Page 21

Adelaide

A delaide stood helplessly where Gavin had left her, staring after him in equal parts desperation and gratefulness. She tried to steady her breathing, willing the panic flitting about her chest to dissipate. The cold walls of the hallway loomed ominously in her peripheral vision. They drew nearer to her and squeezed the breath from her lungs as they closed in around her as she waited.

Her heart pounded against her chest. She was certain it would burst through her skin. Her fingers itched. Adelaide frantically tried to calm herself down as the half-formed desire to do something— anything —cartwheeled through her bloodstream.

But the reality was there wasn’t any way for her to help her family. She was entirely at the mercy of the newfound trust she’d placed in Gavin and hoped he had a plan to save her family. She didn’t even care if they apprehended Mistress Scrabs and the prince. All she wanted was for her family to be safe, and she had to trust Gavin. She couldn’t dethorn the stem herself, and that fact made grief and anxiety buzz through her veins. She had no choice but to be pricked or to take care. That was all she could do.

Shaking out her hands, Adelaide meant to find her way downstairs. At the sound of quick footsteps and movement out of the corner of her eye, Adelaide stopped. Sir Maxwell came barreling around the corner. Adelaide’s heart thrummed in her throat.

Breathless, he ground to a halt a few feet away from her as their eyes met. Adelaide watched him, hoping he’d come to tell her all that Gavin hadn’t. His shoulders heaved with each breath he took, as if he’d rushed here immediately after meeting with Gavin. Had they known she hadn’t moved from this spot? Or had he tried searching for her elsewhere first?

Straightening, Sir Maxwell slowly approached her and the wall that guarded all of Gavin’s treasures. “Gavin’s told me everything. Your family’s going to be all right, Adelaide. I promise. We’ll get them through this.”

“What is Gavin planning?” she asked, though she didn’t have much hope of receiving an answer.

Sir Maxwell hesitated, shifting on his feet. “I’m to accompany you to meet with Mistress Scrabs and the Darshovian prince. To protect you and the Eye.”

“Wait,” Adelaide said. Her brows drew together in confusion. “Are we really going to bring the Eye with us? Isn’t that too great of a risk?”

Sir Maxwell brushed past her. In a constant state of motion, he briefly explained how Gavin intended to do just as Mistress Scrabs had ordered Adelaide to do. Raising his hand so his open palm was mere inches from the wall, Sir Maxwell added, “I’m sure nothing bad will happen. We’ll make certain of it.”

Adelaide stared in wonder as sparks of magic accumulated near Sir Maxwell’s hand. Her brows furrowed as the wall began to ripple and at what Sir Maxwell wasn’t saying. “What about Gavin? Where will he be?”

Sir Maxwell offered her a self-assured smile. “Gavin intends to gather the forces necessary to ensure your family’s safety. Then they will come to us and arrest Mistress Scrabs and Darshovi’s sole heir.”

“But won’t Mistress Scrabs suspect something is amiss if you accompany me?” Fear licked at Adelaide’s insides, curling in her blood. None of this sounded like a well-thought-out plan. It didn’t even sound like a half-baked idea. It was a flimsy response at best and a failure from the start at worst. Adelaide grabbed Sir Maxwell, stopping him from walking through what she now understood to be a magical barricade. “I’m not sure this is right. Maybe we should stall them as long as we can until Gavin and his forces reach us.”

“The Eye will be perfectly safe, I promise.” Sir Maxwell patted her hand. His earnestness did nothing to soothe her. “Adelaide…I need you to let me go. Gavin only granted me a limited amount of time to get into the vault, or else he’ll have to come up here and get it for us. I promise—everything will be fine. Gavin will protect your family and then come and meet us.”

She nodded, letting her hand slip from his arm. The impatience in his eyes made her feel small. She bit her tongue to prevent herself from asking any more questions.

A nameless anchor sank to the pit of Adelaide’s stomach as she watched Sir Maxwell disappear into the vault.

Could Gavin and whatever assembly he mustered truly subdue Mistress Scrabs and her newly realized ally?

Adelaide bit her lip. There had to be more to Gavin’s plan than Sir Maxwell had explained to her. Giving Mistress Scrabs and the Darshovian prince the Eye of Behelwer simply wasn’t an option, but what was Adelaide supposed to do?

Adelaide fidgeted, adjusting the ties of the warm cloak Gavin had given her. It smelled like Castle Belmont—like Gavin. The scent was oddly comforting to her as the carriage jostled and ambled down the city streets. Sir Maxwell had insisted they take it rather than walk, claiming it would be faster. Adelaide worried it was too conspicuous, especially for something as clandestine as their mission felt. But it was no use in convincing Sir Maxwell otherwise.

Try as she might, Adelaide couldn’t keep herself from searching through the darkness for hidden allies or a means of escape. She feared her straying eyes would give away both her nerves and their plan. She needed to temper herself before it was time to face Mistress Scrabs and that unnerving myth that was the fifth prince of Darshovi.

If she didn’t, they would fail.

“There’s no need to be frightened, Adelaide,” Sir Maxwell said, breaking the silence at last. “Everything will be just fine.”

Adelaide wished she could have Sir Maxwell’s confidence—though she was grateful not to have the experience it was likely forged by. “I’m sure you’re right,” she replied slowly, twisting her hands in her skirt. “I just can’t help but be nervous. All I can think about is my family.”

Sir Maxwell didn’t reply right away. In the pause that ensued, dread unfurled in Adelaide’s gut and began to squirm through her veins. She held her breath, waiting. Anxiety gnawed at the forefront of her mind. Try as she might, Adelaide couldn’t banish the shadows that crept forward from the far reaches of her mind with their whispers of danger. Smoothing out the fabric of her skirt, Adelaide sat back in her seat and drew her arms under her cloak. Folding her arms over her chest, Adelaide’s elbow knocked into the pommel of her dagger. She jerked away from it, rubbing her elbow.

Why was it so hot to the touch?

Before she could consider any possibility, Sir Maxwell spoke up, stealing her from her puzzlement.

“Every time I find myself walking into danger,” he said so quietly Adelaide almost didn’t hear it, “I think of my wife. I promise you, Adelaide—I’ll do everything I can to ensure your family’s safety. Everything I’ve ever done in my life has been for mine. That’s all I think about, every choice I make, every day since I met Evelynn.”

Adelaide’s heart swelled. “Thank you, Sir Maxwell. That means a lot to me.”

Wasn’t that all she’d ever done too, think of her family? The nerves in her veins cooled. Adelaide took her first free breath all day.