Gilded Page 7

  “So what do we do?” Lexie asked.

  “You get Kylie there and back. Safe and sound,” Liam answered with an adorably charming smile.

  “That’s it?” Lexie frowned.

  Little did she know what I had planned for her. She would be getting that action she desired, all right.

  “Um, that’s more than enough. Trust me.” Conor ran his hand through his hair and turned to Liam. “I hope you’re right about this prophecy. So when are we going to do this?”

  “I need a few days to get everything lined up. Conor, start searching for weak spots in our protection around the castle. I need you to decide when and where would be the best place to make your escape. The castle is more heavily guarded, since, uh, that night. We need to be extra cautious.”

  “No problem. I can handle that.” Conor wandered over to Lexie, threw his arm over her shoulders. She leaned into him.

  “When do you plan to talk to Cara?” I asked Liam.

  Pink blotted his cheeks. “Later tonight.”

  So, he’d gotten his consort approved. “Okay. I have something I need to ask her as well, but I know they won’t let her come anywhere near me. Think I could manage a quick conversation with her?”

  “Sure.” He shifted his weight and glanced at Lexie and Conor

  Conor got the hint. “If we’re done here, we’re going to head inside. We can touch base again tomorrow.”

  “What’s up?” I asked Liam the moment they were out of earshot.

  “I did manage to get Cara out of kitchen duty a few days a week and, um, nights at my discretion.” His face burned crimson.

  “Interesting. Something is better than nothing.”

  I couldn’t believe this whole consort thing. They approved of him having another girl, right under my nose. I was glad I wasn’t marrying into a royal family, but then again, Liam didn’t strike me as the consort type.

  “Are you okay?” I asked.

  “It’s fine and you’re right, she doesn’t belong in the kitchen. I’ll work it out. I’ll sleep on the couch or something. It’ll be fine.” He scratched his head. “But, there will be rumors. Are you okay with that?”

  “Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”

  “Everyone will say I’m running around on you and I’m sure they will have a ton of theories as to why. I want you to be prepared for anything you might hear.”

  “Rumors are already flying around. I’m sure they couldn’t get much worse.”

  He nodded. Had he heard rumors and how bad were they?

  “What?” His face relaxed and he chuckled. “Are you thinking about the rumors?”

  “Maybe. A little.”

  “Who cares what they say. We’re going to put them all to rest soon enough.”

  “I guess.”

  “Would it cheer you up to see Cara tonight?”

  “Absolutely.”

  * * * *

  I tiptoed through the halls to Liam’s bedroom. I’d never visited his bedchamber before and sneaking there late at night seemed scandalous. I felt like a teenager again. Almost.

  I tapped on the large wooden door, wondering if he would even hear it through the thick oak but not wanting to draw any attention with loud knocking. Seconds later, it opened.

  He ushered me inside, peered around me and closed the door.

  The room was huge. I stepped around a small cherry wood table with two chairs and passed the four-poster bed to get to another seating area where Cara rested on a velvety couch. Her hair had been pulled into a messy ponytail. A rogue purple strand dangled over her violet eyes which didn’t seem as vibrant as usual. The former fashionista was also in drab attire.

  I hugged her.

  “I smell like potatoes. I’ve been peeling them all day.” Her words muffled in my hair.

  “You look exhausted. I’m sorry to keep you up.”

  “Are you kidding me? Thanks to you, I get to sleep in tomorrow morning, or at least that’s the deal.” She glanced at Liam, who reassured her she could sleep as late as she wanted. “I’ll stay up as late as you need me to.”

  Liam chuckled then excused himself. He disappeared through double doors into what looked like an attached sitting room. His chamber seemed like more of a fancy hotel suite than bedroom.

  I turned to Cara. “Are grants immune to the effects of ambrosia?” I blurted.

  “What?” With a slight shake of her head, she scrunched her face.

  “Like if they drink the wine, will–”

  “I understand the question, but why in the world are you asking it?”

