“I’ll live,” I said.
Blanche’s jaw clenched as she gazed down at Schedoni’s still form. “Good riddance.” She looked up and nodded to me, as if thanking me for ending his life, even if it had been an accident.
I nodded back.
The castle was eerily quiet as we pushed through dark hallway after dark hallway on our way to the west wing.
“Udolpho truly feels haunted now,” Blanche observed, as if reading my mind. We encountered no resistance as we stepped into the front hall, and I grew uneasy as we slipped into the halls that led toward the dungeon beneath Montoni’s room, where I hoped Henri had already succeeded in liberating my aunt. With all that had happened in the past week, including Bram’s head raised on a pike, I doubted many servants, save for the most faithful to Montoni, had decided to stay at the castle. Bertolino, at the very least, should be attending the front room, yet the man was nowhere to be seen. I couldn’t imagine the butler had vacated the premises, given his devotion to the count, especially as he had been trusted with the care of the castle in his master’s absence, a castle that held many of Montoni’s secrets.
“This doesn’t feel right,” I whispered to Blanche.
Blanche sent me a sideways glance. “I know.” She held my gaze for a moment before her resolve settled on the halls we navigated.
It was only a few more minutes before we found ourselves in the secret passage beneath the apartments in the west wing. I was anxious to see Henri again, but we had to be cautious, and so I followed Blanche’s example, slowly creeping up the hall to the dungeon. Once it opened up and I caught sight of the bars, I felt a moment’s relief, and pushed ahead.
Aunt Cheron stood on the other side, eyes wide when she saw me. “Emile? Is that you?”
“It is,” I agreed, stepping up to the bars. She looked like she hadn’t had much sleep but was otherwise in fine condition. “Is Henri with you?”
“Henri?” she echoed, confused.
I glanced back and met Blanche’s eyes. She pursed her lips in concern. He should have been here with Ludovico by now.
Annette grabbed a key dangling from a nail on the wall nearby and unlocked the dungeon door, throwing it open wide.
Aunt Cheron swallowed as she exited the dungeon and looked me over. “I’m … I’m glad you’re alright, Emile.” Her eyes filled with tears. “I’ve been so very wrong about so many things.” She surprised me by reaching out to hug me. “But you came back for me, you darling boy. Your parents would be so proud if they could see you right now.”
I blinked and returned the embrace, thrown by her behavior toward me, but then again, I supposed that being tossed into a dungeon by her husband and having some time to think about her past transgressions had caused her change of heart. Either way, I was glad for it.
“I’m happy to see you aren’t covered in leeches,” I joked, and Aunt Cheron pulled back, chuckling. She wiped at her eyes. “Yes, well, don’t think that monster didn’t threaten me with them. I think it was only a matter of time before he followed through.” She paused. “Did he hurt you, Emile? I don’t know if I could live with myself if he did.”
I looked down into her concerned face with bewilderment. I was so used to seeing cold regard that this warmth I found in her was unsettling.
“I’m fine, I assure you,” I said.
“Come, we can’t linger here,” Blanche said, glancing around the dingy, dark room. “Let’s find my brother and leave this godforsaken place.”
“Where could they be?” I asked, staring through the bars as if they might appear if I looked long enough. “Is there another dungeon?”
Blanche stared into the room, chewing on her lower lip thoughtfully. “I’m not sure. Henri may have seen Ludovico to safety first, especially if Montoni was near this dungeon when they tried to make for it.” She shrugged helplessly. “Maybe the courtyard?”
I nodded slowly. “Then that’s where we go.”
“Um, miss? My lord?” Annette’s voice held a tremor that quickly rose to hysteria.
We all turned at once to find the lady’s maid staring down at a ball that was rattling against the bars of the dungeon, as if it were trying to climb inside.
“What in the world?” Aunt Cheron breathed.
I stepped cautiously toward the ball. In the gloom of the dungeon, it was difficult to make it out, but it seemed to be covered with hair. Was it an animal of some sort?
I nudged it with my foot, and Annette squeaked, leaping back as the ball dislodged itself from the bars, then tumbled toward the open door to the cell. I watched with wide eyes as I realized that it had a nose, and a face, rotten and crisscrossed with slashes, its neck a mess of torn skin.
A moan escaped my mouth as I stumbled back into the women, the head continuing into the cell, where it seemed pulled toward a pile of clothing. Not clothing, I realized with renewed terror, a body. A headless corpse.
As if drawn together like magnets, the head fit itself into the exposed pulp of the body’s neck, and a squelching sound filled the air.
“What is going on?” I asked, my voice shaking.
