Gilded Page 8

  She stood and adjusted her ashen-colored dress. “Be careful, okay?”

  “Mom, do you believe in oracles?”

  She blanched. “What do you mean?”

  “If you heard one, would you think it’s true? Like, what if one about you existed? Would you believe what it had to say?”

  She swallowed hard. “Why? Have you seen an oracle about someone?”

  “No, I’m just curious.”

  Her color returned. “I believe in oracles, but I also believe they are open to interpretation. No oracle is a clear prediction of the future. They are vague, and sometimes misinterpreted.”

  “Okay,” I said, not knowing how else to respond.

  “Well, I’ll let you get back to your day.” She exited the room through the large oak doors.

  Once again, a conversation, which for a moment made progress between us, turned cryptic. She had a gift all right. I let out a frustrated sigh and headed to my room.

  Chapter 9

  The next morning I yawned, stretched and rubbed the sleep away, sluggish in my post-slumber haze, until I remembered it was the day. My stomach twisted into nervous knots. I blinked at the pressed tin ceiling above me and studied the ornate pattern. The moment I rose my day began, good or bad. It was happening. I convinced myself it would go as planned and forced myself up.

  Ida slouched in a padded armchair, staring at me. As usual, she looked unhappy to see me. Breathing. Occupying space. Wasting her time. Not the way I cared to start my day but I wouldn’t let her get me down.

  “Good morning, Ida,” I said with a smile.

  “You’re going through with this idiotic plan, aren’t you?”

  “Yes, and it’s not idiotic. You do realize Liam formulated this plan? He wouldn’t appreciate your opinion of it.” I hoped that would shut her up. I didn’t need her negativity.

  She scowled. “He’d do just about anything for you regardless of how dangerous.”

  “Ida, I’m not going to argue this with you. In fact, this whole act is getting old. It’s established you hate me but unfortunately, you’re stuck with me. There isn’t a thing either one of us can do about that, and trust me, it isn’t from lack of trying. So, do me a favor, keep your opinions to yourself, knowing full and well I understand. When they come to me, they’re full of extreme dislike. Until you tell me otherwise, you can’t stand me. End of story.”

  The corner of her mouth twitched so quickly, I almost missed it.

  “You have more mettle than I thought,” she said.

  “Believe it or not, there are a lot of things you don’t know about me, and surprisingly, not everyone hates me, either. Shocking, I know. Now I need a bath. As much as I love our conversations, I have a lot to do. We can catch up on all the girl-talk later. I’m sure there is something you’re gushing to tell me, but it’ll have to wait.”

  I walked into the bathroom and shut the door. I stared at my reflection, wondering what about me she found so horrible. I’d never been mean to her, though I had every reason to be. I was likable. At least I thought so. My green eyes stared back. Why did her opinion matter anyway? Frustrated I even let her get to me, I turned on the water and let the steam fog the mirror, ridding me of my dubious reflection.

  * * * *

  My nerves weren’t willing to comply with my hunger, so after a failed attempt at lunch, I made a quick stop to check in with Liam. I found him talking with Conor in the hall outside Lexie’s room.

  “Hey, guys, how’s everything going?” I kept my tone casual but my real emotions must have been apparent.

  Liam smiled but his words carried the real reassurance. He glanced around then stared into my eyes as he said, “Everything’s great.”

  Conor nodded.

  “Good. Will you be meeting with Cara soon?” I whispered to Liam.

  “She’s meeting me in my room. She might even be there now. I haven’t had a chance to make it back there yet.”

  “Um, I’ll go check. If you don’t mind? I need to talk with her.” The words tumbled from my mouth and I prayed they would assume nerves over our trip were at play and not the mounting anxiety I had missed the window to get the ambrosia wine from her.

  “No, go right ahead. Let her know I’ll be there in a minute.”

  I hurried away, praying she would have it. If she didn’t, the entire plan would be ruined. Without the wine, I had no chance of ever getting past the guards.

