not abuse his power and force you out to his estate against your will? How is it that your father could sign such a contract? You are several years beyond your majority.”
I lifted my head. “Not all the laws in Nemya have caught up with women’s rights. Which is a fact I’m certain Duke Felix will bring to your attention once his current troubles are solved. There are extenuating circumstances.”
“Miss Cardh, I cannot accept such non-answers at this point. Explain.”
“I can’t. I’m bound by a non-disclosure clause.”
“Then I suppose the holiday portion of my visit is over. We will ride to Rose Castle first thing tomorrow, and I will expect a full accounting from Duke Felix, magical indisposition or no.”
Thirty-Nine
Felix
???
The enchantments aroundmy home flashed, drawing me out of my thoughts of Isa and back to the physical world. Two people had ridden onto castle lands. I studied what the magic told me. Cecily and Marc had come calling.
One claw twitched, the instinct to banish them from the hill strong. I resisted the urge. It was time to confront them and learn what they had hoped to achieve. Even if they wouldn’t speak to me, I didn’t like the idea of turning them away and then not knowing where they had gone. Whether I could regain my human form or not, the princess and whoever she brought with her would come to Rose Castle within a few days. Having the people responsible for my condition locked up might be helpful.
Also, I looked forward to their reactions when they saw my new size.
I made my way to the great hall, then contemplated the best place to lie in wait. A quick adjustment of the two chairs I had never removed gave me the perfect spot. I settled on the chair facing away from the front entrance, careful to keep every inch of my fur hidden. I tracked Cecily and Marc’s progress, throwing open the front doors of the castle when they stood only paces away.
They paused. Then Marc strode through. I heard him tell Cecily to get inside, his voice harsh. It took her another heartbeat to enter. With a quick tug on the node’s magic, I closed and locked the front doors, wishing I could have slammed them shut on Cecily’s heels.
She must have heard the lock click, because she moved back to the doorway, saying something too low for me to hear.
Marc spoke at a normal volume. “It doesn’t matter if it is locked. Once you get to the node, we’ll be in control of the castle. Come on.”
It took only a few seconds for them to cross the foyer to the great hall, Marc one step in front of Cecily. I waited until they were a few steps inside the room, but still plenty distant from the node to speak. “You won’t be reaching the node.”
“And how do you think to stop us?” Despite his words, I knew Marc had already stopped. I studied his position through the castle’s enchantments carefully, waiting until he took that next step. Then I leapt from the chair, prowling forward until I stood directly in front of the marble plinth, the flames casting a flickering light over me.
Cecily screamed, wrenching herself back and free of the grip Marc had on her upper arm. The secretary wasn’t unfazed himself, taking a step back.
“I thought you said he was a cat!” To my surprise, Cecily didn’t turn and run, but glared at Marc.
“I am a cat,” I said in my laziest drawl. I lifted a paw and flexed my claws. “See?”
