Page 60 of Marrying Bluebeard

Still, I have to try.

“We’ll be with you the entire time,” the blonde—Anne, she said her name was—assures me. “For all of Celeste’s power, she lacks the sight that you and Bertrand possess. To her, we are nothing more than a trick of light or shadows lurking in her periphery.”

“And remember—whatever you do, do not look her in the eyes,” the freckled one—Cressida—adds. "That’s how she snares her prey.”

I nod, rubbing my hands together as I gather every shred of courage I can find. I can do this. For these women, whose lives were wasted. For Bertrand, who would endure an eternity of torment to make amends. I square my shoulders as I face the stairs. For myself, and every time someone tried to make me feel ashamed of being different, when it’s that very difference that allowed me to reach out to these women in the first place.

“You should know, however”—Anne’s gaze darts toward the ceiling—“that Bertrand’s attempt to free the young woman ended poorly. Celeste tricked him into⁠—”

A deep voice rumbles from the top of the steps, interrupting her warning, and a shiver trills up my spine at its familiar tone. Familiar, and yet—not.

“Adelaide. You came.”

I lift my head, meeting Bertrand’s gaze as he looks down from the mezzanine. His lips are curved in a smile that feels utterly wrong. He should be furious seeing me here after he went to such great lengths to send me home. He certainly shouldn’t be smiling. And his eyes… even at a distance, I can see they’re nothing but vacant pools. I don’t need to hear the rest of Anne’s warning to know he’s under Celeste’s thrall.

“Yes, Bertrand.” I force myself to smile as he moves, slinking down the stairs like a panther. “I’m here.”

“That’s wonderful, darling.” He extends his hand. “You’re just in time for my surprise.”

My hand trembles as I reach for him, and it’s a sheer force of will for me to slip it into his. “A surprise? How lovely.”

“Not as lovely as you, my darling.” He pulls me against his chest, and I swallow a sob as his lips graze my forehead. This isn’t my Bertrand.

But he’s in there somewhere.

I allow my hand to be tucked into the crook of his arm, falling in step beside him as he guides us up the stairs.

I will find you, my love.

Down the hall and up another set of stairs, until the tower looms before us. The blood-stained key clicks in the lock, and the door creaks open to reveal a row of ghostly faces watching in silent support. I take a breath and plunge into the darkness.

I will find you, and I will set you free.

40

ADELAIDE

“The runaway bride, home at last.” Celeste’s voice wraps around my neck like a noose as I step into the tower room, the cloying edge cinching it tight.

I can’t breathe.

I can’t think.

What am I even doing here? I had a purpose, did I not? But what…

Bertrand’s hand brushes my lower back, ushering me further into the room. That’s right, he had a surprise for me. My gaze begins to lift when a shimmer of white passes in front of me, blocking my view.

“Keep your head down, Adelaide,” a voice whispers in my ear. “Don’t let her draw you in.”

Genevieve’s voice—the wives! I shake the fog from my mind as clarity returns. That’s right, I have a mission to attend to. I keep my gaze lowered as I search out the edge of the bed—there! A wrought iron frame with sharply pointed bedposts, just as the wives said. And the one on the left at the foot, if their combined efforts have paid off, should be loose enough to break free if I pull hard enough. One good tug, then straight through Celeste’s heart.

I can do this.

Maybe.

Don’t think, just do.

Celeste says something else, but I’m not listening. All of my focus is on that bedpost-turned-makeshift-spear, and I lunge forward, grabbing the iron rod and pulling as hard as I can. The metal bends, twisting away from the rest of the frame. And then stops. Panicked, I throw my weight behind it, desperately jerking it to the side, but Bertrand’s hand is already gripping my arm, Celeste’s laughter filling the room. A sob claws its way up my throat as Bertrand forces my hand free of the bed frame.