“My apologies.”
“Let that be the last time.”
I nodded, then followed her through a large arched door. We stepped into a long carpeted room. A floor to ceiling stained glass window colored the back of the room with sunlight. Between where we stood and the window, two rows of identical bookshelves lined the walls, leaving a clear passage down the center. The ceiling was high and paneled. Carved beams cut across it, displaying some of the most amazing craftsmanship I’d ever seen.
Ferko walked down the middle passage until we reached the end of the room. There, she pointed to a shelf filled with thick tomes, each as thick and wide as my torso. She pulled out two and dropped them on a long table to the side while I stared in awe at the stained glass window.
My gaze roved around the different colors and designs. The window was divided into quadrants. The top left one depicted a large sun with a blanket of darkness falling over it. Next to it, an old hag stooped over a steaming cauldron, her knobby hand curled over the steam as she dropped something in her potion. Below the hag, wolves howled at a full moon. And, to their left, a magical forest littered with colorful flowers hosted a group of beautiful people with pointed ears.
Dividing the window in half, a girl ran down a tree-lined path, headed toward a blinding light while branches reached out as if to stop her.
The art was beautiful and haunting.
Ferko cleared her throat to command my attention. I shook myself and turned to her.
“This is a Trove ledger.” She indicated a tome with a black cover. “And this one contains family trees.” She pointed to the other one, which was bound in brown leather. “There are more on the shelves as you can see.”
Indeed, there were rows and rows of black and brown tomes on the massive bookshelves.
“They’re organized in chronological order,” she continued. “I suggest you begin with the most recent years and work back as far as you deem necessary. If you can’t find something, talk to Loretta.”
“Loretta? As in Nurse Loretta?” I asked.
“Yes. She tends to the books when none of the Pawns or Challengers need her nursing care. She likes keeping busy and knows this place inside and out. I leave you now. I have things to do. Enjoy.” She pushed air through her nose in a derisive gesture and left me standing in front of the huge tomes.
After she left, I sat and absentmindedly leafed through the books. I was more intrigued by the fact that Loretta wasn’t only a nurse but also a librarian. No wonder she offered her patients books at the infirmary.
As if I’d conjured her with my thoughts, a side door opened and Loretta walked in, carrying a small stack of books in her arms. She blinked in surprise when she saw me there, but quickly put on her usual stoic expression—one I’d grown terribly used to during my time at the infirmary.
She set the books on one of the many tables and walked in my direction. Instead of the white dress, apron, and cap, she wore as she performed her nursing duties, she now wore a long-sleeved beige blouse and an ankle-length, brown skirt. Her short silver hair was uncovered and seemed out of tune with her clothes. Why did so many women in the palace like to wear their hair so short?
“Good morning,” she said, stopping in front of my table.
“Good morning.”
“I see you are a Rook now.” She peered sideways at the new insignia on my jacket. After training with the Pawns, I’d found the new uniform on my bed at the Rook dormitory.
“I am,” I said, feeling guarded. Loretta was a woman of few words, but whenever she spoke, it seemed she said much more between the lines.
Her dark gaze shifted to the books Ferko had pulled out for me. “Congratulations. I guess I’ll be seeing more of you now.” She gave me a rigid smile. “If you need anything, and I’m not in the infirmary, make sure to ask me.” She turned and left through another side door, her back as straight as my governess’.
I leafed through the tomes for a few more minutes but found the amount of information overwhelming. The books were full of dates, names, and addresses. The ledgers contained detailed records of how previous Rooks had captured different Troves. Some of the accounts seemed exaggerated, while others were dry and boring.
I sighed, closed the book, and walked to a side window. I wanted to be able to see over the wall that surrounded the place, but all I saw was a clear blue sky, trees, a few statues, and the wall itself.
Steps sounded behind me. I turned and realized it was only Loretta carrying more books. She started shelving them, her dark gaze flicking to me as she did so.
