“For whose sake?”
The corner of her mouth lifted, but her eyes stayed on the wall. “You’re more like me than you want to admit.”
Whatever the mark was doing, it wasn’t behaving exactly the way she intended. That much I was coming to understand, and I knew that mattered.
The scraping below resumed, louder this time, followed by a sharp clang that made one of the iron doors tremble. My pulse jumped despite every attempt to stay calm.
A voice drifted up from the lower staircase.
“Priestess.” The word was drawn out, almost sung.
The Priestess went very still, and this time, she didn’t look amused.
I looked from her down the corridor.
“Cruelest of the cruel?” I asked quietly.
For a moment, the air between us seemed to tighten, and a voice below laughed again.
“New blood,” it called softly. “I smell new blood.”
My skin went cold, and the Priestess lifted her hand.
“And you wanted to tell me that I was wrong for locking them up and throwing away the key?”
It went silent below as my heart hammered in my chest. Maybe I’d jumped to conclusions about who was below.
Or was that just what she wanted me to think?
The Priestess turned away as if nothing had happened. “Come. You’ve seen enough of the cells.”
“I disagree.” I shook my head. “I want to see who is down there.”
“I’m sure you do.” She straightened, and her wicked gaze met mine. “Did that question not tell you enough?”
And I realized I would not be able to see it today with her assistance. I would have to find it on my own.
She moved toward the upward staircase now, and the branch-like railing uncurled as she neared it.
I glanced once more at where my mother and Gideon had been kept, fighting the urge to press my palm to it and pull every memory from the stone. hedge magic had its use, but not when the Priestess was standing a yard away.
There would be time.
I had to believe there would be time.
The Priestess led me into a long hall filled with glass cases, and inside them sat artifacts, some beautiful, while others were broken.
I spotted a cracked wand wrapped in silver wire next to what looked like a feather made of black crystal. There was a bowl filled with water that reflected a sky that wasn’t our own.
I wanted to stop at every case, but I didn’t.
A glance and a mental note were all I’d allow myself. I didn’t want to give my grandmother any idea of what may or may not interest me.
Her smile returned. “There is that Stonewick certainty again. You think you can hold back your curiosity from me.”
“There is that Shadowick deflection again.” Her gaze met mine.
She actually laughed.
