Chapter 17 #2
The door cracks open, revealing a beautiful face. The woman enters, her eyes flicking over me only briefly, before fixing on Alaris. Her bronze dress complements her olive skin, and the tight fit cinches her curves into striking proportions.
“I hope I’m not interrupting,” she purrs. “But I’m afraid this can’t wait.”
“Lady Haleen.” He stands, rolling back his powerful shoulders, returning her lilting tone. “I would never make you wait. I’m all yours.”
I suppress a scoff. “If you’ll excuse me.”
“This conversation isn’t over, Ly,” he says in a low voice I doubt she hears. His serious expression disappears as he smiles magnanimously at the woman behind me. He swoops around the desk and extends an arm, which the lady accepts.
“Dinner first?” he asks. “Or straight to…?”
“Dinner can wait,” she says. “I have something else on my mind that simply can’t.”
I can’t stop my eye roll. Luckily, they are absorbed in their romantic mutterings, not noticing me as I trail after them to the office door.
“Hold any further messages for tomorrow,” he calls over his shoulder.
“Of course,” I say through clenched teeth.
I wait in the office doorway as they walk down the hallway that leads toward Alaris’s bedroom.
I wish I could pretend that this bitter taste on my tongue didn’t have the flavor of hypocrisy.
How can I judge a lady who is here seeking the same thing I did on Somnus?
I pursued him when he was a stranger, arguably a more dangerous and wanton act.
She’s here for a planned appointment with her lover.
Yet my thoughts are all bitter anyway. Isn’t it empty, this parade of women? Aren’t his words of adoration hollow, when they are whispered to one after the next after the next?
I shake my head. I’m distracted. This interlude is a gift. I can almost never be sure that this office is empty. I wait one minute, then two. When it’s clear that the lord and Lady Haleen aren’t returning, I slip back inside to search.
I move quickly, my heart drumming as I approach the desk. Even though I know the compartment is there, I can’t be sure which groove marks the seam. I run my fingers over the spot I saw him touch. A brass nail presses in, and sure enough, the compartment pops open.
Inside, there are papers, wax for sealing, and ink. These notes may contain secrets, but there is no stone.
Just tell me. I’ll help if I can.
I pause as his words float back to me. Searching his office feels like a greater violation than searching public spaces.
And he just offered his help again.
But he can’t fix this, and there is no story I could spin that would end with him handing over a powerful family heirloom. This self-indulgent lord uses the stone to visit markets. I need it to survive.
I don’t have the luxury of guilt.
I move on. The rest of the desk is full of the usual supplies and ledgers. Another hidden panel slides open along the side, revealing jeweled bottles of what I can only assume is liquor. I check the precious stones, then close the panel.
I run my hands over the bookshelves, the lighting fixtures, and the walls.
I haven’t searched every inch, but I need to accept this as a first pass and leave before someone discovers me.
I listen for squeaky floorboards as I take a circuitous route out of the office.
The hallway outside is empty, but I still hold my breath as I snick the door shut.
The lord’s bedroom is just around the bend.
My gaze sticks that direction. An image of a bronze dress pooled on the floor flashes through my mind, his muscled body bent over hers, her open mouth moaning her pleasure.
My skin heats. She’s experiencing his touch now, his focus and hunger.
It wasn’t so long ago that I had the same.
I purse my lips and force my legs to move, shaking off the image.
I can’t deny my attraction, but I can’t work for him, steal from him, and have him. Two of three are essential, and one is just a passing impulse from Somnus that I wish would fade faster.
By the time I step outside, the sun is already sinking below the walls, casting long shadows across the grounds. My visit to Alaris’s office took more time than I expected. I break into a brisk walk toward the aviary. I left the bar up, assuming I’d be back before dark.
My heart clenches when I see the aviary door cracked open. Did I leave it that way?
A soft thump comes from within. It’s not the flutter of wings or the scrape of talons. My stomach twists. Don’t tell me a fox got in because I didn’t latch it…
I dart inside and stop short. A chill prickles across my skin. A figure stands in the darkness, barely lit by the twilight.
My mind tumbles over itself, my pulse pounding. It’s the masked man. He’s stepped out of my nightmares, and he’s here to kill me. I freeze to the spot.
But my eyes refuse to agree this is the murderer from my visions. Even though I’ve only seen him in dreams, my mental picture of him is clear. The silhouette before me is too short, too slight.
Someone is here, but it’s not him. I reach for the shovel I leaned against the doorframe. My fingers curl tight around the rough handle. “Who’s there?” My voice is low, conveying strength I don’t feel.
“Ah!” a high voice yelps. The shadow jumps and whirls. “You scared me!”
The figure comes forward, laughing, and I piece together the uniform and curly hair before I firmly place the face—it’s Drina, one of the maids. I know she has aqua eyes and freckles, but all I can see in the dim light is the glint of her teeth.
Relief floods me, and I echo the laugh as I put aside the shovel. “What are you doing here?”
“Sorry, sorry!” She gestures up at the hawks. “I was expecting a letter that didn’t arrive. I just thought I’d check.”
The short-lived relief is replaced by a prickle of suspicion. No one gets messages but Alaris. Then again, I haven’t been here that long. I suppose others might receive them occasionally.
“Sure,” I say cautiously. “Did you find what you were looking for?”
“I thought I saw it but…I lost sight of it.”
“I’ll help you get whatever you want tomorrow.”
“I’ll wait then.” Her smile broadens, and she heads for the door. “It’s dark. I should get back.”
I follow her out, only pausing to drop the wooden bar on the exterior. It isn’t enough to keep people out, just animals. If she wasn’t allowed access to the hawks, wouldn’t there be a key? Her easy step and small smile convey confidence, not guilt.
I’m probably suspicious for nothing…or because I’m so busy sneaking around this castle with bad intentions, I’m assuming everyone else is.
“So, Lyra, where did you work before this castle?”
“I was a governess.”
“Oh really? Where?”
She veers toward the front of the grounds, and I slow my steps. “My rooms are actually this way.”
“That’s right…your rooms aren’t with the rest of the servants, are they?”
“No.” I swallow down the urge to defend the arrangement I didn’t want in the first place. At least it gives me a reason to walk the opposite direction and avoid these questions.
“Then I guess we part here.” She gives me a little wave. “Let me know if that message comes for me, will ya?”
“Sure. I’ll see you around.”
I head toward the back entrance of the castle while she splits off to the front.
Something about the whole interaction felt off. I can’t tell if I’m unused to friendly conversations, or Drina was acting strange.
Was she really in the aviary after dark, looking for a letter? Maybe. But Alaris said the hawks took fingers if anyone else tried to get their scrolls besides him.
I’ve heard no broad announcement of a missing princess. But of course, my father must be employing every resource to find me. I am his daughter, his blood, his property. I don’t get to disappear.
I’ve been too complacent, letting myself settle into a routine when I know nothing about what lies beyond these walls. I need a way out, a route like the river, something I can rely on if I have to leave without warning. Voidstone or no voidstone, I need to be ready to run.