Chapter 217

Seph had never been more terrified in her entire life. Her hands were shaking so badly, she’d hardly been able to get the key in the lock to open the door that led to the staircase she needed to take to reach the highest point in the castle, the North Tower. Wearing Eli’s black cloak did little to camouflage her while inside Wrenbrook, so she’d kept it slung over her arm. Several times, she’d heard footsteps in the hallways and had had to duck into alcoves or behind decorations to keep from being seen. Guards and servants were the only ones up this time of night, and while the latter would likely pay her no mind, she had no desire to be seen by the former.

She’d had to climb up several other flights of stairs to reach the ones she was on now. The higher she went, the more likely it was that anyone she encountered would be a member of the Queen’s Guard or the military, and not a friendly face at all. It was still dark outside, but there were soldiers on watch all hours of the day and night, and she was certain they would even be patrolling these stairs to make sure no one had access to the roof who wasn’t meant to be there.

Such as a viscountess looking to swap the flag of Yewforia for a red flag of rebellion.

She reached the top of the staircase and drew in a deep breath, hoping this door would be left unlocked since anyone wishing to get in would have to have accessed the stairs at the bottom, and that door was fastened tightly. Slipping the cloak on, she quietly leaned against the thick oak and cursed under her breath when it didn’t budge. She’d have to rely on the master key again, and her hands were still shaking, probably now more than at the bottom of the stairs.

Voices echoed up the long staircase from the bottom. Seph knew she’d have to hurry or else she’d be discovered by whomever was coming up. It sounded like two men, and chances were they were Queen’s Guard. The staircase curved a few times, and she couldn’t see a light behind her, but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t discover her soon if she didn’t get out onto the roof, and even then, she’d have to be careful.

Praying the hinges were well-oiled, she managed to get the key in the lock and turn it. The door opened with a low groan, and she heard the footsteps behind her stop. “Did you hear something?” a voice said.

Unwilling to stick around and find out the answer, Seph darted out the door, glancing around the sides of the black hood she wore, praying no one was watching the door on this side of the roof.

She saw no one, but she did hear voices again, off in the distance, and the sound of footsteps. She was at least two hundred paces from the battlement that surrounded the North Tower, and she’d need to use a rudimentarily ladder to reach the highest point of the castle, make her way across the landing, then lean over the side and grab the flagpole, pull it over, switch out the flag, and put it back. All before heading right back down the same staircase she’d nearly been intercepted on.

Nothing at all easy about this mission.

Her heart still beating out of her chest, she ducked around the corner from the door she’d just exited, hoping the soldiers wouldn’t see her when they came through. She’d barely found a spot in the shadows to duck into when the door burst open behind her, and two men came running out, swords drawn, looking around in hopes of determining who had unlocked the door.

After a good inspection of the area, one of them, the shorter of the two, said, “Perhaps Lig left it unlocked. He does that from time to time.”

“Perhaps,” the other said. “Only, I thought I heard footsteps at the top of the stairs.”

“It may have been the ghost of Eliason Goedwig,” the other joked, and they had a good time laughing and poking each other in the ribs as Seph tried not to vomit or scream at them in a rage. They truly hadn’t discovered, yet, that Eli was alive, and the man they’d killed was an innocent bystander.

Glad when the two shuffled off, Seph took a look around and surveyed the situation. She could still hear guards talking on the other side of the roof, to her left. To her right stood the battlement she needed to reach. The wind was sharp, and the castle roof here was only thirty feet or so wide. It should’ve been plenty of room, but running in a strong breeze while trying to dodge those who would have her head made her conscientious of falling to her doom. The parapets were nothing to be trifled with; there wasn’t much to keep one up if a person stepped too close to the edge of Wrenbrook’s outer walls.

Deciding the men to her left were deep in their conversation, Seph looked for a place to move to on her right. She saw plenty of shadows cast around the battlement itself and a few other spots that jutted out of Wrenbrook between her and them where she could potentially take refuge as well. The castle rooftop twisted and turned, the walkways narrowed and widened, and the North Tower guarded it all.

From what she could tell, it was currently unmanned. Eli had mentioned there was a possibility a guard may be stationed there as a lookout, but since most of the available men were out searching for Remont, he had hoped there would be less stationed here. Seph had been praying that would be the case because she could hardly lure a soldier away from his post, or even worse, dispatch him.

As she reached the near side of the battlement, the side away from the ladder, she heard footsteps coming her direction, followed by low voices. She coward down in the shadows next to the tower, but it wasn’t much cover, and anyone walking by could likely see her if they were so inclined to look.

A few moments later, a group of soldiers came even with her, passing on the south side of the tower. Seph held her breath and kept her head down so that she would appear to be a mass of black, should any of them look. A cloud passed over the sliver of moon, making the night even darker, a gift from the Goddess of Sky. Eventually, their voices and footsteps passed by her, and Seph tentatively raised her head to see they were military, not Queens’ Guard. Still, not anyone she was looking to run into.

Peeking out behind the tower, she saw that she had a clear chance to duck around the side and head for the ladder. She could see a group of soldiers standing in a row, further down the roofline, but all of them were looking out over the castle grounds. As long as none of them glanced in her direction for the next few minutes, she should be fine. Even then, with the moon hidden and a dark cloak, she might not be seen.

Deciding it was now or never, Seph scurried around the corner, heading for the ladder. It was only twenty or twenty-five rungs high, and since she was wearing boots with a low heel, she should be fine, so long as her skirts or cloak didn’t hang her up. Without letting her fear get in her way, she began to pull herself up off of the relatively safe rooftop, fighting the wind and the staccato of her own heart.

She made it to the battlement and slung one leg over and then the other, glad to see the interior floor was much higher than the exterior so she only had a three foot drop to the ground. But before she let go of the top of the castle wall, she had a look around and realized she wasn’t alone.

There was a guard.