  At Liam’s room, I threw open the door and glanced at the couch where I’d expected to find Cara. She wasn’t there. Profanities flew from my mouth. I spun around and reached for the golden doorknob, hoping we didn’t pass each other in the process, when she appeared.

  “Hey, where are you going?” Cara had stepped out of the small adjoining sitting room. In my haste, I hadn’t thought to look there. “Is everything okay? I thought I heard an angry sailor in here.” She grinned, never a fan of my crass language.

  “There you are. I thought I’d missed you.” I rushed to my friend.

  “Calm down. I would have found you had you not found me. You need to get your nerves in check. You’ll never pull this off if you’re freaking out. You’re all over the place.” She placed her hand on my shoulder. “You need to have your head on straight, okay?”

  I took several deep breaths. “Yeah. You’re right.”

  She motioned for me to follow, and pulled a small brown cloth sac out from behind a chair. She opened the top and I peered in. A wine bottle filled with liquid gold sparkled and emitted a soft glow.

  The tension released in my neck. Grant would be free. This plan might work.

  “Now you better get going before Liam gets here.” She handed me the bag.

  “Oh yeah, I’m supposed to tell you he’s on his way.” I turned to leave, but paused to glance back at her for reassurance.

  She stared into my eyes and nodded. “You can do this. Now go.”

  Like the first time I fled the castle, her confidence in me provided encouragement. She might not always agree with my plans but she always stood by them.

  Carrying the little brown bag and Grant’s freedom, I crept back to my room, avoiding places where people tended to gather. Once in my room, I slipped the bag with its contents under the down pillow and left to find Lexie.

  “Hey, are you by yourself?” I asked as she opened her bedroom door.

  “Yeah. Conor’s with Liam. Come in.”

  “I have everything we need for tonight,” I said and settled onto her bed. Compared to some of the other rooms, hers was small. It had only a bed, dresser with mirror and one extra chair.

  She sat across from me on the burgundy raw silk bedspread with her legs pulled to her chest and her chin resting on her knees.

  “Are you sure you still want to do this?” I asked.

  She lifted her head. “Seriously Kylie, what’s up with you? I’m the one who used to sneak you off campus. I’m the one who lugs around bottles of wine in my purse. I’m the crazy one, remember?”

  I chuckled. “You’re right. If anyone can pull something like this off, it’s you.”

  “Okay, so you and I will meet after Conor leaves. He’s supposed to meet us at the west wall of the castle. Liam will meet us in the foyer and escort us outside.”

  “If we want this to work I don’t want Liam to know about Grant until after we’re out of the castle.”

  Lexie thought it over. “Let’s tell him to meet us at the exit point, too. Conor will be on the outside and Liam on the inside. We’ll tell them it’s to be sure we’re secure on both sides.”

  “Good call. Think you can convince Conor?”

  She waved. “That won’t be a problem.”

  “Now my problem is getting Grant out of the castle once I’ve freed him.”

  “There has to be an exit near the dungeon. You said the entrance isn’t too far from the kitchen right? Kitchen staff and guards don’t traipse about the castle. There has to be a service door.”

  “Cara. She’ll know
where the closest exit is.”

  “Am I ever going to meet this mysterious Cara?”

  “Yes, you must meet her. If it weren’t for her, I don’t think I would have survived here as long as I did. She’s not you, but she’s a good friend.”

  “She must be, and I can’t wait to meet her.”

  I smiled at my best friend, wishing we were back at my old house, sitting on my bed, legs crossed, talking about boys or clothes, any of those mundane things we used to talk about. Not so long ago, I was normal, now, leap years ahead of the girl I used to be.

  I stood and tugged down my t-shirt which had ridden up. “Okay, this is happening. Tonight will decide everything.”

  “Tonight,” she agreed.

  “Meet me at my room after Conor leaves, and could you do me a favor? Can I borrow an extra outfit from Conor for Grant? He’ll need it.” She stood, dug around in a drawer and handed me jeans and a t-shirt. “We won’t have much time, so we need to act quickly. Last thing we need is for Liam and Conor to come looking for us.”