  “I’ll tell you right after you answer me. Are they?”

  “No, I don’t think so. I’m not sure.” She rubbed her head. “Only Fae are ‘immune’ to the faery-awe like you experienced. A grant would be susceptible to it, but not to the extent a human would be.”

  “What if you combined it with faery charm?”

  “I guess you could make them become awestruck, but Grant is already in love with you. Why do you need to charm him?”

  “It’s not my Grant I’m asking about. It’s the other grants. As in, the guards.”

  She massaged her temples. “Oh, Kylie, what do you have going on in that pretty little head of yours?”

  “You promise not to tell anyone?”

  She sighed.

  “Promise,” I demanded.

  “Fine. I promise.” She leaned back, crossing her arms over her chest.

  “I plan to trick the guards into drinking some ambrosia wine, and with the help of my faery charm, convince them to do anything I ask.”

  “But why?”

  “To free Grant.”

  She shot upright. “Are you crazy?”

  I motioned her to quiet down. “Liam doesn’t know.”

  “You are planning on telling him, right? This is insane. He’ll never let you do it.”

  “Um, that’s why he won’t know. But, I need your help.”

  With wide eyes, she shook her head. “I am not going into that dungeon. Unlike you, I don’t have a death wish.”

  “I would never ask you to, but I need to get my hands on some ambrosia wine.”

  “And I suppose I’m the one to get it for you.”

  I nodded. “Is there any way you can make it more potent?”

  Exhaling a long slow breath, she blinked. “Maybe. If I let some ferment longer, it might become stronger. I could also try adding extra ambrosia, but no guarantees.”

  “That’s okay. I’ll take whatever you can get me.”

  “For the record, I don’t like this. Not one single bit.”

  I nodded, feeling like a child being reprimanded. I would take the chastisement but wouldn’t back down.

  “When do you need it?”

  “In a few days. Whenever Liam thinks we have a go ahead to sneak away. You’ll know, since you’re going to be my stand in.”

  “Wait, what? What in the world has been going on around here?”

  “Oh, I thought Liam already told you.”

  “Told me what?”

  “Hang on.” I fetched Liam, figuring he should be a part of the explanation, and maybe make it sound less crazy than coming from me.

  Liam and I ran through the entire thing from start to finish. All the while Cara looked more and more concerned. She finally spoke. “Okay. Say this works and Kylie sneaks away, how do you know she’ll be safe with the cailleach feasa? What if she tells your father? Or, worse yet, what if she already has told him? For all we know, it could be sitting in that big ole book of oracles as we speak.”

  He waved dismissively. “It’s fine. If my father had even the slightest inclination he will have Kylie guarded at all times. We’ll be fine, and anyway, we aren’t running into this blind. We’re planning every move and will stick to the plan.”

  Cara’s gaze darted to me.

  I sensed her unease. “It’s going to be fine,” I said, attempting a reassuring smile.

  “I hope so. Really, I do.”

  L
iam looked between the two of us, with a slight frown. He tapped his finger on the wooden armrest as he slouched back in his chair.

  I said to Cara, “I’m not going to let anything bad happen. I promise. The plan will work. I know it will.”

  “Yeah, it’ll be fine,” Liam added.

  I’d have to fill him in, but the best time was after freeing Grant from his prison cell. Of course, I wasn’t too sure if Liam would let me leave when he discovered the truth, but at least Grant wouldn’t be locked up, which, in reality, was what I cared about.

  Eager to change the subject, I said, “So, uh, how does this whole sleeping arrangement work?” They both blushed. Mission accomplished, and I had to admit, my curiosity was piqued.

  Chapter 8

  Over the next several days, plans were set in motion. With Liam’s new consort situation with Cara, we had the perfect excuse to get her out of the kitchen on the day of our excursion. She’d pull through with more than a body double. She had assured me my super potent ambrosia wine would be ready.

