72 SEVENTY TWO: Little Doll

It had been in a tiny cell-like room full of dust and tears that Barclay admitted to following Kel into the forest.

They were alone at that time, and she'd never repeated it to another soul.

So how did Lila find out the words that had only hung in the air for a single moment as they passed from Barclay to Kel?

I must still be on edge, Kel thought to herself. It wasn't fair to suddenly suspect Lila based on that sentence alone. 

"How did you know the emperor was taking me there?" Kel asked, trying her best to sound casual. "And what made you think Barclay was following us?"

Lila chuckled. "I was the one who sent you off that day, right? You went to look for a secluded place, and our dear emperor just couldn't leave a damsel in distress like that."

"That's right.." Kel thought back to that day. Though Lila had encouraged her to worry about the things she could control and let go of the things she couldn't..