  “Agreed. I’ll see you tonight.” Lexie walked me to the door. “Now I wish I would have brought those black boots I bought. I’ve always wanted to be one of those kick-ass chicks in a tight black catsuit and killer boots with a five-inch heel. I’m more impressed they can be stealthy in those things than with what kind of mission they complete.”

  “That is impressive, but it’s also not real. This is, and I’m glad you won’t be breaking your ankle in the near future.” I feigned disapproval at her boot idea.

  “Aww, you’re no fun,” she whined after me.

  “I’ll see you tonight, double-oh-seven,” I teased as I was leaving.

  “I need a cooler name than that, like an awesome handle. Maybe Black Hawk or Silver Eagle. You need one too, like Faery Princess.”

  “No way, that’s super lame. Work on it, let me know when you have something better.” I walked away, laughing, as Lexie called out a few other random suggestions, including Tinker Bell, Very Faery and Wingless Wonder. I shook my head. “It’s a handle. You’re not naming a superhero.”

  “That’s it. Super Girl.”

  I turned to her.

  “Because you can do anything.”

  “I can’t do anything, Lexie.”

  “Yeah, you can.” Her face softened as she smiled. “See you later SG.” She stepped into her room and closed the door.

  I reached my room and wondered if I should get some rest before tonight’s big excursion. It would be best to be well rested. I kicked off my shoes and lay down.

  My head bonked against something hard. “Ouch.” Rubbing my head, I reached under the satin pillowcase and discovered the forgotten bottle. I shifted my head to the other pillow. Resting seemed impossible. I alternated from adrenaline-filled excitement to nauseating nervousness. If this plan didn’t get under way soon, I’d lose my mind. If only I was Super Girl. It sure would make tonight a whole lot easier.

  Anticipation fueled my jitters, making it impossible to lay still. I walked to my window. Darkness settled over the sky. We would head out soon.

  My messenger bag rested on a nearby chair. As I grabbed it to stuff in Grant’s borrowed clothes, memories flashed through my mind. My fear and anxiety as I packed it the day I ran from The Rite. Its appearance in the garden, thanks to my mom, the night Grant and I fled my engagement party. And now here again, packing it to escape. This bag had been good luck thus far. Hopefully it wouldn’t fail me tonight.

  After tucking in the change of clothes for Grant, I placed the ambrosia wine on top. For something like this, I couldn’t be too prepared, so I wanted to have already taken everything into consideration.

  A soft knock caused my stomach to bounce. My heart raced, pounding in my ears and palms grew damp. I’d never been this nervous in my life.

  I answered the door, and Liam ushered Cara inside. He shut it behind him and said, “No one saw us. So far, so good. Now Conor and I are going to meet you at the castle’s perimeter. We will be at the west wing near my mother’s fountain. Ida will be waiting for you two near the rose garden and will lead you to us.”

  Lexie had pulled through and convinced both boys to wait at our exit point, but Ida? I had trouble trusting her.

  “Are you sure she won’t lead us straight to the guards?”

  “We have an arrangement in place.” Liam spoke with confidence. “She must follow through on her end then I will handle mine.”

  He didn’t elaborate so I didn’t push it, though curiosity raged to know what Ida wanted so badly she’d help me.

  “Are you ready?” he asked.

  “Yeah.”

  “Okay, I’ll see you soon. Give us about half an hour before you leave. That should be enough time for us to get where we need to be. I’ll make sure it’s still secure and send Ida to meet you.”

  I didn’t know if it would be enough time to get Grant out but I didn’t have a choice. It would have to do. Liam slipped out the door and I turned to Cara.

  “I can do this.”

  “You will do this. Now, quit psyching yourself out.”

  There was another soft knock, and upon opening the door, I found Lexie.

  “We have thirty minutes. We need to get a move on,” she said as she stepped into my room.

  “Yes, of course,” I agreed.

  I turned to grab my messenger bag, and remembered the introduction. “Um, by the way, Lexie-Cara, Cara-Lexie. Sorry for the quick intro but we’ve got to get moving.”

