Storm of Shadows (Lumineers 1)

CHAPTER 33: A NEW PLAN

Tabby sat at Elias's kitchen table with Midnight and Steiner. Dawn had broken hours ago. Steiner had returned with Midnight and the cart, after dumping the bodies. According to Steiner, the Spectrum hadn't learned of his disloyalty like he'd first believed. He'd covered his tracks well and killed all those who'd seen him there in the corridors the night of her torture. They'd gotten out through the secret tunnels before Ghost's return. In the meantime, Steiner had received a message from Ghost himself, with instructions to lie low. It was better than they could have hoped for.

"So let me get this straight," Midnight said. "We sneak into the palace, find Hubert, confront him, and kill him."

"It would seem the best option," Steiner mused. If the plan sounded vague, that's because it was.

Midnight shook his head. "This whole idea is absurd. Even if we get to him, he won't admit to anything, certainly not to being Ghost." Midnight slouched in his chair, arms crossed, doubt written on his features. He'd been against this from the beginning. "Ghost is the High Mask. He didn't get there by being a coward."

"Tabby is right," said Steiner. "We can't just flee Chroma now that we have a name. Not yet. We must follow this lead, even if it's a dead end."

"And if it's a dead end?"

"Let's cross that bridge when we reach it."

"What about Flint and Sin?" Tabby broke her silence, looking between them. After their bout of torturing on the roof, at least they weren't as testy as they had been. A small mercy. But they still glared at each other from across the table.

"Neither will be a problem," said Steiner. "I can take care of them."

"Both?" She sat up straighter. "Chester Bates heads up the king's royal guard. He's not going to be easy." A realization crept up on her. If they needed to infiltrate the palace, Bates would be useful.

"Saunders will be a quick kill. Bates will be useful," Steiner said, as if reading her mind. "I'll want to question him. But I can't promise he'll shatter."

"They always shatter," Midnight said.

Steiner nodded. "You two spend today studying the palace. See if you can find anything useful. Anything we can use to plan."

She angled her head. "What's there to plan? We pose as guards, in and out in a couple of hours, no one will bother stopping us. Bates can help with that."

Lightborn Palace was the most well-protected building in Chroma. Its walls were twenty feet tall, with guards stationed all along the parapet. No one entered without special clearance. And especially not now in preparation for the upcoming coronation. Once inside the palace, there were guards in every hallway. None of them had spent much time scoping out the palace security—there'd never been a need to. But as guards, they'd blend in.

"There's only one problem. There aren't female guards at the palace," Midnight said.

"Well...maybe I'll disguise myself as a male."

"You should go in as a servant, a maid," Steiner said, earning a snort.

Playing dress up in a maid's outfit was the last thing she wanted, but they were probably right. She didn't have the correct build to pose as a male guard. And who would suspect an innocent maid?

They spent another hour planning, going over various scenarios, before Steiner took his leave, giving them instructions to meet him at eight that evening.

***

Tabby and Midnight set out for the center of the city, grabbing meat pies from Marleys on the way. He admitted to their superiority, much to her delight. She checked in with her little street urchins, all overly eager to discuss the news of Prince Edwin's ascension to the throne and more missing teens. The thought of what was happening just outside of Chroma turned her stomach, but that was a problem for another time.