Beautiful Beast

Chapter 19

Arawn approaches the wall and lifts a crossbow from its hook. "Well that is fine, but there is no magic in my veins, so I feel much more at ease with a weapon in my hands." Comfortably, he turns it from one side to the other, then peers down the shaft. "Fine craftsmanship," he murmurs, blowing dust from the flight groove.

I turn away from him and look over the wall to my right. My favourite relic lies upon the mantelpiece, glimmering faintly in the light of the candles. It is a golden feather. Just one feather, though. If my father had had his way, he would have captured the bird too. The eternal songbird. A creature with feathers as bright and glorious as the sun and with a voice more beautiful than any other sound in the universe. It once made its home in our forest, but that was before...

"Kalista?"

I turn toward Arawn. The crossbow is positioned upon his back and daggers hang at his waist upon a leather belt.

"I am ready to head up whenever you are." There is questioning in his eyes as if he caught a glimpse of my wistful thoughts. Smoothing a wrinkle upon my dress, I step to the staircase.

We decide to construct the cage at the front of the palace, beneath a row of second-story windows. According to Arawn, this is the ideal spot because the open meadow will allow us to see the wolves approach while we safely watch from the windows. But then that brings forward the question of bait. Concerning this subject, we argue heatedly even before we have lifted a finger to create the cage. Arawn insists that we use a roast or raw meat, but I know that is not what the wolves desire. Finally, we decide to talk about it later and begin with the cage.

With my magic, I weave tree branches together to create the basic apparatus. It is large enough that Arawn can comfortably stand within and is as wide as I am tall. Arawn assembles the hinge plate and uses sturdy but thin cords to attach it to the door. It takes a few tries for it to work without the strings tangling up or the door getting stuck halfway down, but eventually, the door falls shut each time. With it working seamlessly, though, we are brought back to the topic of bait. I sternly tell Arawn that his shoulder has not yet healed and that I will not have him injuring himself again. He glares at me for a moment, then proposes a change to our construction. We drag the cage so that it rests against the palace wall and insert a dividing door in the center. Now, when the wolf steps upon the hinge plate, it will close both doors, locking it inside and separating it from me. Once it is captured, I will exit the cage through an opening in the back and then through a palace window. Arawn will be stationed in a window above with his crossbow; just in case something goes wrong.

Exhausted and nervous, we trek into the palace and up to the library where we review our plan again. Really, it is rather simple. Too simple? I will stand in the cage and wait for the wolves to come. They will catch my scent and one of them will be bold enough to enter the cage. The door will shut, I will escape through the back, and we will wait for the sun to chase the other wolves away. Then, we will gather the pieces of the curse and set them ablaze.

After an hour of pacing back and forth and Arawn attempting to calm me, I go to my room to get changed. Beedy has already laid out what I asked her to—a cotton shirt, a pair of breeches, and leather boots. My mother would be horrified at this outfit, but for the task ahead of me, it is the most practical. The breeches cling strangely to my thighs, but without the weight of my dress, my movements are freer.

Moving experimentally in the unfamiliar clothing, I trudge to the sitting room where my escape window is located. Arawn is there already, laying food out on a side table.

"You should eat something." He glances up and surprise flashes across his feature in response to my appearance, but he quickly recovers and adds, "You still look tired. Food will give you energy."