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“I suppose you’re right.”
“I’m definitely right.”
“Cocky.”
“Always,” he winks, and grabs my hand, pulling me along as we scurry toward the castle. It seems wrong, somehow, that we’re running back to the place we just escaped from, but after a good night’s rest and a good evening of fun-filled activities, I feel recharged and regenerated and ready to move forward and stop Wyatt.
If we can.
I’m not under any impression that this is going to be easy or simple. After all, Wyatt has had years to plan this. Edward and I have had only hours. Some of those hours we spent losing ourselves in one another. Some of those hours we spent trying to forget the pain of losing everything we love.
Of losing everyone we love.
And it felt good.
Right.
Wonderful.
I should feel regretful, perhaps, that my first time was in the secret house of a renegade wizard, but I don’t. What happened between us was so perfect that I don’t think I could feel bad even if I wanted to.
So I don’t.
And I move along with him.
Edward leads us to house that’s a few blocks from the castle.
“Another secret entrance?” I ask. He just smiles and shrugs. Then he knocks on the door three times quickly, two times slowly, and four times quickly.
The door flies open.
A little old woman stands inside. It’s dark inside the home, and it’s hard to see very much, but she smiles at Edward as though it’s her long-lost grandson that she hasn’t seen in ages.
“Henrietta,” he says, smiling at her.
She bows quietly, but does not speak.
“It’s time.”
Henrietta steps aside. Edward and I move into the little house. Once we’re inside, I can see that this really is a grandmotherly-type of home. It’s filled with books and trinkets and blankets and pillows. It’s the perfect place to spend a winter afternoon. I imagine that Henrietta likes to curl up on her sofa with a cat and a book and perhaps a cup of hot tea.
She closes the door behind us and motions for us to follow her into the next room. There’s only one thing in the room: a large wardrobe. I look around, but there’s nothing else. There are no pictures on the walls: no other furniture. Henrietta stands quietly just inside the doorway and looks at Edward in surprise. She looks like she can’t quite believe that he’s here.
“It’s still here,” she says.
“I can’t thank you enough,” Edward murmurs. He pats Henrietta on the shoulder like a dear friend, and then he steps forward.
“What’s this?” I ask.
“An emergency plan,” Edward says. “My father and Henrietta were friends.” Henrietta smiles, and nods.
“He was a good man,” she says. “And a good king.”
“She agreed to protect this in case I ever needed it,” Edward explains.
Unless he’s got a unicorn in that wardrobe, I’m not sure how it’s going to help us breach the castle. Wyatt likely has guards in place. He’s definitely got some sort of plan of action. He’s going to have to announce to the world that Edward is either dead or a traitor and that he, Wyatt, has done the noble thing and stepped up in Edward’s place.
Edward pulls the doors to the wardrobe open and inside there are an assortment of weapons, as well as a few magical charms that can help us get close to our targets. Wyatt already has an amulet of invisibility. We’re going to need at least a few magical tokens if we’re going to even have a chance to getting close to him.
