Taming the Thorny Rose novel · Chapter 18 of 24

Chapter 18: The Vault

"East wing," said Aldric.

"Osric keeps a vault under the Venn tower.

"It has one door and no windows."

We were running by the time he finished the sentence.

The hall behind us had broken into shouting, and the shaved-head guard was bellowing for the loyal houses to hold the doors.

"We should bring the guard," I said.

"We would bring a war."

He took the stairs three at a time.

"Osric wants me to storm his tower with an army, so he can call it treason.

"He did not take Astrid for her sake."

"He took her for mine."

"Yes."

"Then I'll go in quietly."

"We will go in quietly," said Aldric.

The Venn tower stood at the end of a long gallery of dusty portraits.

A single guard slouched at its door, and he did not see me until my thorned wire was around his throat.

"Sleep," I told him.

He slid down the wall with his eyes rolling.

Aldric looked at the guard and then at me.

"You have done that before."

"Many times.

"It's very restful."

"I will remember it."

"Don't."

I took the guard's keys.

"I like having an edge."

The stair beyond went down into the dark, and the air turned to cold stone and old oil.

The vault door at the bottom was iron, and it was not locked.

That made me stop.

"A trap?" I murmured.

"Almost certainly."

"Good.

"I hate surprises."

I pushed the door with my boot.

Four guards stood inside a round room full of chests, with Astrid tied to a chair in the middle.

She had a bruise on her cheek and a rag in her mouth, and she was glaring at all of them.

They saw us.

They turned.

Aldric went through them.

I took the one on the left with my wire and a knee to the stomach.

Another swung at me with a halberd, and I ducked it and took the hilt in the face.

It was over in twenty seconds.

I cut Astrid's ropes and pulled the rag from her mouth.

"Took you long enough," she said.

"We came as soon as we..."

"I'm joking.

"You were fast."

She rubbed her wrists and looked at Aldric.

"He's very good at that.

"Does he do it every day?"

"Only on holidays," said Aldric.

She stared at him.

Then she burst out laughing, and I felt something in my chest I hadn't felt in a week.

"I like him," Astrid said.

"Don't let him die."

"I'm working on it."

"Good."

She stood up, wobbling, and tugged at the bodice of her dress, and something flat shifted against her ribs.

"Can we go?

"This place smells like a dead cat."

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