Page 57 of Death of a Mortal

My heart jumped at the sight—it could only be from the prince. No one else in the castle wrote me notes.

Meet me at your folding station tonight at 11 p.m. And wear thepurple slip.

-V

The butterflies swarmed in my stomach as a different kind of heat built further below.

I would see the prince tonight. And he would see me…in the slip again.

The small clock in the corner by the fireplace told me I had a little over two hours until Varyn would be in just the next room over from where I lay.

So I spent the time thinking about how to get him to show me the castle blueprints without lying to him or feeling like I was using him. I didn’t want to do either of those things, but I couldn’t waste another day trying to find my mom.

I would find the dungeons on those blueprints one way or another. And it would be tonight. And once I knew where they were, I would make a plan to go to them as soon as possible.

I’ll be there soon, Mom.

* * *

When the clockwas nearly at eleven, I took the folded slip out from under my pillow and silently slipped out of bed, pausing at the foot of Nella’s bed. She was breathing slowly and deeply. I passed the other sleeping ladies on the way to the bathing room, where I stripped out of my bedclothes and pulled on the purple and black slip. I cinched it and put my bedclothes back on over.

Surely the prince didn’t expect me to put the dress on to sneak around the castle with him.

With one last glance in the mirror, my heart raced, knowing he was likely already waiting for me.

But he wasn’t. On the walk back through the bedroom, the clock showed it was already three minutes past.

But I waited another minute or so by my laundry station…until my heart fell.

Was he not coming? Why get me out of bed only to not show up?

There was a creeping fear that I had misread his interest in the garden fountain. Maybe it was just the wine.

I was feeling like a fool when the door finally opened, and there he was, wearing a smile and plain gray pants, along with a loose, button-up white shirt with several top buttons open.

Despite how good he looked, I crossed my arms and whispered, “You’re late.”

He just pressed a finger to his lips and held out a hand for me to take.

We left the laundry room, my hand held in his, and he guided me through the silent castle, stopping at each corner and peering around before continuing. Once, we had to backtrack and take a different route because two guards approached while making their rounds.

It was cute that the crown prince had to tiptoe around his own castle at night. I was sure that was only becauseIwasn’t allowed to roam, but that made the night feel more daring—that, and what I was wearing.

Once we made it to the library, we slipped inside, my eyes going wide with surprise. Varyn locked the door behind us with a large brass key from his pocket.

It was dark, only the light from the full moon and stars outside the massive windows offered any light. But even in the semi-darkness, my heart lifted instantly being surrounded by so many books. So many stories. So many people and events, plots and schemes. Endless worlds and experiences. It was wondrous and mysterious.

“No one should interrupt us here at this hour, but just in case, we’ll hear anyone try to come in. Hello, Naci.”

I loved the way my name sounded drifting over his luscious lips.

“You were late,” I repeated, not intending to let him off the hook so easily.

He gave me a half-grin. “How many minutes?”

“At least six.”

“Well then, I will have to make it up to you in at least six ways.”