Page 13 of The Princess of Portals

“I know.” I smirked at him.

“There’s just one problem,” he said. “You have only ten minutes until you’re scheduled to meet Yara at the Tea Hut.”

I glanced at my watch, frowning when I realized he was right. Crap. Ten minutes wasn’t nearly enough time for the Knights to get here. And it would be positively stupid to go alone to meet Yara, aka the Nightingale, aka deadly-hunter-who-has-way-more-magic-and-experience-than-I-do. I needed backup, and I needed it now.

If I was late to meet Yara, like any good hunter, she would retrace my steps until she figured out that I not only knew where Ren was, I was withholding that information from her. That wouldn’t go over well. The scenarios were still forming in my mind, but they went anything from Yara figuring out where Ren was, to Yara not figuring out where Ren was and threatening innocent people until I told her what she wanted to know.

There was only one way forward. I had to stop Yara before any of that happened. I had to meet her at the Tea Hut, subdue her, and capture her. And I had…I glanced at my watch…just over eight minutes to do it. The Knights were too far away to help, but I had another idea. There was someone else who could help. Someone who was much, much closer.

CHAPTER 6

PLAUSIBLE DENIABILITY

Having a plan was all well and good, but having a backup plan too was even better. In my short but eventful time at the Fortress thus far, I’d seen way too many plans fly right out the window. I wasn’t about to leave anything to chance. So I called the Castle to let Kato know there was an evil hunter in our midst. My call was rerouted. Instead of Kato, I got Senator Gaines, interim head of the Castle.

“Miss Winters, what have you done now?”

Senator Gaines didn’t even know me, and this was how he greeted me? Nice. He must have read the General’s reports on me.

“We have a situation on our hands, Senator.”

I quickly summarized the situation. Alchemist on the run. Hunter in pursuit. Gaia caught in the crossfire.

My story went over about as well as I’d expected.

Senator Gaines sighed. “You can’t go even one day without causing trouble. Not one day.”

I was very tempted to point out that I hadn’t caused any of this trouble. I hadn’t sent hunters after Ren. I hadn’t run off to Gaia with Dellondré’s most famous warrior. I hadn’t bought exploding magic lanterns at the Black Market.

Well, actually, I didn’t mention the exploding magic lanterns to the Senator. Then I’d have to admit to visiting the Black Market, which in addition to eliciting more huffing and puffing from him, would lead to more questions about the merchants who worked there. I’d promised Tak and the others that I wouldn’t whisper a word about them to the Government, and Senator Gaines was about as ‘Government’ as they came.

“So you stuck your nose where it didn’t belong, and now you expect me to rescue you?”

Wow. When he put it that way—and I couldn’t believe I was even thinking this—I actually missed the General.

Thankfully, reason set in before I shared my thoughts. But, oh boy, was I ever tempted. The General was gruff and grumpy and hated all teenagers as a matter of principle, but at least he didn’t let any of that get in the way of his doing his job. Senator Gaines had been in charge of the Castle for less than a day, and I was already counting the hours until the General’s return. Assuming he did return.

I took a deep breath and counted back from ten. It didn’t make me feel any calmer, but it did keep me from blurting out the first thing that came into my head, which I guess was the whole point.

“I’m very sorry to bother you, Senator. I know how busy you must be. I meant to call Kato. I think my call was misdirected.”

Conner, who was walking beside me, let out an amused snort. I gave him a shushing gesture, praying the Senator hadn’t heard him. If he learned that I was consorting with Rebels, it would only throw fuel on the fire.

“Your call wasn’t misdirected,” Senator Gaines said. “I told them to connect you directly to me if you called.”

“Buy why?”

“You’ve been missing for nearly three hours, Miss Winters. Surely, you didn’t think your absence would go unnoticed.”

“Missing? I had the afternoon off.”

“And just look what you did with it. I don’t think you’ll be getting any more afternoons off, Miss Winters.”

I could almost see him sitting there in the General’s office, twirling his mustache. Wait, did Senator Gaines even have a mustache? Well, if he didn’t, he should. One hundred percent.

“If I could just speak to Kato⁠—”

“He’s busy.”