Fly or Fall

Chapter Thirty-Two

The palace was quiet, filled with an earwigged silence tolerated like a whispered conversation. Beams from the risen Ulah moon trickled through the windows and cast blue light across the long corridors. Sage pressed her back against the wall when she heard the low creak of the infirmary door. She waited until she heard the soft click of the door being closed shut before she dared to peer past the corner. Hidden within the depths of a black cloak, Layla Echowood peered down the hall. Sage caught a glimpse of Layla's charcoal grey eyes as they glinted in the light of the moon before she started down the hall.

Sage followed after her, making sure to stay within the shadows and a good distance away to prevent discovery. She moved fast and with practiced stealth. She'd forgone her armor for tonight. Spying was better done without the weight of three pounds of metal slowing her down and restraining her movements.

She'd been watching Layla all day under the pretense of checking up on her sister. Layla hadn't done much of anything yet, other than sleep. But Sage was certain it'd be only a matter of time before she made a move. She'd waited. Now as the hour neared midnight she was on the move.

Layla moved through the servant halls, avoiding the main hallways which were patrolled by both palace and Kuth guards. The number of guards had been increased around the palace since the kidnapping. The empress was panicked, worried for the safety of her children. She had guards stationed in front of each of the young royal's rooms at all hours of the day and refused for them to move freely without escorts. It'd been nearly impossible to get a minute alone with Val all day.

Layla turned down a passageway that led down to the kitchens as soon as she'd reached the ground floor. Sage thought she knew where Layla was headed; there was a service exit through the kitchens, it led out to a rather secluded path away from the palace. If she timed it right she could slip past the guards during a shift change. If Sage wasn't mistaken there was one scheduled in a few minutes. However, her theory proved false when Layla stopped midway through the passageway, in front of a tapestry of the goddess Atrina, the goddess of rain. She was depicted on her knees, her face turned to the heavens and her arms spread wide as she embraced the falling drops. Layla checked the passageway, Sage ducked between the indentation in the wall, before she pulled the tapestry away to reveal a secret door. She pulled a key from a hidden pocket in her cloak.

Sage waited and watched as Layla slid the key into the lock and turned it, then quietly pulled the door open. She disappeared through the door. Sage gave her five minutes before she came up to the door. She made a silent prayer to the gods that Layla hadn't locked the door behind herself. The gods were listening. Sage gently turned the door handle and it clicked open.

The door opened up to a dark spiral stone staircase. Sage stood at the top staring down into the abyss below. She couldn't see to the bottom of it but she could hear Layla's slightly muffled footsteps as she descended the stairs. She couldn't be far ahead of her. Taking unsteady steps, keeping close to the wall she started her descend.

Sage was certain she was almost to the bottom when she saw the low flicker of light. Layla stopped when her name was whispered into the dark. "Layla," the name was spoken with such familiarity, as if the voice had said it countless times before.

Sage stopped where she was, too cautious to get any closer. She heard Layla's relieved sigh before she heard her ask, "Did they find her?" There was a desperate plea to her voice.

The other voice, deep but soft, said, "I'm afraid not."

"They will," Layla sighed. "She won't be able to hide for long."

"Are you certain you want them to?"

"I'm not certain of anything at this point but," she paused, "what is done is done. I made my choice."