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Chapter 23: Fiona
There was a silence to Qam. The abrupt sounds of clanging metal rose from the blacksmith’s street on the western edge, and yet, the calm that had settled over the city during the night was still lingering. The fae woke up, but Qam needed a little more time.
I leaned against the window and shivered despite the warmth emanating from the burning hearth. I had watched the sun climb up from behind the hills to the East. I had stared at that spot all night, as though I had been waiting for the moment of light.
But nothing really changed when the sun came up. The city woke, but the feeling inside of me would not go away.
The knock on the door felt like a confirmation of my instincts rather than a casual thing. Orla opened the door and I knew I was right.
“What is it?” I asked her.
“We need to go now,” she said.
We had talked about this before. I had promised not to question her, not when she barged into my room with a bag she had prepared. My bag was ready too, it was hidden underneath my bed, and safely tucked away from sight.
“Do they have Kieran?” I asked as I quickly got up to change out of my nightgown. I was still in the room that I grew up in, which meant my traveling clothes were here. I started to put them on without waiting for Orla’s response.
“I do not know,” she said. “But something’s amiss... It happened a few moments ago. I think they received news and are getting ready. I felt messages were being sent, but they were blocked. I do not know the content, but something happened.”
I was done getting dressed. My insides twitched with guilt. Kieran might have been caught while breaking into the prison.
“Maybe we should stay,” I told Orla. “I might be more helpful here.”
Orla gave me a stern look.
“If Kieran is caught,” Orla said as though she read my mind. “We have to be outside to rally your supporters against Lugh. If he has you both...”
“He’ll kill us both,” I replied.
With both of us dead, Lugh was the next in line.
Orla nodded.
“And then, the realm will be his,” I said as I got on my knees to search underneath the bed. My hands clasped the strap of my bag and I pulled it quickly.
We were out of my room within seconds. But we couldn’t go very far before a man with wide shoulders and a bald head appeared in the opposite direction to where we were going. I readied myself for a fight and almost reached to pull out my blade from underneath my cloak. Orla’s nudge stopped me.
“Where are you taking her?” the man asked, striding toward us with flared nostrils. His hand hovered dangerously close to the sword sheathed at his belt
Then, he stopped.
Panic taking over him, he saluted Orla.
“Excuse me, ma’am,” he said. “I didn’t realize it was you.”
Orla did not give the man a response. As he waited anxiously for us to pass him by, she did not even bother to look at him. We walked at a calm pace and once we were out of his view, I relaxed.
I wanted to ask Orla what she made him think, but it wasn’t time for needless questions.
We kept walking.
We were going to take the secret passageway to the northern forest, the one we had taken when we had to escape the castle with Jasmine and the others on our journey to the Seelie Realm. It was not a huge secret and I suspected that Lady Queill might know about it since she had been among my father’s most trusted advisors once, but it was much better than trying to leave the castle using the main gate.
Every fae we encountered on our quick walk saluted Orla. I wondered if she made them think she was Lugh himself, but didn’t ask anything about it.
Despite being fully in control, Orla’s steps were light and careful. I followed her example. We reached the ground level and entered the dimly lit corridor, the hidden door was at the end of it.
We were going to make it. Orla smiled at me as we reached the end.
