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“Wait” He ran to the door as a flurry of scratching noises sounded outside “They’re co”
“What?”
He opened the door and her cat raced inside, hissing
“They’re corab her sash and knife
“Zoltan!” She leaped out of bed “You must leave!”
He slammed the door shut, bolted it, and handed her the knife While she slipped it back into the sheath attached to her leg, he quickly knotted her sash together “Put this back on and tie it over the other knot so it won’t show”
She grabbed the sash “Stop worrying about me Get out of here now”
He looked about the room “I don’t want you to be in trouble”
“Zoltan, they’ll kill you if they find you here” She quickly tied the sash “Go out the back !”
He grabbed one of Frederic’s books off the wooden chest and handed it to her “Tell them you couldn’t sleep and ca in bed”
Voices shouted outside, followed by the screeching sound of swords being pulled from their sheaths
Panic seized Neona, and she shoved Zoltan toward the back
“I’ll be fine,” he whispered, pausing to grab the plastic container of food off the floor
A fist pounded on the door
“Neona!” the queen shouted “Open this door!”
“Just a minute” Neona made sure Zoltan was at the backbefore she slid the bolt She cracked open the door “Is there a problem?”
Queen Nilanced over her shoulder, but Zoltan was gone
“Who was here?” the queen demanded as she circled the room, her sword drawn and ready
Neona lifted the book in her hands “I was just—”
“No one outside” Winifred paused in the doorway
“Did you check this ?” Nima pointed her sword at the back
“I did” Freya stepped into view outside and peered at the, but no one came out”
Ni here? Why does the owl keep telling me there’s an invader?”
Neona sed hard “I’ve been having trouble sleeping” At least that , and now she’s not there So I caht help”
Her mother’s eyes narroith suspicion
Freya gave her a sympathetic look “I’m sure it’s hard on you I don’t knohat I’d do if I lost Freddie”
Winifred nodded “It was bad enough to lose our mother and Farah”
Queen Nihed “We had the cabin surrounded We would have seen so with that owl lately Freddie, put the fire out, then you and Freya take a quick look through the woods”
“Yes, your majesty,” the tomen murmured
“Neona, take the book ho the valley in the ht”
Neona followed her lanced toward the woods, wondering if Zoltan was running to the nearest village He had a good head start, so he should be able to arrive without Freddie or Freya catching him
But they had surrounded the cabin She glanced back at the house How had Zoltan ed to escape?