her when she’d read Rhiannon. Would it happen again? Had she inherited her mother’s gift? And if it didn’t happen again, how would she go about finding out whom or what was killing the young women here?
She only knew that she wasn’t going to pass this chance by, and if she had to, she’d start looking for the cause herself…leaning upon her ability to read people and see the secrets beneath their faces.
“Can you do it?” Amelie asked, and Céline saw that her sister wanted to stay as badly as she did.
Céline looked straight into Jaromir’s eyes. “Yes,” she said. “I can do it.”
C HAPTER 4
C éline hurried down an upstairs passage behind Jaromir, with Amelie following. It seemed that once the bargain had been struck, he was in a rush to get on with other business.
After leading them up from the cellars, where the bodies were stored, to the main floor of the castle, he’d bypassed the great hall and led them into a stairwell inside the north tower and then up three flights before stepping off the landing there and striding at a rapid pace down the chill stone passage, making several turns, until Céline felt hopelessly lost. This entire experience was making her more aware of just how little of the world she’d seen.
“Lieutenant,” she breathed, trying to keep up. “Could you slow your pace?”
He stopped. “Oh…pardon.” But he still looked distracted. Perhaps he wanted to report the bargain they’d made to Prince Anton. “Over there,” he said pointing to a door. “That is anempty guest room. I’ll have someone finish preparing it for you immediately. Go on in.”
“Thank you,” Céline answered for lack of anything else to say.
Without waiting to show them inside, he brushed past and headed back the way they’d come.
Amelie raised her thin black eyebrows at Céline. “Well, at least he’s gone.”
Uncertain if that was a good thing or a bad thing, Céline walked over and opened the door. While the room could hardly be described as “empty,” it was certainly unoccupied, and she stepped inside.
Amelie followed her, drawing a loud breath. “Is this for us? He might have made a mistake.”
“I don’t think he makes many mistakes.”
A four-poster mahogany bed waited across the room, covered in a sunflower yellow quilt. Interior shutters over the long window were open, letting misty light filter inside. Céline walked to the window and looked down, realizing they must be on the inner side of the tower, as they had a view of the courtyard below.
She turned back to take in the rest of the room.
A full-length mirror with a pewter frame stood in one corner and a mahogany wardrobe stood in the other. Dainty damask-covered chairs had been placed in front of a dressing table that sported silver brushes and a porcelain washbasin. A three-paneled dressing screen offered privacyfor changing clothes. Best of all, the room contained its own small hearth.
Céline had never seen a room like this, much less been invited to sleep in one.
She walked over to the dressing table and noticed a miniature portrait leaning up against the mirror, of a lovely woman with chestnut-colored hair. Something about it made the room feel less their own, so she put it in a drawer. Then she touched one of the silver brushes, hoping for a few moments of peace, deciding she might not be able to handle even a mild event or encounter added to the long line since last night. And now…she had four deaths to solve. But she was also tired, sore, and hungry, having neither eaten nor slept, and she was sure Amelie must feel as weary as herself.
“Maybe we should rest?” Amelie said, as if reading her thoughts.
There was little else to do anyway. Even if they wanted to go in search of food, Céline doubted they could find their way back to the great hall. The only solid detail she could remember from the rushed journey up here was the sight of Jaromir’s back.
“All right,” she said, “but I’ll have
She only knew that she wasn’t going to pass this chance by, and if she had to, she’d start looking for the cause herself…leaning upon her ability to read people and see the secrets beneath their faces.
“Can you do it?” Amelie asked, and Céline saw that her sister wanted to stay as badly as she did.
Céline looked straight into Jaromir’s eyes. “Yes,” she said. “I can do it.”
C HAPTER 4
C éline hurried down an upstairs passage behind Jaromir, with Amelie following. It seemed that once the bargain had been struck, he was in a rush to get on with other business.
After leading them up from the cellars, where the bodies were stored, to the main floor of the castle, he’d bypassed the great hall and led them into a stairwell inside the north tower and then up three flights before stepping off the landing there and striding at a rapid pace down the chill stone passage, making several turns, until Céline felt hopelessly lost. This entire experience was making her more aware of just how little of the world she’d seen.
“Lieutenant,” she breathed, trying to keep up. “Could you slow your pace?”
He stopped. “Oh…pardon.” But he still looked distracted. Perhaps he wanted to report the bargain they’d made to Prince Anton. “Over there,” he said pointing to a door. “That is anempty guest room. I’ll have someone finish preparing it for you immediately. Go on in.”
“Thank you,” Céline answered for lack of anything else to say.
Without waiting to show them inside, he brushed past and headed back the way they’d come.
Amelie raised her thin black eyebrows at Céline. “Well, at least he’s gone.”
Uncertain if that was a good thing or a bad thing, Céline walked over and opened the door. While the room could hardly be described as “empty,” it was certainly unoccupied, and she stepped inside.
Amelie followed her, drawing a loud breath. “Is this for us? He might have made a mistake.”
“I don’t think he makes many mistakes.”
A four-poster mahogany bed waited across the room, covered in a sunflower yellow quilt. Interior shutters over the long window were open, letting misty light filter inside. Céline walked to the window and looked down, realizing they must be on the inner side of the tower, as they had a view of the courtyard below.
She turned back to take in the rest of the room.
A full-length mirror with a pewter frame stood in one corner and a mahogany wardrobe stood in the other. Dainty damask-covered chairs had been placed in front of a dressing table that sported silver brushes and a porcelain washbasin. A three-paneled dressing screen offered privacyfor changing clothes. Best of all, the room contained its own small hearth.
Céline had never seen a room like this, much less been invited to sleep in one.
She walked over to the dressing table and noticed a miniature portrait leaning up against the mirror, of a lovely woman with chestnut-colored hair. Something about it made the room feel less their own, so she put it in a drawer. Then she touched one of the silver brushes, hoping for a few moments of peace, deciding she might not be able to handle even a mild event or encounter added to the long line since last night. And now…she had four deaths to solve. But she was also tired, sore, and hungry, having neither eaten nor slept, and she was sure Amelie must feel as weary as herself.
“Maybe we should rest?” Amelie said, as if reading her thoughts.
There was little else to do anyway. Even if they wanted to go in search of food, Céline doubted they could find their way back to the great hall. The only solid detail she could remember from the rushed journey up here was the sight of Jaromir’s back.
“All right,” she said, “but I’ll have
Similar Books
