“Because politics are a delicate affair,” Lady Gwent replied, patient and wise. “To change the culture of an entire town is to walk barefoot on autumn leaves and pray for silence. It is not possible without causing a disturbance.”

  “In my world, we just lash out at guys on Twitter and wait for the storm to come.” Chloe smiled. “I once got 7,000 retweets for shaming a guy who pinched my ass in a club.”

  “If only we could summon birds and affect the weather,” Lady Gwent replied without a hint of irony. “Then maybe our women would be as powerful as yours.”

  “That’s not exactly what I meant…”

  “So how do you propose to put your changes into place?” Jessie asked. “If the men on your borders are already rallying, how can you hope to stop them before something bad happens?”

  “I have my ways,” she said mysteriously. “The first of which is infiltration into their ranks. I have spies among them to feed my information back and to shake their system. Once they are on shaky ground, the work with the nobles will continue, in which I also have my birds working miracles as we speak.”

  “I’m sorry to say this, but they got your spies last night,” Chloe said, recounting the tale of the dogs and their sniffing out of the women at the rally.

  “Not all of those spies were mine,” Lady Gwent said, raising an eyebrow and looking at Sahara for reassurance.

  “You mean you didn’t have a group of women with dark paint on their faces eavesdropping on the rally?”

  Lady Gwent shook her head. “Afraid not.”

  “Then who were they?”

  This time it was Sahara who answered. “There are many factions here, Chloe. While there are men who hate the law which, unbeknownst to them, has already been signed and sealed by Our Grace here, there are just as many women ready to rise and take what is rightfully theirs in the eyes of our new laws.

  “While there are nobles in our gardens who abhor the idea of opening the gates, there will be those who are in love with the idea also. There are always two sides to every coin. It’s how we toss it to get the best results all around.”

  Chloe thought hard about this, her brain spinning. “By the sounds of it, you guys are about a couple of days away from a full-scale civil war in this town.”

  Lady Gwent nodded solemnly. “It looks like you two have come at exactly the right time.”

  “Us two?” Chloe said in surprise. “What are we going to do?”

  “Well, clearly, you are a warrior of sorts.”

  Chloe looked down at the poor effort she had employed to cover her armor. “I suppose you could say that.

  “And female warriors are lacking in this town. Not only that, but with your friends out and about in the town, too, we’ll stand a much better chance of shaking the rebellion’s foundation and slowing them down before they can really get started.”

  “How do you know about our guys?” Jessie asked, surprise in her voice. “We haven’t mentioned them at all.”

  “I am the duchess of this town, friend,” Lady Gwent replied. “Believe me, I know more about what goes on outside these gardens than anyone in Gallen Hollows.”

  She chuckled lightly and turned her attention back to the balcony, looking out over her people as the sun arced its way over a cloudless blue sky. “There’s hope here, ladies and gentlemen. Hope for the growth and development of a good world. A better world where light and darkness exist in balance. All that we need is for the cogs to start turning, and—”

  There was a whistling sound, followed by a thud. Lady Gwent stopped talking suddenly, a strange sound coming out of her mouth.

  “Lady Gwent?” Chloe asked as she started to fall to her knees.

  “My lady?” Sahara called.

  Chloe ran to her side, now seeing the arrow which was sticking out of her chest. A dribble of blood stained the immaculate material of her dress.

  Chloe’s eyes widened. She stood and peered over the balcony, looking for the perpetrator. She just managed to get a glimpse of a man in guard’s uniform disappearing into the hedge at a sprint.

  Without sparing a thought, Chloe leaped over the balcony and shinnied down several vines and tangles. She caught her foot and instinctively pushed away from the wall, her body twisting and flipping before she landed perfectly on the ground.

  Thank God for that acrobatics skill, she said, front-flipping ahead and sprinting toward the maze.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chloe sprinted through the gardens, doing her best to navigate back the way she had been led by Talbot. She could hear footsteps and triumphant cries of victory but had no idea if she was gaining any ground.

