Book Eight: Chapter 74

“And you removed all of them?” she asked.

The bird chirped again. The animals were fairly certain they had gotten them all. Of course, they did have limited intellect. The princess wondered if she should have taken the extra time to find some crows or ravens. Those birds were far smarter than most mortals understood and would have made for great minions.

“Then I release you,” she said, and the bird flew away. It let out two loud chirps, and a swarm of birds took off from the grounds of the Radley Estate, followed by a bunch of squirrels who climbed onto the walls and ran along their edges. She waited for the animals to disappear completely, then held back a few more minutes. Appearing so soon after the departure of those animals was likely to make others suspicious, especially if they’d seen what the animals had just done.

A woman in a runner’s outfit stopped nearby to tie her shoe. She lifted her head to look at the princess, a silver gleam in her eyes. It was the