Sanctuary for Seers by Kathleen Baldwin

Author:Kathleen Baldwin [Baldwin, Kathleen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ink Lion Books

13

Behold the Monster

“Tess?” Miss Stranje breaks the silence and queries our dreamer of terrible dreams. “Have you had a dream foreseeing any of this?”

Tess turns away from staring at the door and shakes her head. “Only what just happened with Mr. Chadwick.”

“That, at least, is one hopeful note in this dreadful opera.” Miss Stranje flicks her hand at the rest of us. “Everyone go. Dress for a fully armed night raid. Daggers strapped, weapons at the ready. Meet me in the strategy room in fifteen minutes.”

We scurry away to do her bidding, but our stern headmistress, turned even sterner field marshal, clasps my arm, holding me back. “Well? Out with it.”

When she stands this close, I am intensely aware of the unseen strings that knit us together. I can tell she is annoyed with me. Nevertheless, there is only room for the truth between us. A lie would knot and twist our threads of understanding into a prickly tangle. So, I lick my lips which have turned unaccountably dry and tell her the truth. “Ghost was tunneling through the old southeast passageway.”

She stares at me, her brown eyes turning darker as she leans closer. “He was tunneling? Or he is doing so now?”

I try to swallow the dry lump forming in my throat. “Was.”

“You should’ve told me you suspected this.” She sniffs with irritation. “I take it you snuck out to investigate. Did you find evidence in the tunnel, or did you actually see the man?”

Not wanting to answer, I look down at the toes of my shoes.

“Hmm. Given your silence, I must assume you saw him. And perhaps…” She rocks forward on her toes. “Sera! Tell me you didn’t confront him. You didn’t, did you? Surely, not alone.”

“No. Of course, not.”

“That’s a mercy.” She almost takes a step to proceed up the stairs. Almost. Instead, her attention whips back to me. “You are saying you didn’t confront him, but—” She sucks in a sharp breath. “Never say he caught you?”

I silently admit the truth with a half shrug and stare more pointedly at the floor.

“He did! Oh, Sera. And you lived to tell.” She scoops my arm under hers and practically drags me up the stairs. “What happened? What did he do to you? How did you escape?” She rattles off questions faster than even Georgie could and tugs me up the steps at breakneck speed. Suddenly she stops on the second-floor landing. “Did he hurt you?” She looks me over, surveying my tattered dress for more blood. Finding none, she stiffens. She didn’t find a serious injury like the stab wound Ghost dealt Lady Jane when he captured her. Her eyes widen. “Please, tell me he didn’t… didn’t…” She blanches, and the golden atmosphere around her floods with burgundy fear. “Sera, did he hurt you in another way?”

“No.” I shake my head. “Not that.”

“Thank God!” Her breath rushes out in a relieved sigh, and she hugs me for one brief moment. “But I don’t understand.” She gives my shoulders a shake.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.