“Because her tyranny must end. Come. I will lead you to safety,” the captain said.
“Wait,” Snow said. “There is a secret passage leading to her bedchamber. Can you take me there?”
He stared at her a long, quiet moment until he finally nodded. “If that’s what you wish. But why?”
“She has a mirror there. A magic mirror,” Snow said. “I need to destroy it.”
His head tipped to one side. “What will that accomplish?”
“It will remove her magic and make her powerless,” Roderick said.
The captain’s hard gaze pierced through Snow. Then he gave her a nod. “Follow me.”
Chapter 37
Thecaptainwasadeptat leading them through the passageways that were less populated. He knew the castle better than Snow, which made her a little sad. But then, it had been a decade since she stepped foot in her childhood home.
He led them to the north tower via a winding stone staircase that Snow scarcely remembered. Up and up they went until they finally came to the top where the captain turned to the right. He pushed open the first door he came to, then stood aside for them to enter. When they were inside, he closed the door.
The room was devoid of all furniture except for a large four-poster bed stripped bare. Seraphina was not one to encourage visitors. There was one candelabra in the corner of the room. The captain lit it, illuminating it in a warm yellow glow.
“The passage is behind that tapestry.” He pointed to the length of material on the far wall behind the bed. “All the royal chambers are connected.”
“I remember,” Snow said with a nod.
She started to take a step toward the tapestry, but the captain grasped her arm to stop her.
“She’s in there now,” he said. “I will try to lure her away.”
Snow considered this for a long moment, wondering if he was telling her the truth. Finally, she decided to trust him and gave a nod.
“Thank you.”
But the captain hesitated another moment. “Are you certain destroying the mirror with take away her magic?”
Snow nodded.
Contemplation shifted through his eyes as he considered his next words. “The mirror is in a secret chamber behind a tapestry. One of the stones is a lever that will open the door to reveal the mirror.”
“How do you know this?” Roderick demanded.
“When you spend as much time with the queen as I have, you learn things,” he said.
“I appreciate your help,” Snow said.
Her gave her a nod. “Good luck. Wait a few minutes before entering the chamber. I’ll do my best to get her out.”
Then he was gone, slipping through the door and closing it behind him with a soft snick.
“Can you trust him?” Roderick asked.
“I hope so,” she replied.
She headed for the tapestry on the other side of the room behind the bed and pushed it aside. She immediately felt the draft from the cracks around the hidden stone door. She pushed, but nothing happened. She tried again in a lower spot on the wall. Still nothing.
“Can I try?” Roderick asked.
She stepped aside. He ran his hands over the stones from top to bottom, pausing every few inches, and then went back up again. His hand landed on one of the middle stones. He heaved against it with a mighty shove and pushed the door into the wall. It scraped along the floor.
