Crown of Feathers (Book 2 of the Crown Trilogy)

Twenty-Eight

I pull on the ornate door handle, but the back entrance to the palace doesn't budge.

"They have enacted a lockdown," I say, resting my head against the glass and allowing the cool surface to calm me.

"That is an easy fix." I recognize the deep agitated voice—the Stigian who wanted me to kick the guards at the Omnis. He shoulders his way through our group, demanding a wide berth, and I back away. The man appears to have a vendetta against the door as he pulls back his meaty fist.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Leif says with a singsong tone.

The warrior glares at him and swings at the glass. His knuckles hit with a gong, rattling the doorframe. Other than the smudge mark he leaves, the glass remains intact. Anger etches into the Stigian's face as he rubs his clenched hand.

Leif shakes his head. "Did you forget this is the king's palace? It's a fortress, and the glass is impenetrable. We'll need to find another way in."

I lift the visor on my helmet and rub my palm over my eyes. "The entire point to the lockdown is no one gets in or out."

"True. But you're not the only one who knows about secret passages," Leif says, pretending to tug the collar of his armor and taking the lead of our group. We follow him in a single-file line along the back of the palace. When we reach the corner, Leif holds up a hand and peers around the wall. He blows out a puff of air that rattles his lips and turns back to us.

"Everyone needs to get down and move as fast as you can," he says, lowering to his stomach.

I lay on the ground and scoot across the tall grass behind him. The distant growl of an animal comes from the edge of the property. The light of gifts illuminates a cluster of animal and human bodies. The king's guard fights alongside men and women clothed in black—Kyron and his unit. They block the Allaji from storming the grounds, but it is only a matter of time before the line is broken and the shifters wreak havoc on this place.

A nagging feeling grows inside of me. Why are the Allaji focusing on the palace? If they want to destroy our city, they can effortlessly do so. Yet here they fight at the edge of the Lucent king's home. The nagging morphs into fear. They want Micah.

Leif stops and kneels over an iron plate embossed with the Lucent emblem. He wedges his fingers under it and lifts the heavy metal, shoving it to the side to reveal a dark maintenance hole. The bottom is nowhere in sight, and someone nailed wooden planks to the side in a makeshift ladder.

"What is this, a sewage hole?" I ask, shivering against the frigid air billowing out of the ground.

My best friend lowers his legs onto the first rung. "No. It's just a strange entrance into the back of the wine cellar. My guess is someone on the staff dug it to have quick access to Micah's wine stash." He climbs down, saying, "When you reach the last step, prepare for about a five-foot drop."

My legs wobble as I find the top of the ladder. "Why did he feel the need to add that part?" I ask Terro.

"Because it's fun watching you sweat about it when we know how badass you are."

A tinge of dread flows through me when hands reach my waist, signaling it is time to jump. I squeeze my eyes, focus on Leif's hold on me, and let go. My breath hitches until he places me on the ground. Brushing away the sweat beading on my forehead, I take in the gloomy cellar. The lanterns on the walls are burning low, their oil and wicks almost gone. The room is cool; the walls made of smooth river rocks. Countless wine bottles rest on the row upon row of rustic shelves. Micah always enjoys a glass of wine with his dinner and sometimes breakfast, depending on the day ahead of him.