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It was probably nothing, and she needed to get going. Still, she dropped to her knees and traced the carving with her finger. The charred floorboard shifted. Odette dug her nails into the cracks and pried it up.
Her breath caught. Inside a hole lay a simple metal box. It creaked as she lifted the lid.
A small book bound in leather nestled inside.Odette picked it up and flipped through its pages. Dates ran along the top. A diary. Helga’s diary? The darkness blotted out any attempt to read the scribbled handwriting, but Odette gripped the tiny book. What if this contained the answers they were searching for? She wanted to help Rothbart, and not just because it would save her own life. Zoya meant everything to him, and Odette had already assisted in taking his parents from him. A thickness filled her throat.
She’d hurt him.
She’d hurt him, unforgivably, and yet, last night, he’d acted as if what she wanted mattered.
Her fingers tightened on the leather cover. If finding Zoya’s killer could somehow redeem herself in his eyes, she’d do it in a heartbeat.
But she also wanted to be free. The skull on her wrist glowed, reminding her that her life was on the line, too.
Helga or someone had hidden the book for a reason, and Odette prayed it had something to do with Rothbart’s sister, as she suspected their deaths did.
She palmed it and stood, heading out of the cabin. Either way, she really must get moving. The diary was compact enough that she’d be able to hold it between her bill once she changed into a swan. She’d carry it to the lake and when the moon rose, see what Helga, the midwife’s diary, contained.
Chapter 18
Rothbart
Rothbart sat across from the queen in her private sitting room. The soft morning rays were just beginning to pinken the sky beyond the large bay windows. The carpets and family portrait on the wall of her, Torsten and the late King Bryant gave the space a very intimate feel, almost like Rothbart was intruding.
The queen lounged on her plush chaise examining him.The long sleeves of her dress flowed over her hands as she gripped the small cup through the fabric and sipped her tea.
The piece of china hit the tiny plate in her other hand with a sharp clink. “So, Rothbart, tell me what you have discovered during your time interrogating my court.”
He straightened his fingers gripping the velvet armrests. “I beg your majesty’s grace to have more time to—”
“More time? After your display the other day? Tell me, what evidence do you have against Kilron? Or anyone for that matter?”
His fingers dug deeper into the chair’s fabric, and he fought to keep his voice calm.“I must find my family’s killer. That is the only way I shall find rest.”
She leaned forward, placing a palm on his arm. “I understand that you have suffered a great loss, and I wish there was something I could do that might ease your pain. However, I fear this hunt, thisvendetta, is consuming you. You are neglecting your duties, attacking your friends. What is next, Rothbart?”
She leaned back, her expression both concerned and pitying.
Rothbart felt everything slipping away. Dare he explain? Dare he tell the queen that Zoya was still alive and a killer was most likely still after her?
Queen Emiranda’s gaze drifted over to the fireplace. “I have a servant that tends to this room. For the most part, he does a marvelous job. But he has a habit of placing the fire iron in its holder point up. It does not match the other tools in the holder, which as you see, are always face down. Sometimes the soot falls off of it and covers the flagstone.” She turned to Rothbart. “Now, I could obsess over this failing or I could notice how well he shines the silver, how beautiful the windows always look, and the ever spotless carpets.”
Her head tilted as she regarded him. “Do you understand what I am saying?”
“Your Majesty, please—”
“You have lost much, but you still have a life here, in this place. People who depend on you. You can have a most lovely life, Rothbart, which I think your parents would have wanted. Do you not agree?”
He ground his teeth at the pain in his chest. “Yes, your majesty. They would. I just cannot move on without expending every effort and searching every avenue.”
Determination flashed in her eyes.“Then I shall help you. This must come to an end.” She stood. “I must get started on preparations for the ball this evening.” She gathered her skirts and headed for the door. “I give you two more weeks. If you cannot find a lead before then, you shall put an end to these interrogations, once and for all.”
After she left, he sat in his chair, a numbness in his limbs. He rose slowly and stumbled back to his father’s potions room. A messenger stopped him right before entering and handed him a note.
He entered the office and walked to the desk before opening the letter.
Dear Rothy,
I must ask you to stop harassing my cousin. If you knew anything at all, you’d be aware that her husband has gambled away their fortune and she is as penniless as a street urchin. I find it quite amusing that you think you are important enough that I would conspire with her to cause you pain. Though now, I am a little sad that I did not consider it first. If you know what is best for you, do not bother Gertrude again.