  “Wait ’til I get my hands on you.” She grunted and took a left, then a right, finding herself at a dead end.

  You might want to consider slowing down long enough to think this through, KieraFreya said. You’re going to get yourself lost.

  But it was already too late. The footsteps began to fade, and all Chloe could do was run and make guess after guess after guess. She had no idea how long the maze wound on for or what other secrets it held, but she did find out pretty quickly that running into an unknown maze by herself was not the brightest idea.

  “Damn!” Chloe shouted at the top of her lungs, her mind only just now processing what had happened. She had finally managed to encounter Lady Gwent, and now the one woman who stood an inkling of a chance of stopping a full-scale revolt had been murdered where she stood.

  Chloe’s mind flashed back to the mean glint she had seen in the guard’s eye before they’d been allowed into the garden.

  Could it have been him?

  Y’know, Chloe, it’s really unbecoming of you to let your rage take over. You’re never going to make it anywhere if you don’t calm down. You’re just going to get more and more lost until someone has to come save you.

  “I don’t care,” Chloe said, reaching another dead end and turning on her heel. The whole maze had blurred into one giant mass of green. “If there’s even the slightest chance I can get track down the killer, it’s got to mean something, right?”

  And if you get yourself killed in the process?

  Chloe slowed to a walk, her breath coming in heavy pants. She placed one hand on her hip.

  “So, what do you suggest? Because I’m pretty sure I’m well and truly—” beep.

  Fucked?

  “You got it.”

  Well, if you’ll excuse me for being so bold, that long sharp metal thing at your side might help you out of this tight spot.

  Chloe looked down, not even realizing that she had drawn her sword at some point in the chase.

  “Chop through the hedge?”

  Yes.

  “I can’t.”

  You can.

  “But...the nobles.”

  Bitch, are you really going to squabble and let a murderer get away because you don’t want to screw up somebody’s shrubbery? What happened to all that talk about retribution and revenge? Where’s the fire in your heart?

  Chloe shook her head. KieraFreya’s words were the inspiration she needed. As much as she hated to admit it, KieraFreya was right. What were the bushes anyway, but a digital construct created entirely in her head thanks to Praxis Games?

  Then why did it feel so real? Chloe wondered.

  She brought her sword up, and as she drove it toward the bush, she heard Talbot’s voice calling to her. “Chloe! Chloe? Where are you?”

  Chloe looked longingly at her sword, then back to where the voice was. She had missed the boat. She knew it. Even if she did manage to hack her way through the hedge, what were the chances that she would be able to find the man who had shot Lady Gwent?

  Chloe sighed, called to Talbot, and sat down and waited.

  Wimp.

  “Shut up,” Chloe grumbled

  It took a long time for Talbot to find Chloe. Even someone who had navigated the maze regularly enough to know its layout found it difficult to navigate. No matter how many “Polos” Chloe answered to Talbot’s “Marcos,” it was never enough.

  It was almost dark by the time he emerged from the hedge and started leading Chloe back. They made their way to the manor (receiving a few strange looks, since Chloe had decided to shrug off her overalls and go full battle-mage in the chase) and Sahara let them inside the room, closing it quickly behind them both.

  Jessie ran straight to Chloe and gave her a hug, then pushed her back, held her shoulders, and gave her a look that asked, ‘Well?’

  Chloe shook her head, crossing to where they had rested Lady Gwent under a bundle of blankets on the floor.

  “She looks like a hotdog,” Chloe said.

  “What’s a hotdog?” Jessie asked.

  Chloe chose not to reply.

  Chloe tore her eyes away from the body, addressing Sahara now. “What do we do now?”

  Sahara looked absolutely livid, her fists clenched and eyes narrowed. “We avenge my sister’s death.”

  Chloe nodded, the image of the murderer in her mind again. She imagined hunting him down in the town alongside the others, finding him vulnerable and defenseless and showing him as much compassion as he had shown Lady Gwent in her assassination—

  “Hold on,” Chloe said. “Did you just say ‘sister?’”

