change of guards, and sneaked into the fortress.
That had been easier than I thought it would be, but it hadn’t been the first time we had done something similar. When Farrah, Luana, and I had come to find the Dagger of All Hunting three years ago, we had entered the fortress much in the same way.
The problem wasn’t really getting in the fortress. The problem was getting the fuck out.
But I wouldn’t worry about that now. Now, all I cared about was finding Farrah.
As soon as we arrived in the servants’ wing inside the fortress, Ariella and Kayden went to one side, and I went to another.
“Good luck,” I whispered to them, before parting ways.
Ariella didn’t even glance my way. I couldn’t blame her. I wasn’t mad that she was mad at me. I was just upset. In the time we had spent together, I had come to consider her a friend. And now I had lost her.
Hopefully, she would come around once all of this fucking mess was done.
I shook my head, clearing my thoughts, and focused on the problem at hand. As a servant, I made my way up the stairs, into the main level of the fortress. I tensed as I walked by a set of patrols, but no one stopped me.
I let out a long breath of relief.
Until another male fae stepped into my way. “What are you doing here?” He wore a uniform like a servant’s one, but his was more elaborate. His ranking among the servants was higher. “All servants are to report to the courtyard immediately.” He grabbed my arm and pulled me along with him.
I started protesting but decided against it. If I fought this fae now, it would only make everything worse. I went along with him, at least until I figured out what was happening. He brought me back downstairs into the servants' wing and shoved me into a large courtyard where many other servants stood, all looking confused. Guards flanked the walls, all looking ready to attack if necessary.
What the fuck was happening here?
The male fae turned his attention to the servants. “Someone tried to poison the prince last night,” he said, his voice loud enough to carry through the courtyard. Gasps of surprise filled the air. I frowned. “No one leaves this courtyard until everyone is fully investigated.” He gestured to a young female fae just a few steps from him. “You’re going first.”
With her head low, the female fae approached the male. He pulled her to the back of the courtyard. Just then General Auron stepped into the courtyard. My insides chilled. Even though I was glamoured, I glanced down, afraid he would recognize me.
From under my lashes, I watched for a few moments, while General Auron interrogated the young female fae, then dismissed her and called another servant.
Fuck. I couldn’t be investigated. It would either break my glamour, or they would realize they had never seen a servant who looked like me before.
I had to get the fuck out of here right now, but guards were stationed along the walls, every ten feet or so.
With my werewolf agility, I reached into the pocket of one fae and snatched the first thing I grabbed—a thick, golden coin. I stopped for a second, wondering who the fuck had a gold coin, and why, but I honestly didn’t care. Instead, I acted on the rest of my plan. I dropped the coin among the feet of a male fae with a wild demeanor.
It took less time than I thought it would. The first fae realized her coin was gone and started shouting she had been robbed. She saw the coin at the other fae’s feet and accused him of stealing her.
Chaos ensued and several guards from along the walls stepped forward to check what was happening.
And I slipped from one of the courtyard’s archways and disappeared inside the fortress.
15
Farrah
I jolted out of bed as the doors to my chambers burst open.
“What is going on?” I asked, sitting up. I was glad I had chosen a moderate nightgown for tonight, knowing I would be awoken once they found Lark’s body.
The cat let out a shriek and jumped off my bed, where it had been sleeping at my feet, and disappeared from sight just as four soldiers walked in my room, then parted ways, standing guard on the side. A moment later, Prince Lark strode in my chambers. What … I schooled my expression to remain cool, lest he saw the