Not for another twelve hours. I pictured Adrik leaning against a wall, his hands in his pockets. Honestly, I’m surprised Necros even allowed his kind to compete. Sure, they can be vicious. But they’re so easily subdued.
Where are you? I demanded.
Waiting for you behind the painting, he drawled. But don’t worry, little bird. We have time. About twelve hours of it.
Painting? I found an oversized one near the chair Garul had used for his reading.
That’s the one.
I washed my hands one more time for good measure, turning the water to scalding and not caring at all that it turned my skin pink. Then I checked my appearance in the mirror. Not because I cared what I looked like for Adrik, but because I couldn’t stand the idea of carrying any shred of Garul with me anywhere.
Finding myself satisfactory, I moved toward the painting. Well?
He pushed it to the side, and sure enough, he stood leaning against a wall with his legs crossed at the ankles. “Valora,” he greeted.
“Adrik.”
“Ready to begin?” he asked, gesturing for me to enter.
“Sure,” I said, following him inside. “You can start by explaining this telepathic link.”
“No. Scratch that.” Valora whirled around the stone interior. “Explain this to me first. Then the telepathy.”
I smiled. “The palace is full of ancient passageways. But very few know about them.”
“And how do you?” she demanded, every bit the q
ueen as she stared me down.
I closed the doorway in the wall to hide our location and flipped a switch on my transmitter to bring the cameras back online in Garul’s room.
She frowned at the device in my hand. “What’s that?”
“You are full of questions tonight, little bird.”
She scowled. “And you’re not answering any of them.”
“Not true.” I gestured to the corridor. “I told you the palace is littered with passageways.”
“And how do you know about them when I don’t? I’ve lived here for almost my entire life, and you’ve been here, what, two or three days?” She folded her arms, unwilling to move, apparently.
I sighed. “That, little bird, is a very long story.”
“Well, as you pointed out, we have twelve hours. Please begin.”
Mmm, I rather liked this new side of her. Feisty with a hint of arrogance. “Power looks good on you, Queen Valora.”
Her eyes narrowed, a flame dancing in the pale blue depths. “You know what I can do, so I would suggest you stop teasing me.”
“And you know I can help you, so I suggest you not threaten me,” I returned, backing her up into the wall as I pocketed my device. She gulped as I placed my palms on either side of her head. “I know about these passages because I’ve researched these grounds extensively. I know where all the cameras are, how security moves, which hallways lead where, and most importantly, I know how to move around undetected.”
The dim lighting did not do justice to her beauty. If anything, it clouded it, creating a murky shadow across her cheek.
No.
Not a shadow.
A mark.