Page 30 of The Musician and the Monster

He reached for her, but she ignored him, hurrying toward the door.

“Ceridwen.” More panic than demand colored his voice. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it.”

Tears stung her eyes, but she refused to let him see her cry. She only wanted to see her family. Why was that so wrong? How could it possibly hurt him?

“Ceridwen, please.”

That word.It struck hard in her gut. The tone threatened to crack her stubborn heart despite his callous comments. She paused and looked over one shoulder. He’d risen from the table. Something flickered in his eyes, or was it the candles?

Suddenly, he lurched forward with a groan of pain. Drystan’s hands slammed onto the table as his body knocked into it, rattling the dishes and sending the candles swaying precariously on their stand. One hand grabbed at his chest. The other latched on to the tablecloth.

“Drystan!” She rushed for him.

The doors burst open. Kent advanced from his place at the side of the room. Another set of quick footfalls sounded at her back.

Someone grabbed Ceridwen around her middle just as she reached his side, pulling her away from Drystan where he practically collapsed onto the table. “Wait, don’t touch him,” Jackoby said.

She wiggled in his grip, but he held firm. Kent whispered to Drystan words she could not hear.

Her heart beat rapidly against her chest. “What’s happening? Is he hurt?”

“Take her. Room,” Drystan bit out, ignoring her plea.

“Of course,” Jackoby replied. “I’ll return shortly. Hold on.”

Jackoby tugged on her hand, his other arm coming around her shoulders to steer her away.

“Is he? What can I—” Her words tripped over themselves as she twisted toward the table. His denial of her request had hurt, but the sight of him hunched over, gasping in pain, broke something within her.

“No time to explain. Come. Quickly.”

With one last backward glance at the man still grimacing, she fled with Jackoby. When they turned a corner, he released her. “Go back to your room. Straight there. Do not leave.”

“But he—”

“Now.” His command rang with authority in the empty hall, a flash of emotion running across his face with the words.

Ceridwen’s spine stiffened as the order sank home, but worry still twisted within, urging her to return and offer whatever aid she could. She stepped toward the dining room. However, the look of true concern in Jackoby’s eyes firmed her decision. He needed to get back, to help, likely in ways that she could not.

Instead of trying to interfere, she swallowed her concern and nodded in consent.

Jackoby rushed toward the dining room, while Ceridwen hurried in the opposite direction.

Chapter 14

Ceridwen

Ceridwen paced alone within her room. The winter candles lit in front of the windows illuminated the space in bright light and cast flickers and shadows against the glass and ceiling. Their wax cooled in puddles on the floor. Some of the wicks already burned low.

Was it illness?Could that be why he saw no one and did not want her to leave? A surge of anxiety spiked within her. None of the manor staff appeared ill, but neither had Drystan until today, at least other than the unkempt appearance he’d maintained until now. Would it be a contagious ailment? Something she might have unknowingly caught?

A shudder racked her body. It made sense. He wouldn’t want her to leave if she could infect the rest of the city. But he should have told her. Ceridwen’s nails dug little crescents into her palms. To keep something like that a secret… Her dinner threatened to come back up, and she had to sit down.

Goddess, protect us all.

A soft knock on the door pulled Ceridwen from her spiraling thoughts. At this late hour, she should have been asleep already, yet the horrible thoughts had not let her heart slow its rhythm enough to relax.

“It’s Drystan.”

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