  Conor had been doing perimeter checks for the last few nights, discovering weak spots along the castle walls. Liam had somehow managed to get Ida on board, though I had no idea how. She never spoke to me, unless to put me down or remind me of my scum status.

  The last step involved prepping Lexie for her role in my ‘free Grant’ campaign and though I had formulated the plan several days before, I’d hesitated telling her. Once she knew how involved she’d be, I feared she might change her mind.

  * * * *

  Lexie sat on a stone bench in the garden with me the day before our great escape. After listening to my plan, she’d remained quiet for several moments. The sun dipped in the horizon and an occasional breeze delivered hints of midnight jasmine as the small white flowers began their nightly blossom.

  Her silence made me fear I’d scared her off. “Lex, if you want out, please tell me. I’m not expecting you to risk anything to help me and I promise I won’t be mad.”

  “Are you kidding? Of course I’ll help. I’m thinking it through. We need to be sure we’ve thought of everything. This plan is risky either way, but one mistake could ruin it.”

  Having her onboard relieved me, but she was right. Was I crazy for thinking it would work?

  “Okay, so let me get this straight.” Lexie faced me. “You want me to go ahead of you with the ambrosia wine and convince the guard to drink it?”

  “Yes. It shouldn’t take much and, if you can get him to drink a little, my faery charm can do the rest.”

  “And you’re sure he will be awed into doing whatever you ask?”

  “No.”

  Her eyes widened. She cleared her throat. “Okay.”

  “I know how ambrosia made me feel and I’m half-fae. It’s indescribable, Lexie. Every color and sound magnified in a beautiful, vibrant way. It’s ecstasy. To top it off, it centered on Liam. He gave me reason to smile, breathe, live. He was everything.”

  “Powerful stuff.”

  “No kidding. If it did all that to me, I’d hope it would have some sort of effect on the grants. They may not be as influenced as humans, but the addition of my faery charm will take care of that. If we can convince the first guard to let us in, we’re halfway there.”

  “Okay, we get in then what? I’m sure there will be several more guards.”

  “We do the same to each until we reach Grant. The effects should last long enough for us to get in and out undetected.”

  “It’s not a bad plan. Grant’s going to kill you once he knows what you’ve done, but at least he’ll be free,” she said.

  He’d be mad I’d put myself in danger but he’d also be happy. I couldn’t wait to see him. Not being able to confirm his well-being tortured me. Conor provided sporadic updates but they weren’t enough. I needed to touch Grant, wrap my arms around him and feel the steady rise and fall of his chest assuring me he was alive and well.

  A slight shiver trickled through my spine. It had been so long, my body craved the thousands of tiny sparks his nearness brought.

  Using magic pleased me, but the magic Grant brought into my world could only be described as divine. He was the core of my existence, and how I’d managed this long without him was beyond me. How I would manage without him at all was unanswerable.

  This time the chill racing though my body left me cold and vacant. I’d concentrated on freeing Grant, refusing to accept the eventual outcome. Once we left these walls, I’d have to return but Grant never could. I wouldn’t be able to see him until I got out of this whole marriage thing, if I got out.

  “Are you thinking about Grant?” Lexie’s soft-spoken words pulled me from my reverie.

  A warm bead of moisture created a damp path down my face. I brushed my palm across my cheek, ridding it of the evidence.

  “It’s going to be okay. We’re going to make it right.” Her voice held reassurance and determination. Classic Lexie determination.

  “I know it will. Like Grant said, this is my faerytale and it will have a happy ending.”

  “He said that?”

  “Yeah.” I thought back to the two of us standing on Nanny’s porch, free of the castle walls and no longer hiding our feelings from one another. Just he and I, ready to face the consequences of our love. We were naive. How could we ever think we had a chance against the entire royal court?

  “I like that.” Lexie smiled and her eyes drifted upward. “It’s ironic, though. Your faerytale involves not wanting to become a princess and live in a beautiful castle in an enchanted world.”

  “Maybe it’s more of the anti-faerytale.”

