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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My hair took a lot longer to untangle and glitter still shone in the long length but I managed to tame and smooth the locks and work it into an elegant bun high on my head like a crown.
Leaving the bathroom I padded back into my bedroom, unwrapped the damp towel from my figure, and hung it on a hook. Opening up the closet door I pulled out the dress Marissa had given me a few weeks back to wear at the Servants' Dance. It felt decadent whispering against my skin like liquid silk as it fell over my body. I zipped up the side and bent over to slide my feet into the matching high heels and buckle up the delicate straps. Straightening, I caught a glimpse of myself in our tall mirror, startling for a moment at the stranger staring back at me. I looked like I'd been dipped in gold. My hair and sunkissed skin, the dress, were all kinds of gold. It was almost inconceivable how much money the dress cost. I'd never worn anything so expensive in all my life, thousands of dollars, and to a servants' wedding, which possibly would be the only occasion I'd ever get to wear it.
And if anyone asked, as Marissa had suggested, I'd say it was a knock-off.
Moving to the wooden table, I snatched up my notes for the speech I'd prepared to give as Best Man and stuffed them into my sequined purse beside the items still hidden in its shallow depth—the sleeping potion and needle and tube. The door closed quietly behind me with a soft snick as I left my bedroom to head for the gazebo.
The Servants' Quarters were usually fairly quiet this time of day. Lunch had been and gone but today there were more servants about who were off duty and at home getting ready for the wedding. As I headed down the dormitory corridor, my mind churned like a wild sea with all the things still ahead of me to do. Pressure began to build at my temples and worry frayed my nerves, gnawing on at me with insidious fangs.
Too many things were beginning to stack up against me.
The wedding. My aunt. That thing. Varen. Wyrmblood. Skold.
My palms became clammy and fingers slipped against one another as I fisted them by my sides. I drew in a deep fortifying breath, lifting my chin as I tried to get my frazzled nerves under control.
I had faith that I could pull this off.
All I had to do was tackle each problem one at a time.
I had plenty of time to get to the gazebo and wait by Oswin's side until Dolcie arrived with her wedding party.
I'd have my eye on Aunt Ellena, who, after the memory of my mother had been uncovered, left me feeling distrustful of her. She'd be attending the wedding ceremony and reception, and I'd keep a careful watch to ensure that thing didn't show itself.
Tonight I'd be too busy to steal the wyrmblood from Varen, so I'd do it on our date tomorrow night.
As for Skold and the night she'd cast her spell when Cernesse's forerunners wheeled across the sky, it was out of my control. I had no idea where we'd be meeting the witch in the Hemmlok Forest, nor if we could trust—
