It wasn’t merely the low chances of success that discouraged her. She was being held captive, with no idea what fate lay in store for her. Of course she’d escape any way she could.

The problem was Tova. He could not possibly take this route. Earlier, when Ronan came in through the roof, she’d presumed he was going to lead them out some other way. If he’d intended to go back up onto the roof, she never would have followed. Not without Tova. When they’d hatched this plan, she’d said as much, and he’d brushed off her concerns, which made her suspect she was not making an escape route for three. She was making it for one.

She found the spot where he’d been working on the tiles. He had two loose already. She settled herself awkwardly on the rafters and set to work prying off another.

It was nearly breakfast when Ashyn descended, filthy and exhausted, her nails broken, her fingertips aching.

“It’s done,” she said. “The hole is big enough.”

Ronan grinned. “Great. They’ll bring food any moment. I heard the morning bell. We’ll eat and take what we can. Then we’ll go.”

“And Tova?”

Again, he waved off the concern with a nonchalance that set her teeth on edge. “We’ll figure it out. You should go get dressed.” Another grin. “Not that I’d complain if you stayed like that. . . .”

She didn’t crack a smile. Didn’t even blush. She was too tired, too filthy, and too annoyed. She went into the bedroom with Tova, closed the door, cleaned up, and put on the simplest of the dresses her captors had brought.

Wenda’s dresses were still there, shoved into the corner as Ashyn had tried to get them out of her sight. She’d figured out what had happened. Ashyn had been lured to Fairview by a spirit that had apparently possessed Wenda even before they’d left Edgewood. Ashyn cursed herself for not realizing it, but her connection with the spirit world apparently did not extend to recognizing one in a living body. Tova hadn’t detected it either.

So Wenda had lied about seeing Moria leave Edgewood. Her charge against Gregor had also been a lie. She must have overheard Ronan and Ashyn talking about leaving together and accused Gregor, knowing it would keep the group together, so she could ensure Ashyn reached Fairview, which seemed to be her mission.

Was Wenda still alive? Or had she been consumed by that spirit? Was Moria alive? Their captors said yes. Their captors were cutthroats and thieves.

Ashyn could be the only survivor of her village. And here she was, putting on a pretty frock for breakfast.