fussier than the Grey I knew. But then, everything during this time period had been fussier.
“Where will you put him?” I asked. The potion was supposed to last for at least two days, and he’d wake with little memory of the preceding hours.
“In the second bedroom.” He heaved the body into his arms and strode in that direction.
I followed him.
Grey delivered the body to the smaller bed, then stared at the younger man for a moment too long.
“Weird to see yourself like this, isn’t it?” I asked.
“It is. But…that’s not what’s so strange.” He looked down at me. “I remember this now. Waking up in this bed chamber, confused about why I was here. And realizing that two days had passed.”
“What?” My heart raced. “Really?”
He nodded. “I’d forgotten it along the years, chalking it up to an excess of drink, though that was never my inclination. But now that I stand here and witness myself lying in this bed, I remember it.”
“That’s wild.” We had proof that we were integrated into the past. “Does that mean we succeeded when we were here?”
“I do not know, unfortunately.”
I nodded. We’d just have to continue forth and pray this worked. With one last look at the prone body of the former Grey, I left the room, passing Grey’s usual bedroom and spotting an enormous bed draped in heavy fabric. The large window still provided a magical view of the snow-covered mountains of Carpathia, but like the rest of the flat, the decor was massively different.
I strolled over to the window, drawn by the cold, bleak landscape. It reminded me of Grey when I’d first met him.
“Do you like it?” he asked.
I looked back at him. “Parts of it, yes. It’s beautiful.”
“Of all the things in this flat, it most reminds me of home.” He joined me, staring at the view and seeming to draw energy from it.
“It speaks to you, doesn’t it?”
He nodded. “It feeds my soul, I think.”
“I can see how that might be. Just like some people are rejuvenated by the seashore, this is what works for you.”
“Yes. Precisely.”
I smiled at him, then returned to the main living room and sat on the couch.
“Ugh.” I shifted, looking up at Grey, who had followed me. “Very uncomfortable.”
“That is one thing I appreciate about the present. The conveniences are far nicer.” He strode to the bookshelf and inspected it. “We need a plan.”
He was right. We’d come to the end of what we’d been able to map out before arrival. Now that we were here, we needed to seek the clues the book promised. So far, none of the things I’d seen had been surrounded by a faint glow of magic like Seraphia had said.
I pulled the book from my pocket and opened it, studying the page. The text was still strange and unreadable, but the memory of the woman flashed into my mind.
I looked up at Grey. “When I touched Rasla, I used my power. Tried to find a way to get the information we needed. And I saw a woman. Older, holding a mop.”
“A cleaning woman?”
“I think so.” I searched my memory of her. She looked nothing like Rasla, so I doubted she was family. “But a cleaning woman would know quite a lot about her boss, wouldn’t she?”
“Indeed. If it was his housekeeper, she might know what we are looking for.”
I closed my eyes and searched the image of her. It felt burned into my mind, and I prayed that I might recall a helpful detail. Her eyes…they were the loveliest shade of blue.
“How do we reach her?” I asked.
“I will call my second in command to come here. We can inquire. If he does not know, he can find the information.”
“Do you remember who your second is?” I couldn’t imagine remembering so many people over so many years.
“Honestly, I do not.” Concern flickered in his eyes. “If I don’t recognize him, I will just have to fake it.”
12
Grey
I rose and walked to the door. A series of bells hung alongside the wall, and I pulled the one that corresponded to my second’s station—I hoped.
A few moments later, a faint knock sounded at the door. I opened it, and a slim, middle-aged man stood there. His fair hair was swept neatly off his forehead, and his suit was immaculately pressed, the buckles on his shoes shining brilliantly.
Recognition flared.
“My lord.” He bowed.
“Clarence.” I stepped back, gesturing for him to enter. I waved toward Carrow. “Please meet Madam Clifton. She is visiting