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“Yes,” Lord Tynan said. “They keep the portals in the kitchen.”
“So you’ve seen that kitchen,” Gethin said.
Lord Tynan nodded. “If we can wait until the morning, we can pass through the portal and subdue those who are inside the kitchen.”
“We don’t have to wait until the morning,” I said. “Gethin is a portaler. And Cari is a mind magicker.”
Tynan’s smile widened. Excitedly, he put his hand on my shoulder and squeezed it.
“That’s perfect,” he said. “We might not even have to fight. The kitchen should be empty now. I’ll go with Gethin to find the poison. We will take it and come back.”
“And then,” Cari said. “We can use the portals to help everyone escape.”
I nodded. It was a good plan, slightly more intricate than the one we had coming in here, but nearly just as smooth.
“We will need to do it quickly,” Lord Petret said. “Once we have the poison, open a portal to my castle. My son will protect everyone until we can safely send them to their homes.”
Lord Trechting would. Even though the last time we’d seen each other had been slightly tense, I knew he would help.
“We should do it now,” I said.
“Let everyone know what we are planning,” Lord Tynan said to Lord Petret. “But we have to be discreet about it. If the guards find out what we’re doing, we will...”
“They won’t find out,” Cari said. “I’m in their minds.”
“If I were Lugh,” Lord Tynan said. “I would be planning for a mind magicker.”
For the first time, Cari was speechless. I almost laughed, but considering I had been in her place only a few seconds ago, I empathized with her more than Tynan.
“Luckily,” I said, trying to console Cari. “Lugh isn’t as smart as you, Lord Tynan.”
“I do not enjoy empty flattery, son,” Tynan replied, his tone harsh but his gaze soft. “Even if it comes from a prince.”
“My apologies,” I replied. I was starting to like this man.
Lord Petret left us alone for a while and started to spread the message inside the prison. Even though I assumed they warned everyone not to attract any attention, as the message spread across the prison, the excitement was almost palpable.
“We will go through the portal,” Lord Tynan said. “Keep it open as I search for the poison. It shouldn’t take too long unless we are caught and have to fight.”
“Perhaps I should come with you in case you have to fight,” I said.
“No,” Lord Tynan said. “We can’t let them catch you.”
I opened my mouth to respond, but he stopped me with a gesture.
“Not for the greater good,” he said with a smirk. “I need someone with power left behind. Not force, like your friends have, but political power. If we fail, you’ll visit the neutral lords one by one and tell them what Lugh is doing. Everyone has sources inside Winter Castle. It might take some time, but they’ll eventually find a way to get the antidote for us all.”
Cari seemed to be deep in thought. Then, she shivered and looked up.
“If they give you the antidote every week,” she said. “Doesn’t that mean we could have waited and escaped before you were given the poison again?”
Tynan shook his head.
“They give us the antidote and then watch us like hawks until we all eat the food,” he replied. “Trust me. The poison is in the food. If we could abstain from eating it, we would have tried escaping long ago.”
“When do we leave?” Gethin asked.
Tynan met his gaze.
