“Master, are you sure of this girl?” Ebony floated down in front of the large bookcase, a duster in hand, gracefully dancing around Silas, whose face was buried in stacks of paper. “She could complicate things.”
“I could not leave her there. If you saw what I have, you’d have gone mad. She was to marry a man who had killed two other women before deciding to marry her. It was atrocious. I smelled the blood on him before I even got close enough to find out the kind of man he was. Atrocious.”
Silas’s voice was thick and without remorse, muffled from beyond the stack.
“Is that all?”
“She . . . she resembled her.”
“I thought so.” Ebony giggled. From the crack, she served Silas a glass of the red liquid, mouth knitted into a frown as she flitted about the room, straightening books and other items. “There is much that is at risk. If she is to stay here, we will need to keep an eye on her. The other residents would be interested in the living and with the strange occurrences that have been plaguing recently—I worry.”
With his glass in hand, Silas took to pacing about the room, brows tight as he slipped a palm into his pocket. “The castle residents are the least of my problems.”
“Ah, yes, the infinite darkness of your work. How many is that now?”
“Thirty-three this month, and it continues to grow. An infestation that has overrun the grounds. It’s already rooted itself into the human populace. It’sbeen difficult to control the pest without weeding out the source,” Silas growled. “The rampant occurrences have left me with little time to search.”
“Don’t be discouraged. Perhaps, with the girl, there may be a chance.”
“Perhaps.” Silas sat in an elegant chair. In one hand was his glass of red liquid, in the other a book he had thumbed through. He tossed the book onto the nearby table as the clock chimed the hour. “Whether she is or isn’t—time is not on either side.”
Ebony’s form flickered. “Have faith. Perhaps the gods are listening.”
Silas laughed dryly. “They haven’t listened since the day they cursed me.” He leaned forward, dropping his elbows to his knees, and rubbed his face, the light of the fire playing with the shadows upon stone flesh.
Ebony draped a translucent arm around his shoulder. “Cheer up. I’m sure that—” The voids of her eyes whipped to the door with thinned scrutiny. “We’re being watched.”
I tumbled back from the door, quietly retreating down the hallway to my room. My feet skittered faster against the floorboards. From the shadows, a dark mass bubbled—inky black tendrils reached for me, never getting past the opened, lit door. Thousands of red eyes stared back from the dark depths, shifting. Waiting.
I froze as a choppy, distorted animalistic growling sounded from the bowels of the castle, scraping against stone.
Hell . . .oooo, darrrllingg—come closer.
I slipped through the crack of the door, locked it quickly behind me, and pushed the armoire closer to block out the growling purrs from the other side. I stripped the sheets from the bed and dove into the tub.
What frightened me the most was not the inky liquid mass but Silas, who had seen my retreat and the sorrow that coated them.
Dearest Rueben,
I am sure you are aware of the situation at present. Never did I imagine certain players on the board who move against us in securing a foothold in the monarchy. There is a ‘complication’ we must address before we can continue with any talks of securing the throne. For one, I need more information on this Princess of Endovier is and what it is she wants with the Prince. The quicker we remove her from the board, the easier we can enact our plan.
I must not put too much into writing. Meet me at Flore in the village at noon tomorrow for there is much to discuss.
Narcisa MariusNicholae
Nine
The doorknob rattled, waking me from the fitful sleep plaguing me.
“Miss, are you alright?” Ebony called from the other side.
I cracked my eyes open, adjusting to the darkness of the bathroom. I sat up, groaning, popping several points in my body as the aching from the last couple of days dulled. I opened the door and jumped back.
Ebony’s dark eyes were leveled at the very spot I emerged from, holding out a tiny ornate vial in her translucent hands. Red ominous liquid swished against the ridged crystal. I almost did not want to inquire what it was.
“Master sent me to make sure that you were well after last night. His express instruction was to take itin a timely manner.” She handed the vial to me, the glass cool against my warm skin. Ebony danced among the posts of the bed, the white sheath dress flaring out from her. “There may be a point during the day where you won’t be able to see me, but trust I am here and will do my best to ensure you are comfortable.”
She floated down onto the bare bed, fluttered her dark lashes, grinning sheepishly as if her very nature didn’t warrant the explanation.
