Page 73 of Kingdom of Feathers

That’s not a chance I’m willing to take, said Wren flatly. She fidgeted with Caleb’s ring on its chain, her mind turning over rapidly. Who could she turn to for assistance?I’m going, she decided, an idea occurring to her.Tell the others I might be gone a few days, but I’ll be back as soon as I can.

I’ll tell them, but then I’m coming with you, said Bram, clearly recognizing the futility of further argument.If I can’t stop you—which I absolutely would if I wasn’t stuck as a stupid bird—I can at least keep an eye on you.

Suit yourself, shrugged Wren.But I’m not waiting.

With the words, she pushed herself to her feet and hurried into the castle. She was fortunate, and ran her quarry to ground quickly. Lady Anneliese was, as she so often seemed to be these days, strolling down the corridor with Sir Gelding in attendance. Her arm was in his, and he was smiling down at her with a particularly satisfied expression.

Wren felt a flash of impatience. Why did the dashing enchanter always have to be where he wasn’t wanted? She thought Lady Anneliese had said he was coming to Myst for a couple of weeks at most, but he’d been there two months. As glad as Wren was that Lady Anneliese wasn’t giving in to his wooing too quickly, she wished the baronet would go back south, to tend to his duties with the Blacksmiths’ Guild.

Dismissing the matter from her mind, she hurried up to the pair, nodding her head distractedly to Sir Gelding and tapping Lady Anneliese on the arm. The noblewoman turned, surprised but apparently pleased to see Wren. Disregarding Sir Gelding’s piercing—and rather irritated—gaze, Wren pulled out her slate.

Can I speak to you privately?

“Of course,” said Lady Anneliese, dropping her voice. She took a hasty leave of Sir Gelding, who made quite a show of bidding her farewell. Wren could barely contain her impatience as he bent over Lady Anneliese’s hand, several showy rings glittering red on his own fingers as he pressed his lips to the back of the noblewoman’s hand. They reminded her a little of Caleb’s signet ring. At last, Lady Anneliese was free to follow Wren down the corridor to an alcove with a bench seat. As soon as they were out of Sir Gelding’s sight, Wren wrote four words.

Do you trust me?

“Of course I do,” said Lady Anneliese, clearly astonished.

And will you help me, without me being able to explain why?

Lady Anneliese studied Wren’s face for only the briefest of moments before giving a decisive nod. “You know I will.”

Wren sagged slightly in her relief, then scrubbed her slate clean and scribbled another rapid message.

Can you tell my father your parents have invited me for an immediate visit to your manor just outside Myst? But can you actually prepare for a longer journey?

Lady Anneliese blinked three times in quick succession, but made no comment. With a reassuring nod, she pushed herself to her feet and strode away down the corridor. Wren felt a rush of gratitude as she watched the other woman’s graceful form disappear around the corner. She had preparations of her own to make, but she needed to be careful not to let anyone see her doing so before the official invitation had been received.

As it happened, Lady Anneliese achieved that in an astonishingly short time. She exceeded Wren’s expectations by actually acquiring the invite from her parents. Wren expected to have to work hard to convince her father, but her mother came unexpectedly to her assistance. Her parents had always thought well of Lady Anneliese, and they could hardly fail to have noticed that Wren had few friends among her peers. It seemed her mother had noticed her recent melancholy more than Wren had realized, as well. Once Wren revealed to her father that she’d found and was wearing her enchanted ring, and even agreed to let him resize it upon her return to Myst, the matter was settled.

By mid-afternoon, Wren’s baggage and one of her maids were settled at Lady Anneliese’s manor house an hour’s ride from the city. Lady Anneliese’s parents were even too polite to comment on the unexpected addition of a swan to the party. And by late afternoon, Wren and her hostess had left again, heading south on a supposed ride of leisure.

Once out of sight of the manor, the two women exchanged a look, spurring their horses on. Bram, flying above them, matched their pace. By the time the single guard accompanying them realized they were not in fact on an outing of pleasure, but were actually riding hard toward the border, they were more than two hours away from the capital.

“Your Highness,” he protested, when Wren refused for a fourth time to turn around and head back to her lodgings. “It will be dark soon.”

Wren pulled her horse to a walk, letting the animal rest as she balanced her slate on the saddle in front of her. Her message scratched out, she held it up for the guard to see.

We aren’t going back tonight. You can either ride back to Myst and tell my father I’ve absconded, or you can stay with me to guard me. Your choice.

The guard stared, aghast, but he had little choice, as Wren had been perfectly aware. By the time they were forced to stop due to the darkness, he had made his peace with his likely dismissal enough to begrudgingly light them a fire. Knowing that he would take any opportunity to send a message back to Myst, Wren had steered clear of any inns or posting houses. The weather was mild, and the country was pleasant. She had no fear of sleeping in the open for one night, not with an armed guard and her brother to act as sentry.

Two of her brothers, that was. They were just laying their extra cloaks out on the grass for makeshift beds when a gleam of white shone through the darkness. Before Wren realized what was coming, Ari had dropped to the ground at her side, flopping against her in exhaustion.

Phew, he said, his voice cheerful in spite of clearly being winded.I found you. I thought if I just flew south east, I’d surely catch up before dark. If I hadn’t spotted your fire, though, I’d probably have flown all the way to the border.

What are you doing here, Ari?bugled Bram in irritation, from where he was nestled on Wren’s other side.You’re supposed to be keeping an eye on Caleb.

The others will do that,trumpeted Ari dismissively.I didn’t want to miss the action!

Wren rolled her eyes, but she wasn’t actually averse to the extra company. Two pairs of eyes in the sky would hopefully make it easier for them to catch up to Basil the next day.

So where exactly are we going?Ari asked brightly.

Wren toyed with her chain anxiously.Lady Anneliese found out that Basil told Father he was going to meet with his general at the front lines. It may have been just a story, to cover up whatever lead he’s following, but we’re hoping he is at least going that way.

He was definitely headed south east when he left Myst,Bram interjected confidently.

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