Page 127 of Facade

“Sorry it took me so long. Had to wait for those old crones to leave, but not before giving the cook a big order—” She sighed dramatically, freezing, and blinking as she noticed Malachai. “The big guy is going to make this difficult,” she clucked, looking him up and down disapprovingly.

“Uh huh…” I said slowly. “I’m sorry—can we go back to how you know each other?”

Aniah answered, “Her mother worked in the kitchens at the Castle, in the Western Realm. Lyra practically lived there.”

“I don’t remember you. But I… didn’t know most of the staff." Because I hadn't been allowed to do much of anything out of the confines of my rooms. "How has Aiden not recognized you?”

“Oh, please! That pompous ass thinks he’s better than everyone else. He never paid attention to the lower class. Especially us humans,” she snorted as she handed me the key to the manacles.

I took it quickly, freeing them as I processed what she’d said.

“Lyra, did you know who I was? Back at Castle Aurelia?” I asked as Aniah helped Malachai, her small frame firm, draping his arm around her shoulders.

“Sure did! I couldn’t believe it when you showed up. Thought it was weird since, you know, I technically got there after you. Found out that Witch had you in the dungeons a while.”

My face twisted as I snapped around to face her.

“You were awful,” I accused.

She looked at me innocently. “Had to pretend I didn’t know you.”

“Pretty damn convincing,” I grumbled, crossing my arms.

“We need to hurry—Lyra, do you have it?” Aniah whispered, her red eyes eerily lit up in the torchlight.

“Yup. Kept it safe, just like the creepy wind told me to when it appeared.” Lyra pulled out that little necklace she always held as if it were her life source.

If I’d looked closer before, I'd have seen it sooner—something writhed beneath the glassy surface. My instincts recoiled in its presence. Something felt wrong with it. Dark. Unnatural.

“Aniah, is that the object—” I started.

“Yes,” she breathed.

“She’s the human you sent it—”

“Yes,” she hissed. “Enough. Lyra, keep it hidden a little longer.”

Lyra gestured toward Malachai, who was looking rather pale. “Is he normal again?” she whispered to Aniah.

“I’m right here,” he growled.

“Yeah, okay, but you’re a big brute and have been a pretty convincing Fae flunky.”

Lyra ignored his glower as she cracked the door and scanned the hall.

“Let me go first. I put a plan in place.” She waggled her eyebrows, and before we could stop her, she shot out.

“This can’t be good,” I groaned as we waited.

It wasn’t.

Lyra came back, grinning from ear to ear as she led us from that darkened war room.

Even worse, Malachai had to keep his wings shifted, making it awkward to walk the narrow hall. It was more of a shuffle, his injuries more severe than we’d realized. His leg had a nasty gash, but he brushed it off as a shallow wound. However, blood trailed behind us, and he leaned more heavily on Aniah than he let on.

We all, by some miracle, managed to make it down the stairs undetected.

The castle was too quiet for my liking. A large number of soldiers and Werewolves yelled and snarled outside over whatever hell Ryker was raining down upon them, but it was too quiet in here. They wouldn’t have all run to a threat.