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Twenty-Six
Rosalie
My head ached and even the slightest movement hurt. I groaned and dragged the blanket over my head to block out the light. “Do you have to open them?”
“You’ve been sleeping most of the day,” Ara said. “I’d think you’d be famished by now.”
“I certainly am.” Janetta tugged at the blanket. “Come on, Rosalie. I want to eat, and I don’t want to go downstairs alone. Ms. Begalia is going to make us do something ridiculous. I just know it.”
“Ugh. Fine.” Tossing the blanket off, I stretched, every muscle hurting. “I feel awful.”
Janetta sat on the edge of the bed. She’d come into my room late last night and hadn’t left. Everyone was upset and nervous. We had no idea what was going to happen. Even if Marco said he would protect us, we still didn’t belong here.
“Here. I know how much you hate the ones with tight bodices.” Ara placed a long navy dress on the bed. The edges had the slightest ruffle and the neckline reached down a bit farther than I liked, but it wasn’t constrained by strings or something more horrid.
“I’m going to get dressed. I’ll meet you by the kitchen, and don’t take too long. I am ravenous.” Janetta hopped off the bed and waved goodbye to Ara as she left.
“I will.”
As Ara helped me dress and brush out my hair, I thought of Baine. That portal led to the Borderlands, a place of death and darkness and no matter how hard I tried to reconcile in my head that Baine was fae and he’d be fine, my heart ached with worry. In saving me, he’d doomed himself.
“I’m sure he’s okay,” Ara whispered as she braided my hair. Without me saying anything, she knew.
Picking at my nails, I nodded. “I hope so. What will happen now with Lord Demious gone?”
“I don’t know. It’s not your concern. Marco will keep his word. There. You look beautiful.” Grabbing my shoulders, she turned me toward the floor-length mirror, smiling behind me. “Everything will work out. You’ll see, miss.”
Taking her hand, I squeezed it. “Thank you.”
Her cheeks reddened, and I wondered if anyone had thanked her before.
My stomach grumbled loud, and we both laughed.
“Come on,” she said, smiling wide. “Before that belly of yours wakes the whole house.”
Janetta waved from the bottom of the long steps, and I ran to her. Her long brown hair hung loose around her shoulders and the olive dress she wore flowed around her like liquid silk. “Took you long enough.”
Looping my arm around hers, I spun us toward the kitchens. “You could have gone ahead.”
Leaning into me, she sighed. “I know. I don’t want to be alone though.”
“I’m going to rush ahead and see if the cook made any of those honey buns with the cinnamon glaze,” Ara whispered behind us.
These two women had become friends and leaving them was something I wasn’t ready to do. I’d been alone for so long, I’d forgotten what it was like to need someone.
The doors to the main entrance burst open, wood splintering into sharp shards. The three of us screamed. Two figures in black cloaks, covering everything but their red eyes floated toward us.
“Go!” I pushed Janetta ahead of me, toward the kitchen.
One of the figures suddenly appeared behind me, grabbing me around the waist with one hand and locking a metal object around my neck with the other.
“No!” I kicked and clawed at my attacker, feeling my flame being snuffed out.
With frightening speed, we flew out the broken entrance to where a massive beaked monster stood outside, black tattered rags hung off its body. My heartbeat quickened with fear.
In horror, I was dragged to the creature from the tower. Janetta screamed, reflecting my own fears. My heart beat loudly in my ears, the terror of being eaten by the crone sending my head into a spiral.
“Bring herrrr to meeee.” The crone lifted a taloned finger and curled it, beckoning its minion to bring me closer.
