Slaves of the Night

Chapter 22

Essie

I check all the rooms. Nothing, empty. The children are tucked up in bed with Mistress Huta watching them. I mumble for her to be on the look out and keep running. King's Guard are down all the corridors mostly looking for Rax, good to know Rax's dad has his priorities straight, apparently I'm the only one looking for the missing prince. I consider casting an invisibility spell, but decide to save my magic.

I use the secret tunnels to get to the observatory, only getting slightly lost on the way. I haven't done it without Rax and they're more than a bit confusing in the dark.

The observatory door is locked fast. I pick the lock instead of using magic. I only have so much and without Rax or Kaisa to leech off of I'll run out in a hurry.

Prince Eero is there, tied up, very uncreatively underneath a rug.

"Are you all right your Highness?" I ask, using my enchanted dagger to cut his bonds.

"Not in the least what happened? Where's Rax?" good to know he also has his priorities straight.

"I don't know a shape shifter was pretending to be you Rax kissed him then stabbed him and then the shape shifter apparated them and Kaisa away and I have to go find them I'm looking for them and you and I found you," I say, all in a rush, cutting his bonds. He's done up well, with hand cuffs on his wrists. I do actually waste a spell on those.

"What?"

"What I said, now who would gain by pretending to be you?"

"I don't know! I don't gain by being me! I have no idea why anyone would want to be me!"

"Who could be a shape shifter?"

"I don't know! Are my daughters safe?" He asks, rubbing his wrists and trying to stand even though I don't have his feet undone.

"Yes they're fine I checked we need to find Kaisa now," I say, standing up as I finish his feet.

"And Rax---what was going on? What happened?"

"How long have you been up here?"

"Since before the bonfire---that hasn't been me all evening. Is Rax all right?"

"I assume so but he did also get stabbed."

"What? I thought you said he stabbed the shape shifter?"

"Multiple stabbings occurred come on—we need to sweep the castle I doubt if they left, they can't apparat far and there's nothing for miles. They're in here somewhere."

"The forbidden halls, they have to be," Prince Eero says, shaking his head, "Come on. I don't have a key Rax does—"

"Yeah I know I can break in---here let's take the secret passage the King's guard are everywhere," I say, descending the stairs quickly to the opening to the passage.

"The what?"

"The secret passage---oh gods—there are secret passages through the castle, now stay with me it's easy to fall."

"There are? Why didn't someone tell me? Oh never mind probably because it would have upset me that's fine thanks a lot Rax I'm upset now and you're not here."

"He said something about your royal neck and falling, here be careful!" I stop him from falling.

"Yeah that sounds like him. And me. Wait how badly was he stabbed?"