we know, there could be another corpse hidden somewhere in the castle.”
The snow spun and danced on the wind, the tiny white flakes mesmerizing. She was in there. I knew it.
“Cécile!” Chris shouted my name. Disorientation made me dizzy, and I shook my head, trying to clear it.
“Get away from the gate!” someone shouted. I looked up and saw a soldier in one of the guard posts pointing at us. Though I had no memory of moving, I was now most of the way across the bridge, the guards in plain sight. Fleur shied toward the edge of the bridge, and I clung to her frozen mane, afraid if I lost my seat I’d topple into the icy waters below.
Then Chris was next to me, hands reaching for the reins of my spooked horse.
“Sorry,” he shouted. “She’s drunk. I’ll take her home. We don’t want any trouble.”
“Get away from the gates or I’ll have you both thrown in the stocks for the night.” He and one of his fellows started toward us.
“Stars and heavens,” I swore, snatching up the frozen reins and digging my heels in. This was the last thing I needed. “Come on,” I shouted at Chris over the wind, and together we cantered through the city, our horses’ hooves sliding on the slick cobbles. When we reached my mother’s street, I pulled my horse to a stop. Her ears were pinned, and she sidled uneasily beneath me, snorting out puffs of mist.
“What happened to you? You looked as though you were in a trance.”
I tucked one numb hand into the pocket of my dress, trying to warm my fingers enough to use them. “I’m not sure. I was so certain she was within the walls, and then…” I broke off. “The promise took hold of me.”
Sliding out of the saddle, I handed Chris the reins. “Are you certain you’re all right to be alone?” he asked. “What if it happens again?”
“I’ll be fine,” I said quickly, wishing I felt half as confident as I sounded. “I need to get back before my mother realizes I’m gone.”
Wrapping my cloak tightly around me, I started walking down the street.
“Cécile!”
I turned back.
“Be careful. If she was willing to kill all those women, then…” I knew what he’d left unsaid. What’s to stop her from killing you?
What was stopping her from killing me?
I nodded, and broke into a quick trot down the road to my home as Chris went off in the opposite direction. These dead women, whoever they were, had some connection with Anushka. And if I wasn’t missing the mark, I bet it had something to do with how she was achieving immortality. If I could only figure out the connection between them all.
Despite my exhaustion, I broke into a run. It wasn’t just the cold driving me along – I sensed someone was watching me. My skin prickled, my eyes searching the street ahead and behind, but the darkness and the thick snow made it hard for me to see more than a few yards in any direction. Letting go of my cloak, I fumbled in my pocket for the small knife I kept, clutching it tight.
It was no small amount of relief when I reached home. Fumbling for the key, I had to try three times to get it in the lock, my hands were shaking so badly. I kept waiting for someone to come up and grab me, right when I thought I was safe. When the door finally swung open, I staggered in and slammed it hard behind me.
“Where have you been?”
My heart froze in my chest. Slowly, I turned around to face my mother. “What are you doing home so early?” I asked weakly.
“Answer my question,” she barked.
I stared at the floor, my mind racing. I had said I was staying home all evening, but even if I hadn’t, I had no good reason to be out past midnight in a blizzard. “Frédéric,” I started to say, but she interrupted.
“Your brother is on duty at the palace. I saw him myself, so don’t even try to say otherwise.” She loomed over me. “And you certainly weren’t out with your fellows in the company, no!” she scoffed. “No, that would be far too out of character for me to believe. Your lies are what is in character.”
I stepped back as she flung her hands up. “For weeks you’ve been sneaking off, never telling me the truth about where you go. You deceitful, ungrateful little…”