Page 39 of Sands of Atonement

When I asked the nice woman where they were, she informed me that Ezra was on a business trip and I would not be able to see him anytime soon. Why did he own a fighting arena, and why was he going on business trips when Qahl duties were here in Urnaz? What was he doing with his time?

After calculating the times the servants would check on me, I decided it was safe to venture out for the first time.

If I were lucky, I’d find Ezra and kill him.

First, I had to find weapons. I decided as I braided my black hair away from my face.

Using my marbled needle, I slid the latch off and got myself out, barring it back shut.

The woman servant had brought me extra clothes—no doubt thanks to Casimir. I got rid of my Priestel outfit and exchanged it for a plain white linen dress, snatched around the waist.

I remember from the times I had played hide and seek with my brothers and Casimir that the Qahl quarters were at the very back of the palace. Through the marbled hallways, I made my way to the courtyard in the very center of the palace.

He was such a stick-in-the-mud. Ezra caught Casimir, Kavid, and me playing a game of run and punch. One person had to find the rest and had to chase them down until they punched them in the arm. Whatever. Totally inappropriate for a princess like me, but we were on vacation. Okay, not really. We were visiting Urnaz to discuss terms–again–whatever that means. And here Ezra was, hands on his hips, staring at us in the middle of the palace hallway like he was disappointed in our mere existence.

“Casimir. I looked everywhere for you before the meeting this morning.”

Cas pursed his lips but said nothing. Coward.

“Kavid. Your father is waiting for you with Yonam.”

Kavid’s face turned bright red. Pansy.

Ezra’s eyes slid to mine. And he just shook his head at me. I rolled my eyes.

“You will never be able to tell me what to do, you empty sand-brained prince,” I said to Ezra. Kavid and Cas’s eyes went impossibly wide. I flipped my hair over my shoulder for the extra effect and stormed off.

Sure, I acted like a ten-year-old, was immature and all, but there was no way in hell I was going to let my enemy tell me what I should or should not be doing. Father would be proud.

With slow and controlled movements, I watched the area for any particular royal members and found no one but a few guards walking about.

I stayed behind the outdoor columns and walked through the outer courtyard, under the shade and in the coolness of the breeze floating through. The taps of my sandals echoed softly on the marble floor.

Glancing up, I headed toward the gates of Ezra’s quarters. The double doors were open under a large archway, and I passed through. I entered his private wing and was stunned by how dark and how beautiful it was. The inner walls guarding this courtyard were covered in ivy and jasmine vines, and large olive trees filled the area, almost blocking out the sunlight from the path I walked. It looked like a miniature palace, but if it was half underground.

As soon as I cracked the door open, darkness welcomed me, and my eyes noticed the long green velvet curtains shutting out the light.

More like a dungeon.

Dark tapestries filled the empty spaces in the hallways, making it so my footsteps would not echo.

Perfect for me.

I heard voices down a hallway on the right, but none that I recognized. In a split second, I decided to go up a staircase. I kept myself glued to the wall.

I was a butterfly. Quiet, just fluttering through and, of course, doing so beautifully.

As soon as I hit the second floor, I followed the only hallway in front of me. My heart pounded—I was intruding in his space, and I loved it.

I loved that he had no idea I had escaped. I loved how easy it was to do it and how easy it was to enter his quarters.

The long hallway continued into another; several doors lined each wall.

The guards’ presence in it indicated his room was here.

The whistling sound I made bounced off in the opposite direction from where I stood and distracted the guards from the door that blocked Ezra’s chambers. The guards looked at each other once before leaving their post in search of the suspicious sound.

I crept forward, thanking Garamgai silently in my head for his numerous techniques. The door was locked, but of course, I assumed it would be and came prepared. I placed the wooden key I made with the three beads on top and inserted it into the door hole. I wriggled the wooden key until I heard a click. I lifted the key, but that didn’t work.