“Beautiful day out there,” I said.
“Why don’t you go out then?” she asked.
I opened my mouth to say I was supposed to study, then realized my actual job was to find the Queen a new Trove—something I wouldn’t be able to do in a library, would I?
I smiled. “Good idea, Nurse Loretta.” I walked to the table, intent on putting the tomes back on the shelf.
“Leave them. I’ll do that,” Loretta said as if I wasn’t qualified enough to slide a few books back into place. Typical librarian.
“And you can just call me Loretta,” she said as I hurried down the middle aisle, eager to claim some of my freedom back.
CHAPTER 14
I took Horse with me, and she seemed to be as happy as I was to be out. I rode her gently down the hill that led from the White Palace down to the city. The wind blew in my face. It was cold and promised to be bitter in a few weeks’ time. The snows would soon be here.
As a Rook, I was free to leave the palace whenever I wanted. I didn’t have to wait to have a few free hours every two weeks. Best of all, I didn’t have to tell anyone where I was going.
I didn’t have any particular place in mind. I just wanted to enjoy some time away, pretending I was free, even if there was yet another wall that kept me prisoner.
I thought of going to Alfil Park. I imagined Nyro waiting for me in the gazebo. It was a nice thought, but he wouldn’t be there today. In fact, we wouldn’t go looking for me for another twelve days... the next day off for Pawns.
The cobblestone road that descended from the White Palace gates deposited me on Square H5. Once there, I allowed Horse to go wherever she wanted and simply enjoyed the feel of the morning sun on my skin, grateful that the vampire blood in my system didn’t prevent me from enjoying sunlight—not yet anyway. Yesterday had been terrifying, a sure glimpse of what it would be like to become a creature of the night.
Horse crossed from square to square oblivious to their color. White or black made no difference. I felt oddly jealous of her. To me, everything in this city seemed two-toned, with no other shades in between.
I didn’t know how long I let Horse wander the city but—suddenly coming out of my own thoughts—I realized we’d made it all the way to Square B2. The square where I’d grown up, where Papa had died.
Since I’d left my home and joined the White Board, I hadn’t set foot back on B2, much less gone close to Flagfall House.
Horse’s hooves clopped as we made our way down the avenue. My old house came into view, and the sight of it nearly tore my heart straight out of my chest.
The two-story, brick house stood proud and tall as always. My eyes were drawn to its pitched roof and windows on the top level. Something seemed different about them, but I couldn’t tell from where I was.
As Horse trotted nearer, I took in the low stone wall that surrounded the property and the path that led to the front door. Weeds grew between the stones and piles of leaves covered the yard. And, at closer inspection, the window panes revealed the dirt and spider webs that covered them.
The house appeared completely abandoned. My heart broke in two. I clutched the saddle, fearing a swoon, a malady I’d thought I’d left in the past.
Tying Horse’s reins to the gate, I walked the path toward the front door, not caring who saw me. I rattled the knob, but the door was locked. I walked around the house, trying to peer through the clouded windows,
but it was dark inside.
Once at the back door, I glanced around to make sure no one was watching, then forced the lock with the tip of my sword.
With a knot in my throat, I stepped into the kitchen and shut the door behind me. I stood frozen for a long moment, taking in the silence and the familiar sights around me.
Every surface was covered with a thick layer of dust and a terrible gloom seemed to drip from the walls. Something skittered underfoot, drawing my attention and making me jump.
A rat crossed from behind the cast-iron stove to the cupboard. My insides twisted in disgust as I thought of how horrified Louisa would be of the rodent. I vaguely wondered where our old cook might be now. Serving at another well-to-do household?
I walked further into the house, my boots heavy on the hardwood floors. As I went, I wondered why the house was empty. Hadn’t the King seized the property and all our assets to pay for Papa’s gambling debt?
Against my will, I made it to the parlor. The world stopped and filled entirely with the sound of my breaths and my frantic, broken heart.
