“The ballroom, my lady,” the steward replies without missing a step.
“Anything else?” I ask, desperation raising my voice.
“Would my lady be interested in a tour of the palace?”
“That would be amazing,” I say, a little too eagerly. But this could be my chance. If I can get back to the hall with the dragonflies, I’m sure I can find my way from there.
Kane clears his throat, his gaze narrowing with a silent warning.
Fawn…
I hear the nickname he gave me stretched into a reprimand, a curse, as though we’ve known each other for months instead of days.
I clear my throat, adopting a more Ambassador-ess of Cups-like demeanor. “That is to say, I would very much like to explore the palace further.”
The steward nods, his hair following a moment later as if he’s glitching in real life. “I shall arrange a tour for my lady to take place before it is time to dress for dinner.”
I glide my fingers along the thick banister draped in flowing waterfalls of carmine and cream silk while we follow him up a grand staircase. Each step is coated in plush crimson fibers that swallow all sound and evidence we were ever there. This place is so big, but so quiet, so empty. The tick of a distant clock echoes throughout the second floor, a steady reminder that every moment that passes is another away from home.
We turn down a hallway as opulent as the videos my favorite travelers post of their lavish stays in five-star hotels. I force myself to take a deep inhale of the floral-perfumed hall as my hands stir restlessly by myside, itching for the weight of my phone. I want to take pictures, capture this moment forever, and use it as inspiration when I’m back home fighting for my job.
I blink, caught off guard by my own thoughts. Maybe I won’t slink off into the shadows of unemployment like a dying cat. Maybe there’s a chance I can go back to Posh Pulse. Although I’d rather have my period every day for a year than face the embarrassment of working for Stephanie.
It was bad enough when we were supposed to be equals. Now that she nailed the pitch and landed the office, she’ll be insufferable. With a flick of her perfectly manicured nails, she’ll dismiss my ideas with a condescending smile and add a passive-aggressive jab that I won’t be able to address outright without looking overly emotional.
Fucking Stephanie.
Tick. Tick. Tick.
The sound of the clock is relentless, our steps noiseless against the thick carpeting. I miss the buzz of notifications, the comfort of scrolling through socials, matching colorful boxes to win meaningless trophies, or reading just enough of an article to send me into a spiral before being locked out by a paywall. Without it, I’m alone with just me, myself, and I. And we are easily anxious and not always nice to one another.
I need my fucking phone.
Tick. Tick. Tick.
Instead of a comforting, predictable metronome, the repetitive ticking puts me on edge as we pass one ornately carved wooden door after another. Doors I don’t needto see the other side of. I wasn’t upstairs before. I was downstairs. Somewhere near the crystal wings.
Tick. Tick. Tick.
The incessant ticking adds a thundering beat to the storm of thoughts crashing between my ears. My palms are clammy, the air around us suddenly turning to soup. I can’t tell if it’s smothering me or I’m smothering myself, but with no escaping my own thoughts, I’m on the edge of a panic attack.
“I have figured it out!” The steward halts so abruptly, I nearly smack into his back. “Lord Ashwood, your parents came many years ago to visit King Alderic Lockhart the Second. You were only a boy, but that must be why you appear so familiar.”
Every muscle in Kane’s body tightens. “No, I don’t believe I made the journey to Pentacles until now.”
“Yes, I remember it clearly. I have a way with faces, you see.” The steward beams, his chest puffed like he’s just solved the crime of the century.
“No, I’m sure you’re mistaken.” Kane shakes his head and readjusts his eye patch.
My stomach clenches, and I plaster on a smile so fake, even I know it’s a grimace as the steward’s eyes narrow, his memory working overtime to place Kane’s face.
Desperate for any distraction, I suck in a breath like it’s my last and rush to fill the empty space with the first thing that pops into my head. “We ran into highwaymen on our journey here.”
The steward presses his hand to his chest and takes a step away, concern deepening the wrinkles around his mouth. “Please do not say my lady’s harrowing misadventure occurred within our great kingdom.”
I open my mouth to speak, but Kane presses his palm to the small of my back. His wordless reprimand is palpable, his dark eyes seeming to cover my mouth before I can say more. “I’m sure Lady Ashwood would not enjoy reliving our experience.”
“Yes, it really wasn’t that big of a deal,” I add, hurrying to downplay the encounter. “Lord Ashwood and I got a little muddy. My hair sort of…” I lift a limp, frizzy section off my shoulder and waggle it in front of my face. “Well, it’s doing what it’s doing.” I chuckle, my attempt at a joke falling flatter than Stephanie’s ass. “Nothing a quick wash won’t fix.”
