“Why should we trust the word of a known liar?” Shildreth shot back.
“If I don’t do as you ask, you can kill me here. But if I do, you must promise that I will leave this keep alive. If you don’t agree, remember that Helen will be utterly powerless against Menelaus. When he gets his claws in her again, and he will, she won’t be able to stop him. He can do anything he wants to your queen,” she sneered.
“Do not make this creature any promises,” I warned. “Dispatch her so she can’t spew any more of her poison. I will deal with Menelaus some other way when the time comes.”
Shildreth looked to Paris and then Faren.
“If I may.” Arachne rose and went to Shildreth. Arachne whispered in her ear. I could not make out the words. The sidebar ended with a perfunctory nod from Shildreth.
Arachne retook her seat as Shildreth gave her decree.
“We do not accept your offer. But we do have a counter. If you unbind Helen, you will be allowed to leave the keep alive and enter the Darkwood. None here, nor any under their control, will harm you while you are in the keep or the Darkwood. Where you go from there is up to you.”
Desmerada’s mouth twitched as she considered the offer.
Her beady gaze slipped to Arachne. “This deal includes hideous Arachne and her monsters? They can’t harm me either?”
“That is correct,” Shildreth said.
“Well, as much as I’d love to take the word of a dirty peasant, I’m going to need your word, Askenith. Do you agree to those terms?”
“If Shildreth agrees, then you have my word,” Paris said.
Desmerada’s cackle filled the hall with malice.
“Done.”
Shildreth sank back down into her seat and buried her face in Faren’s shirt.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Paris
I ended the audience with an entreaty to the line of Priam to watch over the Bloodkeep and guide all within it to a future of rebirth. The thunderous applause and roars threatened to bring the keep down on our heads.
My council and I retreated to the antechamber. Faren escorted Shildreth to the closest divan and held her to his chest. Helen looked stricken as she took her seat. Arachne followed, her spiders close at her heels. When the doors swung closed, Shildreth kissed Faren on the mouth, surprising him. He almost fell off the seat.
“What’s this?” he asked as he took her hands.
“She will leave the keep alive and go into the Darkwood.” Shildreth laughed.
I looked at Helen, who seemed equally puzzled.
“Well done. The trap is set.” Arachne clapped. Her spiders clicked their teeth and hissed.
“You’re happy she will live?” Faren was dumbstruck. He wasn’t the only one.
“Don’t you see? I agreed that she will leave the keep alive. I agreed she would enter the Darkwood. With a little insight from our new friend”—Shildreth inclined her head to Arachne—“I realized that was an excellent deal.”
Helen straightened and beamed at Shildreth, clearly having figured out the plan. “Oh, I see. Which tower shall we set up in for the unbinding?”
Faren and I exchanged blank looks. What had these females cooked up?
Shildreth planted another kiss on Faren. “You’ll see. Trust me.”
I had no problem letting the women work their strategy, especially if it ended with Desmerada dispatched.
“It’s in your hands.” I whipped my robe off and draped it on the nearest chair. I was going to be a more casual dress sort of king, if that were even possible. I reached up to remove the crown.
“Leave it,” Helen said, taking in every inch of me with her stare. “I’ll remove it later, after we’ve dealt with her.”
Faren whistled through his teeth as Shildreth rested her head on his shoulder.
The look in Helen’s eyes was pure desire, and I needed her on my cock sooner rather than later. That settled the timeline, even if I was still unclear on the plan.
“Let’s get this over with.” I hurried to the door and ordered the guards to clear the great hall immediately.
Helen smiled, her warmth setting me alight. We waited a few more moments for the guards to escort the crowd from the room. Desmerada taunted the guards. Promising them pain and retribution if they didn’t release her. Fool.
I wrapped my arm around Helen’s waist, pulling her into my side as we approached the cage.
I nuzzled against her ear. “Are you going to tell me what you’re up to?”
“You’ll see.”
I quickened my pace even more, carrying Helen along with me. Every minute spent away from our bedchambers was a problem.
“Shildreth, the floor is yours.” I waved a hand toward Desmerada’s cage.
“We’ll need to do this in the southwest tower, top floor. We can set up there. It will keep the rest of the castle safe should anything go wrong.”
A handful of guards hurried off to make the room ready.
Shildreth approached the cage. Desmerada’s beady eyes took in the vampire’s walking difficulties and smiled. “You escaped, but not unscathed, I see. Good.”