Lies of the Line

Chapter 12

I stared up at Adrienne from my spot on the floor. She had been pacing the short length of the room muttering ideas to herself before shutting them down after finding one minor flaw. Greyson was perched on the couch I had my back against bouncing his leg and ideas off of other in the room.

"I know we'd need invitations and we can't forge those. There's a list. So it's viable that we sneak in. The only question is how. I don't know the layout at all." Greyson pinched the bridge of his nose as he spoke.

"Wait!" I shot up straight looking at Jax. "Is your grandma still alive?" I grimaced as the question reached my ears. "Sorry that was a rude question." He shook his head.

"No it's fine. Yes she is, but she's very old." He seemed to be catching on to my idea. "I doubt she could get us through, besides she doesn't work there anymore." He frowned.

"But she could tell us the way. We could draw out a map and have her tell us where we need to go." I pushed myself off the floor as Adrienne stopped pacing and looked at me.

"That could absolutely work!" She shouted with excitement. Greyson opened his eyes and looked at her disapprovingly.

"It just so happens that I have a headache so I would prefer we keep the yelling to a minimum." He leaned back on the couch and closed his eyes.

"Sorry," Adrienne said sheepishly. "but it's perfect. I think we should talk to her tonight and test out our map tomorrow. We'll have to practice once or twice to make sure we know the way." She turned and started pacing again. Navy walked through the door once Adrienne passed.

"I asked everyone I could find and no one has worked in the castle or knows someone who would be willing to help." She plopped down on the couch next to Greyson and sighed.

"We're in luck because Lilac thought of the perfect idea." Adrienne said smiling.

"You did?" Navy turned to look at me.

"I'm surprised she remembered honestly. I feel like a told you months ago." Adrienne smiled at me from across the room.

"It was a month ago." I said, moving to sit down on the small chair against the wall.

"Huh. I guess it was." Adrienne said as she stopped walking for a moment and pondered the time that had passed.

"Well, what's the plan?" Navy interrupted Adrienne's thinking. "I think it would be beneficial for us all to know what's going on." Andrew walked through the door holding a cup.

"What should we all know?" He asked as he walked to stand beside Jax and Adrienne who had tired herself down enough to stand against the wall.

"I'll explain to everyone since we're all here now." I looked around the room to be sure I was right. I counted six people. "Adrienne told me a story a while ago about how Jax and Andrew's grandmother would sneak the three of them into the castle during the winter ball. I thought we could talk to her and see if we could draw up a map of the path we need to take to get to the ballroom. I was formally invited this year so I shall be attending as myself but I will still go with you on practice runs in case anything happens." It was quiet while everyone thought through the idea.

"It sounds perfect to me. I think we owe your grandmother a visit." Greyson spoke from behind me.

The big white house was two stories tall and was covered with vines. We had ridden into the woods to find it with overgrown landscaping and crushed flower beds. It looked like no one had lived there for years. Andrew and Wren had stayed behind at the anchorage so there were only five of us crowded into the front room of Nana's house as she had demanded we call her. She had hobbled down the hall, telling us to wait so she could tidy up. The room was small in an unbelievable way, like it had been carved after the rest of the house had been built. A small wooden table with long, skinny legs stood in the front room under a mirror, taking up most of the space. We had all crowded up against one wall, shoulder to shoulder.