The tapping had stopped as if it had only begun in the first place to lure me. The silence pressed so heavily that my own breathing sounded foreign. I hesitated only a moment longer before stepping inside.
The floor dipped beneath me, uneven and cold. I trailed my hand along the wall, the grit rough beneath my palm. The passage curved sharply after a few steps, forcingme to turn sideways to fit. My nightgown caught on a nail, tearing roughly, but I didn’t dare stop. Every instinct screamed to turn back, but something deeper pulled me forward.
Then I saw it.
Light.
A faint glowing amber ahead.
There were wall sconces. Burning.
My blood went cold.
Someone had been here recently.
I tightened my grip on the candleholder and crept forward, pressing my lips together to still my breathing. The passage twisted again, winding like a serpent through the manor. Behind me, the wardrobe door gave a soft thud as if it had shut itself. I froze, glancing back, the sound echoing faintly along the corridor.
Trapped.
The realization clawed at my ribs, but there was no going back now. I followed the sconces, each one lit, leading me deeper. The air grew warmer, carrying with it the scent of smoke and something sweet like lavender.
No. It was certainly floral, but I couldn’t quite place it. There was a bitter note to it that stung my nose.
My stomach turned, but I forced my legs forward, trailing my hand along the wall.
Then my fingers brushed over a smooth section of stone that was different from the rest. I stopped, realizing it wasn’t stone at all, but wood. Small, rectangular frames hadbeen cut out of the wall. Curious, I pressed on one gently. It gave way beneath my touch with a soft click.
I leaned forward, holding the candle aloft. Through the small opening I’d created, I could see into a room. A parlor. One I didn’t immediately recognize.
I drew back, heart thundering, a strange thrill stirring in my chest. Turning down the corridor again, I saw more of those discreet frames, spaced evenly along the wall, like hidden eyes. Each one must have led into a different room of the manor.
A chill rippled through me at the thought. Someone could have stood here.
Watching.
Unseen.
I pressed on, determination outweighing fear. Every few steps, I paused to test another panel, peering into small sitting rooms, hallways, even a stairwell. The further I went, the more I realized just how vast and interconnected this hidden world throughout Blackthorn truly was.
My candlelight trembled over the rough walls as I continued forward, desperate to learn where the labyrinth would end and what secrets it meant to hide.
The passage opened into a small stone landing where another door waited, half-rotted, its handle gleaming faintly in the candlelight. Beneath it, a thin crack of light spilled across the floor.
Someone was on the other side.
I crouched, pressing my ear to the seam of the wood. Muffled voices drifted through.
A woman first, her voice sharp, almost desperate.
“…I’m tired of waiting. I want her gone! I want you all to myself…”
Then a man spoke, low, calm and cold.
“You have no patience. I’m not finished with her yet.”
My breath hitched.
That voice.