Everything was as it’d been the night I left.
Dry blood stained the carpet and furniture. Maximus’s black handkerchief lay on the floor. Again, I saw it flutter through the air after he used it to wipe Papa’s blood from his murderous claws, a fallen flag of defeat and death.
I turned away and ran upstairs to my room, the way I’d done many times when I was young and upset about something. I nearly flung myself on the bed but managed to control myself.
I was not a little girl anymore.
I was a Rook with the blood of a murderous vampire running through my veins. There was no room for spoiled tantrums. That life of weakness was in the past and, sometimes, it felt as if it belonged to another person, not to a girl—no, a woman—who had killed a man to drain him of his blood.
A monster had undone my life, and it would take another monster to impart the punishment Maximus deserved.
I was well on my way to becoming what I needed to be.
CHAPTER 15
The gloomy throne room was a stark contrast to the brilliant, snow-covered day outside. Daciana pulled ahead of me, firmly walking toward the Queen. I caught up with her, then stopped in front of the throne and bowed. We had been summoned after training with the Pawns, told the White Queen wanted to see us immediately.
I blinked in the darkness, still surprised by my ability to distinguish shapes that only two weeks ago would have been in utter gloom. Even if the effects of my first feeding were wearing off—the ravenous hunger that no amount of food seemed to satiate was a known symptom of the weakening effects of the blood—my senses were still sharper than they should have been.
My second feeding was to happen in two days, something I’d been fearing. I didn’t want to kill anyone else while I drank their blood.
I hadn’t been in the White Queen’s presence since I’d become a Rook and was surprised by the strange pull that seemed to tug on my veins as she laid eyes on me. I’d heard the Queen’s blood called to the high ranking members of her Board. I’d thought it was a myth, but now I realized it was true.
“Varujan is dead,” the Queen announced without preamble.
At this news, my insides flipped. I’d been fearing this as much as my second feeding. I stared at the ground, biting my tongue and the urge to tell Lovina I was glad the poor slave was finally free and at peace.
“So?!” the Queen demanded, her voice rising a few octaves. “You have nothing to say.”
I bit my tongue harder. I was a new Rook. Let the veteran say something and she did.
“My condolences, my Queen,” Daciana said in a heartfelt tone.
What? That was ridiculous. Like offering a hawk condolences after stripping a chipmunk down to the bone.
To my utter shock, a single red tear slid down Lovina’s cheek. “He was with me for fifteen years,” she said. “It never gets easier.”
I glanced over at Daciana to see if her jaw was hanging open, but she was peering at the Queen with a hint of sympathy. Really?
“But that is not why I called you here,” Lovina said, wiping away the tear and smearing red across her face. “I will mourn Varujan privately as no one can understand the connection we shared.”
Connection? What was she referring to? The way her fangs “connected” with his neck? There was no way she’d actually cared for her slave? Was there?
“I want another Trove,” the White Queen said in her deep, threatening voice. All signs of sorrow were gone from her expression, which made me wonder if it had all been for show.
“I want another Trove,” she repeated. “And I want one NOW!”
She banged her fists on the throne’s armrests and, in the next instant, she was next to me, her clawed hand wrapped tightly around my neck.
A croak escaped me as Lovina lifted me off the floor. I would have fought, but fear paralyzed me, roaring loudly in my ears, telling me that if did something stupid I would die. I was no match for the Queen.
“You will bring me a Trove, won’t you?” she whispered in my ear.
I couldn’t have answered, even if she weren’t choking me. My tongue was stuck to the roof of my mouth, and my head overflowed with panic. I couldn’t have formed words.
“If you don’t...” She cocked her head to one side. “What do you think should happen to her, Rook Daciana?”
My lungs burned, the small trickle of air passing through my throat barely enough to keep me conscious.
“She... she should be thrown in the pit, Your Majesty,” Daciana answered.
The pit? What was she talking about?
“The pit, yes,” the Queen echoed, letting me go.
