Page 120 of A Curse of Breath and Blood

Erissa’s room is just to the left of the statue.

A hawk and serpent locked in combat marked Erissa’s chambers from the rest. Extending my power, I probed for any presence inside. Erissa took lovers, but never in her chamber. My magic sensed nothing. Gripping the handle, I attempted to enter the room. My heart sank when it stubbornly jammed.

Locked.

‘What do you mean, it’s locked? Let me try.’The golden swirled doorknob twitched again under Tharan’s hand but did not open.

‘What are we going to do now? We don’t have a key.’

Her laboratory. She keeps a desk in it.

‘Where is it?’

I’ll get it. You stay here.

‘Alright, be careful.’

I descended the colossal marble stairs, winding like a serpent circling its prey. Avoiding the guards was easy. I knew their routes, their shifts. Nothing changed in five years. Gideon thought he was untouchable.

Erissa’s laboratory connected to the dungeons, providing her with an endless supply of test subjects.

A vivid pink glow emanated from within the lab.

Peering into the room, my eyes fell upon a glass beaker brimming with luminescent liquid, boiling despite the lack of flame beneath it.

Erissa must have been working late. The door to her office stood ajar as if she left in a hurry.

In the heart of the room rested a substantial maple desk. An array of skulls varied in size from large to small upon its surface.Each skull cradled a candle, casting an eerie radiance illuminating their eyes.

I sifted through the desk, tossing papers everywhere.

Erissa researched everything from toadstools to curses. The key had to be here somewhere. I knocked on the desk, hoping to reveal a secret compartment, but found nothing. My pulse raced through my veins. She could come back at any moment.

Sifting through one last pile of folders, my eyes widened as they befell a diagram of my body annotated with clinical notes.

Subject losing weight: Appetite enhancer added to food.

Subject still resisting: Will try adding valerian root to tea.

Subject still fertile. Still bleeds monthly.

Still no sign of her mother’s gifts.

I fell to my knees, clutching the chart. Rage ran hot in my veins. How long had she known of my mother’s identity? Had Erissa been the one to broker the marriage arrangement?

Questions piled in my head like rubble after a battle as I flipped through the thick stack of parchment with my name and routine. My movements and eating patterns were noted, even when Gideon and I made love.

The door to the laboratory slammed shut, sending a shiver down my spine.Fuck.

Holding my ear to the door, I listened for the sound of Erissa’s soft, elven footsteps as she padded around the laboratory. I prayed she would not find me.

Tucking myself under her desk, I called my dagger to my hand and waited.

Erissa hummed to herself as she tended to her potions. Popping and fizzing sounded from the room beyond.

I held my breath, searching the room for any way out. No other doors or windows lined the walls. I’d have to wait her out.

Crouching low, I settled in once more, my fist wrapped tight around my dagger.

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