Page 177 of Dukes Are Forever
"Absolutely."
Lark hauled herself to her feet and glanced over the edge of the balcony. No sign of Dido in the dark of the night, but considering Byrnes had put that last bullet right between her eyes, Lark didn't think she need be concerned. All the king's horses and all the king's men wouldn't be putting the assassin back together again.
"Where's Charlie and Malloryn?" she demanded.
"Fighting on the stairs last I saw them. It seems the Rising Sons finally found their balls and are pressing for the top. There's a contingent of Coldrush Guards there with them," he said. "Where's the duchess?"
Lark looked up at the broken window above them. There was no sign of Adele.
"Adele?" she called.
No answer.
She'd lost Byrnes's attention. He was cursing under his breath, fussing over Ingrid.
"Adele?"
Silence.
The duchess wouldn't have vanished. She was barely armed and wouldn't have left the pair of them behind without assuring herself of their safety.
Grabbing Byrnes's shoulder, she knelt to see the damage to Ingrid. "We have a problem."
"Can't be any worse than it already is," he snarled, hoisting Ingrid up into his arms. "Ingrid can't feel her bloody legs."
"Adele's not answering me," Lark said. "She was in that room above us when Ingrid went through the window. I told her to stay put."
Byrnes's face paled as he looked up.
"Then where the hell is she?"
"I don't know," Lark replied grimly.
Chapter 35
Swords clashed as Malloryn drove Lord Greenwich down several steps. Greenwich had always been a mediocre duelist at best, but the Rising Sons had the numbers here. It was only he, Charlie, and three Nighthawks who'd burst out of nowhere holding the stairs.
Lifting his pistol, he shot Baron Carstoke in the face, giving Charlie some room to move, and then he disengaged Greenwich's next thrust and slammed the butt of the pistol into his lordship's nose. Blood splashed as he drove the rapier in his hand through Greenwich's chest to the hilt.
Greenwich slid off his sword, dead before he hit the ground.
No mean feat, but Malloryn was a trifle vexed at the moment.
The Rising Sons had swarmed out of nowhere.
And somehow three of them stood between he and Devoncourt.
"You and me," Devoncourt mouthed, and then winked.
A sword came at him. Malloryn dodged and grabbed the newcomer's wrist, throwing him aside. He shoved forward, but there were too many other people between them. Damn it.
He caught a glimpse of Devoncourt's blond hair as the Falcon vanished through a side door. Not today. He owed Devoncourt a bloody death. Malloryn kicked the Earl of Hargreaves in the face, and the blue blood slammed into three of his fellows, sending them toppling down the stairs.
"After me," he said grimly, trying to catch his breath. It was getting harder and harder to breathe with all the smoke funneling up through the center of the tower.
Charlie hauled him up short. "Look!"
There were more Rising Sons on the stairs below them, clashing with a group of Coldrush Guards and Nighthawks, that appeared to be led by Barrons.