  Sahara threw away her fan and removed her dress to reveal gold armor beneath her clothing that looked almost as regal as Chloe’s. “I did.”

  “So, you’re Lady Gwent’s younger sister?” Jessie said, mouth open in awe. “Back from traveling on the road and, wait...what? Pretending to be Sahara Chambers?”

  “Not exactly,” she replied, looking mournfully at her sister. “The truth is, I am Lady Gwent. This poor peaceful angel on the floor was my sister Delilah.”

  “Let me get this straight,” Chloe said, making sure she had all the facts. “You are the real Lady Gwent, and you used your sister to stand in place of you? Why?”

  Lady Gwent exhaled, casting a glance at Delilah. “You see, it was all part of a plan for protection. Ever since my father grew ill and my new laws have been spread to the town, there has been an abundance of rumors that people were planning to assassinate me.

  “I wanted to find a stand-in, someone to help in times of trouble while I went incognito and saw the town for myself, and my sister volunteered.”

  “You couldn’t find anyone who might have been a better choice than your sister?” Chloe asked incredulously, not understanding why a lackey hadn’t been put in her place.

  “I lied to you earlier,” Lady Gwent answered. “We are near-enough identical twins, hence the fan to cover my face. We needed someone who looked like me, and she volunteered. I couldn’t argue with her. She wouldn’t have it. Oftentimes she is...was...as stubborn as me.”

  Jessie placed a hand on her heart. “And now she’s—”

  “Yes,” Lady Gwent said, holding back her tears. “Look, I want to mourn and grieve more than anyone else here right now, but we don’t have the time. With the assassin likely running back to his group, they’re going to think they’ve won the battle. By nightfall, it’s possible this whole area could be swimming in townsfolk who got tired under the previous regime and want a change. We have to act now.”

  Chloe imagined the scene: dozens of men dressed in black setting the maze ablaze and razing it to the ground, the assholes in black cheering and grabbing the women to do with what they would.

  “What do you suggest?” Chloe asked.

  “We have to take the fight to them,” Lady Gwent said, a thought crossing her mind. “Where can we find your other men?”

  “Oh, we don’t need to find them. I’ll just contact them,” Chloe said, going glassy-eyed as she pulled up her messages.

  “Is she okay?” Lady Gwent asked Jessie, waving a hand in front of Chloe’s blank face.

  “You get used to it.”

  Chloe saw a string of messages vetoing her idea to name the party “Chlo-zone Layers” and paused briefly to read Gideon’s short description of the fact they had overheard several guards discussing a revolt and that something was going to be happening soon. They had already had people trying to recruit them several times, and now they were on their way into a nearby tavern to see what else they could find.

  Supposedly…

  Chloe saw a notification detailing the update to her quest.

  Quest complete: A Woman In Need

  You’ve overheard the rumor that Lady Gwent is in the market for a suitor, but things might not all be as they appear.

  Track down Lady Gwent and discover the truth of the situation.

  Difficulty: 4/10

  Rewards: 3,400 exp

  Quest updated: A Woman In Need (Part II)

  Lady Gwent has informed you that a large majority in the town is not in favor of policy changes put forward by the new duchess. Help resolve the issue by uniting the two sides of the town by any means necessary to gain favor with the duchess and bring peace to Gallen Hollows

  Difficulty: 6/10

  Rewards: 7,000 exp + unknown items

  Accept quest: Y/N

  Chloe selected Y, then dropped a message in the chat.

  FROM: Chloe

  Code red. Code red.

  Just witnessed an assassination attempt on Lady Gwent. She died. Well, not exactly. Her replica did. Hard to explain. Where are you?

  Chloe

  FROM: Benjamin Summers

  What do you mean, code red? Did we make a code?

  FROM: Gideon Fleetwood

  Code red usually means a bad thing.

