Page 75 of The Jester

Chapter Thirty-Four

FINN

Iwait at the side of the room, in the shadows, as I always do. The drums start beating, and the spotlight appears. Scanning the outer edges, I spot Yarrow and he offers me a fixed stare that says, We’re ready. Now or never.

Now. It has to be now.

I breathe in slowly and allow the vibration of the drums to settle beneath my skin.

Then I stride into the light.

As usual, the wave of energy coming from the Sunborne fae makes me nauseous. I hate them with so much passion, I still don’t understand how I’ve lived in such close proximity to them for so long.

I open my arms and, just as planned, the ropes descend from the ceiling. Grabbing hold of them, I leverage myself up into the air and begin to perform the body-twisting dips, and dives, and spectacles they anticipate.

Each night, I vary the moves. I have to, so they don’t get bored. So that Eldrion doesn’t stop using me. Needing me.

But no more. From tonight, everything will be different. And soon, Eldrion will know what it means to be afraid.

Grabbing hold of the bar that is permanently suspended from the ceiling, I hook my legs over it, then dangle upside down above the crowd. I grin at them, and wave, and they point up at me. Then I reach behind my head, and unfasten my mask. With one swift movement, I let it drop.

As it falls, the piercings on my wings chime.

It lands with a thud and the crowd goes quiet.

The drums stop.

I swing back and forth, watching them. And then, with a flourish, I leverage myself up into the air... and disappear.

At least, that’s what it looks like to them.

Clinging onto the beam in the darkness at the top of the hall, I look down at them and watch them. They stare, waiting for me to drop back down. When I don’t, they start to mutter amongst themselves.

When the chatter becomes louder still, Yarrow makes his move. He silently exits his post, closing and bolting the door behind him. As he works, I swing myself onto the top of the beam, then run along the top of it towards an open window.

Outside, I cling to the side of the castle, nestling my fingers between the stones. I creep along the edge of the building, back inside at the next window, then drop down just as Yarrow and the other guards from the hall gather.

“All right.” I slap his shoulder. “Let’s go.”

He beams at me from beneath his large beard. “Indeed,” he says. “It is beyond time, my friend.”

We hurry away from the hall as quickly as we can without making ourselves known. When we reach the kitchen, those who know what tonight is filter away from their posts and follow us to the trapdoor at the back of the pantry. Taking hold of the trapdoor, Yarrow raises his eyebrows at me. “What about the dungeon?” he asks.

“The dungeon?”

“The Leafborne? You promised...” He never wanted to free them, and doesn’t care either way, but he is a good friend. And would support me if that’s what I chose.

“We owe them nothing.” I meet his eyes stoically. “Alana will play her part. She’ll understand.”

Yarrow hesitates, then flexes his fingers on his wooden axe, and nods. “Very well.”

We swing ourselves down and immediately make our way through the first set of tunnels. When we arrive at the weaponry, we take what we can carry.

“Where are we exiting?” he asks. “Which tunnels?”

“East.”

“You told Briony west?”

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