Chosen : Assassin Book 1

Chosen- chapter thirty-nine

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Once Cassius fell asleep, I slipped out of bed. The floor was cold on my feet. I grabbed a robe from the chair and wrapped it around myself before leaving the room as quietly as I could. The castle was eerily quiet. Tiptoeing down the hallway, I hid in an alcove as patrolling guards went past. The training facilities weren't far, but I didn't need anyone to know I was going there. I hurried down the hallway and through a few doors until I found the secret door behind the throne room.

Pushing aside a tapestry, I grasped the doorknob and slowly opened hoping the squeak wouldn't draw anyone near. The area was usually creepy with candlelight, without everything was terrifying. There were no windows and the only light was a torch at the opposite end.

What are you even doing? What do you want to find?

I ran across the room, the only sound to be heard was the swishing of my nightgown and robe. Grasping the torch, I pulled it from the holder and walked down the narrow hallway. I had only ever been down this way a few times in all my years at the castle. Once when I first arrived and was processed. The one thing I remembered was letters. There were a lot of letters.

At the very end of the hall was another door. I pushed it open and looked around for a candle to light. I placed the torch in a holder on the wall and dug through the mounds of papers. I threw down the stack that I had in hand, unable to read any of it.

I stopped and gasped. There were portraits sitting on the desk of three men. The three men who were at my branding.

"The elders."

I quickly blew out the candle and grabbed the torch at the sound of footsteps. I looked around desperately for another way out. Luckily, I found a small door in the corner that was also unlocked. I ducked into the small room and pulled the door shut as someone opened the main door.

I sat for a moment just listening.

"Don't do anything rash," a woman's voice said. "I like her tremendously."

"Whether you like or not, she has disobeyed the Guild laws. We cannot allow her to get away with disobedience."

Claude?

"Disobedience or not, I like her. I'm not going to allow you to harm her."

Jonathan.

"You have no say. This goes beyond you. If the Elders order it, that is what I go by."

"I thought you loved her?" Claude asked.

"Feelings come and go. I will do as I'm told."

"I will have no part of this."

The door slammed and Claude's dainty footsteps grew further away.

"Women and their feelings," Jonathan mumbled.

I heard him shuffling through the papers and throwing things. I looked around for another way out. The room extended down a hallway that narrowed out. I followed along the passage on my knees. The narrow passage slowly opened into a narrow hallway. I stood and walked along, running my hands alongside the walls.

Where am I?

A light came from a small section of the wall. I peered through and saw the banquet hall.

Interesting.

I continued along until I came to a mechanism. I pressed on the lever and the wall seemed to just swing-out.

Do all castles have secret passages?

The wall entered into a large study. The same study I saw Cassius in before I returned to England. I pushed the wall shut and hurried down the hall to my own chamber. Climbing into bed, I laid there until I couldn't stay awake any longer.