As soon my feet hit the floor, I bent over and gasped for air, my chest aching. Lovina shifted her attention to Daciana.
“Why don’t you tell our new Rook about the pit.” She walked around Daciana, a hand caressing the Rook’s forearm, shoulder, and arm as she went. At last, she stopped, placed a finger on the side of the Rook’s shaved head, and let it slide down her jaw all the way down to a throbbing vein at Daciana’s neck.
“The pit is... a hole in a dungeon cell,” Daciana said in a strangled voice. “It’s dark, dank, and deep.”
“It’s a special place reserved for Rooks,” the Queen said, returning to her throne. “It does wonders for motivation, especially after a few days without food, water, or blood.” She finished with a smile of satisfaction.
“What would you say is the worst part of being in the pit, Rook Daciana?”
“When... when you’re there after missing a feeding and... and the Bishops visit.”
The Queen chuckled. “Yes, I know just how it feels. I was there once when I was a Rook. I found my Queen two Troves after that. And you found Varujan, didn’t you, Rook Daciana?”
“Yes, Your Majesty, I did.”
Lovina smiled. “The pit is always ready and hungry like a beast. And Viorel and Rasvan truly enjoy having guests.”
My skin crawled as I tried to imagine what kind of torture the Bishops must use to cause such dread in Daciana.
“But, you don’t want to go in the pit, do you?” she paused, her expression growing sad. “Not when, sometimes, some of its guests are unable to leave.”
CHAPTER 16
A blanket of snow covered the ground and crunched lightly under my boots as I walked toward Alfil Park, my cloak billowing behind me and my hood thrown over my head to cover me from the light snow that drifted lazily from the gray clouds overhead.
I shivered, though the chilled temperature had nothing to do with it. It was Lovina’s threat that still ran in my ears.
The pressures of being one of the Queen’s Trove hunters had redoubled. The sun-loving White Queen was confined to darkness, and she expected me to find her a Trove.
But how could I?
I, myself, had dreaded becoming her blood slave. There was no way I could condemn anyone to that fate. Whatever force sang in my vei
ns, it wasn’t strong enough to make me obey the Queen in this. Not even her threats of throwing me into a dark pit with the Bishops as my tormentors could do that.
It wasn’t until I neared Square G2 that all thoughts of the Queen were swept from my mind and a different kind of anxiety filled my chest.
Today was the Pawn’s free day, and I was supposed to meet Nyro at Alfil Park. The last time I’d seen him, we’d both been First Pawns. I’d been fully human, still a Trove. But now I was... what?
Three-quarter human and one-fourth vampire? One third? I didn’t know. All I knew was that I had changed. I was stronger. My senses were sharper. What would he think? Would he push me away? I had a feeling he would, and some self-defeating part of me wanted that rejection.
I was on my way to becoming a monster and, while Nyro felt like the only tangible connection to the girl I’d once been, I felt as if his scorn was the last thing I needed to fully embrace and understand the cost of my revenge.
My heart hammered as I entered the park. I glanced around the snow-blanketed lawn, searching for a shape dressed in black. The place appeared deserted, however. Even if it was midday, it was too cold for children to play or old men to lounge or play chess with their friends.
I kept walking toward the gazebo, thinking this would be the best place to meet as it stood at the very end of the park, away from the prying eyes of passersby. But, when I got there, I found the area just as deserted as the rest of the park.
Was he still coming? The last time I’d seen him, it had been the day I killed Neculai. Maybe I’d been foolish to think Nyro would still want to see me after I’d confessed my crime while the bloody and horrid proof lay at my feet.
I heard steps behind me, crunching down snow. Slowly, I glanced back and felt my insides unhinge at the sight of Nyro’s approaching figure. He wore his black uniform along with his black cloak. He was tall and imposing, his shoulders wide and straight. A lock of shiny, black hair rested on his forehead. His eyelids were lowered, hooding his eyes.
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