Once Upon a Dark October

Chapter Nineteen

“ A nything?”

Josephine and Gwen leaned over the far curve of the receiving desk, waiting—for how long, I didn’t know. Madame Georgina had thrown us out of her rooms with a severe look and nothing more. She hadn’t expressed her thanks for Morrigan’s help; perhaps laying blame had rankled her. I had been in the middle of my fifth attempt at evaporating the darkening crimson stain that wended down the front of Morrigan’s tunic. An unsuccessful attempt, like the last. Morrigan had banished it with ease before we had arrived downstairs, sorcery trickling out while we walked together.

Josephine glared down at the pouch tucked to her hip. Her brows pulled together again. “The signature’s messy, but we think it says D . S. Signed in about six hours ago. They weren’t here for long—by the stars, this cursed blood’s chilling me to the marrow already—ten minutes. Ten minutes almost exactly.”