Aubrey had expected to have to press herself into shadows and hide in alcoves to avoid being discovered. But by the time she and Jack snuck up the dark stairs to the High Tower, most of the servants had gone to bed and neither Buxton nor Crispin had been seen for hours. The lack of opposition set Aubrey’s nerves on edge. She took the lead, creeping up flight after flight with silent steps. Jack could keep quiet when he had half a mind to. They made it to the landing below the top floor of the tower without so much as a sneeze. The muffled sound of guards chattering drifted down to them. Aubrey strained to listen but couldn’t make out a word. Good. She turned to Jack and gestured across the hallway. He jumped out in front of her, blending into the dark as he felt his way along the torchless hallway to a door at the far end. A long coil of rope was wrapped around his waist. Aubrey had been far too wary to bother asking him what it was for. She held her breath as he creaked the door open and listened for any sign that they had been heard as Jack rushed into the room.
