Natalie took a deep breath and plunged forward, just as Mallory's reflection winked out and the guard turned back to his game. The three of them looked up when she barreled in, the expectant looks on their faces turning puzzled when they saw her, a kitchen girl. Or at least she hoped that's what they saw when they looked at her.
She cleared her throat nervously, and then said in a rush, "I just saw it! There's a human girl down there who has it. She attacked me!"
Natalie touched her left cheek, where the serving girl had scratched her. She didn't have to fake how her hands trembled, or how her voice was an octave too high. "She was...she was trying to get information out of my boyfriend and I thought—I attacked her and saw it!"
One of the soldiers got to his feet slowly. The other two were exchanging amused looks, which sent a bolt of alarm through Natalie. It didn't occur to her that they might not see through her disguise, but they also might not take her seriously. Thankfully the third soldier seemed concerned. His dark brows were creased, and he took a step forward, holding out his hands as if he were trying to calm a spooked horse.
"Slow down, girl. What does she have? What are you talking about?"
"The necklace!" Natalie forced exasperation into her voice. "What else would a human have? She has the necklace."
Now the other soldiers did look more alert. One of them started to stand and then paused, half out of his chair. "Are you sure she was human?"
"You're mistaken." The one still sitting looked Natalie up and down with a scornful air. "It was a trinket. Something from the market."
"You know counterfeits are illegal." Now it was the concerned soldier's turn to look scornful. "Come on, Baron. Who would risk that? You two get down there. Where did you see this girl?"
"She was running toward the kitchens." Natalie made sure to gasp the words, sagging against the wall. "I'm sorry, I ran all the way here."
"It's fine." The soldier waved her away. "You two get down there, I'll stay on post."
Natalie's heart sunk. She watched the two soldiers pass her, grumbling to one another and exchanging rebellious looks. She made sure to stay in the same position, bent over slightly, one hand clutching her chest as if winded. What the hell was she supposed to do now? Of course, it had been silly of her to expect them all to rush off together. Of course one would stay. But she hadn't planned further than this.
Her mind was racing as the second ticked by, and she fixed her gaze on the stone floor, staring to panic. There was a shuffling sound, and then the soldier said, "Are you okay? You can't catch your breath?"
Shit.
Natalie started to straighten up, to open her mouth to make up some ridiculous lie. She didn't even know what, something that would allow her to get past and see her mother, and then there were footsteps in the stairwell again, and her heart rocketed into her throat. The soldiers were coming back, she hadn't thought they would discover her lie so fast. She had to get out of here before—
A figure rounded the doorway, taller than either of the soldiers had been, dressed in a black silk jacket.
Edward.
Natalie stared in astonishment. Edward looked like a real silk merchant. His coat was long, and split into graceful tails at the ends, embroidered around the collar. The dark silk was the same color as his hair.
She must have been staring with her mouth open, because Edward shook his head ever so slightly. Thankfully the soldier wasn't looking at her, his gaze was fixed on Edward, his hand resting on the sword at his belt. "Who are you? What's going on down there."
"Silk merchant," Edward said shortly. He glanced back over his shoulder briefly. "I think I might have what you're looking for. I found this on the floor at the bottom of the stairs, but I didn't want to turn it over the queen without confirming it's the real thing."
He took a step forward, and uncurled his fist. Something glittered in the center of his palm. The soldier moved toward them, hand falling away from his sword. His eyes lit up, and Natalie thought she saw greed in them. No doubt he pictured himself taking the necklace from the silk merchant stupid enough to show it to him first. If he turned it over to the queen himself the reward would be substantial.
The soldier reached out for the necklace in Edward's hand. As he did, Edward moved fast. Faster than the soldier, leaning forward to snatch the short dagger from the man's belt. He flipped it around and swung it toward the other man's temple. There was a sickening crack as it connected, and the soldier slumped sideways and hit the floor with a thud, the necklace clattering to the floor from his limp hand.
Natalie flinched, and straightened from her crouched over position on the wall. "What...? I thought you weren't allowed in."
Edward grimaced down at the knife and then tucked it into the narrow black belt at his waist. "The guards are very slack right now, all it took was waiting for a shift change."
For a moment Natalie only stared at him, a million questions on the tip of her tongue. Before she could ask any of them Edward sighed. "I came to help. You have no idea what kind of guard your mother has. You'll never get past him without me. Now, come on."
Her mouth dropped open. Edward had come back specifically to help her. To free her mother. It seemed impossible. Before she could ask him what had happened, why he had changed his mind, he turned and begun walking down the hall.
"And this doesn't mean I like you."
The corridor to the north tower was long and winding, and the hallway branched into two toward the end. They avoided the left branch, hearing the sound of soldiers talking up ahead.
"Hopefully it's this way," Edward muttered. He led them up a second set of spiral stairs.
The stairs leveled out into a narrow hallway, which opened onto a walkway that would take them outside. At the end of the walkway there was a tall, narrow tower with a wrought iron door in the center. Her heart tried to cram its way up into her throat. This had to be it. She started forward, and then Edward caught her arm, bringing her up short. Natalie glanced up at him, annoyed, but he wasn't even looking at her. His face was grim, and he stared straight forward, down the hall. "Wait," was all he said.
She waited, still and silent. A minute went by it seemed, and Natalie was about to ask exactly what they were waiting for, when there was the brisk thump of boots on the stones, and a man passed by the entrance of the tower. He was short and fairly slender, with pitch black hair and pale skin, and he wore the same style coat as the soldiers, though slightly longer, more form fitting and elegant on his slender frame. The silk was red with a black slash through it instead of the other way around. He moved to the door in the tower and inserted a faded brass key into the lock, slipping inside, shutting the door behind him. Natalie blinked. There had been something strange about him. The way he moved and held himself. She realized it a moment later, and felt ridiculous that it had even taken her that long.
"Is he...human?"
Edward said nothing. When she turned to look at him she was surprised to see how pale his face was. His grip on the dagger in his belt was so tight that his knuckles had gone white.
It only took her a moment to patch the details together. The man's black hair and pale skin, the fact he was human...
She hesitated. "Edward, is that..."
"My father." Edward had begun to creep forward. "Queen's lackey and world class torturer. No doubt he's been assigned to your mother to try to get her to give up the location of the necklace. Or maybe to get her to make a new one."
World class torturer. Natalie's stomach twisted. No wonder Edward had issues with his family. "We have to get in there now."