Chapter 10 : Next Time

I had to wait to sneak into his study. I still didn’t know how many people lived in the house and occupied the dozens of rooms within its walls. Someone would snitch on me if I was seen creeping around in his wing of the house, that was for sure. So, I sat in the common room, warming my toes by the fire and pretending to read a book until the last of the people lingering around the dining room table retreated to their rooms.

I waited a while longer, listening to creaking pipes and faint voices until total silence fell, broken only by the dying fire in the hearth. The wait had been excruciating, but I knew I had at least a few minutes to view the map before having to sprint back to my room.

Jared’s quarters were on the third story and accessed by a tight, walled-in staircase that creaked with each step. I winced every time I put my foot down. Someone had said that Jared and his crew gathered in a tavern nearby most nights. I was safe. Right?