Rebel Magisters by Shanna Swendson

Author:Shanna Swendson [Swendson, Shanna]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: YAF060000 YOUNG ADULT FICTION / Steampunk; YAF019040 YOUNG ADULT FICTION / Fantasy / Historical; YAF058030 YOUNG ADULT FICTION / Social Themes / Class Differences
Publisher: NLA Digital LLC
Published: 2016-07-06T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

In Which

I Appear En Dishabille

“Word must have come about what happened,” Henry whispered into my ear. His breath was warm on my neck, but it made me shiver.

“How will we get in?” I whispered in reply.

“I don’t know.”

I couldn’t help but think of another time I’d hid with a young man while patrols went past. Alec had sheltered me like this when he’d pretended we were being pursued so I would sympathize with the Mechanics. This time, though, it wasn’t a game. We really had done something illegal, and there really was a danger of being caught.

“What we need is a diversion,” I said. “If we can draw his attention elsewhere long enough for us to reach the service entrance, we might be able to sneak in.”

“Excellent idea, Verity. I’ll go around the corner and make some noise, and you rush for the door.”

He started to head out of our hiding place, but I caught him by the arm. “What about you? How will you get in?”

“Through the front door. No one will think anything of me having been out late with my friends from school. They’re all respectable people. You’re the one at risk.”

“You could get in trouble with the governor.”

“I believe I’m allowed at least one night out while the children are safely under the supervision of their grandfather. Now, wait until the guard turns away, and then rush for the door.”

The sentry approached us, then turned and walked the other direction, and Henry took that moment to dash around the corner. He must have gone around the entire block because it was several more minutes before a loud noise came from the opposite direction. The sentry ran to investigate, and I flung myself out of the hiding place and down the steps to the service entrance, where little Harry was already opening the door to see what was going on.

“Get me in, quick,” I told him.

Without hesitating, he pulled me inside and shut the door softly. He hustled me down the empty hall to the back stairs. I removed the coat and hat while I waited for him to check my hallway, then tiptoed down the hall to my room when he told me the way was clear.

Once inside my room, I tore my outer clothes off as quickly as possible and pulled my nightgown over my head. I sat down for a moment to remove my boots and stockings, grabbed a shawl to throw around my shoulders, and pulled the pins from my hair and shook it loose as I ran down the stairs.

I flung open the heavy front door and stood silhouetted in the doorway. A figure moved toward the house from the shadows nearby. Wishing that my magical powers included some sort of silent communication, I hoped Henry would hold back rather than revealing himself to the guard. I stepped farther out onto the front steps. When I was sure the sentry had seen me, I blinked as though I’d been awakened from a deep sleep and said, “Whatever is that noise? It sounds like the city is exploding.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.