"You're the worst," she agrees. At least she didn't call him a douchecanoe. "However, your escape works in my favor. If Brighton is too busy tracking you down, they won’t care about us in Concordia."
"I’m still innocent,” he reminds. “There’s a killer hiding in your territory."
She dismisses the idea without a second thought. "Our dungeons may be old, but I would never be so clueless as to allow a murderer to live in my territory under my nose."
"I don’t think you’re clueless," he agrees quietly. "I think you’re helping him."
Dammit, not being able to see her reaction to that accusation sucks.
Adelaide tenses but doesn't address it outright. "You have quite the imagination. But it doesn’t matter what you think. This is your one chance to be free. Isn’t that what you want?"
"I want to clear my name."
"And maybe you’ll have that chance in the future. But for now, saving your skin is the priority."
Does he believe her? No, he can't. I hope not. He's smart enough to realize this is a trap.
This whole thing is a setup for my benefit. Adelaide wants to show me the truth. To prove that the man I risked everything foronly cares about himself. That he'll abandon me the second he finds a chance to escape.
But I'm not wrong this time. It may have all blown up in my face when I sussed him out in the dungeons when we first met, but I wasn't wrong. I know that now. Marlow isn't evil. I believed it then, and I've witnessed the proof countless times since. He's cunning and stubborn and drives me up the wall sometimes, but he’s not a monster. There's a big heart inside him that he only shows to Iggy and other creatures, but I caught glimpses of it too.
The Alpha's ploy won't work. Marlow won't fall for it. Even if he is desperate. Even if he has no other options. He won't fall for it. I’m not wrong. I can’t be. I don’t know what I’d do if…
"If you’ve evaded capture this long, you can’t be a total idiot,” Adelaide says. “This is the best chance you’re going to get. You must know that."
Marlow stares at her, stone-faced, for several seconds. Just when I think he’s about to refuse, he looks down at the table and whispers, "…Yeah. I know."
"So you accept?"
"There’s just one thing," he says. "I can’t go alone."
"Of course not." A knock at the door startles Marlow and me, chains rattling in both rooms. Adelaide's the only one expecting the interruption. "There’s my wife now."
Adelaide opens the door, and Cierra steps in long enough to hand her a small birdcage. Inside, the occupant thrashes wildly, a dark blur of motion, but it’s no birdie in there. Iggy! A gargoyle flutters around in distress, and the sharp clang of tiny wings battering against the bars fills the air.
She sets the cage down on the table in front of Marlow.
Iggy lets out a distressed whine as he flies to the side closest to Marlow. His hands reach out past the bars, trying to get as close as possible.
Concern floods Marlow's blue eyes. "Are you okay, bud?"
"Fine, I'm fine." Iggy slams against the cage, growling with frustration.
Marlow struggles to lift his bound hands toward the cage, chains clanking against each other. He stretches as far as the restraints allow, and Iggy scrambles to the nearest bars, tiny claws wrapping around Marlow's fingertips. They hold each other through the cold metal barrier.
Adelaide clears her throat pointedly, breaking the moment. "Here’s the key." She tosses something onto the table with a clink. "You can take him once we’re done here."
Marlow spares a fleeting glance at the key, shaking his head. "There’s no way you just stole him from under the detective’s nose.”
"The detective isn’t as familiar with magic as someone who grew up with a city of witches for neighbors," Adelaide explains, a hint of smugness in her voice. "He isn't skilled in detecting glamours. As far as he knows, Iggy is still trapped in the captain’s office. But we shouldn’t dawdle forever. Are you ready to be a free man?"
Of course he is. That’s what he’s been after all this time. Even if it's a trick, what other option does he have? He must risk it. Marlow can't go back to Brighton and expect to be treated fairly. This is the only option that might let him be free to fight another day.
"What about Wynn?" Marlow wonders quietly.
"What about him?" Adelaide says like I'm an afterthought. "He’ll stay with his pack where he belongs."
Marlow looks down at Iggy still clinging to him through the cage bars. He thinks it all over, and I hold my breath. An eternity seems to pass before he speaks again.
