Аманда Хокинг - Torn

“Of course I’m going to come with.” He bristled and quickened his pace. “I’m not about to let you talk to him alone.”

“Thanks for your concern, but I will be alright.” I looked over at him. “I don’t want to get you in any trouble or anything. If you need to stay, that’s okay.”

“No, it’s not okay.” He gave me a hard look. “It is my job to protect you, Princess.

Not the other way around. You need to stop getting so caught up in my safety.”

We reached the staircase at the same time a booming knock came from the front door. Nobody ever knocked. They always rang the doorbell, which sounded like very loud wind chimes.

Stranger still, Elora came into the rotunda, the long black train of her dress dragging on the marble floor behind her. She was by herself, and she went over to the front door. Before opening it, she glanced behind her.

I ducked down behind the banister before she saw me, and Duncan did the same. Through the wooden lattice, I saw Elora clearly as she looked about the room. Her face was smoother and younger than when I had seen her the other day, but her hair had two additional streaks of bright white running through it.

“Why is she answering the door?” Duncan whispered. “And she’s without a guard?”

“Shh!” I waved a hand at him to shush him.

With the coast appearing clear, Elora opened the front door. A gust of icy wind blew inside the hall, and Elora had to grip the door tightly to keep it from slamming back.

A woman slid inside as Elora pushed it back, fighting the door with as much grace as she could muster. A dark green cloak hung over the woman’s head, shielding her face from us. Her burgundy dressed appeared to be satin, and the hem pooled around her feet, looking tattered and wet from the elements.

“So good of you to make it in this weather,” Elora smiled at her, that tight condescending one.

She smoothed her hair, making it lay so it covered up the white streaks better.

The woman said nothing, and Elora gestured to the upstairs, which didn’t make sense. The South Wing on the main floor was where all the business was conducted. Elora was directing the guest to her private quarters.

“Come,” Elora said as she and the woman started walking. “We have much to discuss.”

I grabbed Duncan’s arm and dashed across the hall before Elora began ascending the steps. The only thing at the top of the stairs was a small broom closet, and I opened the door as silently as it would let me.

Once inside, I shut the door almost all the way, leaving a small gap for me to peer through. Duncan was pressed against my back, trying to peek out the crack too, and I elbowed him in the stomach so I could have some room to breathe.

“Ouch!” Duncan winced.

Quiet! I snapped.

“You don’t need to shout,” Duncan whispered.

“I di-” I was about to tell him I hadn’t shouted when I realized I hadn’t said anything at all. I’d merely thought it, and he’d heard me. I’d done the mindspeak trick that Elora always did.

Duncan, can you hear me? I asked in my head, trying it out, but he didn’t say anything. He just stood on his tiptoes and looked over my head.

I would’ve tried again but I heard Elora reaching the top of the stairs, and I turned my attention to her. Elora stood between her guest and the broom closet, so I couldn’t see her guest’s face. Besides that, she still had that green cloak up.

I waited a few beats after they passed before pushing the door open. I leaned out, looking down the hall at their diminishing figures. They walked past the room where a tracker stood guard outside of Loki’s cell, but that was the only guard on the second floor.

The main floor was crawling with guards. I usually had one or two in my vicinity, but otherwise, the second floor was empty.

“Why would Elora bring someone up here?” Duncan asked, stepping out from behind me to watch them.

“I don’t know.” I shook my head. “Do you know where they’re going?”

“No, the Queen doesn’t invite me into her personal space,” Duncan said.

“Yeah, me neither.”

I decided that I needed to trail the Queen and find out why she was being so secretive. I slunk along the wall, staying as close to it as I could. Duncan came with, and we looked like a couple of Looney Toons characters trying to hide behind skinny trees and small rocks.

Elora pushed open the massive doors at the end of the hall, and I froze. That was her bedroom, or at least that’s what I’d been told. I’d never actually been there before. I pressed myself against the wall as flat as I could go, and when Elora turned to shut the doors behind her, she didn’t look up.

“What the hell is she doing?” I asked.

“I could ask you the same thing,” Loki said, catching me off-guard.

His room was only a few doors down from where Duncan and I attempted to hide against the wall. Loki leaned on the doorframe, as far out as he dared go anymore, and his guard glared at him when Loki spoke to me.

With all my attention on Elora, I’d forgotten Loki was down here. I stepped away from the wall and stood up straighter, smoothing out my damp curls as best I could.

“That’s really none of your concern.” I walked slowly and purposely to him, and he smirked at me.

“It’s all the same to me, but you and your friend there -” Loki nodded to Duncan, “- looked like a couple of Acme Spy School dropouts.”

“I’m glad it’s all the same to you.” I crossed my arms over my chest.

“But I am curious.” Loki’s forehead crinkled with genuine interest. “Why are you stalking your own mother?”

“Princess, you needn’t answer his questions,” the guard said, giving Loki a sidelong glance. “I can shut the door, and you can be on your way.”

“No, I’m quite alright,” I gave him a polite smile, before turning my severe gaze on Loki. “Did you see who my mother was with?”

“No.” Loki’s smile grew broader. “And I’m guessing, neither did you.”

“Princess, this really doesn’t seem all that relaxing,” Duncan interjected.

“Duncan, I’m fine.”

“But Princess-” Duncan! My mindspeak kicked in again, surprising me, and I hurried to use it while I still could. I turned to face him. I’m fine. Now please escort this guard somewhere else.

“Fine,” Duncan sighed. He turned to the guard. “The Princess needs a moment alone.”

“But I have strict orders-” The guard started to disagree.

“She’s the Princess,” Duncan said. “Do you really wanna argue with her?”

Both Duncan and the guard seemed reluctant to go. As they walked away, Duncan stared at me, and the guard continued to sputter things about how much trouble he’d be in if the Queen found out.

“I see you learned a new trick,” Loki grinned at me.

“I’ve got more tricks than you’ll ever know,” I said, and Loki arched an approving eyebrow.

“If you want to show me a few tricks, my door is always open.” He gestured to his room and moved to the side, in case I wanted to step in.

I don’t know exactly what I was thinking, but I took him up on the offer. I went inside his room, narrowly brushing past him as I did. I sat down on his bed since he didn’t have any chairs, but I sat up as straight as possible. I didn’t want to look comfortable or give him the wrong impression.

“Make yourself at home, Princess,” Loki teased.

“I am at home,” I reminded him. “This is my house.”

“For now,” Loki agreed and sat down on the bed. He made sure to sit close to me, and I scooted away, leaving two feet of space between us. “I see how it is.”

“Tove told me about you,” I said. “I know how powerful you are.”