The maid stiffened, hands clenching as if she might strike, thoughher expression seemed fearful. “Can I assist—”
“No, thank you.”
Thana frowned and moved to the door, looking out but seeing noone. What were they both so afraid of?
“Shall I…” The maid glanced at the bags. “Shall I inform theduke?”
Sylph frowned hard. “No.” The word practically had ice drippingoff it.
The maid took a step back. “I shall,” she whispered.
“No!”
With a gasp, the maid dashed for the door, pulling up shortbefore she hit Thana.
“Stop her,” Sylph said.
Something about the panic in her voice made Thana obey. She stuckher arms out to the sides and lamented her lack of a mind pyramid. Then shecould have hypnotized her instead of moving from side to side to block her.
All at once, the maid gasped in pain and collapsed. Sylph stoodbehind her, holding a candlestick as if ready to strike again.
“What in the spirits’ names?” Thana said as she fell to her kneesbeside the maid. She let out a breath in relief as the woman’s chest continuedto rise and fall.
“She’s a spy for my father.” Sylph lifted a bag and her jewelrycase and nodded toward the bags on the bed. “Bring those, too.”
Thana grabbed two more bags and stumbled after her. She tried notto think of the downed maid, of why a father might set spies upon his daughter;it must be something else from the secret lives of nobles. When the queenplanned secret killings, anything was possible. “What will your father think ofyour note now that it comes with an unconscious maid?”
“I don’t know,” Sylph said over her shoulder. “He’ll figure outthat someone helped me. If he finds out about my…power…he’ll know that it’syou.”
Thana glanced at her as she took the lead, wondering if that wassome kind of threat, but Sylph hadn’t lost her pale, panicked look. “I’lljust…have to lie low,” Thana said. If she could have given herself a skepticallook, she would have. There was no more hiding now. Gunnar might try to helpher, but the queen might sooner be rid of her. After all, once she’d consideredkilling one person for the sake of the peace, what was one more?
At the stables, Sylph’s breathing had quickened nearly to thepoint of panting. Thana ordered a groom to saddle one horse. Sylph looked ather with such a stricken look, it broke her heart.
“Please,” Sylph whispered. “Please come with me.”
Thana had never heard such a heartfelt plea. “I…” She couldn’tjust leave her life behind no matter how shitty it currently seemed. She triedto say that aloud, but her voice wouldn’t work. She told herself to think ofhow often Sylph had pissed her off, but the haughty noble who’d made her crazyseemed miles from this frightened creature.
Thana hadn’t turned her back on Sylph yet. Why start now?
She sighed long and loud. She would have liked to pack a bag ofher own but supposed Sylph had enough clothing for both of them. She orderedanother horse.
Sylph’s eyes still swam with tears, but her hopeful look spoke ofgratitude rather than sorrow. Thana had the strongest urge to kiss her, but shepushed it down just as she’d pushed down all her feelings of passion.
“Follow me,” Thana said when the bags were secured to thesaddles, and they were finally ready to set out.
Sylph nodded without argument, managing only a soft, “Where arewe going?”
“Not far.” She didn’t want to say it aloud even though no onerode near. It seemed prudent not to mention pyradistés unless she had to,especially as she was headed toward the most powerful one she knew, the head ofthe Pyradisté Academy.
Thana might be able to get away without clothing, but if she wasgoing to defend them both, she’d need pyramids.
* * *
All her life, Sylph had felt as if the wind was simply blowingher along. Each day had been incredibly ordered. No decision had been hers. Itled to a different kind of numbness than the one that came from too muchfeeling. Most of the time, she’d felt nothing at all.
Now she seemed mired in decisions. She’d left her life, herfather. She’d hit her maid over the head, for spirits’ sake. She was completelyadrift. No schedule, no spies.
No father.
How in all the spirits’ names could she exist without her father?
“Are you all right?” Thana asked.
“I’ve never been…” Sylph didn’t even know how to say it. Thatterrible word, alone. But she wasn’t alone. She had Thana, the one person who’dever cared about her enough to risk life and liberty. And Sylph didn’t knowwhat to say, was afraid to speak in case more of her father’s words came out,and she cut this delicate cord between them.
“It’s all right,” Thana said, and there was that compassion inher eyes again. It simply appeared as if summoned. How could she just…care?
Sylph stared at her saddle. How could she feel so drawn to Thanaand still so afraid? It couldn’t last, couldn’t be real. Thana wanted to keepthe palace safe from Sylph’s power. True enough, but in her heart, Sylph knewthat wasn’t the only reason Thana was helping her.
Thana didn’t want her to get hurt.
Should she apologize again? For not having the right words?
“Where are we going?” she said instead, grasping for any othertopic. “Shouldn’t we be…hiding or something?”
“The Pyradisté Academy,” Thana said softly. “I need pyramids andinformation. As for hiding, we have a little time. I have no doubt that peoplewill begin looking for us shortly, but Marienne is a huge city, and they won’tknow where to start even after they discover we left together.”
Sylph supposed that made sense. And her father certainly wouldn’texpect her to go to the Pyradisté Academy. An entire building full ofpyradistés? The mad peasants currently running wild? Her father would equate itwith a den of thieves and murderers. Sylph shut her eyes to banish suchthoughts. She might be out of her father’s reach at the moment, but how longwould it take to banish him from her mind?
And what would she be when she did?
“It’s not much,” Thana said. A quick glance revealed that herdefensive look was back.
