Igniting Darkness (Courting Darkness Duology #2) - Robin LaFevers Page 0,129

hunting trip will do him good.”

“And what of the general?”

Angoulême laughs. “He will not need persuading. He lives for the hunt.”

“Even when he has such an intriguing target as Beast before him?”

“Yes, but if he goes with the king, he gets to kill things—and that is always his first choice.”

He steps away from the door. “This is goodbye, then.” I am surprised by the note of sadness in his voice. He reaches out and runs a finger down my throat. Annoyance flares, but before I can give voice to it, he says, “Your stubborn chin has always been your most intriguing feature.” He sighs. “And now I must go hunting with that man. Christ, I’m likely to end up with a spear in my back.”

“Stay upwind,” I tell him.

 Chapter 70

Sybella

At the far side of the first room is yet another door. To our relief, it opens easily and holds a stack of torches, as well as stone sconces for setting them in.

“One portcullis and a drawbridge, then we’re free.” Beast glances around until he finds the narrow stairway tucked behind the door. “The mechanisms to raise both are likely up there. Poulet, come with me.”

Once the portcullis is raised and the drawbridge lowered—with no guards or sentries alerted—Beast comes back down the stairs to join us. “We have a problem,” he announces.

“What now?” Lazare asks.

“The drawbridge is raised using a winch and pulley.” We all look at him blankly. “It will be too heavy for Sybella to operate on her own.”

And just like that, our plan is felled not by our enemies, but by simple mechanics.

“Nonsense,” I mutter indignantly. “It is only the pedestrian drawbridge, not even the main one.”

“But it still weighs four hundred pounds.”

Which is why there is a winch, I think but do not say. There is no point in arguing further until I know if I can do it. Wanting to prove Beast wrong, I mount the stairs to the room that holds the workings of the drawbridge.

“I’ll stay,” I hear Poulet say. “No one knows my face, and it will be easy enough to slip out of the palace yard in the morning.”

“No one is staying,” I call back down. I have operated winches before, and I’ll be damned if I’ll let this one foil our plans.

I place my hands on the spokes, then pull with all my might. It does not so much as budge. Resisting the urge to kick it in frustration, I come around to the other side, grip it again, and push, putting my entire body into it. Still nothing.

“It is too heavy.” Beast leans against the wall by the stairs, arms folded as he watches me.

“Poulet is not staying behind,” I say stubbornly. There is too great a chance they would find him and punish him for our escape.

“No, he’s not.”

Alarm leaps in my breast. “And you most definitely are not staying behind. Don’t even think it.”

He pushes away from the wall. “Would that be so very bad, to have me stay behind long enough to ensure you, too, got away safely?”

I tilt my head back to meet his eyes. “Yes,” I whisper. “The entire point of this was to get you out of here.” And away from your vile father.

He reaches for me then. “I do not like leaving you here.”

“It is only for another day or two. Long enough to be certain no one discovers your absence or, if they do, connect it to me and thus the queen. And Pierre is not here,” I add softly.

There is a flicker of something in his eyes before he gathers me close. “No,” he whispers in my ear, “but the regent is, and she is every bit as venomous as he.”

“I will be fine.”

He slips his hands into my hair and cups my head, forcing me to meet his gaze, his dislike of this part of the plan clear in his face. “If you are not fine, I will come back and raze the palace to the ground with my bare hands and choke the life out of anyone who has harmed you. Are we clear?”

“It will not be necessary. I promise.” I rise up on my toes and press my lips against his, trying to reassure him that this will all work out as we’ve planned.

“I hate to break up you two lovers, but are we going to leave tonight or just make camp?”

“Lazare,” Beast growls, “tell everyone to get ready to cross the drawbridge.” Once they are all