Shildreth ignored the taunt. “What do you need to unbind Helen?”
“I wouldn’t expect an ignorant peasant such as yourself to understand the finer points of magic. See if you can keep up. Hades fire, of course, three black owl feathers, two vials of great spider ichor, down from a fury’s wing, two drops of gorgon venom, a skin of amaranth blood, and a changeling stone.”
“Helen, do these sound right, or is it some trick?” I asked.
“No, for once she’s telling the truth. I remember some of those things from the day she bound me.”
Shildreth whispered some more ingredients into Faren’s ear. Realization dawned on his face.
When she finished giving her directions, I said, “Faren, please collect what’s needed and take it to the southwest tower. We’ll meet you there. Guards, bring her.”
Helen
The top of the southwest tower was sparsely furnished, used as a lookout and rarely so.
I arranged the ingredients and the fire pit from memory.
“Do you think it will work?” Paris asked, helping me set the room.
“Only one way to find out.”
“Are you going to tell me what’s actually going on?”
I stole a quick kiss, tasting his lips briefly. “No time.”
Faren had carried Shildreth up the many stairs and placed her inside. He kept his arm around her as her steely gaze roved the room, no doubt remembering the tortures she had endured here. She focused on the window, a cold wind whipping through it. Closing her eyes, she shook her head, as if clearing away the bad memories.
I gripped her hand.
“I’m okay. Really. I’ll be fine when it’s done. Are you all set up?” Shildreth asked.
“I think so. Faren managed to get all the ingredients. The smith in the keep’s village had some Hades fire, and Desmerada had expansive magic stores.”
The guards dragged a cursing Desmerada up the stairs, her chains clanging against each step, and threw her into the room. She didn’t seem to recognize it, didn’t realize this was the tower that Shildreth had thrown herself from to escape. But she would.
Desmerada shook her wrists. “You’ll have to unbind me.”
“Close the door.” Paris pointed to the guards. “All of you stand watch. If you hear anything even verging on a struggle in here, you are to dust Desmerada immediately. Dust first, ask questions later. Understand?”
For a new king, Paris was adept at giving orders. I was pleased he was no longer content to be a prince or a libertine. Now, he was in command.
“Yes, my lord.” A guard removed the chains and left the room, closing the door soundly behind him.
“Unbind her,” Paris said.
Faren warily removed the shackles.
Desmerada rubbed her wrists before taking stock of the supplies. “I suppose this is adequate.”
She settled on the floor, next to the flames, and motioned to me. “You, Queenie—sit in front of me.”
Paris, quick as light, was at Desmerada’s back. “Harm her, and you’re dead. Understand?”
Desmerada rolled her eyes. “What am I going to do? Stab her and run right into the guards on the fucking stairs? Now, let me work.”
She began combining ingredients in a bowl, grinding them with a pestle. “I’ll need a drop of Helen’s blood.”
“No,” Paris growled.
“Do you want me to unbind her or not?” Desmerada snapped. “Fucking prima donna,” she added under her breath.
“It’s fine. Paris?” I held up my hand for him to prick my finger. He did as asked, though I could tell he hated spilling even a drop of my blood. I squeezed my finger into the bowl, the blood drop causing a sizzle and a pop.
Desmerada stopped her work. “Tell me, did Menelaus ever try a pair of silver bangles on you?”
I narrowed my eyes. “Yes. How do you know about them?”
“Did they work? Were you bound?”
“Yes, for a short time until I had them removed.”
She beamed. “I knew they would work. I demanded the blood of one hundred virgins in exchange for those little beauties. And can you believe he delivered? I bathed in it, swam around in it like I was in a pool of silk. It was wonderful.” Her mind was far away, the spell at hand forgotten. “He cheated, though. Half of it was the blood of children.” She shrugged. “I didn’t count it against him. Finding adult virgins is hard. Besides, the younger the child, the better for my complexion. Am I right, Shildreth?”
Faren put his blade to her neck. “Do the spell and shut your mouth.”
She looked up at him, a serene smile on her face. “Or what? We have a deal. You can’t harm me, remember?”
“Faren,” Shildreth said and put a hand on his arm. He lowered his blade and backed away. Desmerada continued grinding.
“When Menelaus gets you again, he’s going to break his dick off in you. And he will get you again. Surely you know it’s true? Deep down. His army is formidable. How do you think I took the Bloodkeep in the first place? They destroyed any who would dare challenge me. They’ll do it again when I retake the keep. I bet your blood will be magical. I can already feel it sinking into my pores. Mmmmm.”