“No!” Grayson shouted, distracting Yann long enough for Chelle to regain the advantage.
She fired the crossbow from her downed position, her body still teetering. The mercurite-dipped bolt ripped into Yann’s shoulder. He roared in pain, staggering back as Grayson ran forward. He stopped breathing as Chelle’s body disappeared over the edge of the bridge—then began again when he saw her fingers digging into the stone edge.
Grayson grabbed her slim wrists, which shook with effort.
“Now, Grayson!” Chelle screamed. “I can pull myself up, but you have to do it now!”
Grayson let go of her wrists and spun around, his hand going to his sword; he expected Yann to be behind him, talons slashing. The Chimera was a few paces away, down on one knee. His hand hovered around the mercurite bolt, unable to touch it in order to remove it from his flesh.
He stared up at Grayson, a smirk lifting the corner of his lips. Yann’s long black hair, streaked with silver, had fallen forward, half covering his amused grin.
“Yes, do it now, Duster.” He echoed Chelle’s order and then broke off into a dry, mocking laugh. “I’d like to see you try.”
Grayson hadn’t drawn his sword. His hand still rested on the hilt, his palm sweating, arms frozen. He wouldn’t do it. He couldn’t. His mind tumbled backward, toward the memories of the girl in London and the blood on his teeth.
“Grayson! Now!” Chelle’s voice no longer came from below the bridge. She’d hauled herself up, elbows on the parapet.
Yann laughed one more time, and then, before Chelle could climb over completely and unleash her hira-shuriken, burst out of his clothing and his human form. He took flight, his great, razor-feathered wings unaffected by the mercurite bolt in his shoulder. He hurtled out of view and range before Chelle’s feet hit the bridge.
“He was injured! You had the advantage!” she raged.
“No, Chelle,” he said, his own voice strangely calm. “There is no advantage in murder. And that’s what it would have been.”
“What do you mean?” She stepped away from him. “We agreed it had to be done. They’re animals, Grayson. They killed Léon. They’ll kill you!”
“This wasn’t about me.” He followed Chelle as she took a few more steps away from him. “It was never about me or the Dusters. I’m not a complete idiot. What happened to your father was awful. It was wrong and sadistic and I don’t blame you for hating the gargoyle that destroyed him. But killing Yann or any of the other Chimeras out there isn’t going to make it right.”
Chelle kept her body turned away from him.
“You’re not a murderer,” he said, remembering the softness of her lips, her small hands tentatively exploring the breadth of his chest. “Trust me, you don’t want to be one.”
He reached for her shoulder, but Chelle sensed his intent and darted to the side. She whipped around to spear him with an expression of pure disgust.
“You should have never agreed to this if you didn’t have the stomach for it,” she said, and Grayson knew she was right. He should have stopped her before it had gotten this far. He had no excuse.
Chelle pointed wildly up into the starless night sky. “Yann’s gone to warn the others, and by dawn every last gargoyle in Paris will know that I tried to kill him.”
She shoved Grayson hard in the chest and then stormed past him, toward the Left Bank, shouting over her shoulder, “Congratulations, Grayson Waverly. You’ve just signed my death warrant.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Lord Brickton quit Waverly House with less than a few hours’ notice. Gabby and Rory had returned from Fleet Street, Nolan having jumped from the carriage before it turned into Grosvenor Square, to find her father’s trunk being loaded into the family’s second carriage, the one they reserved for trips to their country estate.
“Mitchard is expecting me,” her father had said, referring to his land steward. Apparently he was off to Fairfax Downs, their estate in Cumberland, to make the annual tour of his lands. Papa had donned his greatcoat and taken up his walking stick in the entrance foyer, completely ignoring Rory and stopping only to peck Gabby on the cheek—her unblemished side.