Julian and I ran all the way to Nicholas’s room. I knocked on the door, but there was no answer. “Maybe he’s asleep,” I said. “See if it’s locked,” Julian said. I tried the handle. The door opened at once, pushing inward. Together, Julian and I stumbled into the room. Then, I gasped. Furnitu

Despite what Nicholas had said, by the time Julian came rushing back with an onslaught of guards, Nicholas and I were back in his rooms. Nicholas had gone into the bathroom to shower and change. I sat just outside, a towel in my hands, wiping the blood off of my face. Julian stayed with me while t

“Okay,” I said. “Um, so how do we trap Jane?” I looked at Julian. He’s typically the master of schemes. I expected him to have a few up his sleeves. Right now, however, he seemed a bit blank. He shook his head, as if to recover. “We just need to lure her in… if we could… prepare a closet to trap h

“I guess that’s that,” Julian said, and snaked his arm away from me. Nicholas looked at the dark opening in the wall, a stern expression on his face. I felt powerless. There was nothing I could say to replace a father’s love. With the King’s absence, Nicholas spoke more truthfully. “This escap

After bringing the cookies to Elva and spending some time with her, I set out again, this time in search of Nicholas. My intentions were dual purpose. I wanted to speak with him as Julian suggested, as well as check on his wounds. He was a fast healer, but his bruises were many. I’d rest easier wh