  Lexie laughed. “Maybe not. Think about it. What’s the one thing all faerytales have in common?”

  “Marrying a prince?” I offered.

  “Well, besides that.”

  “Happily-ever-after?”

  “Yep, happily-ever-after. As long as you find that, you’re living your faerytale.”

  “I guess you’re right. Now, if we could get to the part where we ride off into the sunset,” I said with a sigh, and only half-joking.

  “We’re getting close. We have the right ingredients. An evil king, a rescue, we’re even heading out into the forest to see a witch.”

  “A cailleach feasa,” I corrected, proud of myself for learning the proper pronunciation.

  “Witch sounds more faerytale. Maybe animals will flock to you and little birds will flit around you, singing.”

  I rolled my eyes. “That might be pushing it.”

  Lexie shrugged. “After the things I’ve seen and heard, little will surprise me.”

  She’d done the thing my friend always did best. She’d taken my mind off the scary things and lightened the situation with humor. I loved her for it. No one could do it quite like her.

  “Thanks, Lexie.”

  She smiled, a silent acknowledgment.

  * * * *

  Later that night, I sat in the library surrounded by the scent of well-worn paper and leather binding. The floor to ceiling selection of books offered endless options to help pass the time and keep my mind off the plan, but it was useless. I’d over-thought it so much since my conversation with Lexie, I verged on insanity. One minute I’d be thrilled at the prospect of seeing Grant then fear failure, followed by curiosity about the oracle. And overshadowing it all was the painful reminder I’d free Grant but imprison myself. I’d be stuck behind these castle walls without him, maybe for a long time.

  “Mind if I sit?”

  Startled by my mother’s sudden appearance, I jerked my head up. Her milky complexion seemed paler than usual, but it might have just been the gray dress she wore. The somber color didn’t fit her typical spring palette. I gestured toward a chair. “Go ahead.”

  “I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

  “It’s fine. I’m hanging out.”

  “How are you? You and Liam are getting along well. Lexie and Conor seem to fit in nicely, too.”

  “Yes, the four of us are go
od friends.” I wanted to clear any misconceptions about Liam and me.

  “You also appear to be dealing well with all the, um, talk surrounding you.”

  Liam was one of the few people around here willing to forgive me. I waved if off. “Rumors don’t bother me.”

  Aislinn cleared her throat. “I’m going to cut to the chase. What do you all have planned?”

  My jaw went slack but I regained composure. “What are you talking about?”

  “I know something is up.”

  So much for inconspicuousness.

  She clarified, “No one else suspects anything, but I can sense the shift in–well it’s hard to explain. I’m very attuned into people. I’m not a mind reader but something is transpiring between you four.”

  “Nothing’s going on.”

  Her mouth thinned into a straight line and she studied me. “Okay. I understand and could try to convince you out of any unwise actions, but won’t. Your trust is important to me. Winning you over seems impossible. I’m at a loss and sorry I’m not a better mother. I’ve never had the opportunity to be one.”

  My stomach dropped. She wasn’t to blame we didn’t connect. She had tried to be there but somehow awkwardness always crept between us. Some of the fault lay within me. How often had I sought her out? Shared information with her? Or even tried to get to know her better? “I’m sorry I haven’t been a very good daughter.”

  She sucked in a sharp breath and shook her head. “You’re a perfect daughter. You are strong, intelligent, beautiful and not a day goes by I’m not in awe of you.”

  “But–” How could someone this perfect be in awe of me?

  “You’re so much like your father. He was always the strong one. I’m too reserved, more of an observer of life, but not him. He jumped right in as a force to be reckoned with.”

  He’d also gotten himself killed.

  “I’m not strong. In fact, before coming here, I was much more like you. I didn’t speak up for myself and sort of coasted through life. Living here forced me to make changes.”

  “Maybe it’s not all bad, you being here?”

  “No, of course not. I wish the situation could be different, but it’s not all bad.”