Page 95 of A Reign of Embers

I duck down behind Father’s desk as he goes to answer the summons. “Yes?”

A servant’s hasty voice travels into the room. “I thought you’d want to know, Your Imperial Highness—an imperial patrol has insisted on entering the palace. They want to look through all the rooms.”

Including those supposed to be private to the Cotean royals, no doubt. My hands clench where they’re braced against the floor.

There’s no way this squad is acting on Aurelia’s orders. They’ll be minions of Valerisse’s.

Do they have any idea thatI’mhere, or is it simply my bad luck that they’ve decided to conduct a more thorough survey of the palace right now?

Either way, I can’t let them find out I’m in residence. If word gets back to Valerisse that Aurelia’s been sending out her supposedly hostage princes to speak to their families, gods only know what she’ll do to ensure we can’t cooperate.

Father has thanked the page and closed the door. He turns toward the desk. “I don’t think you can hide down there through this search.”

“Obviously.” I straighten up, navigating my mental map of the palace. After all this time, my memory isn’t perfect, but it should serve me well enough.

Thankfully a building this big comes with plenty of exits.

“I’ll go down the northeast staircase and head through the stables,” I say. “I can find something to occupy myself with out of the way until nightfall. That’ll give you some time to think this through properly.”

Something shifts in my father’s expression. “Bastien…”

I was already striding toward the door. When I pause to glance at him, he appears to waver.

“Be careful,” he comes out with.

I nod and jerk the hood of my cloak up over my head.

Hardly anyone other than staff uses the northeast staircase. I’m able to slip out into the second-floor hall in time to dodge a couple of gossiping maids and then make it to the ground floor without any further encounters.

I’m no more than ten paces from the doorway that leads to the stables when I catch a glimpse of black fabric painted with skeletal bones on the other side of that arched entrance.

My heart lurches. I dart sideways into one of the storerooms.

The soldiers’ boots—two pairs of them, as far as I can discern—thump across the stone floor. From the mutters passing between them, they’re checking every room they pass.

Shit. Valerisse must have told them to be particularly thorough, covering every entrance to the palace. I can hardly hope that they’ll ignore a hooded figure hustling past them.

Should I take my chances that they won’t recognize me and pretend to be a servant? I’m dressed plainly enough to stay as anonymous as possible.

Either of the soldiers could have seen me recently during the coronation tour, though. And if they realize the Cotean prince is visiting in disguise, that’ll raise even more questions.

The soldiers tramp closer. I gird myself—and reach out my gift to one of the rooms I passed, with a silent apology to the staff who’ll be called to clean up.

A gust of wind drifts through the hall and picks up speed as it rushes into the large pantry. With a punch of force, I fling it toward the shelves I remember seeing.

Jars and bottles clatter to the floor with the sound of smashing pottery. One of the soldiers gives a shout, and they both charge over to investigate the commotion.

The moment they’ve stepped into the pantry, I slip out of my hiding place and bolt for the stables as quickly as I can while setting my feet softly.

My pulse doesn’t stop hammering until I’m out the otherside of the stables and through the hidden door in the palace walls that only the royal family knows how to open. My remaining lung has tightened in my chest with a rasp of breath.

Pausing to gather myself, I smear a little soil on my face to further conceal my appearance. Then I set off through the streets as if I have no business with the palace at all.

Despite the panicked adrenaline still fading from my veins, I welcome the sun beaming down over the city. Winter crispness hangs in the air, but I can taste the spring growth on the horizon.

I did want to visit one particular place in the city before I left. One small bit of bright side: The intrusion has given me the perfect opportunity.

I wind through the streets in a round-about route until I’m absolutely sure no one has followed me from the vicinity of the palace. Then I veer down one of Delphine’s main roads, one I sent Aurelia’s carriage down months ago when we visited Cotea’s capital.

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