Angelique took the first stair the trio had descended, and curtsied slightly—not out of social politeness but because she wobbled rather ungainly and wanted to cover it up. “I see. I can’t keep him waiting, then, can I? I assume the workroom isupstairs?”
“Yes,” Odette confirmed. “And just down thehall.”
“Lady Enchantress?” Odilecalled.
What must I say for people to just call me Angelique? Get it stitched into the bodice of my gown? Or perhaps have it written on the palm of my hand so I can save myself the words.Aloud, Angelique sweetly said, “Please,Angelique.”
Odile blushed a sweet pink, making Angelique feel a little guilty for her irritation. “If you please, Angelique,” Odile said, “why won’t it be necessary to take care of thehellhounds?”
Angelique tried to discreetly fix the jeweled clips that held some of her unruly tresses pinned to her head. “I’ve already sent word to a good friend of mine, the Grandmaster Craftmage Rumpelstiltskin. His wife, Gemma, has some experience with transforming the dark nature ofhellhounds.”
Odile perked. “Transforming?”
“Yes.” Angelique raised her fingers with the intension of scrubbing her eyes—they felt gritty and tired—but then remembered where she was and forcibly lowered her hands. “Gemma shoved a starfire—a crystal light—into the mouth of a hellhound that was attacking her. It transformed into a white dog and now follows her like a guard. I believe she calls itHvit.”
Odile clasped her hands together, her eyes shining with joy. “So the hellhounds don’thaveto beevil?”
“No,” Angelique confirmed.Just, please, don’t ask me why. No one has figured thatout.
Odile practically sagged with relief, but her smile didn’t dim even as Odette playfully bumpedher.
“Why don’t you check on your wyvern, then you can ask Angelique for details as she and Yakov organize your father’s papers?” Odettesuggested.
Odile nodded happily. “Thank you,Angelique.”
“Of course.” Angelique climbed a few more stairs. “Come back as soon as you’refinished.”
Odile waved and hurried down the hallway, leaving Angelique to finish climbing up thestaircase.
That’s the young lady who managed to bag herself a pet wyvern.Interesting.
When Angelique reached the next floor, she dragged her carcass down the hall and finally let herself rub her eyes like shewanted.
When Gemma comes, she’ll take care of the hellhounds, and since Pegasus didn’t seem to mind the wyvern, I’m not inclined to be concerned about it. But I need to introduce Sybilla to Odile right away—before anyone from the Veneno Conclave realizes she’s got a rare monster at her beck and call. Severin will need to be updated, of course. I can send missives, but I likely need to make an in-person report to both him and Clovicus after I finishhere…
Angelique heard the low growls and snarls of hellhounds enclosed behind a solid door as she swept down the hallway, keeping her ear’s perkedfor—
CRASH!
Ahh yes, the sound of destruction.That must beYakov.
When Angelique entered the ramshackle workshop, she was startled by the disarray. Books and papers were tossed everywhere across creaking tables. A few glass vials held various colorful liquids that had obviously sat too long given the thin films that settled on the liquids and the mucus-like crud that ringed some of the mouths of thevials.
The faint scent of smoke wafted off the eldest prince and a shattered pot that looked like it had once contained a shriveled fern was at his feet, but Angelique didn’t think the general upheaval of the workshop was hisdoing.
“What happened here?” sheasked.
Yakov hopped over the broken pot. “Angelique, so glad you made it back. You destroyed the other wyvern? How’d you do it?” He rubbed his hands together, and his grin was bright. “You missed a real good fight here at the lake! Kozlovkan troops took down three wyverns and killed that soddensorcerer!”
“So I heard,” Angelique said. “What happened here?” sherepeated.
“Ah.” He winced. “Yes. We’ve been looking for Rothbart’s research and papers on his process for creating wyverns and can’t find them.” He scratched his chin, and his fingers—black with ash—left smudgy prints on his skin. “He torched everything in the dungeon—that’s where he’d been keeping the wyverns when we first found out about them. Place was still smoldering when we arrived, so he must have done it just before he came out to fightus.”
Angelique frowned so deeply, her forehead furrowed. “He burned all of his work on thewyverns?”
“Yep.”
But why? If he was with the enemy that we’ve been fighting against for years, wouldn’t he have left copies for them? Unless he expected to die while enacting his plan…but he attacked Odette and the others. Why not wait for the wyverns to be in a better condition—like the one Ifought?
