friend…Rob. Rob, this is my father, Welten.”
Robin gave him a nod. “Pleasure to meet you, sir. We’re going to travel fast, but if you need a break, just let us know.”
“I still have some fight left in me, son.” Welten tipped his head, his rheumy eyes narrowing slightly as he stared at Robin.
“Good to hear. Can I take your bag?”
Welten hesitated. “I’m all right. If it gets heavy, I’ll let you know.”
“Yes, sir.” Robin put his hand on the door handle and looked at Theo. “We should go.”
“Same way back.”
“Yes.”
She glanced at her father. “Ready?”
“Ready.”
Robin opened the door and checked that all was clear. “Looks good.”
He went out and down the steps. Theo followed, her father behind. The moon was starting to sink. Dawn wouldn’t be far behind.
They went through the houses, moving only a little slower than they had on the way in. Theo hoped her father had the energy to make it. If not, maybe Robin could carry him. She couldn’t leave her father behind. Not knowing what Vesta had planned for him.
The castle loomed in the not-so-far distance.
Her father picked up his step to match her pace. “What portal are we going through?”
“A private one.”
“Which is where?”
She was a little afraid to tell him. “In a courtyard up ahead.”
He gave her a stern look. “Fangmore’s the only thing ahead of us.”
She ignored the look like she’d done so often as a child. “So it is.”
“Theodora.”
“Dad, we’ll be fine.” She finally glanced at him. “How do you think we got here?”
“I shudder to think.” He hitched his bag a little higher on his shoulder. “Speaking of castles, how are things working out for you in my place?”
“Just fine.”
“The man treating you all right? Not making improper gestures, is he? Putting his hands where they don’t belong? I know how men can be. Especially the desperate ones.”
Ahead of them, Robin made a soft, choked sound. A suppressed laugh, most likely.
Theo did her best not to laugh herself. “Dad, shh. We’ll talk later.”
Robin’s pace slowed. “You’re right to be worried, Welten. A man like that, on his own for so long…” Robin grimaced and shook his head. “Probably desperate in ways men like us can’t even imagine.”
“See?” her father said. “Rob knows.”
Theo brought them to a halt in an alley diagonally across from the bridge that led to the servants’ gate to the castle. “Be quiet, both of you.”
“Women,” she heard her father mutter.
To which Robin’s murmured reply was, “Mm-hmm.”
She rolled her eyes, even though neither of them could see her do it. Then something on the other side of the bridge made her stiffen as if a cold wind had just blown down her spine. “We have a problem.”
“What?” Robin asked.
She flattened against the wall but kept her eyes on the servants’ gate. “The guard’s awake.”
Chapter Twenty-nine
Robin could see only one logical way through this. “Theo, you need to do that thing you do.”
She made a face and flicked her gaze at her father before looking back at Robin and answering, “Not a good time.”
“It’s the best time.” A half second later, he realized Theo’s father must not know she was a changeling. Apparently, when she’d told Robin that she’d kept the ability a secret her entire life, she’d really meant it.
That didn’t change the situation they were in or their need for a solution. “Theo, our time here could be running out. We need to get back through that portal as quickly as possible.”
Welten cleared his throat softly. “There are other portals.”
Theo frowned. “None that will take us close to Shadowvale. The one I used required a long bus ride as the final leg. And that won’t work for Rob. His travel is kind of…restricted.”
Robin’s gaze was on the soldier guarding the gate. “We’re definitely not getting through the gate without a plan. A really good one.”
“Why?” She turned her head to see what was going on.
“Because,” Robin said, “he’s got help staying awake now.”
The guard was leaning against the wall, digging into a pouch of crilla leaves for a bunch to stick between his cheek and gum. Crilla had been around forever. The herb was known for its invigorating properties. A lot of Overwatch used it to keep themselves alert on night shifts. Some bakers and miners who worked early mornings added crilla powder to their coffee. Robin had often done the same when he’d gone out starstone hunting.
She sighed. “He’s not about to fall asleep anytime soon.”
“Nope,” Robin said. “If you have any other ideas on