  FROM: Benjamin Summers

  Thanks, Poindexter

  FROM: Gideon Fleetwood

  You know I’m sitting right beside you, right?

  FROM: Chloe

  Enough, you two. This is serious. An assassin believes he just killed Lady Gwent. We need to reconvene and work out a counterattack before the shit hits the fan. Where are you guys?

  FROM: Tag Murphy

  Take a guess, Chloe. Ol’ stiff dick here met a lady and wanted to buy her some drinks. We’re in the Ale and Pitcher nursing some brews while Ben works his magic on the lady.

  FROM: Benjamin Summers

  For the record, there’s a group of guards in here that look like they’re planning something shifty. We followed them in.

  The girl was a happy coincidence ;)

  FROM: Chloe

  Wait right there. We’re coming to you guys as fast as possible.

  FROM: Benjamin Summers

  Send pictures of that, please ;)

  Jesus Christ, Chloe thought. Does that dude ever stop?

  “Well?” Talbot asked.

  “Does anyone here know the way to the Ale & Pitcher?”

  Chapter Twenty

  It was full dark by the time they arrived at the Ale & Pitcher. Ben, Gideon, and Tag were waiting outside and smiled heartily when they saw the others.

  Jessie ran straight to Tag, almost bowling him over as her arms wrapped around him. Chloe went straight to Ben and Gideon, asking why they were waiting outside and where the men they had been eavesdropping on were.

  “They didn’t want to hang around, it seems. Sounded like they had something of a celebration to get to. Something about a witch being shot dead,” Ben replied, turning to the woman accompanying them with a scarf now wrapped around her face in the same fashion as Chloe’s. “Am I to assume that’s you?”

  Chloe slapped Ben’s arm. “You’d do well to watch your words around this one. You’re standing in the presence of a duchess.”

  Gideon’s eyes widened and he lowered himself to his knee. “It is my honor to—”

  “Get up,” Chloe hissed. “We can’t let people know it’s her.”

  “Hold on, I thought you said she was dead,” Gideon asked.

  “Long story. We’ll tell you about it later. All we need to know is where those guys were going.”

  “Probably in the same direction as them, I’d guess,” Jessie said, pointing to the other side of the street, where a group of men was walking. One of them had shoved a woman to the ground and they were all laughing, black shrouds around their shoulders and torches in their hands.

  “Guess they’re not as worried about their identities now that they think you’re dead,” Jessie added.

  “Come on. Let’s follow them,” Chloe said.

  They kept as far back as they could, the ever-darkening sky making it easier to hide in the shadows. Once again, they were led down a series of passages, the route becoming more familiar to Chloe as she seemed to retrace her steps from the night before.

  When they neared the building that had acted as the auditorium, they hung back, far enough away to be out of sight. More and more people flocked into the building, spirits high as drinks were held in hands, torches were lit, and laughter rolled.

  “Abominations,” Lady Gwent muttered. “To think, these are the people of my duchy.”

  Tag scoffed.

  “What are you laughing at?” Chloe asked.

  “Oh, come on. It’s not just me, right? Isn’t a duchy the thing people wash their butt with?”

  Ben raised an eyebrow. “I think you should find a mirror and look at yourself in it deep and hard. Then you’ll see that thing that you’re looking for.” He turned his attention back to the mob. “Douchebag.”

  They all chuckled, falling quiet as a couple of heads turned to look their way.

  They ducked out of sight, waiting until the coast was clear and everyone was inside.

  “What’s the plan, Chloe?” Gideon asked. “There must be at least a hundred guys in there, and only…” he counted by pointing to everyone in their group, “six of us.”

  “Seven,” Chloe said.

  Tag looked around as if searching for someone. “Who’s number seven?”

  “Decaru,” she said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

  “Dude, Decaru hasn’t been with us since we entered the town,” Ben said. “How unobservant are you that you didn’t notice?”

  See, you know you don’t really give a shit about him, KieraFreya sniggered. You’d much rather give all your attention to me. You know I’m worth it, right?