Page 24 of Kill the Beast
“As I said, the Beast’s glyph is one of jealousy and heartbreak. Using items that represent happiness or love will help us to unravel it.” She tapped her chin. “In fact, you shouldeachcontribute a personal concern to the sword. Given how powerful dark magic can be—and how personal this glyph is—I sense that a single item won’t be enough.”
“Make a list of anything of yours that might work, and where I can find them,” Lyssa told Alderic. “I’ll try to get them when I’m out gathering the rest of the ingredients.”
“Oh, no,” Rags said, her fingers finding the bag of bones hanging from the cord around her neck. “Alderic must accompany you. He needs to gather the items he plans to use with his own hands.”
“Absolutely not,” Lyssa protested at the same time Alderic said, “I would really rather stay here.”
“The bones have spoken,” the old witch insisted. Usually that ended an argument, but this time Lyssa refused to back down.
“Look at him!” she cried, gesturing wildly at Alderic’s fine clothes, the lace at his wrists and neck, the high-heeled shoes that he had barely been able to walk through the forest in. “He’ll slow me down, at best. At worst, he’ll get himself hurt. Or killed. Or kidnapped by bandits and held for ransom.”
“I don’t want to go, either,” Alderic said, “but there’s no need to berude.”
Rags shook her head. “The bones told me that you should keep him close, and—”
“Are you sure you heard them correctly?” Lyssa interrupted. She trusted Rags, for the most part, but sometimes the things “the bones” suggested were a little too convenient.The bones say to buy cake at the market today,orthe bones say you’re to run me a hot bath and sprinkle it with herbs and bring me tea once I’m settled.She probably just didn’t want a strange man hanging around—not that Lyssa could blame her. But that wasn’t a good enough reason to saddleLyssawith the aforementioned strange man.
“Yes, I read them correctly,” Rags snapped. “They suggested that Alderic is crucial to the unmaking of the Beast—him, and not only the claw that he possesses. No matter how many times I asked, I got the same answer: if he stays behind, you will fail. If you keep him close, there is a branch of the path that leads to success.”
“But why?” Lyssa demanded.
Ragnhild gave Alderic a shrewd look. “Why do you want the Beast dead? It killed someone you cared about?”
“I—” Alderic blinked at her, and seemed unable to form the words for a moment. Finally, he looked away. “Yes.”
“There you go,” Rags said triumphantly. “Alderic has an emotional connection to the Beast, and the bones know it. Besides, with a glyph as discordant as this one, the two of you working in harmony could be the very thing we need in order to unravel it.”
Lyssa shook her head. “No. Rags, I’m serious. He’ll get in the way. I am more than capable of gathering the ingredients by myself.”
“You couldn’t get a piece of the Beast on your own,” Ragnhild pointed out. “Nor could you find the creature in nearly thirteen years of searching for it, or provide an accurate glyph. Alderic here has done all of those things.”
“I…”
But there was no arguing with that. The witch was right, andit brought hot shame to Lyssa’s cheeks. This ruffly rich man had gotten her closer to fulfilling her oath than she had ever gotten on her own.
“Do you care more about your own ego, or killing the Beast?” Ragnhild asked. “It’s your choice.”
Lyssa gritted her teeth so hard it felt like she was going to crack a molar. “Fine.” She turned to Alderic. “But you have to do what I say.”
“Of course,” he said, inclining his head deferentially.
“We’re getting you a pistol.”
“I don’t know if that’s—”
“And youcannotwear that outfit.”
He looked down at himself. “What’s wrong with my outfit?”
“You’re too noticeable. You need something more discreet. Something you can move around in easily, with shoes that won’t snap your ankles the second we leave the paved roads.”
“I’m sure I have something more appropriate at the manor,” Alderic said. “We could—”
“No,” Lyssa said. “I told you, the Hound-wardens will be waiting for us there. Your parlor is probably overrun with them even as we speak. In any case, I highly doubt you own anything I would consider appropriate. We’ll get you a few things in Warham before we set out.”
Alderic hesitated, then seemed to remember that he had agreed to do whatever she said. He inclined his head again. “I do love a good shopping trip.”
“You can go with Nadia,” Rags said. “She’s heading to Warham tomorrow morning to fetch some supplies.”
