chapter 5

The drive to the castle was long, and I fell asleep along the way, only to be awoken by Ivy as we pull up. She shakes my arm, jostling me awake to find we have stopped. The castle is something out of fairy tales, and for a few moments, I forget about the man who had gotten in the car with us after the king became annoyed and pulled over. It is the man I saw smoking earlier. He is quiet and doesn’t say much, but it gives me a chance to peek at him. He has dark hair and equally dark eyes, or maybe that is just because of the dim lighting with the tinted windows. He is built big and has sharp features. His lips are full and seem to sit in a permanent frown. I wonder briefly if he ever smiles—if this cold stony face is his usual demeanor, and if it suits his personality. One thing is certain—he is a man of few words. He didn’t speak at all during the drive, just stared off. His job was clearly to watch us, not tell us where we were going. However, neither of us was willing to ask either. I