Wild Knight (Midnight Empire: The Tower #1)(67)

I dropped onto the sofa with a soft thud. My back was twinging and my legs ached. I peeled off my boots and examined my filthy feet. If the queen worried about Davina’s bare feet on the clean floors of the palace, I’d hate to know what she thought of mine. I wiggled my toes. My body cried out for a warm, soapy bath. Five more minutes.

“I’m sure you’re wondering why I gathered you all here,” I joked. Multiple sets of eyes stared back at me, waiting.

I emptied the bag of coins from my satchel. I already had a regular hiding spot for valuables, but it was too small for my other acquisition.

I contemplated the Elemental Stone currently staring back at me from inside the curio cabinet. I opened the door and retrieved it. I needed a better hiding spot than in plain sight. It was too risky to leave such a powerful artifact on display, not that I entertained often—or ever.

My mother taught me the myths of many cultures when I was a child. One of my favorites was about Zeus and his mother, whose name she shared with mine—Rhea. My mother would be pleased to know I hadn’t forgotten the story. Even more than that, she’d be pleased to know I’d copied one of Rhea’s cleverest moments and made it my own.

In the myth, Rhea is fearful that her husband Kronos will swallow their infant Zeus because of prophecy. To prevent this, she swaps the baby and swaddles a stone to leave in his place. Kronos swallows the stone instead and doesn’t discover the deceit until it’s too late and Zeus grows up to overthrow him.

I crossed the threshold into the kitchen and opened the pantry. The flour container was the right shape and size. As much as I hated to waste the flour, it was the best option. I’d ward the container as well as the pantry door. Heaven forbid someone wanted to bake a cake in my kitchen.

As I submerged the stone into the remaining flour, the vibrations of magical energy tickled my skin. A vision flashed in my mind’s eye. Symbols danced, suspended in midair like marionettes tugged by invisible strings. I didn’t recognize any of them. I needed time to learn as much as I could about the stone. Maybe if I kept it close by for long enough, the stone would eventually whisper its secrets in a language I understood.

I secured the lid and hoped the decoy I’d left at the palace did its job. If my deceit was ever discovered, it didn’t matter how much the Highland Reckoning wanted to get into my pants. I was a dead knight walking.