Page 34 of The Duke and the Disciple

Even the words sent his heart into a discordant flutter. “Perhaps.” He glanced at the window, into the darkness. “I’m not much of a tracker, but if we can retrace her steps...”

“We’ll rule Fanghelm out first. First the keep, then the courtyard, barns, and livery,” Tasmin said. She checked her pocket for her keys. “There’s noreason to go storming into a lion’s den without being absolutely sure our little lamb has wandered where she doesn’t belong.” She turned and met his eyes. “But if she did go to Hoarfrost, we have no choice but to wake the beast.”

They hadno trouble reaching the cellar or climbing down the dark, narrow stairs. But Aesylt had her first pang of doubt when she considered the row of hoists.

The cellar had a dank putridity to it from the roots that had gone to rot and been left to decay. The long table centering the room was scored with knife marks and stained with vermilion and ocher hues. Ends and other discarded bits were gnarled and dried, and the cobwebs stretching over the lift doors had her wondering if they even worked anymore or if they had fallen into the same disrepair as the rest of the fetid room.

“Did you test it?”

Niklaus ran a finger through the table’s dust. “Nowyou’re concerned about the viability of this plan?”

“Not concerned,” she lied. “Just mindful of all the details we need contingencies for.”

He laughed. “You sound like the scholar.”

“He’s thorough. As we should be.” Aesylt moved to the middle door and brushed her sleeve along it. She turned the creaky latch, wincing, and the door yawned open, revealing the tray and pulley. With a hard breath out, she turned and said, “Shouldwe test something first?”

Niklaus scanned the room with an exasperated air. “All we’d be doing is drawing more notice. If someone hears this thing moving, they might wonder why. They might investigate. We need you to be in Val’s room, and the pulley at rest, by the time that happens.”

She closed her eyes, thinking. “We’ll hope for the best.”

“Ancestors keep us,” he hissed. “Anything else we should discuss before I?—”

“No,” she said quickly, mindful of her waning courage. “Go.”

Aesylt waited, agitated, her thoughts awkwardly fumbling through a series of what-if scenarios. They were all bad, every one. If she was caught, even a trip to the celestial realm wouldn’t save her, because she couldn’t stay there forever. Her longest stint had been two days, once, and she’d been a dazed mess for a full day after. Skin tingling. Tongue dry. Dizzy as a storm.

Only a staircase separated her from the bustling keep. Her imagination fixated on their bloodlust, how they’d whipped each other into an anti-Wynter frenzy. They were all hoping to be the one to bring in the little pale-haired koldyna who’d sent the village to its knees.

Val. Val is the key. If I can just clear my mind, if I can touch him?—

Aesylt jolted when a distant knocking traveled down the chute. She closed her eyes, mouthed a silent prayer, and leaned in to look up. At first all she saw was a man-shaped shadow, but then Niklaus’s arms flailed wildly, beckoning, and she released her breath.

She pressed her arms on the platform to judge its stability, but it was pointless. She was getting in no matter what.

Aesylt had started to climb in when she thought of the bulky furs. If they got caught on anything...

She darted into an alcove, shrugged the cloak off, and stuffed it into an empty barrel. Before she could change her mind, she raced for the chute and clambered in. The metal was cold to the touch, and she already missed the fur, but she waved at Niklaus, her heart pounding, and braced for the trip.

Aesylt toppled sideways when the first creak of the pulley jolted the platform. She spread her palms to find balance, but the entire thing listed to the right. One of the four ropes had snapped.I’ve had a lot of crazy ideas over the years, but this might just top them all.She slid to the left to even it out and held her breath, moving her legs and arms akimbo.

The platform moved arduously slow. Niklaus’s grunts became more labored with each tug. But at last she heard him sighing in relief, and before she knew it, he was tying the anchor.

Niklaus reached in to help her out, then lifted and lowered her onto the floor. Warmth was the first sensation that greeted her. The next was an eerie silence, nothing like what they’d heard outside or streaming from the keep.

“We need to be very careful,” Nik whispered as he ushered her away from the lift. “They know I’m in here, but if they hearyou,it’s over. I told them I just wanted a few minutes with my friend, and they were hesitant even to give me that. I couldn’t risk locking the door, or they’d definitely be suspicious.”

“Obviously,” she said curtly but smiled in apology. “Hvala, Nikky.Really, thank you. You’re the only one I trusted to help me with this, but I’m not ignorant to the risks either. I promise.”

He lowered his stare to the ground. “Just hurry, will you? Anyone could come in here at any time...”

Her hand traced his shoulder. “I know.” Aesylt finally looked toward the bed, but her gaze climbed no farther than the rise of blanket over Val’s legs. “Is it true they haven’t allowed any vedhmas to heal him?”

“I think they want the village to see how he’s suffered.”

“If they really loved him, they wouldn’t let him suffer a moment longer than he had to.” Aesylt breathed long and deep. “How bad is it?” She hated how small she sounded.

“Do you want me to describe...”

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