A Storm of Glass and Stars (The Oncoming Storm Book 4) by Marion Blackwood

Author:Marion Blackwood [Blackwood, Marion]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Black Dagger Publishing
Published: 2020-10-25T16:00:00+00:00

21.

The halls of the castle lay deserted around me, despite it only being a few hours after dinner. Opening the chute, I peered into the darkness. There was no way to know for sure if this would work. Apart from trying it. After tying the ropes together, I secured one end to the handle on the inside of the metal plate and let the other disappear down the hole.

“Come on, Lady Luck. Help a thief out.”

Sending a prayer to Cadentia, I braced myself on the wall and climbed through the opening. With one hand on the rope, I pulled the plate shut behind me. The world turned pitch black.

“Man, it’s dark in here,” I muttered.

With the plate closed, I couldn’t even see my own hands but it was the only way. If someone happened upon the open chute with a rope tied to it, I’d be in real trouble. Not to mention that I needed the support from the metal sheet bracing against the wall in order to lower myself down the rope. And then when climbing back up again, of course. After sending another prayer to the Goddess of Luck, I started down the square-shaped passage.

My breathing sounded unnaturally loud, but I knew it was just the confined space playing tricks on my ears so I tried to block it out and concentrate on the rope. Time crept by while I tried to imagine running free across the rooftops instead of crawling through a space so small it would make a tight-shelled crab claustrophobic. Eventually, I felt the knot tying one rope to the other under my hands. I continued downwards. The bottom had to be close now.

Empty air met my palm. My heart skipped a beat and I gripped the line tighter with my other hand before I could get them both back on it. Damn. I was out of rope. Stretching my legs as far down as I could, I tried to locate the bottom. They swung through the chute without finding purchase.

“Really, Cadentia?” I grumbled.

The end could be a finger’s length below or it could be fifty strides and it was impossible to know which unless I let go of the rope. If it was too far, I might not be able to get back up. Blood pounded in my ears. Godsdamn it. I drew a deep breath and let go.

Fabric flapped around me as I slid down the chute. Panic welled up in my throat like bile when I kept gliding downwards. The end had to be here somewhere.

A jolt shot up my ankles as they slammed into something hard. It gave way and I tumbled out of the opening and onto the ground outside. Stones scraped against my legs. Ignoring the pain, I scrambled to my feet and ducked behind the nearest jasmine bush. My heart thumped in my chest.

No alarm rose. Putting a hand to a leaf-covered branch, I carefully bent it down and peered out. Moonlight bathed the courtyard in silver and cicadas played in the bushes but other than that, there was not a soul in sight.

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