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Maura nods and turns for the door, but gratitude has me crossing to Nadia and taking her hands. “Thank you.”
“Don’t worry, love. You’re paying for the privilege.” She gives me a saucy wink. “One other thing.”
“We have to go.”
“Hold on, Maura.”
Nadia lifts the metal plate covering, revealing that there’s not actually food under there. Instead, two cloaks are neatly folded. One is a deep green and the other is a gray that feels muted in a way that may be magic. I pick it up and run my fingers over the fine weave. “I don’t suppose this will have eyes sliding right off me?”
Nadia laughs. “You can’t afford that kind of magic. No, this is simply playing with perception. Cloaked strangers aren’t uncommon here.” She takes it from my hands and sweeps it over my shoulders in a practiced move. “Keep your hood up, love.”
Maura doesn’t exactly shoulder between us, but she appears at my side, close enough to brush against my body as she grabs the green cloak. “How much?”
“You’ve already paid.” She laughs. “Or did you think we’re so greedy as to take two gold for food?”
Maura opens her mouth, hesitates, and then shakes her head. “Damn.”
“Indeed.” Nadia moves to the door and pokes her head out. A few seconds later, she looks back at us. “Let’s go.”
Maura grabs my arm. “Stay close.” Her voice is low and dangerous. “No matter what happens, I will get you out of this.”
I don’t tell her that we can trust Nadia. I met the woman last night, for only a few minutes. I have no idea if she’s trustworthy or not, but it’s clear her patroness is playing a deeper game. In the end, we don’t have a choice. We have to trust her.
At least long enough to get out of this building.
I expect Nadia to lead us to the main staircase that circles the exterior wall. Instead, she goes in the opposite direction. I can’t help glancing nervously over the railing that gives a view of the whole main floor. There are a handful of pirates already drinking and laughing at the tables. One of them starts to look up, but a person begins to sing a soft, hunting melody on the other side of the room. All attention shifts to them, and the laughter quiets.
I jolt when a hand slips into mine but relax when I realize it’s Maura. She tugs me along behind her as we follow Nadia past half a dozen rooms with varying color doors to one that is indistinguishable from the others, aside from being yellow.
I expect to find us in a staircase or some kind of staff room, but it seems to be a working room similar to the one we just exited. It’s decorated yellow to match the door, its four-poster bed cheery and bright in a way that should be off-putting but instead makes me want to throw myself in the middle of it. A neat trick, that.
Nadia bypasses the bed and heads directly to a large wardrobe positioned against an interior wall. She gives me a saucy grin and throws it open. Immediately, all sorts of fabrics explode from the space. It takes me a few seconds to realize they are all dresses in a rainbow of colors and fabrics and styles. Truly, there are enough to fit three wardrobes, all stuffed into the single one.
“I am not putting on one of those.” Maura takes a step back as if Nadia will try to wrestle her into one of the offending garments.
“No, of course not. This is only to discourage patrons from investigating further.” Nadia motions us closer. “Here, come help me.”
It takes both me and Nadia to pull the dresses away from the center, revealing a dark gap in the wall. If this is a hole for an assassin to sneak through, I don’t see how they would be successful unless their target was blackout drunk and passed out. Similarly, all the dresses must muffle sound, so this would be a terrible place to spy from. There’s only one purpose this can serve, and it’s the one we’re using it for right now.
To escape.
“There’s a staircase that will take you down to the back. Be quiet; the walls are very thin, and Ray’s song will only last another few minutes. Our lot isn’t the most perceptive, but there’s no reason to take chances. The locals will not side with the Cwn Annwn, but a pirate is a pirate, and there are plenty who would like to be owed a favor by the inter-realm hunters.”
“We’ll be careful.” I impulsively pull Nadia into a hug. “Thank you so much for all your help, and I don’t just mean this morning.”
“Take care of yourself, Juliette.” She releases me and steps back, turning her attention to Maura. “And you…take care of the princess. If you don’t realize what a gem she is, then someone else will steal her from you.”
