its wide eyes large as two moons. It cooed softly, a pleasant sound, like it recognized her.
“Shh.” Star waved back the bunnyfly. She could see Princess Bellanina wrapped in blankets like a rosebud, sleeping soundly in her bed.
The bunnyfly moved restlessly in the basket, stirring up sparkles as it jumped, front paws dangling on the edge. The basket wobbled, threatening to fall over.
“No,” Star whispered. “You stay still.” Cursing her situation, she tiptoed closer to the foot of the princess’s bed, where she kneeled and comforted the bunnyfly, running her hands over the smooth velvet fur on its back. The animal nestled back down into the basket with a sleepy chirp.
Swiftly, Star glided around the bed toward the door. The princess shifted, but did not wake. Star held her breath as she opened the door to the hallway, praying the metal hinges wouldn’t creak. It opened silently, allowing her to slip through.
She closed the door behind her and collapsed against it, finally letting her breath loose. Messengers were not trained for stealth, nor were they trained to scale walls or find secret tunnels. She was way beyond her expertise.
Thankfully, the late hour ensured no one walked the hallways. Star searched door to door, trying to decipher the room belonging to Valen. The princess had her name engraved on the door, but each room that came after hers did not have any identification at all.
Further down the hallway she found a door painted with Valen’s name in silver letters. Star stared in indecision. Her plan seemed like an excellent idea until now. She’d scaled the fortress walls, fought a great flying beast, navigated a secret spy tunnel and now she couldn’t knock on a door. What was wrong with her? Had she come all this way to hide like a schoolgirl?
She wondered if he slept in there at all. What if someone else occupied his room that night? What if his room had changed? If she knocked, then the substitute would answer, call out the guards and she’d be thrown in the dungeon or on the streets, in the same place she was before all of this.
Star tried the knob and it turned with no protest. Her pulse quickened as she opened the door.
Chapter 12
Trophy Beast
A single triangular window leaked moonlight through fluttering curtains onto a marble floor cut in diamond patterns. Star tiptoed toward the silhouette of a velvet-draped canopied bed, grateful for the stone. The polished floor didn’t creak under her steps like the old wooden boards in her parents’ house.
When she reached the bed, Star pulled the curtains back enough to peek in. To her surprise, the sheets were empty. Her heart dropped to her feet. He wasn’t there. But the sheets were rumpled like someone had recently slept in them. Star touched the pillowcase and felt warmth.
A person, tall and broad enough to be a man, knocked her to the floor. Star struggled to gain an advantage, wrestling with her attacker. She’d been caught off guard and the fall alone knocked the wind out of her lungs. She brought her foot up to kick him but he was too quick. He caught her booted leg and pushed it toward the floor. Soon he had her pinned, resting his body on top of hers. Star resisted, whipping her hair out of her face and into his. When she looked up, she instantly stilled. “Prince Valen…”
Immediately he loosened his grip. “Miss Nightengale.” He seemed pleasantly surprised and more than a little amused. “What are you doing sneaking into my bedroom in the middle of the night?”
Once again, Star was at a loss for words. The proximity of his body to hers distracted her, and the situation was now so embarrassing. She blushed. “I…I have a letter you must see.”
The prince let her wrists go. “Right now?”
Star wondered what else he had in mind besides reading letters, but reined in her overactive imagination immediately. Although she lay underneath him, she tried to be formal. “Yes, it cannot wait.”
Valen shifted
“Shh.” Star waved back the bunnyfly. She could see Princess Bellanina wrapped in blankets like a rosebud, sleeping soundly in her bed.
The bunnyfly moved restlessly in the basket, stirring up sparkles as it jumped, front paws dangling on the edge. The basket wobbled, threatening to fall over.
“No,” Star whispered. “You stay still.” Cursing her situation, she tiptoed closer to the foot of the princess’s bed, where she kneeled and comforted the bunnyfly, running her hands over the smooth velvet fur on its back. The animal nestled back down into the basket with a sleepy chirp.
Swiftly, Star glided around the bed toward the door. The princess shifted, but did not wake. Star held her breath as she opened the door to the hallway, praying the metal hinges wouldn’t creak. It opened silently, allowing her to slip through.
She closed the door behind her and collapsed against it, finally letting her breath loose. Messengers were not trained for stealth, nor were they trained to scale walls or find secret tunnels. She was way beyond her expertise.
Thankfully, the late hour ensured no one walked the hallways. Star searched door to door, trying to decipher the room belonging to Valen. The princess had her name engraved on the door, but each room that came after hers did not have any identification at all.
Further down the hallway she found a door painted with Valen’s name in silver letters. Star stared in indecision. Her plan seemed like an excellent idea until now. She’d scaled the fortress walls, fought a great flying beast, navigated a secret spy tunnel and now she couldn’t knock on a door. What was wrong with her? Had she come all this way to hide like a schoolgirl?
She wondered if he slept in there at all. What if someone else occupied his room that night? What if his room had changed? If she knocked, then the substitute would answer, call out the guards and she’d be thrown in the dungeon or on the streets, in the same place she was before all of this.
Star tried the knob and it turned with no protest. Her pulse quickened as she opened the door.
Chapter 12
Trophy Beast
A single triangular window leaked moonlight through fluttering curtains onto a marble floor cut in diamond patterns. Star tiptoed toward the silhouette of a velvet-draped canopied bed, grateful for the stone. The polished floor didn’t creak under her steps like the old wooden boards in her parents’ house.
When she reached the bed, Star pulled the curtains back enough to peek in. To her surprise, the sheets were empty. Her heart dropped to her feet. He wasn’t there. But the sheets were rumpled like someone had recently slept in them. Star touched the pillowcase and felt warmth.
A person, tall and broad enough to be a man, knocked her to the floor. Star struggled to gain an advantage, wrestling with her attacker. She’d been caught off guard and the fall alone knocked the wind out of her lungs. She brought her foot up to kick him but he was too quick. He caught her booted leg and pushed it toward the floor. Soon he had her pinned, resting his body on top of hers. Star resisted, whipping her hair out of her face and into his. When she looked up, she instantly stilled. “Prince Valen…”
Immediately he loosened his grip. “Miss Nightengale.” He seemed pleasantly surprised and more than a little amused. “What are you doing sneaking into my bedroom in the middle of the night?”
Once again, Star was at a loss for words. The proximity of his body to hers distracted her, and the situation was now so embarrassing. She blushed. “I…I have a letter you must see.”
The prince let her wrists go. “Right now?”
Star wondered what else he had in mind besides reading letters, but reined in her overactive imagination immediately. Although she lay underneath him, she tried to be formal. “Yes, it cannot wait.”
Valen shifted
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