“The one that protects the castle is at the bottom of the throne room pool. I don’t know where the one protecting the beach lies, or I would have destroyed it when we came ashore. Lorelei never told me the truth about the pool rune, only that the symbol cut deep into the sand was for our protection, and if disturbed, we’d be at risk to our enemies.” He sighed. “Now I know that the rune kept my father from rescuing my mother and me. And I had the chance to destroy it. If I had known, I could have saved her.”

He shook his head, bowed by the weight of regret, and pointed to a large oak tree—the tallest I’d ever seen. “That’s our way in.” Its leaves caressed an arched window of the castle.

After ensuring the coast was clear, Rylander grabbed the lowest branch and started to climb. I followed, soon overtaking him. My father used to say I could have been a monkey with my ability to climb The Freedom’s rigging and masts with ease. I reached the highest limb with its leaves touching the glass and straddled the branch, waiting for Rylander to catch up.

He sat behind me and pulled my back to his chest, wrapping his arm around my waist. The heat of his body sent shivers up my arms despite the warm air. His chin rested on my shoulder, his lips pressed against my ear. “Do not move.”

I nodded and looked around to see what incited the warning. Two siren guards with spears laughed and chatted below, oblivious to our presence. Until one sniffed the air. I held my breath. Could she smell me? Rylander must have thought the same thing. Nudging me clear, he armed his bow, and in seconds, an arrow soared through the leaves and punctured the heart of the curious guard. Before the other could figure out what happened, an arrow hit her as well. Both crumbled to the ground, dead. I released my trapped breath and twisted my head.

“They will all sense you eventually. We have to move fast.”

He was probably right. My scent had robbed us of our element of surprise, but they didn’t anticipate the magic of the winged shoes. They’d never guess we’d reached the castle already, giving us a slim window of advantage. With twenty of the guards miles away, we’d cut our number of armed enemies in half.

“The window is open. You think it’s a trap?” I asked, watching Rylander stand and grip the branch above him.