Page 50 of The Huntsman's Heart
“Then perhaps the risk is worth taking.”
Guinevere
When day limps over the treetops, I pull my stiff body from Évandre’s stone embrace and stand. Then I climb down the walls and make my way into the courtyard.
Alaric sits, bound to the stake once more, his chin to his chest, eyes shut. I don’t know who he thinks he’s fooling. I know he doesn’t sleep any more than I do.
I cross the courtyard and kick him, and he lifts his head.
“And good morning to you, princess.”
“What will you do if I let you go?”
This also seems to take him by surprise. He tips his head and looks at me. “What would you have me do?”
“Kill Melantha.”
“Impossible, sadly. What else?”
I consider. If he can’t harm Melantha, he’s not much good as an ally when that’s my main goal. “Get me into Blackthorn unnoticed.”
“That I could do if you will listen to me.”
I roll my eyes. “Of course I would if you are actually helping.”
He says nothing, but his level expression speaks of his cynicism.
I could keep him around longer. I could torment him more. I thought that’s what I wanted, but I spent all night trying to shake the feeling that he’s getting under my skin. I’ve already let him goad me into far too much. If I keep him around much longer, who knows what else I’ll allow? And I don’t want to show him any kind of weakness he could exploit.
Not because I truly think he means to kill me. After last night I’m dangerously close to believing he might actually want to help me. Or that we want the same thing at least.
But the last thing I want to do is forgive him. To like him.
“Look, I just need you to stay out of the way and let me kill her. Perhaps I would be better to leave you here while I do that alone.”
I expect him to protest, but instead there’s a pause. “While she has my phylactery, I am a liability, it is true. But I am not the only risk. She is a sorceress in her own right. It will not be as simple as sneaking into her room and smothering her with her feather pillow.”
“So what do you propose?”
“Help me get my heart back, and then I will be able to help you kill her.”
“How do I know you will help at all if you get it back?”
He looks at me. “If you hold it, I will not have a choice.”
“And you are going to help me gain that sort of power over you?”
“Who is to say you do not already?” he says levelly.
“Do not be ridiculous!” Flustered, I turn away for a moment to gather my wits. Corvin begged me to consider simply burying him somewhere, immobilizing him so permanently he may as well be dead. But this risk is the best chance I have to destroy him and Melantha completely, and I can’t turn that down.
I pace the courtyard but that does nothing to calm my thoughts, so I sit. I sit for such a long time that the sky grows dark and all I can think about are the words Évandre spoke to me last night. That keeping Alaric here like this is doing me no good.
Finally I sigh. “Very well.”
His brows lift.
I draw my knife from my belt and move behind Alaric, slipping the blade between his wrists and the rope Évandre tied him with.
