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Done, her bones and muscles ached. Her skin itched and burned where it needed to stretch beyond her natural size.
With no time to waste, she accessed the elevator and made her way up.
Does the king know how valuable that key is? Does anyone in this mountain, now that Kargassa is dead?
The elevator door opened and Sam stepped out, effecting as much of Eamerson’s stride as she could and made her way through the open council room doors.
The Aeleftherian consort looked up from a tablet set on the table and smiled. “I didn’t think you’d be up here so soon, but I expect you’re tired after all the work put into that ceremony. It went well, didn’t it?”
Sam nodded, approaching the table. “It did.” With the magic of the tincture, she had Eamerson’s vocal chords, but not his style of speech. Normally should wouldn’t talk at all so as not to give herself away, but she was in a hurry. “The seal?”
“Yes, of course. Right here,” The dragoness moved toward a red velvet sac, tied with gold cord, with the seal set atop it. The crown lay on a blue sac, a third one next to it, which was black. The ritual book?
Sam swiveled her attention back to the key. The chain had been removed, and it gleamed under the sunlight streaming in through the tall windows.
“It is beautiful, isn’t it?” the dragoness went on, running a fingertip over the central entwined figures. “Did you know we have a similar seal in Aeleftheria? Ours has a dragon encircling a water drop.”
Sam grunted with a neutral head jerk and held out her hand. “Fascinating. Shall I?”
“Please. It’s just a shame to store it away where no one will see it until the next king passes on, centuries from now.” She sighed, slipping the seal into the velvet bag. Pulling the cord taut, she handed it to Sam. “Though best for its protection.”
Sam gripped the bag in both hands, the sweat from her palms soaking into the fabric, and headed for the door.
“Eamerson?”
Sam froze and turned to look at the king’s consort, brow raised as she’d seen Eamerson do on occasion.
“Take some time off. You’re looking a little peaky.”
Sam nodded and continued on.
Her heart pounded during the elevator ride down to the bottom floor. Sweat beaded in her hairline as she prayed there wasn’t anyone waiting in the library for her.
Her heart nearly stopped when she stepped in and saw Goliath waiting at the librarian’s counter.
Shouldn’t he be in the dining hall with everyone else?
“Eamerson?”
“Gol—Frederick.”
“I didn’t see the librarian in the dining hall, and thought he’d like to join us.”
Sam nodded. “I have to get a book from the archive. I’ll see if he’s down there.” She rounded the counter and hurried down the steps, then kept going right down to the bottom floor.
Gather my things and escape now? Change, go back up and bide my time?
Her pulse ticked in her ears as the trembling in her hands increased.
She rushed into the back room, grabbed her rucksack from under the counter, and stuffed the velvet bag into it.
The need to flee was too great. She’d waited too long for this.
Her phone vibrated in her pocket, startling her.
“Damnation!” she grabbed it, reading the message.
‘Take the artifact to our contact at Aeleftheria.’
