Wicked: The Witch's Daughter #40

Instructions

Kendra's POV: Dinner had been surprisingly normal that evening, which was something I was beginning to appreciate more than I had before. Dad was telling me a story about something ridiculous that had happened when he was younger, Mom was trying to keep him from getting too distracted from eating, and I was still thinking about everything I'd learned during my magic lesson earlier that day. I had just reached for my glass when there was a sudden rush of wings from the window, and Chistery flew into the room. He landed on the back of an empty chair, looking much more serious than usual. Mom immediately noticed. "Chistery?" she asked. He looked at all three of us before speaking. "There are guards nearby." Dad's expression changed instantly. "How many?" "Several Ozian guards were seen traveling along the road below the mountain," Chistery said. "And they aren't alone." Mom's expression became serious. "Morrible?" Chistery nodded. My stomach dropped. "She's here?" I asked. "I don't know if she has found this castle," Chistery replied, "but she is with them." Dad pushed his chair back. "Then we shouldn't wait to find out." Mom nodded and turned toward me. "Kendra, come with us." I quickly stood. "Where are we going?" "Somewhere they won't find us." Mom led us through the castle, moving quickly but quietly. We passed through several rooms until she stopped in one of the older parts of Kiamo Ko. She looked around carefully before walking toward the center of the stone floor. I watched as she knelt and brushed her fingers across the floor, searching for something I couldn't see. Then she found it. She pressed against a nearly invisible seam between two stones, and there was a faint click. A section of the floor shifted. My eyes widened. "There's a door in the floor?" I whispered. Dad gave me a small smile. "Kiamo Ko has more secrets than you might think." Mom lifted the concealed section, revealing a dark opening beneath us. A narrow set of stone steps led downward into darkness. Chistery flew down first, making sure the chamber was clear, and Mom motioned for Dad and me to follow. I carefully climbed down after them. When we reached the bottom, Mom lowered the hidden floor panel above us, leaving us surrounded by darkness for a moment before she lit a small lamp. I looked around. The chamber was small and old, with rough stone walls, a worn blanket, a little wooden table, and just enough space for the four of us to sit. I looked at Mom. "You knew this was here." She nodded. "I did." She sat down beside me. "This was where I hid after I made Oz believe I was dead." I stared at her. "You hid down here?" "For a while." Her voice became quieter. "It was one of the places I could disappear without being found." I suddenly understood why she'd brought us here. This wasn't just some forgotten room beneath the castle. This was where Mom had once hidden from everyone who wanted to find her. Dad sat beside us, and I squeezed into the space between them. Chistery remained near the small entrance, listening carefully. For several minutes, everything was completely silent. Then we heard something above us. Footsteps. I froze. More footsteps followed, and then voices. "Search the castle."