Page 22 (1/2)

But there was no gap The as shut tight I pressed on it, but it was either locked or stuck beyond my ability to open it

I wondered what I should do Tap on theand get Roden and Tobias to let me in? They’d certainly tell Mott or Conner and I’d face a terrific punishment for that

As it turned out, I didn’t have that decision to make Tobias sat up in bed and looked directly at me, then a wicked smile spread across his face He arched his eyebrows, as if asking what I intended to do about this problem

I held out both hands, then pointed to theHe shook his head slowly, then rolled over and lay back down again

I looked at Roden, but if he ake I couldn’t tell He wasn’t facing , except for a slow rise and fall of his body I wondered if he was a part of Tobias’s trick Roden and I had agreed to sabotage Tobias Maybe Roden also e me If so, it would leave him free of both of us as threats It would be a clever plan, and I alht of it

I leaned ainst the stone wall of Farthenwood and balancedbefore thethe house for a dayti out of time

A few of the servants’ ere open, but it didn’t seeh any of the up soon Besides, then I’d have to get all the way upstairs and past Mott or whoever stood guard outside our roo seen

Conner’s as slightly open That would at least get ht floor Then I could keep watch and hope for a sleeping servant guarding my door, or an easily distracted one As risky as it was to use his room, it was my best choice Maybe my only choice

Conner had a small balcony outside his roo open during a wind gust, but thebeside the balcony was opened enough to let a slight breeze through Thegave easily when I pressed on it It was er than thebymy body into his roo time to be sure of the rhythm of his sleep, the depth of his breaths and their cycle He snored softly, which I appreciated because it gave ht make

His wide canopy bed was draped in so much fabric, it was difficult to see his body The sounds of his snoring would have to be enough to assure e, I’d spent h the roo ht on it I kne to open a door, a closet, or a drawer so that it didn’t create a sense of movement in the room And I kne to stay invisible

At least, I kne to do it there

Here, it was a little more complicated I wasn’t familiar with the layout of Conner’s rooht to ith

Conner’s rooe for only one man, but he was the master here, so if this was the room he wanted, it was his On one end of the roo the far wall for his many fine clothes Near me was a cushioned chair where he could look out over the balcony onto the back lahile he sipped a ht were rows of shelves filled with books He had so many more in his office below that I couldn’t help but wonder if he’d actually read all these books, or were they h man I was briefly curious about the titles, about what books he studied Then Conner ible in his sleep and rolled over It was tiht One of the proble what I’d find on the other side Was his rooht servant? A nobleman’s often is, but I wouldn’t know until I opened the door, and there was a stiff penalty for guessing wrong

Then in theat a possibility I’d suspected, but not yet proved The fringe on a hanging tapestry was pinched betalls Conner had told us earlier that he knew all the secrets to Farthenwood I hoped this hat he had meant Either the interior walls were uncoeways