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I swallowed, hoping I didn’t need one stake, let alone two, but took them all the same. The moment Prince Gervais learned that I’d fled, he’d be tempted to hunt me. I wasn’t sure if he’d do so right away—it would blow his cover and cause strife between courts—but he’d come, eventually. To be armed was only wise.

“Thank you.”

“I have holsters too, on the bed. You can choose the most comfortable.”

I smiled at him as we walked deeper into his chambers, impressed by how well he’d considered the various aspects of this escape. Then again, he was a soldier of high regard. Tactical aspects were surely well within his repertoire.

Quickly, I chose two stake holsters, which wrapped around my thighs, and a sheath for the dagger. He cinched them tight, and I tried to ignore how my skin burned at his touch.

“Do they feel secure?” He assessed the weapons.

“They’re not going anywhere.” I shifted the dagger on my hip so that it didn’t hit a stake. “I think I’m ready.”

He looked into my eyes and heat sizzled between us again. The temptation to kiss him one more time overwhelmed me, but I forced it down as he glanced away.

“Let’s go then.” He grabbed my hand and pulled me, not toward the door, but away from it.

I looked back, confused. “Where are we going?”

“I am going out the door, so I have an alibi. You are going out the window.”

I froze. “I don’t think I can.”

I’d flown, but not for long and not well enough to be sure my wings would handle the three-story drop. Or the winds that so often blew off the Shivering Sea.

His attention strayed to my wings; eyes wary. “They move naturally. Do they not work?”

“They do, but I just learned to fly and have had little practice. They’re not very strong. What if I drop?” I paused. “And aren’t there watchers at the walls? Or windows? Or somewhere?”

“Caelo chose his timing to accommodate that. The guard all over the castle is currently changing. We only have a few more minutes to capitalize upon it.” He flung open the floor-to-ceiling windows, letting in a biting wind. The prince turned to me with his arms opened wide. “Deviating is dangerous. I need you to take a good look. To truly assess the situation and your abilities.”

I did as he requested, leaning out the window as far as I dared.

“Do you see that building just beyond the next tower?” He pointed. “The one with the torches on each corner?”

I followed his finger to where a building that was unconnected to the rest of the palace stood. Hitching posts dotted the area outside the structure. “I do.”

“That’s the stables, where you need to land, near the back if you can.” The prince’s eyes met mine. “It’s not so far. Do you think it’s manageable?”

I gauged the distance, my stomach rolling as I did so. We stood many floors up, and tonight the winds howled. My last flying lesson had been on my journey here, in the woods where the air stayed still and quiet and it didn’t matter if I fell because I wasn’t going to break a leg. Or die.

“Are there any alternatives?” I asked softly.

Prince Vale didn’t answer right away, but the moment the sigh left his mouth, I already knew the answer.

“Not really. I have to be seen leaving this room without you. That way, others will believe that you escaped without aid.” He turned me so that we faced one another. “I haven’t seen you fly and don’t know the pain that you lived with or your healing, but Neve, I believe that you can do this. From what you told me, you’ve been through more difficult things.”

I swallowed as the depths of his dark brown eyes threatened to swallow me whole. I wanted to prove him right, to show that I had a hand in my escape—my life.

“I guess I don’t have much of a choice anyway.” I looked out the window again. “So straight to the stables?”

“Going up and over. That tower will keep you out of sight. Once you’ve cleared it, begin to lower slowly. There are few windows in that part of the palace, so you’re covered.”

“How can you be sure?” I asked.

“I’ve done my fair share of sneaking out and taking to the city with Caelo.” A mischievous smile crossed the prince’s face.

“What if I can’t make it that far?”