the hobgoblins had disappeared down the hall before I even breathed. I figured I could take them, but I didn’t want to beat up random strangers. Besides that, they could make noise and alert everyone else in the palace, including Oren.
I stepped out from underneath the staircase and almost ran into Loki. He leaned casually against the stairs, his elbow resting on the railing, and his legs crossed at the ankles. I nearly screamed, but I caught myself, knowing that drawing further attention to a bad situation would only make things worse.
“Hello, Princess.” Loki grinned at me. “Couldn’t sleep?”
He and Ludlow had been calling me “Princess” from the beginning, and I thought they were taunting me about my standing with the Trylle. But I realized I was their Princess, too, and he was actually giving me some form of reverence.
Unfortunately, I knew that my title pulled no weight with him. Right now, I was a prisoner too.
“Yeah, I just… I needed something to eat,” I fumbled up an excuse.
“A likely story,” he said, and his expression became skeptical. “If only I could believe you.”
“I haven’t had anything to eat all day.” While that was actually the truth, my nerves had my stomach too racked to even think about eating.
“What do you plan to do?” Loki asked, ignoring my insistence about hunger. “Even if you find the dungeon, how will you get them out?”
“I won’t, now. You’re gonna run and tell on me, aren’t you?” I studied his eyes, trying to get a read on him, but he looked as amused as he always did.
“Maybe.” He shrugged as if he hadn’t decided yet. “Let me hear your plan. It’s probably not even worth me telling anyone.”
“What makes you say that?” I asked.
“You seem like a self-saboteur,” he said. I opened my mouth to protest, and he laughed at my obvious indignation. “Don’t take it personally, Princess. It happens to the best of us.”
“I’m not going to stop until I get my friends out of here,” I told him firmly.
“Now that I believe.” He leaned in towards me. “This all goes so much easier when you’re honest.”
“Like I’m the one being devious,” I scoffed.
“I haven’t lied to you yet,” he said, sounding oddly serious.
“How do I break my friends out of the dungeon?” I asked him, testing his claim.
“Just because I don’t lie doesn’t mean I’ll answer you,” Loki smiled.
“Fine. I’ll find them myself.”
I felt confident he wouldn’t stop me, although I didn’t know why he wouldn’t. If Oren found out that he was even indulging my plans for escape, I’m sure it wouldn’t bode well for him.
When I brushed past him, walking down the corridor to where I thought the main hall was, he followed me. His pace matched mine easily, even though I tried to walk quickly.
“You think it’s this way, do you?” Loki asked, with a teasing lilt in his voice.
“Don’t try to confuse me. I know my directions. I don’t get lost,” I lied. I got lost a lot. “Isn’t that a Trylle affinity or something?”
“I don’t know. I’m not Trylle,” he replied. “And neither are you.”
“I’m half Trylle,” I said defensively.
Why was I defending it? I didn’t even want to be Trylle, or Vittra, or anything. Plain ordinary human had suited me just fine my whole life. Now that I found myself in this quagmire of ethnicity, I felt strangely protective of Trylle and Förening. Apparently, I cared more than I thought I did.
“You’re rather feisty for a Princess,” Loki remarked, watching me as I walked purposefully down the hallway.
“How many princesses have you met?” I countered.
“None.” He tilted his head thoughtfully. “But the King isn’t feisty at all.”
“I must get it from my mother then,” I said.
When we reached the main hall, I wanted to jump up and down, but it didn’t seem appropriate. Besides, I’d only found the doorway to the dungeon. I still had to actually rescue Matt
I stepped out from underneath the staircase and almost ran into Loki. He leaned casually against the stairs, his elbow resting on the railing, and his legs crossed at the ankles. I nearly screamed, but I caught myself, knowing that drawing further attention to a bad situation would only make things worse.
“Hello, Princess.” Loki grinned at me. “Couldn’t sleep?”
He and Ludlow had been calling me “Princess” from the beginning, and I thought they were taunting me about my standing with the Trylle. But I realized I was their Princess, too, and he was actually giving me some form of reverence.
Unfortunately, I knew that my title pulled no weight with him. Right now, I was a prisoner too.
“Yeah, I just… I needed something to eat,” I fumbled up an excuse.
“A likely story,” he said, and his expression became skeptical. “If only I could believe you.”
“I haven’t had anything to eat all day.” While that was actually the truth, my nerves had my stomach too racked to even think about eating.
“What do you plan to do?” Loki asked, ignoring my insistence about hunger. “Even if you find the dungeon, how will you get them out?”
“I won’t, now. You’re gonna run and tell on me, aren’t you?” I studied his eyes, trying to get a read on him, but he looked as amused as he always did.
“Maybe.” He shrugged as if he hadn’t decided yet. “Let me hear your plan. It’s probably not even worth me telling anyone.”
“What makes you say that?” I asked.
“You seem like a self-saboteur,” he said. I opened my mouth to protest, and he laughed at my obvious indignation. “Don’t take it personally, Princess. It happens to the best of us.”
“I’m not going to stop until I get my friends out of here,” I told him firmly.
“Now that I believe.” He leaned in towards me. “This all goes so much easier when you’re honest.”
“Like I’m the one being devious,” I scoffed.
“I haven’t lied to you yet,” he said, sounding oddly serious.
“How do I break my friends out of the dungeon?” I asked him, testing his claim.
“Just because I don’t lie doesn’t mean I’ll answer you,” Loki smiled.
“Fine. I’ll find them myself.”
I felt confident he wouldn’t stop me, although I didn’t know why he wouldn’t. If Oren found out that he was even indulging my plans for escape, I’m sure it wouldn’t bode well for him.
When I brushed past him, walking down the corridor to where I thought the main hall was, he followed me. His pace matched mine easily, even though I tried to walk quickly.
“You think it’s this way, do you?” Loki asked, with a teasing lilt in his voice.
“Don’t try to confuse me. I know my directions. I don’t get lost,” I lied. I got lost a lot. “Isn’t that a Trylle affinity or something?”
“I don’t know. I’m not Trylle,” he replied. “And neither are you.”
“I’m half Trylle,” I said defensively.
Why was I defending it? I didn’t even want to be Trylle, or Vittra, or anything. Plain ordinary human had suited me just fine my whole life. Now that I found myself in this quagmire of ethnicity, I felt strangely protective of Trylle and Förening. Apparently, I cared more than I thought I did.
“You’re rather feisty for a Princess,” Loki remarked, watching me as I walked purposefully down the hallway.
“How many princesses have you met?” I countered.
“None.” He tilted his head thoughtfully. “But the King isn’t feisty at all.”
“I must get it from my mother then,” I said.
When we reached the main hall, I wanted to jump up and down, but it didn’t seem appropriate. Besides, I’d only found the doorway to the dungeon. I still had to actually rescue Matt
Similar Books
