The goddesses were merciful: we were both excused from attending that evening’s feast. I was starving, but I wouldn’t hesitate to drown anyone who kept me from my bed.
At the castle, we went our separate ways.
When I peeled off my saturated layers of clothing, something hard fell out of my pocket. The notebook. I had completely forgotten about it in the chaotic hours following our visit to Basia’s cottage.
I scooped it up and examined it closely. Once again, I felt an inexplicable jolt of intrinsic magic. Even more remarkable than that, it was completely untouched by water—its magic must have protected it from damage.
I studied the book while I soaked in the bath, hoping it would reveal its mysteries to me. If only I could discern the meaning behind the engravings. Would Doran know? He’d come across witches in his travels so I’d wager he could recognize them or, at the very least, make an educated guess as to what they meant. If only I had a magical bone that could summon him.
When I finally lay cradled in the warmth and safety of my bed, I continued to puzzle over the notebook. Even though it had been discarded in the disarray of the cottage, something about it called to me. And, as I teetered on the brink of a sleep that promised nightmares, I wondered how to answer it.
***
As I traced my fingers along the scroll motifs of the cream-and-gold settee where I lounged, I tried not to think about the engraved notebook that was safely hidden in the bottom of my armoire. It only led to an endless stream of questions I had no answers to, and served as a bleak reminder of my situation.
I had woken that morning to bad news. Despite scouring the forest for hours, the guards had failed to locate the bodies of the beasts. As a result, most people believed we had mistaken the creatures for wolves.
It wasn’t people’s opinions that bothered me, it was the fact that the creatures’ substantial bodies had just vanished, seemingly without a trace.
I was convinced, more than ever, that the murderer had summoned them, then used their power to disappear their corpses before they could be discovered. The murderer was toying with us—they’d sent those beasts to kill us, and now they were making us look like we were crazy. The thought of it made my throat tighten.
Maddeningly, I had no way to prove this theory, and, with Basia dead and Hugo in a coma, there was no way of learning the murderer’s identity or motives. For now, all I had to go by were my hunches. It seemed as though I had reached a dead end, and this put me in the shittiest of moods.
At least my spirits were somewhat lifted when I received a note from Livia inviting me to tea.
After a morning spent skirting around Runa’s questions about my time in the woods, I sat in the exquisitely furnished sitting room of Livia’s quarters, patiently awaiting my host’s arrival.
Searching for a distraction, I scanned the bright, flower-filled space. My eyes traced the collection of paintings on the wall until they stopped on a portrait of a young Livia. The portrait captured her likeness but there was no hint of the sparkle in her eyes. Come to think of it, it might be an accurate depiction of how she appeared these days.
“I never did like that one.” I jumped at the sound of Livia’s voice. “I begged Ivar to take it down, but of course he insisted that he wanted to have his pride and joy on full display for all to admire.” She rolled her eyes affectionately as she strolled towards me.
She looked slightly thinner than the last time I had seen her, and her complexion was paler than usual, but, despite thosetelltale signs of a woman in mourning, she was as breathtaking as always.
She reached for my hands. “Alara, it’s so good to see you, lovely. Thank you for coming.”
“Thank you for the invitation. You’ve been in my thoughts. I should have reached out sooner, but I wasn’t sure if you’d want the company…” I trailed off apologetically. Something unpleasant squeezed my insides. Divine goddess, was I feeling guilty for not making more of an effort? What were these people doing to me? The sooner I got back to Vantillios, the better.
“Think nothing of it,” she dismissed with a wave of her hand. She sat beside me. “I’ve had an endless stream of visitors to entertain, I’ve barely had a moment to myself, but I desperately wanted to see you after what happened with Prince Hugo. And now I hear you got lost in the woods and accosted by wolves, if the rumors are to be believed?”
I told her the same version of events I had told everyone else while she sipped tea, completely enraptured. She didn’t interrupt me, but she occasionally raised her eyebrows or gasped at the more jarring details.
After I’d finished speaking, she gracefully placed her teacup on its saucer. “I don’t know what to say,” she said with a shake of her head. “You’ve been through a terrible ordeal. Thank Tuli you managed to escape with your life.”
I didn’t know what to say either. I averted my gaze towards the gilded brass and wood chest housing a vase of striking red roses and an ormolu clock.
“You’ve arrived in this kingdom at a tumultuous time. A murder, an attack, beasts, impending war—it’s more than anyone could possibly take,” she continued, looking sorrowful.
“Have they come any closer to finding the murderer?” I asked cautiously. I didn’t want to upset her, but since she had brought it up…
“No.” She shook her head. “But Captain Hansen and the Royal Guard are making a show of interrogating everyone. Me included,” she added bitterly.
I nearly choked on my tea. “Surely they don’t believe you had anything to do with the murder?”
She offered me a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “They have to explore all avenues, I suppose.”
Why was I so shocked to hear that Hansen and his men had turned their investigation on Livia? She could very well be the witch. I couldn’t completely discount her just because I liked her. Although why she’d choose to murder her husband, and why now, was beyond me. Still, no one in this castle was above suspicion. A fact I’d do well to remember.
Before I could speak, she continued. “I told them the same thing I’ve told everyone. He was speaking with Lord Helvig when I left him to retire for the evening. When he didn’t return, I assumed…” She paused, a faraway look on her face. “I never dreamed he would be…” Her voice started to break as her eyes watered. “Anyway,” she said, waving away her tears. “That’s why I’m going away in the morning.”
