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Hector’s men cheer softly all around us, and we separate, both of us wearing sharins "That was for just in case," I say

"Promise me you’ll live," he insists "Because when this is all over, we must discuss how you soer stand for it"

I reach up to trace his jaith ers "I’ll promise to live if you will"

His lips press into a fir

Tristán declares his men ready, and I step over to wish hiht?" she says as she adjusts her robe "And then no ain"

"Just one ht

Belén joins us "Ready?" he says to ht be your last chance, Mara," he says "Say you’ll marry me"

"You know I can’t"

He smiles sadly "Worth a try" He leans over and kisses her cheek, then takes roup

I stare across the cavern toward Hector, shoring azes The rest of the world fades away, and without saying a word, we say good-bye

Then he and histo the catacombs, and the rest of us climb the stairs toward the Wallows

If Blacks Nicalao’s Royal Guard, is surprised to see us, he does not show it He ushers us all inside his shop, bars the door, and lifts the trapdoor that leads to the tunnel and the king’s suite in the residence wing

"Is there anything I can do, Your Majesty?" he asks in a soft voice that belies his enoruard this tunnel as always," I tell hiht are unsuccessful, we may need it to make a quick escape"

He knocks his chest with the flat of his fist, indicating a sworn oath "I’ll leave a candle burning at the base of the stair," he says "If it is a white or ivory candle, the way is clear If it is any other color, the exit has been compromised"

"Thank you, Mandrano"

"Go with God, Your Majesty"

We file down the stairs one by one--about twenty of us Captain Lucio takes the lead; Belén and I are somewhere in the middle The tunnel is dry and dusty and reeks of rodent urine Last ti Godstone blue I try not to think about it

The tunnel takes us under the palace and winds us through stone walls in a series of rickety steps No one speaks, and ince at every groan and creak of the stair, for beyond the wall are servants’ quarters, a busy laundry, storerooms, offices So many opportunities for the denizens of the palace to hear so odd in the walls and raise the alar that dead-ends in darkness Lucio holds up his candle, revealing a wood-panel wall He presses so more dark, empty space My late husband’s wardrobe All we have to do is walk through the double doors to find ourselves in Alejandro’s bedroo for silence No one dares to breathe

We all hear it Footsteps Men’s voices, pitched low The clink of glass and decanter

So’s suite

Captain Lucio gestures frantically, et back!" and we retreat on tiptoe into the dark Once we are staggered on the stairs a safe distance from the wardrobe, Lucio says in a low voice, "Majesty, we assumed the suite would be unoccupied"

"It has to be Eduardo," I murmur "It has to be"

"It’s a bold ’s suite," Belén says

I stickIf Eduardo has clai’s suite for his own, it is undoubtedly filled with attendants, h the hallway and take each suite one by one, blocking the Eduardo’s rooms for last But we can’t pour out of a wardrobe into an occupied suite without raising the alars the monastery bells," Lucio says

Which means we can’t wait for the palace to sleep If I hadto reduce the number of people in that room and improve our chances

"We’ll squeeze as many men as we can into that wardrobe," I say "And wait When that bells sounds, we still wait We’ll have to be patient Hector and Tristán will cause a ruckus eventually, and people will leave to find out what’s going on"

"What if it is the conde in there?" Belén says "We don’t want hirasp"

My heart thuds I just caet away Everything hinges on capturing or killing hiht stairwell is growing hot andscuttles nearby, probably a rat, though I hope to never know

Finally a gruff voice I don’t recognize says, "We just need to storape into the dark, in the general direction of his voice I’m about to protest, insist we’ll find another way, but so else At least we have the element of surprise"

Murn and clumsy I’ve always made decisions based on efficiency, on as little loss of life as possible Never have I considered a plan that I kneould result in heavy casualties

"Majesty?" says Lucio "Do we prepare to charge?"

The word lodges in e

Back up the stairs we go, toward the wardrobe Lucio puts a hand up to stop me when I try to follow after Belén "You’ll enter last, Majesty," Lucio whispers in my ear "After we’ve cleared the room Otherwise the co for the hundredth time that I still had the power of the zafira at my call I could have frozen everyone in that room where they stood I could have burned them to ash I could have reached in and stopped their hearts

Soldiers filter into the wardrobe It’s large, , and more than half fit inside The rest stand with ive us the coe