I abandoned the far side of the castle in favour of the western-facing wall. This structure was simple, little more than a square. That narrowed down my options and meant I wouldn’t waste time wandering around exterior alcoves. When I rounded the last corner and spied a window which was ajar on the first floor, I finally smiled. Good enough.

I positioned myself directly underneath, bending my knees slightly before springing up. The walls were smooth and there were no helpful footholds. I managed to curve my fingers over the sill and used sheer strength and will power to pull myself up, nudging the window open further with my elbow so I could slip inside. I flipped over in an unnecessary somersault ‒ but one which I felt the situation called for – and landed on my feet facing the room. A second later, a hand slammed across my mouth and a muscled arm tightened across my chest, holding me in place.

‘What the hell are you doing here?’ Byron growled in my ear.

Shite.

Chapter Nine

I struggled against his grip but, when it was clear he was far too strong and I was never going to get clear, I let my body relax. He was a lot more tense than I was. I might have fallen for the oldest trick in the book and wandered in through the only entrance to the castle because it had been left open for me to do just that, but my one advantage was that he didn’t want anyone to know he was here. He was on his own and wanted things to remain that way, which gave me some breathing room. Anyway, he’d probably have learned sooner or later that I was still alive; at least this way I might get some answers about what was really going on.

Unable to speak with his hand clamped over my mouth, and confident that he’d realise that soon enough, I waited for him to release me. As soon as he did, I spun round to face him. The expression on his face wasn’t the stunned epiphany that I’d been expecting; instead he was glaring at me with a malevolence that shone from every pore of his body. ‘Who hired you?’ he demanded. ‘Was it my father?’

For a moment I was totally confused. Why would Aifric hire me? I was his sworn enemy and, anyway, he thought I was dead. Then I realised that I’d been so focused on Byron and what he was up to that the Illusion I was Chardonnay was still in place. Byron thought I was the stripper. Well, wasn’t I a prize idiot? I’d needlessly wasted almost all that magic.

‘No,’ I said softly, ‘he didn’t.’ I stepped forward until I was inches away from him. ‘Byron…’

He snarled something under his breath and side-stepped as if he were afraid of me. He flexed his fingers. ‘I could snap your neck like a twig,’ he spat. ‘So start talking before I do you some damage.’