Chapter 72

• Casper and Jacques had sneaked into the castle through the storm drain mentioned by the Old Queen in her journal. The pond had been drained for years, and the storm drain that connected to the moat had been left completely dry. This made the task of getting through it less challenging as we didn't have to swim, but I still had to crawl on my hands and knees through the dust and dried mud. Once we got out, there was a small wooden boat waiting for us at the end of the tunnel. We all climbed in and as we began to silently drift away from the bank, Casper quietly warned me, "One noise from you, little sister, and I'll have you hog tied and gagged."
• "Charming," I muttered under my breath - I was beginning to understand why he was the family's black sheep.
• He gave me an icy stare and began paddling the boat towards the opposite side of the bank. "Two guards posted on the east watch tower," Jacques whispered as he looked up at the fortress walls.