Page 101 of Damsel in Disguise

The building sits around a quad—typical, symmetrical, almost too pristine.

A few pathways cut through trimmed grass, old lampposts casting long shadows as evening deepens to nightfall.

It’s quieter now. Students have thinned out, replaced by that strange academic stillness that settles before night fully takes over.

The most crucial part is the guards.

One passes along the edge of the courtyard, and another appears minutes later from the opposite side, following a similar path.

I observe the pattern.

Minutes stretch as I track them—one round, then another.

Same route. Same timing.

Approximately five minutes between each pass since the windows sit on the backside of the campus.

People are always too serious to guard the front, never accepting that the deadliest of enemies always strike from the back.

My lips press together, doing the math. The gates are never left unguarded, not for a second, but this side of the campus is for five minutes. After all, everyone should’ve been left by now. And who’s going to be climbing down like this from a faculty room?

Five minutes isn’t a lot. Especially for someone like me who has never climbed down a window like this before.

Even so, I secure one end of the curtain tightly around the base of the radiator fixed beneath the window—one that’s embedded into the wall.

Next, I secure the other end around my waist. I pull hard for one last time, testing it again, my full weight leaning back until the fabric strains but holds.

A sharp ping of notification slices through the quietude.

My heart stutters. It could be either of my parents or Asher.

Did Adrian tell them about what I wanted him to do? My stomach drops at the thought. It can also be Alistair.

Nevertheless, I have to reach for both my bag and phone together because I’ll be descending in any minute now.

My grip tightens slightly as I glance down at my phone. It’s neither of the ones I was expecting, but a mail from Clara Marks, Adrian’s secretary.

A flicker of relief passes through me as I click on it.

Flight details. Oh. It almost slipped my mind.

My eyes move over the information again, slower this time, actually processing it.

Aircraft Dispatch Summary

Aircraft: Gulfstream G650

Call Sign: CXN-417 (CynoTech registered)

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Leg 1 — Positioning Flight (Completed)

Departure: 5 April — 08:40 AM (AEST) — Sydney, NSW, Australia

Coordinates (Departure): 33.8688° S, 151.2093° E

Arrival: 5 April — 03:10 PM (BST) — Oxford (Private Airfield Clearance), England, UK