Page 64 of Fiendish Delights
I shifted my weight. ‘It’s a long story.’
‘If you say so, girlie.’ She waggled her eyebrows and I suddenly recognised the glint in her eyes. Uh-oh. It was time to stop talking and start moving.
‘Anyway,’ I said quickly, ‘I’ve got to go now!’ I turned and darted for the castle door, half-expecting Duchess to attack me from behind for daring to admonish her. Instead, all I heard was her mocking laugh.
This time I didn’t stop. With sweaty palms, I wrenched at the heavy door. To my relief it wasn’t locked and I slipped inside.
Even with the door closed behind me, I could still hearDuchess laughing. I grimaced and glanced around the grand hallway. At least it was empty and there was nobody around to hear her.
‘So much for a surreptitious entrance,’ Hester whispered.
‘Yeah,’ Otis said, agreeing with his sister for once. ‘You almost blew it there.’
Aware that my cheeks were burning, I motioned for them to keep quiet. ‘Let’s find what we came here for and get out of here,’ I muttered.
I sidled towards the corridor beyond the sweeping staircase, avoiding the suits of armour and listening hard for any sounds of life. Hester and Otis were snickering softly. Like the brave burglar I was, I pretended not to hear them.
It was dim beyond the entrance area, so I hoped that the rest of my sneaky heist could be carried out without interruption. I slipped down one corridor then another, back-tracking only once when I realised I’d taken a wrong turn. Eventually I found the right room and paused to listen at the door. When I was certain it was empty, I held my breath, inched it open and peeked inside. I’d made it this far; the hardest part was over.
I wasn’t daft enough to turn on the lights. Instead, I felt my way around the Primes’ vast office space, managing to avoid banging into any furniture. After a few moments my eyes adjusted to the darkness, making it easier to see what I was doing.
I tiptoed around one display cabinet after another before I finally spotted the one I wanted. I hastened towards it.
‘It’s not too late to turn back,’ Otis said, eternally hopeful.
I forced a pained smile; it was far too late. I brushed away his concern and reached for the cabinet door. It squeaked faintly as I opened it and I winced, but I didn’t stop.
I withdrew a folded piece of paper from my pocket and laid it carefully on the shelf. then I picked up the ancient dragon’segg. It was heavier than I’d expected but there was no time to marvel at it. I wrapped it carefully in the blanket I’d brought with me, opened my backpack and dropped it inside. Sorry, Hugo. I bit my lip. I really was sorry.
‘Alright,’ I whispered. ‘We’ve got what we came for. Let’s get out of here.’
As I spun around, preparing to head for the door to make a quick exit, Hester buzzed in alarm. ‘Someone’s coming! I can hear voices!’
My mouth went dry when I realised she was right. Panic filled me and I stumbled as anxiety got the better of me. There was only one place to hide and it was far from ideal, but I didn’t have a choice.
I regained my balance, dived towards the huge conference table and scrambled underneath it in the nick of time. I curled my body into a ball and hugged my knees to my chest, while Otis and Hester pressed themselves against a chair leg.
Less than three seconds later, I heard the oak door open. Two people walked in, flicking on the lights and illuminating every corner of the room. Shit. Cumbubbling shit.
I heard Miriam’s voice. ‘I know I’ve said it before, but it’s worth repeating. Daisy will despise you for doing this.’
‘She’ll be angry but she’ll get over it.’ Hugo’s tone was gruff and I registered guilt beneath it. My eyes narrowed. What was he talking about?
‘I wouldn’t be so sure about that.’
‘We’ve been through this. Her magic is causing serious problems. She’s struggling to control it, even with the techniques we’ve been teaching her. It’s far safer if she stays away.’
‘Safer for whom?’
Hugo emitted a long sigh. ‘You know how risky this will be, Miriam – and how necessary it is. We can’t allow a fiend to take that chess set from the dragon because theconsequences could be catastrophic, but entering a dragon’s lair is asking to be roasted alive.’
I glanced at Hester and Otis and they stared back at me, wide-eyed.
‘Just promise me that you’ll look after her if I don’t make it,’ Hugo went on. ‘If Daisy can learn to control her magic properly, she’ll have a chance of getting free of her addiction to spider’s silk.’
Miriam’s response was soft. ‘You know she’s probably already too far gone to be saved.’
I pulled a face. Hugo growled, the dark rumble making me tense even more.
