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The guards were standing right at the base of the tree they needed to use to climb down. One guard pulled out a pipe and lit it with fire magic. Puffs of gray smoke billowed around him. Could there be a worse time for them to take a smoke break?

Lore and Grey had already taken a long time in the library, and they needed to meet the others in Asher’s secret garden so they could suit up.

The fox chirped, swishing its tail around. Its large silver eyes were curious.

“I don’t have any food for you, little one. We need to get down there, but I’m afraid this will be the last time I see you.”

Lore tentatively reached out a hand; the fox was adorable, but it had incredibly sharp teeth and she wasn’t stupid. When it eyed her approaching hand but didn’t growl, she brushed its head.

The fox leaned into her, nuzzling her palm.

Grey gasped and Lore beamed. “It loves me!” she whispered.

She yelped when the fox suddenly moved, jumping off the ledge and onto a tree branch that stretched all the way across the grounds. It jumped down and landed on the fae guard with the pipe.

The pipe was knocked from his hand and tumbled to the manicured lawn, which promptly began smoking. The other guard swore, immediately standing to stomp on the embers.

The fox yipped, prancing around playfully before racing off across the grounds, looking like little more than an orange blur.

Lore swore under her breath. No animal should be able to run that fast, certainly not a small fox.

The owner of the pipe leaned down and picked it up from the ground, dusted it off, and slid it into a pocket in his uniform.He mentioned something to his friend, scratching his head before they walked off toward the side entrance to the castle.

Break time was over.

Lore and Grey didn’t waste a second. They scrambled across the tree branch and shimmied down the tree before racing to the entrance of the secret garden.

Asher was by her side the moment she pushed through the garden door. “I was just about to say fuck it and come looking for you,” he said.

“I’m here! We had some trouble with some guards, but a fox helped us.”

“What?” Finndryl asked.

Grey chuckled. “We can explain later. Let’s go. The market is in full swing and if we want to get out of here with the crowd, then we’ve got to leave now.”

The others put on the guard uniforms and weapons, though Finndryl didn’t take any of the latter—he kept his grandfather’s long sword strapped to his back, stating tersely that it was all he needed.

Lore had managed a cloaking spell on the sword; now, there was hardly a lump to be seen beneath his cloak.

It was time for the next part of their plan.

Chapter30

Asher strode toward a statue in the corner of the garden. His long legs carried him there quickly. Lore followed hesitantly because the statue they were heading toward was shaped into a haunting visage.

The statue featured a female dark fae carved from marble. She sported tall, feathered wings that were spread wide. Twin black, curved ram antlers jutted out from her forehead and back toward her wings. Reptilian scales were etched into her muscular forearms and hooves protruded from beneath her dress. A spotted tail twirled behind her.

In juxtaposition to her other highly detailed features, her face was featureless. An ancient, rusted mirror stood in place of eyes, nose, and mouth, as if she were waiting for others to see their own reflection, no matter their heritage.

Lore couldn’t shake the feeling that the statue was studying her and finding her wanting. She tore her gaze from it, brushing off chills. It was truly a work of art, but she wouldn’t complain if she never had to see it again.

“Well, that’s unnerving,” Isla said from behind Lore. “What are we doing so close to the star of my future nightmares?”

Asher, who was kneeling in front of the statue, gave a muffledreply just before a grating sound broke out. He heaved his shoulder against the base of the statue until a square space opened, one leading to pitch-black darkness.

This was just like the secret door to the secret garden.

“My brother and I discovered this passage when we were little,” he said, pushing the statue a little farther. “We were left on our own and spent hours playing hide-and-seek in the abandoned wing of the castle—the quarters that used to house the queens and royal children of Alytheria.” He stood and rolled his shoulders. “Actually, the only reason we found this garden was because of this passageway, not the hidden gate out there.” He motioned toward the gate they’d all walked through to get from the castle’s gardens.