Page 8 of Of Masks and Fury

I strode into my bedroom, Pherin fluttering behind me to land on my bedpost.

After stripping off my outfit, I brought Trew’s tunic up to my face, inhaling deeply. His scent was faint now, but still there. That warm, masculine smell that was uniquely his.

I folded it and hid it at the bottom of a chest, beneath gowns I would never wear again, whispering to the empty room, “Wait for me, Trew.”

I tugged on dark leathers I’d worn for my training sessions with Thorne. Armed myself with blades. This princess was not playing at rebellion. She was a warrior preparing for a mission.

Hours dragged as I paced, sending Pherin to scout patrols, my mind racing through escape routes if caught. The castle slowly fell quiet, sinking into the deep slumber of night. I pressed my ear to the door, listening. Outside, I could hear Victor’s steady breathing. Asleep?

“Can you check on him for me?” I whispered to Pherin.

Shift and maul?she asked.

Just see what he’s doing.

She launched from my shoulder. As she flew out the window and in through one further down the hall with an open door, something strange happened. My vision lurched, doubled, and then I was seeing the corridor from above, swooping through the air on her silent wings.

The sensation made my mind spin and my stomach lurch, like I was being pulled along by an invisible rope in a stiff gale. Pherin hadn’t only gone to scout, she’d somehow dragged me with her through our bond.

With her eyes, I saw Victor sitting with his back against the wall, breathing easily. His hand rested on his sword hilt, and his eyes were mere slits, watching my door.

Awake.

The vision snapped back to my own perspective so abruptly I had to grip the wall to steady myself. Pherin flew in through the window and landed on my shoulder, pressing against my neck.

Trap.Her thought whispered in my mind.

How did you do that?

Share travel whenever you need.

Thank you.Such an amazing thing.

Pacing my room, I gave it more time, sending Pherin again to check. Finally, Victor’s head started bobbing. When it dropped to his chest and remained there, I raced to the door and got down on my knees, tugging my tools from my pocket. I pictured the tumblers inside, the small metal pins holding the lock in place. With a light touch, I wiggled a tool around the pins, trying to get them to release.

We explore?Pherin asked.

Indeed.

I nudged the pins and one by one, they eased to the side. With a nearly silent snick, the lock slid open. I held my breath, listening. Silence stretched thin as spider’s silk, ready to snap at the slightest touch.

Yet Victor’s breathing had changed, going lighter, more irregular. The darkness around me pushed closer, like the walls were leaning in to listen.

A floorboard creaked under his weight. He was moving.

After urging the pins back into place, I stood and pressed myself against the wall beside the door, not daring to breathe.

The handle turned one way. The other.

While my pulse thundered in my throat, his footsteps moved away. He settled with a grunt.

I waited until my hands stopped trembling and snores rang out from the hall before unlocking the door again and cracking it open. A quick look showed him sitting on the floor, asleep.

Go with.Pherin nudged my neck.Never alone.

A lump formed in my throat.

You’re a sweet bird,I told her.