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“Right,” Kellyn says. “Having a smithy around sure is handy.”

“Because we know howdoorswork?”

The bottom hinge gives me some trouble, so Kellyn pulls out his sword to work out the final pin.

“I feel attacked by that comment,” he says.

“You were meant to,” Petrik says for me.

The door pops inward as we pull, the latch snapping from the tension.

“We’re just lucky we’re stuck on the inside, where the hinges are,” I say. “Otherwise, we’d have to watch Kellyn beat it down.”

“What a shame to miss that display,” Petrik says.

The hallway is empty, also dark. No torches lit for us to see the path.

“I had a look out the window,” Petrik says. “We’re in the attic. Ravis’s rooms should be only a floor or two down. Look for a heavily guarded door.”

We leave our weapons in the attic, stashing them behind a portrait propped against the wall. Kellyn tries his best to place the broken door back over the opening when we leave. It might pass as a closed door if no one looks too closely.

It’ll have to do.

We keep close to the walls as we stumble in the dark. The floor is uncarpeted, the walls barren. I’d wager no one lives on these levels or bothers to visit them.

“Should we split up?” I force myself to ask.

It’s the last thing I want to do, but if it means we could get Serutha out of here faster and back to Temra, I’ll do it.

“No,” both boys answer at the same time.

“We’d search the palace faster,” I say.

“Yes,” Petrik says, “but if we do find Serutha, we’re far more likely to get her out of here if we stick together.”

“I agree,” Kellyn says.

I’m outvoted, and I’m glad for it. I do not want to be alone in this place. And if any one of the palace’s occupants were to find me, I couldn’t lie my way out. I’m terrible with people.

The corridor seems to go on forever. The lack of light doesn’thelp things, either. Only occasional windows let enough moonlight through to brighten the shadows. I’m convinced every single one is a person lying in wait to pounce.

We finally reach a staircase. My steps are louder than my breathing, but only just.

Temra. You’re doing this for Temra. It doesn’t matter if you’re caught. The most important thing is giving your all to keep her safe.

Voices drift up to us, and we stop right where we are. Petrik has one foot up in the air, preparing to descend on the next step down. He holds the position.

I can’t make out individual words; everything is too muffled, but they talk for what feels like hours before moving on.

Our eyesight improves as we continue our descent. Candlelight—faint but present—exposes the last steps of the staircase before showing us to yet another corridor. Windows on the left. Doors on the right. I register more voices but only briefly before they disappear behind the gentle closing of a door.

Sweat beads on my brow. I feel overheated, overextended, overwrought.

I’m scared, and I’m so desperate.

Kellyn reaches out and takes my hand. It’s only when he does so that I realize I’m shaking, but I don’t pull away. It’s wrong to accept his comfort, yet I’m too greedy for it. I need something tangible to focus on so my thoughts don’t spiral out of control.

A door just a few feet ahead begins to open, and the three of us dart behind the drapery around the windows to our left. Because our hands are still joined, Kellyn and I land behind the same drape, while Petrik is one down from us.