“I can handle trouble in my court,” she insisted.
But I shook my head. “This is my problem. Not yours. I don’t even know for sure if Calista is hiding anything. And even if she is, it could be something ridiculous like harboring a collection of dried-up fingernails.”
Sybelle snorted.
“Don’t risk yourself formycuriosity,” I went on. “Please.”
Sybelle sighed, her frame drooping slightly. “Fine. But if you run into trouble, Azure is just outside. She can help.”
I smiled at the thought of Sybelle’s mighty blue dragon. “Thank you.”
“I’m here for you, Eira. No matter what.”
I squeezed her arm, and she squeezed back. She whispered a quick, “Be careful,” before she disappeared down the hall. I stared after her, listening to her soft footsteps fade away.
Now I was well and truly alone.
Unease rippled over me like an icy chill, but I swallowed my fear. With a deep breath, I inched inside the room, my shuffling steps echoing in the vast space. Squinting, I struggled to make out any details within the chamber. With myhalf-human senses, my eyesight wasn’t nearly as keen as Calista’s.
My steps were clumsy as I fumbled my way to the bedside table, then lit a lantern with trembling fingers. Warm amber light illuminated the chamber, and I stifled a gasp.
A wall of shelves stood before me, stocked with rows and rows of vials. Each one contained a dark liquid—some crimson, others black like ink.
I knew exactly what this was: her stores of blood. This was where she kept the blood of those she wanted to control. There was the red blood of the seelie fae, and the black blood of the unseelie.
My stomach twisted as I glanced over each glass.
They were labeled. I wasn’t sure I wanted to know who she had control over. I knew for sure my blood wasn’t there.
It probably wouldn’t hurt to check, just in case. Perhaps I could even smash a few vials to free as many people as I could from Calista’s magic.
I strode forward, but footsteps in the hall made me freeze. I held my breath, ensuring my magic was draped over me, then held perfectly still.
The footsteps came and went, fading as whoever it was continued down the hall.
Biting my lip, I shook my head. I didn’t have time for distractions. I needed to find proof of Calista’s treachery and then get out before she caught me.
The most important thing was finding evidence of her hand in Father’s death. But if I couldn’t find that, I would settle on anything else incriminating: details of her court schemes, a list of nobles whose blood she was after… anything to condemn her so I could free this court from her greedy clutches.
I had remained hidden in the shadows for far too long.
My eyes fell on the large vanity on the opposite side of the room. I moved toward it and eased open drawers. As I sifted through papers, I found old maps, a list of potion breweries in the province, and a parchment with several cities written on it. Squinting, I glanced over the list, unable to make sense of what these cities had in common.
With a curse, I ensured everything was back in place before shutting the drawer. Something within made athunkwhen it closed.
I froze. There hadn’t been anything particularly heavy in the drawer. So what had made the noise?
I opened it again, inserting my hand to the very back of the drawer. Still nothing but papers. I pressed my fingertips along the bottom of the drawer until the wood gave way, revealing a false bottom.
My heart lurched as I inspected the secret chamber. It only held two things: an ornate silver hand mirror and a crumpled piece of parchment.
Carefully, I lifted the parchment, which had small crimson splotches on it. Was that… blood?
My stomach dropped. It was in my father’s handwriting, and it was addressed to his guard captain.
Victor,
I have seen her. I have seen my wife’s true nature, and it is horrifying. You must alert the court at once before it’s too late.
