Page 63 of Fiendish Delights
Hester pumped her tiny fists in the air. ‘And rescue the dragon in distress in the process!’
Somehow I doubted the dragon would see it that way. But sure. I shrugged. ‘There’s no choice.’
Otis’s shoulders slumped. ‘Back to Wales, then.’
‘Yep. But not straight away. We’re going to make a quick pitstop first.’
Chapter
Twenty
Pemberville Castle looked even grander at night. Although it was cloudy, there was enough moonlight to illuminate the towers and turrets. There were only a few lights on the ground floor and everywhere else was dark. With luck, most of the Primes – and Hugo – were already asleep. I certainly hoped so.
Hester was buzzing, a broad grin on her face. Unsurprisingly, Otis was upset. ‘It’s not too late to change your mind about this, Daisy. All you have to do is explain everything to Hugo.’
I’d already made my decision; this was the best – and safest – course of action. It would keep Hugo and the rest of the Primes safe.
‘We’ve been through this,’ I whispered. ‘The dragon will spook if a posse of people show up at her door. One person on their own has more chance of success than a large group. My days are already numbered so it makes sense that I’m the one who risks their life. Hugo will understand.’ Eventually. Or so I hoped.
‘He’ll hate you.’
But he’d be safe. ‘That’s a risk I’m willing to take.’
Otis tutted sadly but I wasn’t going to argue with him about it. I tiptoed forward and called out in a low voice, ‘Duchess? It’s me! Daisy!’
There was no immediate answer. She was probably fast asleep, but I knew she’d wake up the moment I tried to cross the bridge in front of the castle entrance. I shuffled another inch or two and tried again. The plan was to keep her quiet, not encourage a troll-based hullabaloo. ‘Duchess!’ I hissed.
‘You’re interrupting my beauty sleep!’
I exhaled. She was awake. ‘Please,’ I said. ‘I need you to stay quiet. I need?—’
It only took her a second to launch herself out from underneath the bridge. She planted both her feet on the stone and glared at me. ‘What? What do you want?’
‘Uh…’ My mouth worked uselessly. The sight of Duchess in a nightcap and gown as if she were Wee Willie Winkie had caught me off guard. I shook myself and tried not to stare. ‘I … uh … need to sneak into the castle without anyone knowing. Will you let me cross the bridge? Quietly?’
Her pale eyes glittered. ‘Why do you want to sneak inside?’
The truth couldn’t hurt. ‘I want to steal something.’
In an instant Duchess’s expression transformed from irritated to gleeful. ‘Well, well, well! So little Daisy is nothing more than a grubby thief? How delightful! Be my guest.’
I didn’t waste any time; Duchess could be mercurial. Before she changed her mind, I started to cross the bridge, swinging around her large body to get to the other side.
‘It’s about time that high-elf bastard got what’s coming to him!’ Duchess chortled. ‘Smarmy high-elf wanker!’
I should have kept moving, it would have been the smart thing to do. Instead, I halted in my tracks. Yeah, sometimes Iwas my own worst enemy. ‘That’s not fair.’ I turned to face the troll.
‘Daisy!’ Otis flicked my earlobe in alarm. ‘What are you doing? Stop talking and keep moving!’
I ignored him and focused on Duchess. ‘Hugo has been very good to you. He lets you into his home for afternoon tea. He’s extending your quarters and making sure you’re comfortable. You’re constantly rude to him, yet he’s polite to you.’ I hesitated. ‘Mostly polite to you.’
Confused, Duchess placed her clawed hands on her hips and tilted her head. Unfortunately for all of us, I was only getting warmed up. ‘He is kind and loyal,’ I continued. ‘He’s not perfect, but he’s willing to admit when he’s wrong, and he cares about his people. He’s a good man.’
‘And,’ Hester contributed, ‘he’s incredibly sexy and the mere thought of him makes Daisy squirm with lust.’
‘Exactly!’ I said, then I coughed. ‘Wait, no. I didn’t mean that.’ I pulled a face. ‘All I’m saying is that you shouldn’t be mean about him. He’s … nice,’ I finished lamely.
Duchess was still staring at me. ‘If he’s so nice, why are you stealing from him?’
