The Dream Thief by Kari Kilgore (books for 10th graders txt) 📕

She could hate the idea all she wanted to, but Loretta needed to get herself away and trust Karl to take care of Gemma. She would return and settle that matter when the time was right.

The last thing she wanted was for him to come down into the tunnel and find her like this. She wasn't sure if his sympathy or his pity would be worse, and she had no intention of finding out. Loretta kept going.

Her tears didn't slow, but her hands' shaking did as she unlocked each of the gates. If she couldn't stay out here, she had to clear her head enough to figure out where to go next. Letting the detective drag her further into her past or into jail was not an option.

Her clients might owe her some sort of loyalty for the risks she took for them, but Loretta didn't fool herself. That loyalty would not go so far as hiding a fugitive being investigated for a murder.

The Ministry of Decorum would find some way to make short work of the lot of them, even if new laws had to be forced through in record speed. The number of various sorts of Ministry workers who did business with her wouldn't matter if a scandal like this went public.

She locked the last gate behind her and stood still, breathing deeply to try to stop her tears. Keeping her mind off of Karl was helping, even if her dread of the next few days was only getting worse.

The only reasonable thing she could imagine was asking Bill for help. The last time she'd felt like this, cornered with nowhere else to go, he was only one person she could turn to. Bill had never let her down, and he was fond enough of Gemma to help get her away once things calmed down.

Loretta knew she'd drawn on his good will more than she ever had over the past few weeks, but this was a chance worth taking. Her coin and treasure soothed the way with so many things. The only more effective method she knew for that was her body, and sharing Bill's bed was a pleasure.

Not nearly as pleasant as Karl, but he had to stay out of her mind. She didn't need that unexpected awful pain jumbling her thinking right now.

Loretta opened the door at the top of the ladder, listening and watching. All was quiet in the hallway. She headed toward the exit, and toward Karl's apartment.

As far as she knew, Rullin was still part of Bill's camp. She wasn't sure she could trust her own restraint around Bill's brother if he came anywhere near her.

Taking her anger at Karl, and her heartache, out on the young man might not be fair, but it certainly would be satisfying.

Lost in soothing contemplation of exactly how she'd deprive Rullin of what little sanity he had, she turned the corner and nearly ran into two people.

"Oh, excuse us, doctor."

"So sorry. We weren't paying attention."

The man and woman were both wearing the same gray clothing she was, and both seemed scared to death that she was about to beat them. Letting them see just how badly she was startled could only make things worse.

"You certainly weren't paying attention," Loretta said. "You could have knocked me down! Get to where you're going, now, and keep your eyes open along the way. Or if you prefer, I could assign you extra duties this weekend?"

They both shook their heads and nearly ran down the hall without looking back. Loretta managed to keep herself from smiling until they were out of sight. Childish it may have been, but she felt a tiny bit better.

When she walked by Karl's door, she paused again.

No, thinking about the time she'd spent there with him wouldn't do, not one bit. She still had to get out of here, not an easy thing even with hardly any guards during the week and none on the weekend. She could go back to the patient wing, perhaps spend a restless night in the still-empty room across from Mr. Otis. For all she’d be likely to sleep, Loretta would be just as well off waiting in the empty shed down by the docks.

Going into Karl’s room now could only cause harm, especially if he walked in and found her there.

That heat and heaviness started up in her chest again, trying to squeeze her heart into a million pieces.

Maybe being able to get in at all wasn't a good thing. Loretta pulled her keys out, slipped the room key off the ring, and knelt. The gap under the door was small, but she should be able to manage.

She took a deep breath when the ache rose into her throat again. He hadn't left any space for a future between them. She needed to do the same.

"Goodbye, Karl," she whispered, pushing the key under the door and out of reach.

She nearly ran down the hall toward the exit, not wanting the ridiculous tears to take over her body yet again. Loretta closed the outside door and leaned against it, breathing in the cool night air until she was calmer. The only thing that might keep her calm would be the waves against the rocks. And no chance of anyone walking in on her. Early boats were always willing to ferry more than cargo back to Swan’s Gate.

Now was the time for getting herself away and safe. Falling into an irrational emotional pit wouldn't do anyone any good.

She couldn't see or hear anyone else on the lawn, not a big surprise since it must be near midnight. Loretta would send a courier to Bill the second she got back to Waldron’s Gate, before Constable Law ever noticed she’d been gone.

She laughed under her breath as she walked, imagining using the posts instead and sending Mr. Norwood into some kind of frenzy. Just a few letters saying she was retreating