Bluebirds Without Wings | Julie and the Phantoms

New Places

Julie got dressed a few hours after dinner. Luke still seemed adamant about taking her, but he didn't bring it up as if he was hoping that she'd forget about it. Julie didn't. When the sun was completely down, and she knew Carlos was asleep, she peeked out her door and saw Reggie and Luke thumb wrestling. When she opened it, they separated and slid back to their sides of the hall.

"I know you guys mess around here," Julie laughed at them. Reggie sheepishly chuckled, and she realized she had never had a conversation with him. She looked at Luke and said, "Are we going?" His face fell in almost horror, and it amused her.

"Reggie said no," Luke stammered out of nowhere, pointing at the knight across from him.

"I did not, Your Highness," Reggie crossed his arms. "If anything, I'll go with you guys. There was this girl there, and I want to see if she's there today." Julie looked at Luke who was mouthing things to Reggie, his eyebrows furrowed, and Reggie mouthed back, his hands up in defense. She couldn't read their lips from the side.

Luke looked at Julie and then turned his eyes up at the ceiling. "Princess," he started. "We'd have nobody to guard the Prince, and if someone comes up here and see's us missing, it'd be a big deal." Julie then remembered that someone in the castle owed her a favor.

"Wait here," she told them and started walking away. She could hear Luke mutter an oh no, and it made her smile. She walked downstairs and peaked at the faces of a few guards and two knights who bowed to her when they saw her. She thought it was nice that Luke and Reggie didn't do that. They probably weren't taught to, and she wanted to keep it that way.

There was a lot more guards at the castle now that the knight academy was expediating their training that was meant to last years. And according to a certain maid, it meant that he was working at the castle again. This time, with a guard uniform.

She walked to the glass door in the sunroom, stepping outside. A young blond met eyes with her and grinned. "Julie," Nick said. She forced him to drop the title when they were kids.

"Hi, Nick" she told him, grinning wide. She forgot how warm he made her face get when he was around. "Remember you owed me a favor?" she asked him. He nodded, showing her his wrist where he still had his late father's watch. "Well, I'm here to cash it in."

"Like I said," he gave a mock bow, "anything you need."

"Follow me," Julie said, taking his hand and leading him away. She knew it was dangerous to leave that door unprotected, but she needed it that way if she wanted to get out. She led him down the hall and into a secret passage so the other guards wouldn't see. Nick squeezed her hand in the process. She tried to ignore the flutter in her chest, not wanting to revive the feelings she had killed more than a year ago. It took her long to do so. She didn't squeeze it back as much as she wanted to.

"What am I doing exactly?"

"Keep watch of my brother for a bit. I'm sneaking out and taking his guard."

"Since when are you a rebel?" Nick chuckled.

"A few hours ago."

She let go before they got to the second floor, remembering Luke's handsome face, anxiously risking it all against his will. She knew nothing would happen to him or Reggie if they got caught. But she needed to get out. Somewhere she hadn't seen. It'd be like finding a new bird for the season. Not just another crow or woodpecker.

Luke was watching them closely at they approached, looking Nick up and down. "He's your solution?" He sounded rude, but she figured it was his fear. Reggie was behind them, texting away on his phone and ready to go, changed out of his uniform already.