Page 67 of Legacy of Thorns
Nutmeg came to an abrupt halt before the brambles, and Archer swung down from her back. He turned to offer assistance to Daphne, but she was already sliding down on her own, her eyes glued to the wall of greenery.
“We beat them,” she murmured, sure Barlowe would have had Finley remove the entire wall if they’d already arrived.
“Do you really think I can move all that with a single touch?” For the first time Archer’s usual confidence faltered.
“The volume of brambles doesn’t matter.” Daphne spoke confidently, having experienced it for herself. “It’s hard to describe. Just touch it, and you’ll understand.”
He reached out, and she quickly spoke again. “Just remember we only want a small hole. We want to get ourselves and Nutmeg through, but then you have to close it up again. We don’t want to remove them all yet.”
Archer rolled his eyes. “I know. It would be hard to forget considering that’s the only part of the plan we’ve worked out.”
“In my experience, youthful boys aren’t always good at details,” she muttered, as he reached out to touch the closest vine.
The greenery in front of them burst into movement, slithering over and under as it unwound itself. It shrank away from them, creating a tunnel that arched just above the height of their heads, leaving just enough room for Daphne to lead Nutmeg through.
“Nice work.” Daphne retrieved Nutmeg’s bridle and gestured for Archer to lead the way.
“You were right—it was easy.” Archer grinned, his confidence restored. “And it should be just as easy to get it to close again. It’s incredible, actually! I wonder how long my power over it will last.”
Daphne frowned. “Long enough for Barlowe and Finley to arrive, I hope.”
Archer wasn’t listening, too busy gazing at the scene on the other side of the brambles. A small white castle rose before them, enclosed on all sides by the wall of greenery.
“You can close it now,” Daphne said when he showed no sign of noticing that she and Nutmeg had stepped out of the tunnel of brambles. “Archer?”
He jerked around and stared at her. “What? Oh, right!”
He hurried back to touch the closest bramble, directing it to close again behind them. Daphne watched him with a crease between her brows. Was his abstraction a result of the Legacy power? Was it already driving him toward the girl waiting in the castle?
Someone had to wake the girl up—Daphne didn’t deny that. But given her own experience in a much less power-filled situation, she had grave concerns about what would come after the waking.
Ever since she had woken Archer, she had felt the power of the Legacy lingering around her, growing increasingly strong. But she had never felt it as strongly as she did inside the wall of brambles. She only hoped she could direct its power in a way that helped them all rather than falling prey to it.
Archer bounded up the front steps to the closed door of the castle. It opened easily beneath his hand, swinging wide to give them access to the entryway beyond.
They both stepped inside and stopped short. Daphne had been inside manors and castles before, but this entryway was far more crowded than any she had yet seen.
A large staircase gave access to the upper levels, and an enormous fireplace stood along one wall, an old woman slumped on a chair beside it, asleep. But those features were mere backdrop to what stood in the center of the space. Dominating the entryway completely stood a large canopied bed holding a sleeping girl, her head cushioned on a soft pillow.
Daphne wasn’t close enough to get a proper look at her face, but a golden plaque attached to the bed spelled out her name: Gabrielle.
“He brought his daughter’s bed down to the entryway?” Daphne shook her head in disbelief. “I know Sleeping Beauties can’t be moved, but that seems excessive. I suppose he didn’t want anyone who made it this far to miss her.”
“Well, you certainly couldn’t do that,” Archie snorted.
“I suppose the woman by the fire must have been a servant here when the girl was enchanted.” Daphne gave the slumbering woman a sympathetic look. “Do you think there are other servants sleeping around the castle?”
Archer shrugged, already moving toward the girl. “I suppose we’ll find out after we wake her up.”
Daphne caught his sleeve, slowing him down. “Are we sure about this?” she asked uneasily. “Maybe we should come up with a strategy first?”
Once the girl was woken, the ticking clock would begin on Archer’s control over the brambles. And with such an ostentatious placement of the bed, it would also make their interference immediately obvious to Barlowe.
But, once again, Archer hardly seemed to hear her, his eyes focused on the girl.
“Archer!” she said more sharply, and he finally looked her way.
“Are you ready for this?” she asked. “She’s going to be…confused about you when she wakes up.”
