Scaling the outer wall of the Summer Estate in a scratchy wool cloak and silk stockings was not an activity covered in Kaia's debutante etiquette classes.
"Left foot on the thick root, My Lady," Caspian hissed from below her, his hands hovering nervously in the air as if preparing to catch a falling piano. "No, your other left! The one that isn't currently slipping on the moss!"
"I am doing my best, Caspian," Kaia grunted, her fingers digging into the thick, ancient ivy that clung to the pale stone of the East Wing. "It is difficult to find footholds when one cannot feel one's toes."
"Think of it as an adventure," Caspian offered miserably. "A terrifying, treasonous adventure that will likely end with both of us in traction."
Kaia hauled herself up another foot. The night air was biting against her bare legs, but the exertion was keeping her warm. Thirty feet below, the lake lapped quietly against the shore. Thirty feet above was her balcony.
