In the Time of Dragon Moon by Janet Lee Carey

sky. I clutched the bars, and felt a deep tug inside watching the freedom Jackrun had every day of his life and likely took for granted. One day I would ride a dragon higher than this tower. Feel wings draw me up.
    I pulled off my slippers, unlatched the grillwork, swinging it open and hooking it to the wall. The narrow ledge outside the window was less than three feet wide. I studied it a moment, then threw my leg over the sill and climbed out.
    Laughter drifted up from the garden far below as I stood pressing my back against the rough stone wall. Falling from this height would kill me. But my feet were sure. I inched farther to the left so I could not be viewed by those in the garden below. Back in Devil’s Boot, I’d learned to scramble along the cliffs with Father to pick precious herbs caught in the cracks. These walls were stone as cliffs are stone, and the ledge was more generous than some of the dangerous places I’d explored. The river that ran along the back side of the castle into the dark forest beyond gleamed bright silver in the sun.
    â€œUma?” A woman’s voice called from inside my tower room. I braced myself against the wall.
    â€œWe were made to climb the steps for nothing,” another whined. “Where’s that healer got to?”
    Two female servants entering my herbarium without permission. I gritted my teeth.
    â€œYou’ll have to go back downstairs and say we couldn’t find her.”
    â€œNot me, I won’t.”
    â€œMaybe she’ll be back. Look, there’s her shoes. She can’t have gone far barefoot.”
    â€œShe might have another pair. Look how sandy they are!”
    I crept back toward the window.
    â€œOu! It stinks in here!” Rustling sounds.
    â€œWhat do you suppose this is?”
    â€œWitch potions. Look now. This packet is full of dirt. You think she doses the queen with dirt?” They laughed.
    Do not touch my medicines!
I pressed my back harder against the wall to keep from jumping in through the window.
    â€œYou go look for the queen’s physician. I’ll stay here in case she comes back.”
    â€œLazy slug!”
    â€œI’m not.”
    â€œThen I’ll stay.”
    â€œStay with her smelly potions, then, and you can stink like an Euit.”
    There were more noises from within as if the two were struggling. Then the door slammed.
Am I alone again? Have they both gone?
I dared not go in through the window if one of them was still inside. I waited, then heard scraping noises in the tower room. The woman must be moving a chair. Was she about to stand on it and meddle with the herbs I’d hung from the rafters this morning? I peered in, saw her on the chair reaching up. Her back was to me.
    Leaping to the floor with a thump, I pulled her down, and covered her mouth to stopper her scream. The woman was three times my weight, short, and balding. Her mud-brown eyes were wide as she screamed into my hand.
    â€œYou do not enter my room without asking. I am the queen’s physician. No one touches my medicines. Do you understand?”
    The woman nodded, her fat tears wetting my thumb. I did not like frightening her, but she was toying with herbs that could not be replaced without a three-week journey south on horseback all the way to Devil’s Boot once I was back on Wilde Island.
    â€œI will remove my hand if you promise not to scream.”
    Another nod.
    I released her and wiped my hand on a rag. “Now tell me why you are here.”
    The woman sniffed. She held her chin up, trying to look down at me, but she was too short. “Prince Desmond wants to see you for his headache. I’ll never come back here,” she added. “No one can make me.” Her muddy eyes were all anger as she backed out the door. I saw her give the sign against the devil before she thudded down the steps.
    I closed my door again, huffing. I couldn’t ignore the royal request even if his headache