She couldn’t tell Prince Sadi, because he lived at the Hall, ruled the Hall.
Her breath caught as an idea took shape. But how to get there?
“We should tell Uncle Daemon about this,” Titian said. “He wouldn’t approve of these disciplines. I know he wouldn’t.”
“We have no proof that we’re being given these orders and not making them up on our own,” Zoey protested.
“We could have proof tomorrow or the next day.” Titian took Zoey’s hand. “It’s possible, even likely, that Jhett, Arlene, Laureen, or I will be in the Territory Queen’s court tomorrow. Whoever is in the Territory Queen’s court should offer to burn the instructions. Kathlene, Felisha, and Azara don’t want to do this any more than you do. If a Queen tells someone to burn the original instructions and that person doesn’t do it, then she’s not risking her whole court being punished—because she wasn’t the one who disobeyed.”
“That risks the person who didn’t follow orders.”
“Not if the person takes those instructions to Uncle Daemon before anyone else finds out. And if I’m not the one who is in position to take that paper, I’ll go with whoever has it, because he’ll listen to me. He always has.”
Zoey swallowed hard. She could do this. She would do this. “We should get advice from someone who doesn’t live at the Hall, just in case these disciplines are intentional.”
“Who?” Jhett asked.
Zoey called in a small velvet pouch and removed one gold coin. She held it up. “This mark of safe passage grants me an audience with the Queen of Ebon Askavi. I’ll tell her what is going on here and ask what we should do.”
Titian blinked. “How are you going to get to the Keep?”
“I’ll get there. And I’ll ask someone who can get there a lot faster than I can to go with me.”
Grizande opened her bedroom door and stared at Zoela Queen.
“May I come in?” Zoela Queen asked, her voice hushed.
When Zoela Queen slipped into the room, Jaalan bounded toward her, then stopped when Grizande didn’t give him the signal that this girl was a friend.
“I need a favor,” Zoela Queen said. “I need your help. Can you drive a Coach on the Winds?”
“I can.” Hard to read this girl-Queen. Afraid. Uncertain. But also strong. “Why ask . . . ?” She made a gesture to indicate herself.
“You wear Sapphire, so you could get us there faster than I could travel on my own. And you’re a strong warrior. An honorable witch.”
Grizande studied Zoela Queen. A trap? She didn’t think the girl-Queen knew anyone in Tigrelan. “Where we go?”
“Ebon Askavi.” Zoela Queen held out a gold coin. “I can use this to request an audience.”
“You go to ask wisdom of the Queen who is more than a Queen?”
“Yes.”
A need strong enough to approach Witch? Fear and strength. That made sense now.
“When?”
“Tonight during the quiet hours, after everyone retires and before the first servants report for their duties.”
She’d need help getting a Coach they could use. Which made her wonder . . . “You friend of Daemonar’s sister. Why not ask him?”
Zoela Queen swallowed hard. “He’s a Green-Jeweled Warlord Prince. When someone finds out we’re gone, there might be trouble that could end with someone getting hurt. Daemonar might be needed here to help protect . . .”
To protect his sister, among others. That made sense too. If Daemonar sounded the battle cry, not only would Green step onto the killing field; the Black would join him.
Grizande turned to the pendulum clock and pointed at the number three. “Come to landing web. We go then.”
“I’ll be there.” Zoela Queen hesitated. “Thank you.”
Using the excuse that Jaalan needed garden time, Grizande escorted Zoela Queen out of the glass doors that opened to the inner courtyard. While Jaalan took care of his business, she watched the girl-Queen hurry back to her own room—and the friends waiting for her.
There would be trouble over this. She just wasn’t sure where the trouble would fall.
Daemonar paused for a moment before opening his bedroom door. Only one Sapphire in the Hall, so this wasn’t one of the girls—or one of the boys—who might be looking for a little romance.
“Grizande.” He spread his wings enough to block the doorway.
“Need help.” Quietly spoken words filled with fierce determination. “Need a Coach. Small.”
“Why?” When she hesitated, he gave her a lazy, arrogant smile. “Darling, if you want my help to leave the Hall, you’ll have to tell me why.”
“Zoela Queen needs wisdom from Queen who is more than a Queen. I can drive Coach. I take her to Ebon Askavi.”
Hell’s fire. Uncle Daemon was going to bounce off the ceiling when he heard that. And yet . . . Not a solution most people would consider, but requesting wisdom from the most powerful Queen in the Realms was certainly an active effort to deal with the additional instructions the Queens had been given.
“I’ll get the Coach and bring it to the landing web,” he said. “When?”
“Tonight at . . .” Grizande held up three fingers.
“Okay.”
“You look after Jaalan?”
“You’ll be back by the evening meal. I’ll look after him until then.”
She looked doubtful about getting back that day. He had no doubts at all since he figured Lucivar would be the one driving the Coach back to the Hall.
And once the Demon Prince and the High Lord teamed their skills and tempers to deal with this problem . . . Wouldn’t that be fun?
“Get some sleep,” he said. “If you’re going to be driving a Coach on the Sapphire Winds, you need to be awake and sharp.”
He dozed more than slept. Judging the time, he dressed in warm clothes, went to the building that held the Coaches, and roused one of the men who was on night duty in the stables that held the mares and a couple of foals. He could have taken the small Coach without help, but telling someone he was taking it would cause less trouble in the morning.
There was going to be enough trouble without adding more.
At three o’clock, Daemonar stood outside the Coach he’d positioned on the landing web and waited for Zoey and Grizande. He didn’t wait long. Grizande looked like a warrior prepared for battle. Zoey looked like she was running ahead of an avalanche and wasn’t sure she’d get away.
“A Coach this size is meant for short distances, so it doesn’t have a toilet,” he said, watching Zoey. “I did borrow a bucket from the stables in case one of you needs a container.”
Grizande shot him a look. Yeah, they both knew who might need it.
“There’s also a jug of coffee, a jug of juice, and some food I took from the auxiliary kitchen.” He focused on Grizande. “Eat something if you can.”
“Thank you, Daemonar,” Zoey whispered before she entered the Coach.
“I take care of her,” Grizande said.
He smiled. “I know you will . . . sister.”
She looked startled. Then she gave him a fierce smile, entered the Coach, and closed the door.
He moved away from the landing web but stayed nearby until Grizande used Craft to lift the Coach off the ground and catch the Sapphire Wind.
He’d give the girls a head start before he woke up Uncle Daemon and told him Zoey and Grizande were scampering off to the Keep to have a chat with Witch.
SIXTY-FOUR
It wasn’t reasonable to expect a return letter so soon—Saetien wasn’t even sure her letter had reached SaDiablo Hall yet—but she still felt disappointed that there wasn’t anything for her in the morning delivery of letters and messages. Then again, she’d been tired and angry when she’d written the letter, and she didn’t quite remember what she’d said, remembered only that she’d been angry with Butler about neglecting his garden. So maybe her father didn’t think it was worth a reply.