have to get into the castle?” Pryn asked.
“I’m afraid so,” Robin answered. “The portal is in the courtyard.”
Pryn snorted. “It’s one guard. I say we take him out. The odds are in our favor.”
Theo’s brows shot up. “I like your mother a lot. And that gives me an idea. Since time is running out, we really have no other option but to just do this. Let’s go.”
Robin’s hand on her shoulder stopped her. “What do you mean just do this? What are you going to do?”
Theo grinned. “Act like we belong inside. And if that doesn’t work, tell him the truth. Either he lets us through, or you’re going to toss him into the moat.”
Pryn nodded. “Solid plan.”
“There’s nothing solid about that.” Robin shook his head. “What if he sounds the alarm? Which is highly likely.”
Theo understood Robin’s concern. He had his mother to think about now. “Then you toss him into the moat and catch up to us, because we’re already going to be at the fountain.”
Robin frowned. “This is not a good plan.”
Pryn gave him a stern look. “You have a better one?”
“No, but I don’t want to see you in Vesta’s clutches.”
“I don’t see what other choice we have. We need to leave.” Theo checked the guard again. “There’s no change. We just have to do this.” She started walking toward the gate.
She heard a grunt of disapproval behind her, but it was quickly followed up with soft footsteps. Good. Robin and his mother were coming along. Theo did her best not to smile. She was supposed to be a servant arriving for work at the castle.
The guard tracked her as she approached. She yawned like arriving for work was the most boring, mundane thing. When she was halfway across the bridge, she made eye contact with him. “Two kitchen staff.” She hooked her thumb over her shoulder at Robin and Pryn. “And another maintenance crew behind me.”
His eyes narrowed. “You don’t look familiar to me. None of you.”
“New hires,” Theo answered. “Part of the twenty who were brought on yesterday.”
“Twenty?” He frowned. “I wasn’t told about that.”
She put her hands on her hips as Robin and Pryn came to a stop behind her. “Something to do with a leak in the dungeon and being short staffed and it not happening again.”
He grimaced slightly. “That’s been fixed.”
Theo shrugged. “Whatever. But if the queen’s getting fresh biscuits for breakfast, you’d better let me through.”
He hesitated. “IDs, and you’d best sign in.”
Robin snorted as he looked over the man’s shoulder. “Sign in on what?”
The guard went over to the small alcove that housed the lever to raise the bridge. There was a clipboard there, but it was empty. He grumbled something under his breath about not being able to do his job properly.
“Listen,” Theo said. “I was told she gets cranky if those biscuits aren’t hot and ready. Let us in, and I promise to run back here with a basket of them for you as soon as she’s served. I’ll even put some nightberry jam in there for you. It’s our first day. Cut us a break, will you?”
The guard stopped muttering. “Nightberry jam, eh?”
Robin cracked his knuckles while making an impressive scowl.
Pryn laughed and put her hand on his arm. “Now, now.” She smiled at the guard. “Jeb has a tendency to overreact when things don’t go his way. And I probably shouldn’t have told him the eels will eat just about anything that falls into the moat.”
The guard swallowed. “Go on. Go.” He stayed by the alcove as they passed, moving only to call after Theo, “Don’t forget those biscuits.”
“I won’t,” she answered. “See?” she whispered when they were a safe distance away. “It was a good plan after all.”
Pryn was still smiling. “You are an impressive liar, my dear.”
“Thanks. Self-preservation is a great teacher.”
“Hold up,” Robin said as they rounded a bend toward the large open courtyard. “We need to make sure there’s not a patrol going by. Although there should be a shift change coming up soon.”
They took refuge behind an enormous potted elestia tree. They peered between the seed pods to check every direction of the courtyard.
“Looks okay.” Robin pushed a branch out of the way, snapping a piece as he did so. “But with all the plants and trees, it’s hard to say if there’s anyone else here or not.”
A soft splash echoed from near the servants’ gate. The three looked at each other. Pryn shrugged one shoulder. “Probably the kitchen dumping