Splinter & Ash by Marieke Nijkamp

Author:Marieke Nijkamp [Nijkamp, Marieke]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fantasy, Adventure, Childrens
ISBN: 9780063326262
Amazon: 0063326264
Barnesnoble: 0063326264
Goodreads: 199743717
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2024-09-09T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

Splinter

The deep inky black of midnight made way for a softer blue. Bright enough that Splinter could see the shape of buildings ahead, dark enough that the edges of the buildings blurred. Predawn fog rolled into the valley past the northern walls of Haven like a ghost army marching silently forward.

Glowing fields stretched out in all directions. The large mansion where the Maronne family lived stood tall and proud on the hillside. Guards with torches stood at the entrance gate, and others patrolled the walls. It wasn’t as well guarded as the palace, and the walls weren’t as tall, but it was clear people were on high alert.

“Wait.” Lucen paused. “If the royal guard is there, they’ll send me back home immediately.”

“So?” Splinter grumbled.

He breathed out hard. “Can you think of another way in?”

Splinter imagined the layout of the mansion, the courtyard, and the buildings around it. “If we circle around, we can find a place to climb over the walls. We can hide in the stables and sneak into the mansion. I don’t know exactly where Hazel’s and Mist’s rooms are, but we can figure it out.”

Lucen looked at her oddly. “Haven’t you been inside with Ash?”

“Lady Maronne thought it improper.”

When the guard at the gate spun around to pace in the opposite direction, Splinter broke from the shelter of two evergreen bramble bushes and dashed across the field to the walls. She expected someone to call out to her, or for the guards to sound the alarm. But the only sound she heard was the soft crunch of leather boots on frozen grass.

She ducked down near the wall behind the stables, and Lucen skidded to a halt next to her. He dumped his bag on the grass, put his back against the finely hewn white stone, and held out his arms, fingers entwined. “Climb onto my hands. I’ll boost you up and over the wall.”

She frowned. He pulled a face. “I’m taller than you are, and stronger. Once you make it to the other side, I’ll toss you a rope so I can climb up too.”

“Yes, your highness.”

When she put her left foot in his hands, he sighed. “You can just call me Lucen. All the squires do.”

Splinter ran her fingers over the stone wall until she found a hold. “In case you’ve forgotten, highness, I’m not a squire anymore.” She wasn’t really sure who she was.

“I didn’t mean for that—” Lucen started.

Splinter put her right foot on his shoulder. “Yes, you did.”

She pulled herself up. She wasn’t afraid of heights. She’d loved climbing trees with Camille. She stuck close to the wall and took advantage of every uneven outcropping, every broken stone.

When she reached the top, she made sure none of the guards were coming their way before she slipped over the wall and onto the thatched roof of the stables. The straw itched beneath her palms, and she leaned down precariously.

Lucen pulled a slender rope out of his bag and tossed one end up to Splinter, so she could tie it to one of the protruding beams of the hayloft.

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