Broken Veil (Harbinger #5)(35)

“I’ll light a candle. Give me a moment,” Joanna said.

Sera stood at the entryway, trembling with worry. The room smelled of leather and a musky scent.

There was a strike of sparks, then a taper was lit, which was used to light a candle.

“Come inside. Quickly. Shut the door.”

Sera hesitated a moment and then did so, pressing her back against the door, ready to flee if need be.

“What has she done to you?” Joanna said, holding up the candle. “You’ve got blood on your dress. And your cheek is—”

The light had finally revealed Sera’s face. Joanna’s eyes bulged in surprise.

“Your Highness!” she gasped.

“I’ve been abducted,” Sera answered, concealing the penknife behind her back. She didn’t truly trust Joanna. Her surprise seemed genuine, but she’d been deceived before.

“What? How?”

“Lady Corinne brought me here. You didn’t know?”

“Certainly not! The servants have been acting strangely all day. And Mrs. Rosings said the steward fell ill suddenly. I was on my way just now to check on him. Something doesn’t feel right. I never thought . . . I’m in total shock.”

Sera glanced around the room. “Where’s your brother?”

Joanna shrugged. “I don’t know. He’s been gone for several days. But that’s not unlike him.” She continued to gawk at Sera. “Look at your face. Did Mrs. Rosings do that?”

“No, it was Lady Corinne,” Sera said. “They were keeping me in the cellar. Mr. Batewinch tried to call for help, but the keeper has tampered with the Control Leering. She . . . she killed him. Mrs. Rosings isn’t her real name. She’s Mrs. Pullman. She used to be the keeper of Fog Willows years ago.”

Joanna’s face lost color, and her mouth dropped open into a little O when Sera revealed poor Mr. Batewinch’s face. “Mrs. Pullman?” she said at last. “She came by recommendation of Lady Corinne, who told Mr. Batewinch to hire her.”

“That doesn’t surprise me,” Sera said. “So you knew nothing of this?”

Joanna shook her head quickly. “I thought you were one of the servants out wandering the hall at night. I know Mrs. Ro—well, whoever she is, doesn’t like it. The servants don’t like her, but she’s always been very pleasant to me. I . . . I can’t believe we were living with someone like that all this time.”

Sera’s trust was growing, but her instincts urged her to take care. They told her that all was not as it seemed. “Are you a maston, Joanna? Did you pass the Test?”

Joanna hung her head. “I did not.”

“Can you . . . I know this sounds strange, but can you open your nightgown a bit? I need to see if you’re wearing any jewelry. A medallion specifically.”

Joanna’s eyebrows bunched at the request. “I have a locket my mother gave me. How did you know?”

Dread grew in Sera’s heart. “Can I see it, please?” She adjusted her grip on the knife.

Joanna set the candle down on a nearby dresser. Sera watched her closely, concerned that the other woman might attack her if she relaxed her vigilance. Joanna unbuttoned a few buttons on her nightgown, revealing a golden chain and locket. Sera’s heart raced. Was it a kystrel?

Joanna pulled the locket out of her bodice. The candlelight made it gleam. It was the size of a gold coin with decorative edges.

“It was my mother’s,” Joanna said, angling it toward the light.

“Can you take it off? I’d like to see it more closely.”

Joanna reached behind her neck and worked at the clasp. When the chain dropped away, falling into Joanna’s cupped hand, Sera nearly jumped out of her skin.

“Here,” Joanna said, handing the locket over.

That surprised Sera. She’d learned from the Aldermastons that a hetaera never removed a kystrel willingly unless she was giving it to someone else who planned to use it. Sharing it that way would expand her power. As Sera took it, she felt no energy or magic emanating from it. The metal was warm, but only because it had been against Joanna’s skin. Sera turned it over, seeing the worn and antique facade. Although there were decorative patterns on it, none of them contained the whorl-like symbol of the kystrel.

“How did you know I had it?” Joanna asked.

“I thought it was . . . something else,” Sera said.

The sound of a key entering a lock came from behind Sera. She whirled and heard the mechanism click into place, locking them in the room. She grabbed at the handle, trying to twist it, but she was too late.

They were trapped.





CHAPTER THIRTEEN

HER GRACE



“What are we going to do?” Joanna whispered as the light from the candle flickered. Sera stared at the door, the barrier, and felt like screaming in frustration. This door was even sturdier than the one in the cellar.

“I don’t know,” Sera said, her voice sounding miserable even to her own ears. But she would not give up hope. There were other servants in the house. Could they be alerted? She rubbed her forehead, feeling the weariness, pain, and fear weigh on her. She still wasn’t sure she could trust Joanna.

“Here, sit down. There is so much blood. Let me see if I can wash some of it away. I think there might be some water in that pitcher. There’s a towel by Rand’s shaving bowl.”