Ankou's Daughter by Rebecca McKinnon

Author:Rebecca McKinnon [McKinnon, Rebecca]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-01-08T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 20

Mellie stared. “What — Who —” She shook her head, trying to find words. “Why are you locked in here?”

The creature scuttled forward. Mellie fought her instinct to run. It reached for her. “Is you real?”

As the light fell on the thing’s face, Mellie gasped. Long dark hair framed a delicate face with wide cheekbones and a nose with an abrupt bend at the bridge. Her tattered dress was slit from her waist to the hem.

Mellie dropped to the floor beside the girl. “Yes. Come with me. I’m getting you out of here.”

The girl shook her head and cringed away. “He’ll punish us.”

“Did Mattis do this to you?” Mellie brushed her fingers gently along the darkest bruise on the girl’s face.

She nodded.

Mellie wanted to hit something. She fought to get control over her anger. “This is my friend Sally. She and I are going to get you cleaned up, then get you away from here. Can you walk?”

The girl nodded. “But I’s slow.”

“We can’t be too slow. Mattis isn’t here right now, but he’ll be back. I could get one of the servants to carry you if it would be easier.”

She shook her head, her eyes wide and scared. She slowly put one foot in front of the other and made it to the door. She froze, looking back.

“It’ll be alright. Come on, now. Sally will lock the door again, so it looks like you’re still there.”

Mellie helped the girl balance as Sally quickly fixed the lock. They went down the hallway as fast as they could, half carrying the girl when she tired.

How long had she been in that room?

Mellie pushed the curses from her mind. There’d be plenty of time to be angry with Mattis later. She’d find the best curse in Khora’s book and find a way to use it.

The stairs were hard, but they eventually made it to the top. Mellie handed the lantern to Cook. “You were right. I found what I was looking for. I’m taking her to my room. Please send up water for a bath.”

He nodded, and tried to smile. It looked like it hurt, and there were tears in his eyes.

Upstairs, they helped the girl move behind the dressing screen so she wouldn’t be seen by the staff.

There was a knock on the door, and servants filed in, pouring water into the tub. Some of them smiled shyly, the morning off having put them in a good mood. The tub was finally full, and a maid came in and handed Mellie a large bowl full of bandages and ointments.

“He’s back,” the maid whispered. “Just stabling his horse.

Mellie nodded her thanks and closed the door. “Sally, find a way to block those peepholes.”

Sally hurried to the wall and started filling the holes with soap off the bar in her hand.

“He’ll find me,” the girl whispered. Her eyes were dull, her voice hardly there. “He swore to Ankou if I escaped he’d find me. He’ll hurt everyone I care about, then kill me.

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