0 March Secret Agent #25

TITLE: INTERLACED
GENRE: YA Fantasy

The gargoyles are staring at me again. I narrowly miss clocking the stone figure’s outstretched tongue as I stumble forward, my high-heeled boots puncturing the frozen grass. Bray smiles and shakes his head as he throws a wave to one of the guards stationed at the estate's main entrance. Even from our distance, our family's silver insignia twinkles on the breast pocket of their jackets. It's the most comforting sight I've seen in hours.

"I've made an executive decision,” I tell Bray as the shadow from hundreds of feet of soaring black stone envelops us, the towers blanketed by spiraling tufts of fog. "I'm removing Fang and the rest of those statues. I think my eyes are peeling from the hideousness."

"Fang is going nowhere, Lace." Bray's mouth twists into his you-can’t-be-serious look. "He's my favorite. And hey, maybe they'll scare the Council members for you." We pause to greet the guards as they open the massive doors, but my stomach drops.

The Council. The thumping of my heart overpowers the sound of my boots’ light staccato against the dark marble floors. "Do you think they’re already here?"

I've spent days going over my first speech to them. It has to be eloquent, convincing, and smart, and starting with "Hello, I know you might not feel comfortable having a seventeen-year-old as your boss" won’t cut it.

"I don't know." Bray shrugs as we stride through the wide hallway. The estate is as silent as time frozen. A slight chill glazes over my skin.