I pushed the panel to Eve’s room so the door popped open, then tiptoed inside, closing the portal behind me. The room was dark and undisturbed, still stale from the last conversation that was held in here. I could almost feel the tension and confusion lingering within the very air I was breathing. It seemed nothing in here was ever affected by time, not even memories.
I shook it off and walked across the room to the bookshelf disguising a secret door that led down a stairwell and into a tunnel that would take me to the small Lilithian village, Lamia, on the other side of the island. From there, I’d be able to speedily run back here and seek out Morgaine—free from a certain giant Mike-alike. Sure, it was a great length to go to, but this was Falcon I was running from—not Quaid. It took great lengths just to stop him hearing me take a pee in the bathroom every day.
Dust gathered under my fingertips as I traced the spines of the old books, feeling for the loose one. When I pulled back on it, though, it shifted downward, but the secret door didn’t open. I pulled again and again, finally giving up with a little groan. Clearly, it would take greater lengths to escape Falcon than I realised. The door was sealed in place, like it was unlatched or the connection had just disintegrated over time.
“Damn it,” I huffed, looking down at my summery dress. The only option left now was to jump from the window, and hope no one saw me do it.
I quietly unhitched the wooden panel from the loose nail over the window and laid it to the ground, peering out through the glass. The coast was clear, but the distance from here to my clear coast was a pretty big drop. Had I been better at math, I might have even been able to guess exactly how far it was, but it didn’t matter. I had to jump because I just had to talk to Morgaine. So, here I sat, butt on the window ledge, feet dangling over the second story drop, taking a mouthful of air to give me courage.
“You’re a vampire, Ara. Just jump,” I told myself.
Myself didn’t move.
“Fine,” I said. “I’ll throw you.” And as I was about to slip easily off the ledge and drop to a graceful landing, the air wrapped my feet and legs and hands, and came out of my gob in a long scream. The ground rose up too fast—way too fast for me to calculate the angle of my feet against the speed of attack.
I covered my eyes, readying myself for the impact, when a neck-twisting jolt sent shockwaves through my bones, a large pair of hands wrapping my ribs and falling under my knees before the ground smacked my hiney.
“Goddamn it, Ara,” Falcon growled, placing me gently on the ground.
“Where did you come from?” I gasped, pulling my dress down to cover my undies.
“Never mind that.” He stepped back and rubbed his head, cursing under his breath. “You scared the living hell out of me. What were you thinking?”
I looked up at the window, and the wavering ghost of Eve smiled down at me, covering her mouth. “I . . . I was trying to escape you.”
“You should know better than that by now, Ara.” He straightened up, rolling his shoulders back. “I mean, Your Majesty.”
I laughed. “You didn’t need to rush in all white-knighty and save me. I would have been okay if I’d hit the ground, Falcon.”
“I know. And if I’d given you about two more seconds, you would have corrected the fall, but I wasn’t willing to risk it.” He rubbed his hand firmly across his heart. “No offence, but if you’re gonna turn yourself into royal stew, do it on someone else’s watch.”
“I’m sorry. It’s just—”
“Just?”
“I think someone pushed me.”
He looked up at the window, taking a quick step forward. “Who?”
Eve pressed her finger to her lip.
“No one.” I looked back at Falcon. “I’m stupid. I just fell, is all.”
“Ara,” he said, issuing me one raised brow. “I follow you for eight hours every day of your life. You’re not stupid. And you didn’t fall. So don’t try to play dumb with me. Who pushed you?”
I bit my lip. He’d never believe me.
“Eve?” he suggested.
My mouth fell open below wide eyes, and when my head whipped up to the second floor window, Eve was gone. “You saw her?”
His gaze slowly came back down to mine. “No.”
“Then how did you. . .”
“I’ve seen you talking to thin air—heard you say her name.”
And a sudden rush of panic flooded me. “Falcon, you can’t say anything to Da—”
“I won’t.” He held up his hand, stopping me right there. “Everything you do, say, or see, is privileged information, Majesty.”
“But not to Mike. He’s—”
“He’s not the one I report to.”
“Then . . .” I stood a little taller. “Who is?”
“Me.”
I frowned.
“I’m acting Head of Queen’s Guard.”
“Really?”
“Yes.” He nodded once. “They report to me now.”
I couldn't believe my ears. “Why did Mike put you in charge?”
“Because he has other things to do—more important than worrying about what you’re doing. He has an entire Knight’s Core to run.”
“Whoa.” I placed my hand on my brow, blowing a puff of air out through one corner of my mouth. “That is messing with my head.”
Falcon laughed. “Well, it’s how things are now. And if you ever—” He held one finger up in emphasis, “—attempt an escape like that again, I will quit my job and put Mike back in charge. Got it?”
I saluted. “Yes, sir.”
“Right. Now.” He grabbed me very gently by the arm and led me into the shadows closer to the manor. “Where were you going, and why?”
“I can’t tell you.”
“Actually, you can.”
“No, I can’t.”
He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. It amazed me how much he was like Mike, with his sandy blond hair, his bulky frame, his warm eyes that were quite smiley when he wasn’t looking at me, and the sternness that afforded him command of the room without solicitation. “Can you give me a chance?” he said.
“A chance?”
“Yes. A chance, Ara.” He stepped closer to make his point. “I’m a member of your personal council. I’m your bodyguard and the one man responsible for your overall safety. I’m trusted by both your husband and, more importantly, your overly-protective best friend.” We both chuckled softly. “If Mike can trust me, maybe you can give me a chance, Ara. Because in order for me to keep you safe, I need to be sure you won’t try to run off on me when you have something you want to do but don’t think I’ll approve of. So. . .” He took another long breath. “Let me earn your trust.”