A thick wooden beam, bigger around than my thigh, has been placed through two iron brackets bolted to the stone wall on either side of the door. Since the door swings inward, there’s no way to open it without first removing the beam.
I look at in despair—there’s no way I can lift it. In fact, I doubt two grown men could do it—it probably takes at least four guards, two on either end—to manage that heavy beam.
But the beast is not deterred.
“This is the only way out?” he asks, raising his eyebrows.
I nod.
“Other than going back upstairs and going out through the main entrance.”
I doubt we’d make it through that way. There are guards standing at the portcullis and the beast would be impossible to disguise. He’s simply too huge and too strange, with his burning red eyes, to be anything but one of the Dragon people.
Also, he’s still stark naked—a fact I’m trying hard not to notice now that we’re standing so close together. It’s extremely improper and if anyone saw me with him, my reputation would be ruined forever. Not that I really care what the snooty Nobles of the Court think of me but?—
The beast takes a deep breath, breaking my frantic train of thought.
“Stand aside, Princess,” he says.
Crouching from his great height, he gets one broad shoulder under the thick wooden beam and slowly stands, lifting it as he goes.
I watch, my eyes growing wide, as he manhandles the enormous piece of lumber away from the door and then lets it tumble to the ground with a hollow thud!
“There.” He stands fully shrugging his shoulders as though to loosen them. “Now come on—let’s get the fuck out of here.”
And, despite my earlier command, he takes me by the hand and drags me out the door and into the night.
7
VALEN
The wind on my face after so long indoors feels like a blessing. I’m in a hurry to get out but I can’t help slowing just a moment to take a deep breath, filling my lungs with the smell of freedom. Gods, it’s been so long since I saw the sky!
The stars are coming out and there’s a full moon overhead—good for navigation once I change to my Drake form. Not that I’m strong enough for that yet—I won’t be able to Shift until I quench my thirst for blood.
My fangs get longer as I look down at the little princess, holding my hand. Or rather, I’m holding hers. She told me not to touch her, but I don’t give a fuck about that—we need to get clear of this fucking castle and she’s not going fast enough. In fact, even now she’s stumbling along as though she’s barely strong enough to stay upright.
I think it was the freezing spell she did on me that weakened her. I could see her pretty face twist in agony while she held me in check and she’s been rubbing her temples since she let me go.
“Hurry!” I bark at her. “We need to get somewhere I can Shift.”
“I’m trying!” she pants. “Just…can’t run too fast in…this dress.”
Her dress is fucking impractical for a prison break. It’s also not going to do her any favors when she tries to climb on my back while I’m in my Drake form.
I think about stripping it off of her, but if I do that, I’m certain she’ll freeze once I get high enough in the air to fly above the Poison Desert without inhaling the noxious gasses the sands give off. So there’s only one option.
Leaning down, I grab her around the thighs and hoist her up over my shoulder.
“Oh! What are you doing? Put me down!” she gasps.
I don’t bother answering. We need to get clear of the castle before the guards come down with my supper—usually just bread and water—and find me gone.
I jog over the meadow surrounding the back of the castle with the princess bouncing on my shoulder. She’s still shouting for me to put her down and I can feel her tiny fists beating against my back but it doesn’t bother me a bit. She might have strong magic, but physically she’s no match for me—she can hit me all day long if she wants to. Feels like a massage.
At last we get past the meadow and into a small copse of trees. I wait until I get to a broad clearing, big enough to Shift in, before I put her down.
“You…how dare you do that?” she rages at me as she sweeps her hair back from her face. A lot of it came loose from the expensive golden hairpins she’s wearing and her face is flushed from being carried upside down.
