Chapter 48
Chapter Forty-Eight
BELLAMY
“ Y ou’re going to open a window?” I could hear Driscoll’s panicked voice in my head if he knew what I was about to do. They didn’t know my plan, of course. They’d been busy in the library for days now, trying to figure out a way to keep the poison from affecting me like that again.
I’d been following the woman’s instructions, using the starlight to try and locate the nettle weed. She’d told me a pocket of it that existed at the top of the mountain, the exact same place I’d seen Kairoth gathering his shadows when he got another weapon. I’d commandeered my star powers, using the starlight to guide me toward the nettle weed. When the stars found it, they glowed their light bright over its location, and I knew exactly where it was: the top of the mountain.
Now I needed to find a way to get there.
Leoni and Driscoll would go for me, but I worried about how many days it would take to get all the way to the top of the mountain, trekking through thick jungle to get there.
But before I could worry about any of that, I had to uphold my end of the bargain.
The only problem was that I didn’t know how to get out of this room. The damn shadows were always there at night, lurking right outside my window, and the pixies watched me during the day.
Kairoth still hadn’t returned from wherever he’d gone, and everyone I spoke to claimed they had no idea where he was.
I’d look out my window every day, expecting to see him flying through the air, shadows flanking him, as glorious as ever.
Every day he didn’t return, my mood darkened. Leoni and Driscoll still visited me daily, and I appreciated it. I was coming to appreciate them more and more. They were working so hard to try and find a way to help me keep knitting these sweaters for my brothers.
I paced, looking out my window at the bright sun in the blue sky and the jungle creeping around the castle. The shadows couldn’t stalk me during the day... and the pixies weren’t hovering outside my window. They lurked near my door.
I stopped, tilting my head, a plan forming. I could use my window to escape, clear the outside of the caged window in the woman’s cell, and then sneak back without anyone knowing where I’d gone.
Excitement thrummed in my veins that I’d been able to figure this out after all. Once this was out of the way, I could fully focus on the nettle weed.
I opened the doors and padded out onto the balcony, looking down at the grassy expanse below. I was on the second floor.
I couldn’t jump. It was much too far for that.
A gargoyle statue sat perched on a ledge next to my balcony, staring at me as if it knew what I was thinking.
I eyed the vines creeping over the statue and down the castle walls. That might just work. My hands had almost fully healed by now, no longer aching or hurting, so I’d be able to grip the vine much easier, though I was still weak from being so sick—and from being confined.
The thought of freedom, even if it was temporary, was too tempting. Yes, I wanted to keep my end of the bargain with that prisoner, but I also wanted to see something other than the four walls of my room.
Decision made, I strode to the edge of the balcony and lifted a leg over. I wore a simple cotton gown. I hadn’t worn my red one since that night in the jungle.
My knee popped, my muscles screaming in protest at the movement. I gripped the thick banister tighter and lifted my other leg over until I was standing on the other side.
The gargoyle frowned down at me, and I shot it a glare. I hated feeling like I was always watched here. Hated the confinement. I missed the Wilds and my freedom.
I’d be back there soon. With my brothers. I gritted my teeth and jumped from the edge of the balcony onto the wall, grasping tight onto the network of vines trailing down. The vine I clutched to swung, making my stomach turn and dizziness sweep over me. I took a few deep breaths, then made my way down. They were sturdier than I thought they’d be, which made it easy to descend with efficiency.
Finally, I made it down onto the ground and shot a cursory glance around to make sure none of the pixies were fluttering about. When everything looked clear, I crept forward, keeping my body close to the castle walls. I edged along the stone, thinking about where the prison window would be located. The prisoner had told me it was blocked, but she didn’t know by what. That would be another obstacle I’d have to worry about when I got there.
Heat prickled over my skin. In contrast to the cool climate of the star court, it was always balmy here, the heat heavy and suffocating. I was always sweating no matter the time of day. I swiped the back of my arm across my brow but kept going, already feeling out of breath at this small use of my energy. The poison had weakened me far more than I’d realized. I had to stop several times, bending over to catch my breath before I could move on, and my ankle twinged every time I put weight on it.
I’d need to start walking daily, gaining my strength back until I was at full force again. I wouldn’t be able to do what was needed otherwise.
Shouts rang out in the distance, and I froze, plastering myself against the wall. Had someone come to check on me and realized I wasn’t there?
I needed to hurry to the east wing.
Despite my body’s protests, I quickened my pace and walked around the corner of the castle, then went straight until I came to the tall tower that should’ve been the east wing.
The shouts got louder, and I could’ve sworn I heard someone yell, “Find her.” It was now or never.
After this, I wouldn’t visit the prisoner again, not until I spoke with Kairoth, whenever that would be.
My gaze searched the area where the ground met the castle wall. The tops of several windows peeked over the ground, bars covering them. The prison cells. My pulse jumped when my gaze came upon the middle of the tower. A tangle of vines and weeds covered the window. That was her window. It had to be. It was the only one obstructed.
I hurried along and knelt down in front of the plants, cutting and tearing at them just enough to see there was something else blocking the top of the window. A small stone. It looked like it had been broken off from a larger piece.
I reached out, pushing the stone out of the way and letting some light in through the window. Enough of the bush still stood in the way that no one would notice I’d moved a small piece of rock. Through the bars, I could just see the prisoner’s head full of black hair, the sun shining down on it. Her hair was a tangled mess, like a rat’s nest of knots and tangles. She slowly began to turn her head.
I jolted back, not wanting to see her, for her to see me. I didn’t know why, but I just had a gut feeling it was better this way.
I’d done my part. Now I could wash my hands of this and figure out how to get to that nettle weed she’d told me about.
I turned and strode back toward my balcony, wondering if I’d even have the strength to climb back up those vines. I might just have to go through the front door, and if anyone asked questions, I could say I wanted to get some fresh air.
The sun was already sinking over the horizon. This had taken far longer than I’d anticipated. Cold crept over me, a dark cloud blotting out the sun.
All of a sudden, shadows surrounded me, their glowing red eyes trained on me.
“I’m going back to my room,” I signed.
One of them grabbed my arm, and I tried to shake it free to no avail. Another one latched onto my other arm.
The outline of the stars appeared in the purple sky, and I was about to summon my powers when a whirl of shadows landed in front of me in the form of a beast. My heart leaped into my throat. The shadows let go of my arm, blasting backwards and into the air.
I looked at the beast. Its red eyes glowed as it looked down on me.
Kairoth had returned.