Page 68 of Jeweler to the Blessed
Without another word, I turned and scaled the rest of the staircase into the castle.
Two sentries guarded my door.
“I’ll be back early tomorrow, so we can get to the mines,” Hart said.
I nodded, not trusting myself to say anything else.
He looked like he wanted to say more but decided against it. Instead, he turned to the guards. “I don’t care if the king himself comes for her. Don’t let her out without me.”
The guards glanced at each other. I couldn’t see their expressions beneath the helmets, but I assumed they were unimpressed with the command.
Not wanting to watch a fight, I closed the door.
My only way out tonight would be through the windows on the other side of the room. They were high, but I could climb through one if I stood on the desk. This was a perk of being considered a servant of the Blessed. My bedroom was on the ground floor. I listened at the door for Hart’s argument to cease and his steps to fade.
It was now or never.
Quickly, I clambered atop the desk and unlatched the window. I glanced out. No patrols were coming or going. The wall around the city continued around the north side of the castle. I wouldn’t expect the garden paths here to be heavily guarded, but I stayed vigilant. Hart would be a living nightmare if he caught me.
I stood on my toes and levered one leg through the open window. Finding purchase on the external windowsill, I pushed off the other. I gripped the window behind me andcrouched, looking down at the gardens. It would be a bit of a jump, but … I looked left and right … I had no other options.
Hoping it wasn’t as far as it looked, I closed my eyes and leaped.
The garden bushes ungracefully broke my fall. Unable to stand in the dense branches, I rolled over, landing on a grassy garden path. I assessed myself as I stared at the sky, wondering how it had come to this. The sting of a few scrapes seemed to be the extent of my injuries. I got to my feet and followed the path to the exit.
Once out of my room, getting around the castle was easier than I thought. Dirt-packed trails led down the hill toward the Eastern Gate. Ostensibly, these trails were for guards on patrol, but I saw none. They must have still been at the Cornucopia.
I didn’t second guess myself as I crossed the street and pulled open the door to Forest’s Edge. A quick glance had my target in sight. Ava was behind the bar. She must have been there all night. Her gaze locked on mine when I walked in, and she did not look happy to see me. A tip of her head gestured me toward one of the sheer curtain-covered alcoves. As I was here to ask her something, I followed her lead. Parting the curtain, I sat on the edge of the plush couch.
Ava entered and pulled the curtains closed behind her. “You shouldn’t be here.”
“I need to talk to you.”
“To me?” She looked genuinely confused. “I told you the seller would contact you. He did.”
I wondered when Hart had found time to return but decided it was irrelevant. “I have new information I want to discuss with you.”
She put her hands on her hips and let her head fall back, looking to the ceiling for patience I was sure she was out of. Raising a hand, she gestured for me to proceed.
“Alaric told me the youngleaf was taken care of.”
Ava’s head tilted to the side. “You spoke with him? You know where he is?” She slid down on the couch next to me, her interest showing as she leaned forward in anticipation.
I shook my head. “No, but …”
“What? He left a note?”
I sighed. I’d need to tell someone. If I wanted her help, I had to trust her with something. Reasonably, I knew she worked with Soren. She was probably as tangled with the Feared as Hart was, but I couldn’t ignore how she peppered me with questions about Alaric. She was eager for a scrap of information about him, as if she cared about him. And whatever else, she didn’t seem the type to stab me in the back—she’d have no problem driving the blade through my heart.
“Yes. I found a note.”
“What did it say?” Her voice was a whisper.
“Wherever he went, he left on purpose. But he also thought Mother’s tonic would be handled. Now, I did talk to theseller, as you insist on referring to him, and he drove a different bargain for the herb.” I held her gaze as I asked the heart of my question. “I just want to know if I have any options.”
She laughed, leaning back and stretching her arms out over the top of the couch. Ava may tend bar here, but her position held power. I was sure of it. “Well, it sounds like the seller has overplayed, hasn’t he?”
My brow furrowed, unsure what this meant. She clapped her hands in front of her chest as she rocked toward me. “He thought he held all the cards. Turns out you might have a better hand than he realized. The question is …” She brought her hands together in her lap and looked at me with a devious smile. “What are you going to do about it?”