  The girls exchanged a quick awkward greeting before Lexie and I ducked out of the room, leaving Cara as my stand in.

  “Got what we need?” Lexie glanced at my bag, and I patted it in confirmation. “Where to?” she asked.

  I motioned her to follow. As if on a stealth mission, we darted down hallways, slipped around corners, ducked out of the way when we heard footsteps and hid in the shadows until the path had cleared. It was kind of fun, and had I not been possibly sentencing us all to death, I might have enjoyed it.

  We rounded a corner and I put my hand out to stop Lexie. I knelt and she crouched beside me.

  “That’s the entrance and it looks like we’re in luck. There’s one guard,” I whispered.

  “Okay.”

  I handed her the bottle.

  She wrapped both hands around it and closed her eyes.

  “What are you doing?” I asked.

  “I’m summoning my inner drunk-girl,” she whispered.

  I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing. Leave it to her to crack a joke now. “Be serious. Now get out there. You’re on.”

  Lexie stepped out, bottle in hand, and sauntered to the guard, stumbling for good measure.

  “You aren’t supposed to be here.” The guard, who couldn’t have been much older than us, didn’t move from where he leaned against the wall. Instead of the formal dress blues, he wore a more casual shirt with the royal insignia over his heart and dark utility-type pants. The exact outfit Grant used to wear.

  She flipped her honey blond hair over her shoulder. “Sorry, I’m kind of lost. Maybe you know where I should be?” Her voice oozed flirtatious suggestiveness.

  I held my breath, wondering if he would take the bait.

  He scanned her up and down. “Whatcha’ got in your hand there?”

  “A little ambrosia wine. Why? You want some?” she teased but when he didn’t respond, went on, “Too bad I don’t have enough to share.”

  He stared at the bottle. “Looks like you got plenty to me.”

  “No way. Have you tried this stuff? Ah-mazing. I want it all to myself.”

  “That’s not nice.” His tone was playful. “Here you are, causing me trouble and you don’t even want to share.”

  Lexie pretended to think on it. “If, and only if, I decide to share with you, will you help me figure out how to get back to my room?”

  “I’ll help you figure out a lot of things.” He cocked a lopsided grin. “So you going to share?”

>   “Maybe a little.” She started walking toward him and paused. “But you promise to help me, right?”

  “Of course. Now, come closer.”

  Lexie teetered his way, bottle in hand and raised it in front of the guard, taunting him. He wrapped his arm around her waist, pulled her against him.

  This could go bad quickly.

  Lexie held the bottle to his lips. “Just a taste,” she purred.

  With his free hand, he tilted the bottle back, taking a large gulp. His eyes widened. “Whoa, where did you get that stuff? I’ve never had any like it before.”

  “Special reserve.” She giggled. “Isn’t it the best?”

  I waited for signs of ambrosia wine intoxication. His face flushed and a stupid grin appeared.

  Figuring it was now or never, I stepped out of the shadows and headed toward them.

  The guard straightened at my arrival. His face looked stern but softened as I came into his view. He blinked. “What are you doing here?”

  “I came to talk to you.” I focused on his eyes, trying to figure out if my faery charm had worked, but I needed a way to test if he’d become awestruck. “Do you want to talk to me?”

  He blinked several times. His hand fell from Lexie’s waist and her stance relaxed. He stepped closer and focused on me.

  It had worked. I couldn’t believe it.

  Lexie looked surprised as well. I focused back on the guard.

  “What do you want to talk about?” He asked as his gaze raked my body.

  My skin crawled as bad scenarios played through my mind. What if he attacked one of us? Or alerted the other guards?

  He blinked and took a step back.

  Damn. I’d lost him. I focused, pushing nervousness aside. “I want to talk about things you could do for me.”

  His expression brightened, and he stepped in my direction.

  I kept my focus on him and willed him to do what I said. “Come closer.”

  He obliged.

  “I have a favor to ask you, and you’re going to say yes.”

  He nodded.

  “I need you to open the door and let us in. Can you do that?”

  “Yes,” he answered but didn’t move. Instead he stared at me.