ne Co

t, moving as fast as my trembling legs would carry me. The Prince's patr

rough my system. My vision blurred. I bit the inside of my chee

ago. "If you ever need to disappear," she had whispered, her hand resting

e undergrowth, I finally saw the silhouette

recent activity-footprints, broken branches, fresh tracks. Nothing. The

olds as if I had done it a hundred times before. My mother had made sure I knew this place as well

ing a musty smell of dust and decay. I sli

for air, the adrenaline finally sta

ad drilled into me since I was old enough to walk. A chill ran down

ne else in this

ped into my pocket and closed around the silver nee

ving silently up the creaking sta

And it was mixed with the t

st the wall beside the door

window, illuminating a tall figure sprawled

othes and was clearly badly injured. The rug

was shallow, irregular. He was unconscious, not faking. I could

, a low, pained grunt escaping his lips before

e to die meant a corpse rotting in my sanctuary. That would attract wolves, scaven

Thready, but there. I checked his pockets-no weapons, no identificati

a moment, then tucked th

be I was just adding another complication to my escape. Either way, I

eeded time. Time to recover, to

on. I would tole

guest room down the hall. I dragged a heavy armchair aga

ed fever burning under my skin. My mind, howev

d be settled. But first, I needed powe

had a vast dowry, a fortune that my "good father," Harding Wall

my promise to reject Angelo, I n

, the man's breathing w

ke two wounded animals, cornered in this forgotten pl

ho he was, or w

ur meeting was about

ained groan from the next room, followed by a sudden, sharp