Separate Crowns of One Heart

Twø

I wait until the moon is out before leaving my quarters. I make my way down the corridor to Mila's quarters. I did not originally plan to rope anybody else into my devious plans. If the wrong people were to find out what I'm planning...

Keeping to the walls, I avoid the cameras watching the hallway until I get to Mila's. I use one of my hairpins to pick the lock on her door and slink in quietly. I give my eyes a second to adjust to the darkness then go to Mila's bed.

"Mila! Mila!" I whisper in hopes of not waking her handmaiden. I shake her awake. "Mila!"

"Huh?" She blinks into the darkness, confused.

"Mila, get up!" I pull her up into a sitting position.

"Cyrah?" She rubs the slumber from her eyes. "Wha--? What are you doing here?" She goes to cover herself with her blankets as if I could care less about her being indecent. There are more pressing matters right now.

"I need you."

"For what?" She glances at her handmaiden's bed to ensure she's still asleep.

"Put on proper dressing and I shall tell you on the way," I instruct her.

She looks at me like I'm out of my mind. "We're going somewhere?"

"Hurry." I walk to the window to give her some privacy to dress in. She dresses pretty quickly and is ready in a few minutes.

"What if we get caught?" She questions as she pulls the hood of her cloak over her head.

"We will not." I slide her window open and grin at her slyly. "Ever climbed out of a window?"

"Y-you're joking, right?" The alarmed look on her face makes me laugh. I lift myself onto the frame of the window and let my legs dangle out. "Cyrah..."

I jump down and land on the ground under Mila's window. I scan the premises to make sure no one saw me. When I don't see anyone I look up at Mila. She's staring down at me with her mouth gaping open.

"Your turn."

"Uh-huh!" She shakes her head. "I will not do this, Odusanya."

"Come on, Baez," I say her family name mockingly. "I will catch you."

"This is dang-" Before she can finish her sentence, I call forth my arcana and use my mind to lift her out of her window and onto the ground next to me. She smacks me when I release her. "You promised to never use your arcana on me!"

I roll my eyes. "You were going to compromise my mission and I just could not risk it. But starting this moment, you have my word." I smile at her and she just huffs at me. I take her hand and lead her to the Jaguars' training facility.

"What are we doing here?" Mila whispers, worriedly.

I ignore her question as we inch along the cinderblock wall of the building. I scout out the only entrance for guards. They have one lone Male standing guard tonight. I turn to Mila.

"Here is the plan, you are to go to that guard over there and distract him," I tell her.

"With what?" I look at her pointedly. She glares at me. "Why don't you do that?"

"Because while you're distracting him, I will be sneaking inside. And I don't really think you can pull that off if I'm being honest," I say. "Also my part is much more dangerous and I did not call you out here to get you in trouble."

She sighs and I stare at her, waiting. "Oh! You mean now?" I nod. She walks in the direction of the guards with a little extra swish in her hips.

I watch Mila strike up a conversation with the guard and turn him away from the direction I'm hiding in. As soon as I have the chance, I slip past them and as quietly as I can into the building.