Hannah, you’ve stood outside Chad’s apartment in a blizzard in two feet of snow waiting for him to find the right tie clip.
I breathe in the heady scents of lilac, jasmine, and lavender as I follow Marion down a winding path, the cobblestones clicking softly under our feet. We round a large marble fountain shaped like a pentacle. Water cascades from the points of the star, the soothing sound mingling with the gentle rustle of leaves and the distant chatter of birds. Around the fountain, wood and wrought iron benches offer a place to sit and absorb the relaxation that comes from being in some place so tranquil and beautiful.
In the distance, the Tower rises from the landscape like a dream. It’s separate from the palace, standing tall and proud against the horizon, yet it feels more worthy of devotion, more important than this seat of power ever could.
It has its own magick. I know that from what Kane has told me about its ability to send the tarot to seek out help from other worlds, but I can also sense it, even from here.
I think I actually like Towerfall.The uninvited thought pops into my head.
Yes, this place is gorgeous and fancy and absolutely surreal, but I remind myself I can’t stay. I need to go home. I mean, people don’t just stay on vacation. Not that this is a vacation. Regardless, the point is valid. This isn’t my world.
There is also the fact I was stabbed for being a “witch.” If anyone finds out I’m not actually Lady Ashwood, they’ll do more than just bury a knife in my side. I have zero marketable ye-olden-times skills and wouldn’t know the first thing about surviving without the internet. Plus, there was a lot of truth to not wanting to squish out six kids, and I have yet to see a pharmacy or doctor’s office where I can get my IUD replaced or pick up antibiotics.
Before we stop and I ignore my very realistic concerns and allow myself to feel even more like this is someplace I want to be—or worse, someplace I could belong—I push past the benches and make my way toward the other end of the palace that embraces the far side of the gardens.
The Hall of Crystal Wings is in that arm of the palace, and we’re so close to it—to the marker I can use to find the tarot card and my way back home. My steps quicken, and the sound of rushing water fades into the distance as we weave through rows of colorful blooms into the heart of the garden.
I slow to a stop, my gaze trailing up the vines climbing along the high walls of a maze. The verdant tendrils are punctuated by bursts of pink jasmine flowers, their scent spilling into the garden’s warm air. Sunlight filtersthrough the leaves, painting the stone entryway with ripples of light and shadow. My imagination takes over, and I picture slipping into the hidden alcoves of the maze’s lush foliage, Kane’s arms around me, his mouth on mine.
“Wishing you could escape your wifely political duties in favor of getting lost in the maze?” Marion glances at me, a knowing smile tugging at her lips.
“Just thinking…” I press my hand over my beating heart, afraid it will betray my secrets.
“We can take a moment, go back and sit awhile before we make our way into the Hall of Crystal Wings.”
“No!” My shout startles us both, and I clear my throat. “I mean, we’re so close. We might as well finish up.”
Gaze fixed on the glass doors leading into the other wing of the palace, my stomach flips, and I have to force my legs to take languid, easy strides and not break out into a run. The possibility of returning to my world, of reclaiming my life, or what’s left of it, is on the other side of those doors.
I make myself wait for Marion to pull them open, revealing a corridor like the others we’ve explored, one that stretches deep into the palace. Its high ceilings and polished floors glisten under the soft glow of chandeliers, the faint echo of our footsteps sounding down its length as Marion ushers me forward.
Worry gnaws at me, its sharp teeth piercing the placid calm I’m struggling to adopt from Marion and make my own.
What if you can’t find the room or your purse or the card? What if you get stuck here forever? What if they find out your secrets and burn you at the stake?
I squeeze my hands into fists, digging my nails into my palms as I force down my doubts and focus instead on the shimmering turquoise and red spilling from the Hall of Crystal Wings.
“Here we are.” Marion’s gesture takes in the glistening dragonflies lining the walls, their iridescent wings catching the light and refracting it in dazzling patterns. “Each dragonfly was painstakingly crafted by artisans over several months. The scales along their wings were individually carved and polished and inspected by the queen herself before being added to the bodies.”
It’s impressive, but I don’t care about the craftsmanship or the beauty. My gaze sweeps the hall, searching for a sign, a clue, anything that might lead me back to the room I arrived in and the life I left behind.
“Are there any bedrooms near this hall?” I ask.
“Yes, but yours and Ashwood’s is much grander.”
A clock sounds in the distance, tolling like a church bell, and I flinch with each strike of the gong. The sound reverberates through the grand corridor and off the high ceilings and ornate walls.
Marion turns to me, her eyes wide, urgency lifting her thick brows. “We must get you back to your rooms to prepare. There’s not much time before the feast.”
She grabs my hand, but I resist, planting my feet firmly on the polished marble floor. “Wait, Marion. There’s something I need to see first.”
“Hannah, please.” She tugs gently. “We don’t have time. You must get ready. I must get ready.”
“Just a few more minutes. There’s something important I need to find.” I stand on my tiptoes and squint like it’ll help me see around the twists and turnsof the palace halls and into the bedroom where my purse should be.
“There will be time for that later. Right now, we must hurry.”
“But you don’t understand,” I protest, my voice rising with desperation. “We’ve made it all this way, and this could be my only chance to find it.”
