She nodded, her voice fragile. “I understand.”
He pressed a kiss to her lips, the act bringing a flutter to her stomach, then he was across the room, closing her inside. He paused, looking up at her through the dim light. “Stay hidden, my wife. Even I cannot protect you from the evils of this night.” He shut the door between them, and the sound of the lock clicked into place.
Mina stood there for a moment, her heart pounding, her mouth dry. She walked over to the window, clinging close to the wall so as not to be seen, and peered down below. The courtyard was empty, and she might have thought she was imagining the sounds echoing through the castle if not for the sight of the gate raised and the glow of torchlight just outside it.
This couldn’t be a beast—this had to be a group of men, but who were they? What enemies did her husband have? And then,another thought took center stage—what would they do to her if they found her?
A sound echoed from the hall beyond the locked door and fear rippled through her chest. She looked around the room, her eyes landing on a large wooden armoire—should she hide there? Was that too obvious? She looked toward the bed, wondering if she should slip beneath it instead. But then she realized that there were so few places to hide in this room; if they entered, they’d be sure to find her either way.
She swallowed her fear, crossing the room and opening the doors of the armoire—it was empty of any clothing, and she climbed inside, tucking her legs up to her chest and trying to close the doors from inside. There were no handles to grasp onto on this side, so she pulled the doors as closed as she could, leaving only a small gap.
Voices echoed through the castle, sounding distant but plentiful. How many men were here? Ten? Twenty? Fifty? How long had it taken them to come all this way, up this treacherous mountain? But then she considered that whatever they were here for must have been a worthy cause for them to go through such turmoil—they would likely be tired, hungry, cold, and angry.
Her heart raced, and she tried to ease her mind by considering the vast number of doors in this castle, nearly all of them locked—surely the intruders wouldn’t kick down every single door?
For some time, she sat there, silent as could be, waiting.
The sounds grew louder, raising her pulse, and then they quieted, setting her at ease if only for a few moments. She wondered where Sofia was—was she safe? Hidden in her chambers? She wondered where the Count was, how one man could possibly defend himself against the many angry voices she’d heard spilling through the corridors.
And then, those voices grew louder again, closer, anger in their tones.
A loudthumpmade her gasp. She put her hand over her mouth, peering through the gap in the armoire doors. In the dark room beyond, she saw nothing.
Then came anotherthump.
The shouting came nearer, and then it seemed to disperse. She heard footsteps pass by the door, and she held her breath, desperate for them to carry on down the hall.
The door handle rattled.
A muffled voice came from beyond the door, the words in an unfamiliar language.
Her mouth went dry as the door shuddered in its frame. She pressed back against the armoire, heart pounding. There were only so many places to hide—if they got inside, they would find her.
A heavy thud struck the door.
The door burst inward, slamming hard against the stone wall beyond.
A deep voice filled the room, then another replied.
Nausea climbed her throat as she considered what they might do when they found her. She could see it in her mind’s eye—being thrown into this group of men, terrible things happening to her—possibilities where death would be a gift.
“Shh,” one of them said sharply.
The invaders went silent.
Mina held her breath, terrified that they’d heard her thunderous heart.
Moments passed, the men so quiet she might have convinced herself they’d simply vanished on the spot.
A guttural sound cut through the darkness.
A gasp of breath came next.
Then, something else. Mina couldn’t quite make out the sound, couldn’t visualize what might be happening just beyond the armoire.
And then athud.
Mina waited, confusion mixing with the fear coursing through her. Was it the Count? Had he attacked these raiders? Was he still there now, waiting?
