Two girls. Two secrets.
Only one can survive.
Years before Nelle Wychthorn plans her escape, Tabitha Catt may unearth something in a Horned God's lair that is the key to freedom.
Desperate to save her beloved aunt from a dark curse, Tabitha is out t...
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Instead, I tsked the Howell sisters, while folding my arms in front of my chest. "Shame on you. And I thought so highly of you both." An utter lie. Both of them were nasty and cruel. "I always considered you both to be above spreading vile gossip like fishwives. Clearly, my opinion was wrong."
I flipped up a hand, gesturing toward Dolcie who stood beside me, pale-faced and looking like she was about to pass out from the sheer shock of the sickening encounter with the Howells. "Dolcie's ill, not..." I rolled my hand, not wanting to say the word pregnant, but they'd catch my meaning. "She's coming down with the stomach flu that's been going around." I turned to face Dolcie, my voice much softer as I reached out to squeeze her upper arm. "You need to be in bed."
The elder Howell sister narrowed her beady eyes in suspicion. "What stomach bug?"
I scoffed at her. "Has it completely escaped your notice that there's an illness spreading amongst us? Mr. Crowther is hurling his guts up, right this moment." Never mind the other symptom. "Oswin's coming down with it too." My friend would play his part when I spoke to him later on. And I counted on my fingers, rambling off some other names of colleagues that I knew weren't well, not quite the stomach bug, but close enough that it had taken them off duty today. "Even I'm feeling off." I patted my sweaty forehead and cringed for effect. "No doubt tonight, I'll be..." I let the words drift apart with heavy meaning.
I still had that stolen vial of Stomach Flu tucked away, and I made a mental note to add a drop of it, perhaps two, to the Howell sisters' morning coffee. As well as a few random splashes in porridges and cereals to randomly spread the illness amongst the servants so it at least corroborated my lies. I was going to Nine Hells for this for certain.
There was enough authority in my tone to sow self-doubt. However, just to reinforce it, I slapped a hand across my mouth, stepping closer to the Howells. my upper body jerked as I dramatically gagged.
And they drew back a step, sharing a mortified look.
I dropped my hand to my chest, blowing out a long breath as if to collect myself and calm the dry heaves.
A moment later I tut-tutted them both, accompanied by an infuriated arch of an eyebrow. The words rushed from me, angry and fierce. "I think you should apologize to Dolcie." My foot tapped the lino with irritation—faster and faster. "You said some truly despicable things to her. Both of you cast a slur on her good name and the good name of her family." I fixed them with the look so full of fury I was surprised I hadn't burst into flames with its wrath.
Even the hard-as-nails Howell sisters cracked under thelook'smight.
Both of them quickly apologized in unison with weak voices and watery smiles. They stepped aside and Dolcie hurried past.
"Well, then, goodnight to you both," I clipped out haughtily. "And remember to make sure you have liquid and plain foods nearby as well as plenty of toilet paper. You wouldn't want to run out of that when the stomach flu catches you," I tossed their way before marching after Dolcie.
