A Dawn of Onyx (The Sacred Stones, #1)(18)

“Thank you,” I said, when I was decent. The Broad Man turned, his eyes kind as they appraised me. I swallowed some fear and gestured toward his abdomen. “How are you feeling?”

“Better than I thought was possible, thanks to you.” He smiled awkwardly, “I’m Barney. And I’m sorry about last night. For what it’s worth, I did not want to take you from your home.”

Somehow, It’s fine, don’t worry about it, Barney. These things happen, didn’t find its way out of my mouth.

“What happened to you anyway?” I asked instead.

He shook his head. “You first. What kind of magic was that?”

If only I knew.

There was something warm in Barney’s eyes though. A hint of a smile pressed at my lips. “I guess we’ll just both keep our secrets.”

The walk out of the dungeon felt much shorter than the one inside last night. I followed Barney into the courtyard and immediately sucked in a wonderful lungful of fresh, morning air tinged with the smell of rain.

It was cloudy and frigid out, and once again I remembered how much chillier the north was. The fox fur cloak, courtesy of the dungeon stranger, was much warmer than my new black wool dress, with its leather corset and puffed antique sleeves. The dark realization that the stranger probably wouldn’t need his fur anymore only made me shiver harder.

It was just after dawn and the castle grounds were quiet. I assumed everyone was still sleeping, save for the sentries that manned the premises. I followed Barney through the large, wrought iron castle doors, and was greeted by the smells and sounds of a keep just waking up. Fresh bread baking somewhere in the kitchens, floors being scrubbed with various lavender and vanilla soaps. For an early morning, the keep’s inhabitants were working overtime to make sure every surface shone and every window gleamed.

The castle was devastating in its haunting beauty. Having never been inside one before, I couldn’t help my wonder. Shadowhold was still terrifying—eerie and haunting like ghosts inhabited every shadowed corner and lurked behind every trap door—but there was no denying the majesty of it. Complex, sweeping stonework contrasted the soft light that billowed through warped windows of colorful glass. Barney must have noticed my awe because he seemed to purposefully walk slower so I could take it all in.

Dusty blue and violet tapestries, rich, velvety green curtains, dark wood tables and chairs scarred with years of wear. Dark vases filled with the strangest flowers I had ever seen adorned the great hall as we walked through it. Spindly, sorrowful-looking things. Twisted vines and dark hues set them apart from what grew in Amber. My mother would love them.

If I ever saw her again to tell her of them.

We trudged up a carved, stone staircase that wound around the keep, creating several little candle-lit enclaves, and came to a stop in front of a door on the second floor, across from the gallery. A worn, wooden sign read ‘Apothecary & Infirmary’ and hung lopsided against the wood.

Fleeting relief crammed my heart back into my chest.

Not torture, nor instant death. Not the perverse lieutenant.

This, I could do.

“This is where you will work. I’ll be outside all day to keep an eye on you so don’t do anything that would require the lieutenant.” He said it like a warning, but I read a plea in his expression as well. “I’ll take you back to the dungeon when the day is done.”

I nodded, though the thought of the iron bars of the cell closing in on me sent dread skittering down my spine.

I’d have to save that panic for later.

Barney thought for a moment and added, “Our king is a man of justice. If he cannot persecute your brother for what he stole, he will take from you instead. Don’t give him a reason to take more than your trade.”

“Thank you, Barney.”

Barney closed the door behind me, and I drew in a deep breath as I appraised the apothecary.

The wood-floored room had huge windows behind the counter that looked out onto the dizzying array of oaks and elms surrounding the keep. Strips of sunlight drifted in lazily, highlighting the specks of dust that floated through the musky air.

It smelled of arrowroot, lemongrass, and other salves—a mix of sweet, fragrant, and medicinal that I found strangely comforting. Rows and rows of shelves filled with various herbs and ointments took up most of the space, with a few nooks and crannies for more bizarre objects from around the continent, very few of which I had seen before.

Of course, I didn’t plan to tell anyone that. I’d have to put my abysmal lying skills to the test if asked about anything in here, lest I be deemed useless to the castle. What would they do then? Kill me? Hunt my brother down again? I doubted the Onyx soldiers would be able to track down my family now, especially if they had made it to the Garnet Kingdom. I winced at the irony. If King Ravenwood’s men couldn’t find my family, it was unlikely I would ever be able to either.

“Hello? In here!” bellowed a man’s voice.

My brows creased and tension coiled my hands into fists. I rolled up the sleeves of my dress before following the sound around the counter and to the right. Inside was a smaller room that must have been the infirmary. Sitting on a narrow daybed was a portly man with a red handlebar mustache. Despite his bulbous, purpled leg, he had a cheery smile on his face.

“Morning,” he said, wincing. “Lovely day for an injury, don’t you think?”