Chapter 21
Mina paced the room, trying to make sense of it all.
It seemed unlikely that Sofia had left the note, and even more unlikely for it to be from the Count, but then who else could have snuck into her room as she lay asleep?
Her thoughts returned to that night when she’d wandered these halls, finding what must have been the north wing, the book that had been left beneath her candelabra— La Morte Amoureuse.
It had to be the same person who’d left the note, but why?
If this person wanted her to know of their existence, why not just come out directly?
She sighed, rubbing her temples. She was inclined to believe this must be a woman based on the elegant handwriting, but she had nothing else to go on.
Their mere existence here in the castle meant that the Count and Sofia were lying to her, and she needed to know why.
Had they been here the entire time? Had they been the ones to let in the raiders that night—the raiders Mina had been so sure she’d encountered?
Or was this person a raider themselves? Had they snuck into the castle with the intention of luring her out?
Mina looked at the note, nausea churning through her as she realized she would need to meet them.
It was a risk, but she had to take it. She had to know why she was being lied to.
She tore up the note and sprinkled it into the flames of the hearth, not wanting to leave evidence behind that Sofia might find, then she walked over to the window.
The watchtower stood toward the front entrance of the castle, and as she took in the sight of it, she considered that she didn’t know how to make it through the maze-like corridors to even get outside.
She would need to find a path that she could take this evening.
By the time Sofia arrived at Mina’s chambers to bring her to breakfast, her plan was already in motion.
As they moved through the stone passageways, Mina’s paranoia from early on returned—was it a mere coincidence that Sofia seemed to have several routes?
In the days after Mina’s illness, she’d stopped trying to trace a path, allowing Sofia to guide her blindly, but now after receiving yet another signal that all was not as it seemed, she couldn’t help but feel it was intentional.
As though she hadn’t wanted Mina to be able to learn the way around the castle.
As she followed the woman into the dining room, Mina tried to push the thought away. She didn’t know what the truth was, and she didn’t trust that Sofia would be honest with her about it.
Her heart thrummed in her chest as she took her seat at the table, schooling her expression as though this were any other day. Partway through the meal, she gathered her courage and softened her voice.
“Might we take a walk through the courtyard this morning?” Mina asked. “It feels like ages since I’ve felt the sun.” She smiled, glancing over her shoulder at Sofia.
There was a moment of hesitation before Sofia replied, “If it would please you, mistress. We mustn’t be out long, though. The weather is treacherous.”
“Is it?” Mina asked lightly. “Do you suppose you could fetch my cloak, then?”
“Yes, mistress.” Sofia stepped out of the room, disappearing from view.
Mina lifted a roll from her plate, tucking it into the folds of her dress.
Sofia returned not long after, and Mina finished her breakfast at an unhurried pace, careful not to betray her eagerness.
She stepped into her cloak and followed Sofia down the stone corridors.
It seemed to take ages to reach the staircase, and for a moment Mina wondered if Sofia had guessed her intention—if she was deliberately leading her astray, keeping her disoriented.
Eventually, they made their way to the first floor, arriving at the front door she and Jonathan had entered all that time ago.
The air was frigid as Mina stepped into the morning light, Sofia following close behind.
The large courtyard lay before them, dusted with a thin layer of snow, the wind howling through the open space.
Mina’s gaze drifted toward the front gates of the castle—and then to the grey watchtower not far in the distance, built into the outer wall and overlooking the forests and mountains beyond.
“We cannot remain long,” Sofia said. “You are only just recovered from your fever, mistress, and the air is unkind.”
“Just another moment of sunlight,” Mina replied, moving farther into the courtyard. She passed a closed door set into the stone—one she hadn’t noticed before—and wondered where it led, how many corners of the castle still remained hidden from her.
She turned her face toward the sun, feigning interest in its warmth, but her eyes slipped back to the watchtower from the corner of her vision. She caught sight of a narrow archway leading into its base.
That was where she needed to be this evening—to meet whoever had left the note.
Mina followed Sofia back inside the castle walls, keeping her hands low, out of sight.
As Sofia led her down a hallway, then up a set of stairs and across another corridor, Mina quietly tore small pieces of bread and let them fall along the way, marking her path.
It was a foolhardy plan, certainly—the crumbs could easily be swept away by cleaning or snatched up by a hungry mouse—but they only needed to remain for a few hours, until nightfall.
When they returned to her room, Sofia reached for the cloak, but Mina stepped back.
“You were right, it’s far too cold out there,” Mina said. “If you don’t mind, I think I’ll keep it on a while longer, until I warm.” She crossed to the couch, easing down and holding her hands toward the fire.
“Certainly, mistress.”
Sofia turned for the door and closed it behind her, leaving Mina alone.
Now, she only needed to wait for nightfall.
***
As her pocket watch neared nine o’clock, Mina pulled her cloak tighter around her shoulders, her heart pounding thunderously in her chest. She walked over to the window and stared out into the night, finding no sign of anyone in the courtyard below.
