Reckless IV by Cornelia Funke

Author:Cornelia Funke
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Steerforth Press
Published: 2021-03-15T00:00:00+00:00

28

WINGS

The glass daggers helped with the thorns, even though it took some time to scrape them off the vines. Yet, despite the gloves, Jacob’s skin was soon riddled with cuts. The greatest danger was that they would be spotted from one of the bridges, but no one showed themselves behind their glass walls. The windows they passed remained shuttered, and all they heard were the cries of birds searching for prey in the vapors above the lake or the scurrying of bats that silently flitted past them. And so, like two beetles, they continued to climb down Spieler’s silver roses toward the sulfur-shrouded waters that surrounded his palace. At some point, even the Bastard cursed as he closed his onyx hands around the vines, and the gloves on Jacob’s hands were so drenched in blood that he tried to distract himself from the sharp-edged roses by remembering another descent: down the Goyl’s royal palace to free Fox. Fox… How would she react to what Zeta had confided in him? One of his mirrors warned him long ago about your daughter. He will try to kill her… He had already kept many things from Fox—to protect her or because he couldn’t find the right words. Or because it was more convenient for you if I didn’t know something, Jacob Reckless, he heard Fox mock him. Yes, that too. But not this time. This time she had to know what he knew because it meant danger for her. He was sure that the daughter the golem had spoken of would have Fox as her mother, and Spieler would hunt Fox, not him, as soon as he suspected she was pregnant. A rose petal cut deep into his forearm. No, these were thoughts better kept for a safer place.

He had to escape to warn her. And she was right. There was no point in running. Spieler would find them wherever. He had a wax likeness made of his enemy’s true face and melted it in a fire of Alder wood. Was it really possible to kill him?

The Goyl was far ahead. He had already reached the roof that connected the tower to the palace. From there, it was still more than a dozen yards to the water, but even the Bastard seemed to need a break. Jacob watched through the vapor wafting up from the water as the Goyl dropped exhausted onto the silver shingles. His own fingers barely wanted to bend anymore, and above him, Spieler’s towers shimmered in the dim light that came from the cave ceiling… but he finally made it down to the roof where the Bastard was lying.

He had his eyes closed when Jacob stretched out beside him, his skin numb with pain and so exhausted he almost threw up.

“I wasn’t sure you were going to make it. You were as slow as a snail crawling over broken glass.” The Goyl opened his eyes. “Oh no, you look even worse than that.”

Had anyone ever been so insane as to climb down Spieler’s roses? Probably not.

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