Page 51 of Even Angels fall
She might be the only person in the whole of Notre Dame to whom I speak so softly. I watched her grow up, and she might be an adult now, but in my heart, she’ll always be my baby niece.
A baby niece who is older than Angélique… Angélique, who I am getting closer and closer to finally deciding to marry…
I shake my head.
I need to focus on Cassiopé, not on what could be with Angélique.
“It’s a little difficult,” she says as she fidgets with the bottom of her shirt. I see her take a huge breath, and then it’s like I can’t stop her anymore. “Angélique has been sent to kill you. She was supposed to marry you, to get you in bed and then finish you off. But you can’t hold that against her,” she adds as she holds a handup in a way that makes me think she wants me to let her talk. She doesn’t pause, though, so it’s not like I can really talk over what she’s saying. “They have her best friend. Michaël has gone rogue and has poisoned Gabriel and kidnapped Léandre. He’s the bargaining chip, so if she doesn’t comply, something horrible will happen to him. There’s no clue as to what he will do to him, or even to her, if she doesn’t kill you, but from the sight of her back, I can only guess that it won’t be pretty.”
Fuck.
That doesn’t sound good.
I take a minute to think before I answer.
Weirdly, it’s all making sense.
Michaël refused to step down last year, and now, with this last piece coming together with the rest, I can see the whole image clearly.
From what I heard from the gossip mill, Gabriel is the only one who is still holding on against Michaël. Raphaël is as mean as his animal—a swan—and always sides with Michaël, so it’s not surprising that Michaël wants Gabriel out.
But the son, too?
Maybe those plans to infiltrate Versailles weren’t so stupid after all.
“You’re not going to punish her, right?” Cassiopé asks.
That’s when I see the smoke escaping my nostrils. It has started to fill my office, and I didn’t even see or smell it.
I should be surprised, but I’m starting to think my dragon has a mind of its own and has decided we should keep Angélique.
”I’m not going to punishher,”I say with barely contained rage. “I haven’t decided anything about her father, though.”
“Good,” Cassiopé says before she grabs the side of my door. “Maybe you should let her know,” she adds before letting herself out and leaving me to drown in my rage.
30
Angélique
Cassiopé left about half an hour ago.
The first thing I did was jump on the food that she had brought. It was cold, since we completely forgot about it while we tried to crack the enigma that wasThe Hunchback of Notre Dame, but it was still better than nothing.
In my stupid wallowing, I thought they weren’t going to feed me, since no one came to bring food, so she could have brought me only bread and water and I would have already been happy.
As it was, the slice of cheese pizza that she brought was way nicer than what I expected.
I’m still hungry, though.
Tentatively, I get out of bed, walk to my clothes, and take out the last pair of socks and underwear.
I’m gonna need to do some laundry or get more clothes, or else I’m going to be butt-naked very soon.
I put on one of the cleanest shirts I still have and training leggings.
I still have two sets of tactical gear—the kind that is bulletproof—but it’s a bit too hot to wear those without a proper reason.
I’m softly walking to my door, as if someone would stop me if they found out I planned on going out, when my door opens suddenly.
