Page 34 of Gilded Curses

When she finished, she strode over to her balcony doors and inched back the drapes to peer outside. The guards were walking past, and she watched them continue before quietly opening a door and slipping outside.

She’d heard Orin return almost an hour ago and had contemplated knocking to have him join her for this excursion but decided against it. If this decision led to her death, she wouldn’t take anyone else with her.

Besides, he’d been down there for a while, drinking with all the others. He was probably at least buzzed, if not drunk, and might not be in the best condition for this. She would have far preferred his shadows to obscure her as she moved through the night, but she could do this without them.

At the edge of the balcony, she leaned over to look down. They were on the second floor, but it was still a good thirty-foot fall, as the ceilings below were high.

Thankfully, next to the balcony, thick green ivy scaled the wall to the roof, where the neatly clipped plant ran around the top of the building. She’d tested the ivy earlier between the guards’ patrol and was fairly certain it would hold her weight.

Or at least it had better hold her; it was also the only way she would get back into her room.

Closing the door, she stepped back into the shadows of her balcony and flattened herself against the wall. Sahira hated that she couldn’t put a protective spell over her room while gone, but she couldn’t risk not getting it down in time for her return.

With her fingers digging into the cool, white brick, Sahira searched the night as she waited for the guards to emerge again. She’d spent a lot of time out here earlier, watching as the patrol ensured the grounds remained safe… or, more likely, that they stayed in their rooms. The dagadon had said they were free to explore the area, but she was sure they’d have an entourage with them if they tried.

Over time, she’d learned the guards went by at one-minute intervals. Sometimes, it was a couple of seconds more and sometimes a couple of seconds less, but most times, it only took a minute before they stalked past again.

She was certain they continued to another destination, as she’d seen twenty guards walk past throughout the night. There could be other guards in the garden waiting to grab her if she descended, but she hadn’t seen them or any signs, such as frightened birds or wildlife, to indicate there was something in the woods with them.

Hiding in the shadows of her balcony, Sahira held her breath as two different guards emerged. As they walked toward each other and passed within a foot before moving on toward their next destination, Sahira started counting.

She ensured they were out of view before swinging herself onto the ivy. She swiftly lowered herself to the ground with a deftness born of desperation and a keen awareness of the passing time.

She was still ten feet away from the ground when she released the ivy and jumped off. Her cloak billowed as the air rushed up around her.

Before she hit the ground, she bent her knees to absorb some of the impact. She landed without a sound, and her hand rested on the cool earth as her gaze darted around, but still, nothing moved.

With the seconds ticking away, Sahira rose and sprinted toward the sanctuary of the trees and shrubs. Thirty seconds had passed since she last saw the guards and when she dashed into the garden.

The moon’s dim radiance barely lit her way as she waited for someone to seize her, a guard to step in front of her, someone to shout to release the dogs, or for a monster to pounce on her back, but nothing stirred amongst the plants.

If someone happened to be meandering the path tonight, and if Sahira had enough warning, she could cast a glamour over herself to look like one of the Golden Ones, but she didn’t dare to stop and do so now. She was fairly sure she’d gotten far enough away that the guards wouldn’t hear her, but she wasn’t taking any chances.

She was almost to the horse fountain when a figure partially emerged from between a tree and a bush with brilliant purple, drooping flowers. Sahira recognized the woman from her room before she slid back into the shadows.

Turning off the path, Sahira’s steps slowed as she eyed where the woman had vanished. She was crazy for doing this, but did she have any other choice?

This woman might know something or be able to help them or might be leading her to her death, but at least it was something. She followed the woman between the tree and the bush with flowers the color of the sky and leaves resembling flames.

She spotted the woman ahead as she bent and pushed aside some branches before slipping into what looked like an alcove. Sahira didn’t hesitate before ducking down to follow her.

Once inside, the woman released the branches, and they descended back into place with a small swoosh. Blackness encompassed her before a light flared.

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

Startled by the unexpected flame, Sahira stepped away from the candle and found herself in a small space of drooping branches and leaves that brushed her face. But the surrounding area wasn’t what unsettled her; it was the three Golden Ones standing across from her.

The one in the middle, a tall, thin man with a hawkish nose and stooped shoulders, held the candle. When a strand of his wavy brown hair fell into one of his blue eyes, he pushed it away.

To his right was the woman who had left her the note and had mostly worked with Orin. Her white-blonde hair was tucked beneath the black hood of her cloak, and her dark brown eyes reflected the candle.

Another woman with auburn hair and brown, bloodshot eyes was on the other side of the man. Sahira recognized her as the woman who had cried over the man eaten by the dogs.

“I’m glad you came,” the woman who brought her here said. “I tried to get the dark fae to meet with us last night, but he never showed. It’s dangerous for us to be out here like this.”

Sahira ignored her accusatory tone as she focused on the first part of that statement. “You tried to get Orin to meet you?”

“Do you know any other dark fae in this realm?”