At last, the hour struck.
There was no turning back now. She would find the truth this evening.
She moved to the door and eased it open, pausing to listen.
All was silent beyond her chambers. When she stepped into the pitch-black hallway, her pulse thudded in her ears.
She held her candle out before her and began down the corridor, eyes fixed on the floor as she searched for the trail of bread she had left behind.
Mercifully, the crumbs were still there—uneaten, undisturbed. Mina moved swiftly, following the fragile path she’d laid for herself, the only assurance she had of finding her way back once the meeting was over.
She walked into the cold passage, stopping every so often, convinced she’d heard movement just beyond the reach of the candlelight.
By the time she reached the staircase, her nerves were alight, but she had come this far already.
She descended quickly, but at the bottom, she paused once more, listening.
She waited there for several moments, but no sound met her ears, and at last she carried on.
She had no reason to fear—or at least, she hoped she did not.
When she reached the door, she saw that each of the locks had already been flipped open, as though whoever had left the note had taken this same path.
Mina’s stomach turned.
She pushed the door open, the deep groan of its hinges cutting through the silence.
Icy wind surged inside at once, and she realized her candle would be useless in the blizzard beyond. She set it carefully on a stone ledge, then pulled the door wider.
A fresh layer of snow dusted the cobblestones as she stepped into the night.
The courtyard seemed to be empty of anyone but her.
Keeping close to the wall, wary of the windows above, Mina moved toward the watchtower, snow clinging to her lashes and blurring her vision.
Her heart thrummed as she wondered who might be waiting for her—but before she reached the door, something caught her eye.
The gates—ones she had seen opened only once, when she and Jonathan first arrived—now stood raised, as if in anticipation of a visitor.
A chill crept through her at the sight, at the realization that whoever had summoned her had come from beyond the castle walls.
And yet they had found their way inside, navigating the halls unseen.
Her thoughts returned to the night she had been made to feel could only be a dream—men beating down the front door, making their way through the corridors.
But then, another thought emerged.
Escape.
The wind howled, pushing her hair across her face, and she considered, for a moment, what it might be like if she went through that open gate.
The Count was not here to stop her—nor was Sofia. She could leave now and be hours into her journey before they realized she was gone.
But then she thought of Aunt Emily, who had sacrificed years of her life to raise her sister’s child, only to bear the consequences of Mina’s flight. And she thought of the Count—of the betrayal he would feel when he discovered his wife had vanished.
Yet beneath the guilt bubbling within her, Mina found it was not that which weighed most heavily on her chest. It was the knowledge that beyond the castle walls lay brutal weather, treacherous mountains, and wild animals.
If she passed through that archway on foot, it was unlikely she would make it down the mountain alive.
The wind bit at her cheeks, and as she looked up at the watchtower, she knew she could not flee. At least, not until she understood what was happening within the castle, what was happening with the Count, and with whoever had left her the note.
She continued across the cobblestone, her steps cautious, when movement stirred in the shadows beneath the archway.
She retreated at once, pressing herself against the stone wall, willing the darkness to conceal her.
But as the shapes emerged, she saw it was no person entering the courtyard—it was three wolves.
They were large—far larger than she could have imagined a wolf to be—and their breath came out in great puffs, clouds rising through the air before their sharp teeth.
Despite her stillness, Mina saw the instant the first wolf caught sight of her. His great head lowered, and even through the darkness, she felt his gaze lock onto her. To the right, another lifted his nose to the air, sniffed once, then turned toward her, his body going rigid.
Mina’s heart thrummed as her eyes flicked to the watchtower door just beyond them.
It was too far—she would never make it past them.
Slowly, she glanced back toward the door she had come through, only to realize it offered no better hope.
She stood, caught between the two, neither escape within reach.
When she looked again, the wolves had crept closer. The pair at the rear fanned outward, moving in opposite directions, their intent unmistakable. They were working together, surrounding her.
She had no choice now. She had to run.
Mina spun around, running as fast as she could beneath the weight of her dress and cloak, her eyes fixed on the castle’s front door. Her foot skidded on a hidden patch of ice, but she caught herself and pressed on, lungs burning as she forced her body forward.
A second doorway caught her eye, half-hidden in shadow. She lunged for it, grasping the handle and wrenching it open—only to find it locked.
She glanced over her shoulder. The wolves were charging now, the distance between them shrinking with every heartbeat.
Panic drove her forward again, legs screaming in protest, tears stinging as her heart battered against her ribs. They would catch her. They would tear her apart, right there in the courtyard.
Then, from the shadows, a door flew open. A hand seized her arm and dragged her into darkness.
The door slammed shut behind her, cutting off the wind, the snow, the snarling.
Gasping for breath, Mina stared blindly into the black. A presence loomed before her—large, solid. She heard heavy breathing, close enough to feel.
And she knew at once this was not Sofia.