Page 58 of Cursed By Gold

Scarlet

The morning light filters through the narrow window, casting a soft glow over the sparse furnishings of my shared dorm. I sit on the edge of my cot, running a brush through my tangled tangled hair as I mentally prepare for the day ahead. It’s always an entire process detangling my hair after a formal event. The complicated updos do a number on my hair and Lord Greystone only made it worse.

A sharp intake of breath draws my attention to Rose. She's staring at me, eyes wide and lips pressed into a thin line. It takes me a moment to realize she's fixated on the mottled bruises peeking out from under my tunic sleeves.

"What happened?" she demands, crossing the room in two long strides to grasp my arm.

I flinch involuntarily at her touch on the tender flesh. "It's nothing."

Rose scoffs, pushing up the fabric to better survey the damage. Purplish splotches mottle my skin in an unsightly map of pain. "This doesn't look like nothing."

Shame burns my cheeks. The last thing I want is her pity or concern over something so trivial compared to the stakes we face. "I had a run-in at the event last night," I mutter, tugging my arm free. "But it wasn't a fight that did this."

The words hang heavy between us as Rose's expression darkens with realization. "Greystone," she spits out, venom coating the name.

I avert my gaze, unable to meet the simmering fury in her eyes.

"We're going to make him pay for this," Rose vows, fists clenched at her sides. "At the first opportunity, I'll—"

"No." I cut her off, shaking my head firmly. As much as justice calls to that primal part of me screaming for retribution, I can't allow her to jeopardize everything we've worked towards here. Not when there are larger stakes at play than just my own suffering. "That's not why we're here."

Rose opens her mouth to protest, but I forge ahead before she can argue. "Besides, we have bigger concerns right now." I suck in a steadying breath. "I received word that Tabitha was captured last night during that charity event debacle."

The anger drains from Rose's face, replaced by a stricken expression. "Tabitha? But she's just a kid..."

"She stopped being a kid the day she joined the guild," I remind her grimly. We were no older when we pulled our first jobs, though the memories still make my stomach churn. "But you're right - she's too young and inexperienced for something of this magnitude. If she's been taken into King Remme's dungeons..."

Rose shakes her head, mouth setting into a grim line. "Then she may already be as good as dead. Those dungeons are infamous. People go in and never come out."

A lump forms in my throat at the thought of what Tabitha might be enduring in those dank cells, scared and alone. The kid has spunk, but she's hardly equipped to handle the dungeon's rumored brutality. We can't leave her to such a grisly fate.

"Then we have to get her out. Quickly, before it's too late." My hands curl into white-knuckled fists, nails digging into my palms.

Rose nods, some of the fiery determination rekindling in her eyes. "You're right. It's too risky for her to be here. But breaking into those dungeons?" She lets out a low whistle. "It won't be easy."

"Since when is anything we do ever easy?" I shoot her a wry look, trying to inject some levity into the situation.

A ghost of a smile quirks the corner of her lips before the somber mask slides back into place. "Fair point. But where do we even start?"

I rise to my feet, crossing to the rickety table to retrieve my staff - the item I found in the last trial. My fingers trace the intricate carvings, and a flood of possibilities blooms in my mind. "Well, for starters, we put these artifacts of ours to good use. If they'll play a role in the next trial like I suspect..."

Rose's brow furrows as she catches my meaning. "Then we'd better learn how to wield them properly. Who knows - maybe there are advantages we've been overlooking."

A determined nod, and we gather our things to head for the training arena. If we're going to pull off this harebrained scheme of infiltrating the kingdom's most secure location, we'll need every advantage we can find. How hard could it really be. We are already staying on palace grounds. No one is better set up to rescue Tabitha than us.

As we stride through the palace corridors, my mind whirls with strategy and contingencies. Getting into those dungeons will be the easy part compared to finding Tabitha amidst thelabyrinth and making it out alive. But we have to try. I won't abandon one of our own.

***

I drag myself back to my room, sweat-soaked and completely spent from training. Working with this stupid staff is kicking my ass. I'm so used to the finesse of dagger work - swinging around a giant chunk of wood feels ungainly and awkward as hell.

I pause at my door, leaning against it as I try to catch my breath. My whole body aches and I can already feel nasty bruises forming under my clothes. How the hell am I supposed to get decent with this cumbersome thing before tomorrow's trial?

Gritting my teeth, I finally push inside, only to spot a neatly folded piece of parchment on my pillow, weighed down by a small velvet pouch. Intrigued, I snatch it up, the cool material sliding pleasantly against my palm.

An invitation? But from who? My curiosity deepens as I examine the elegant handwriting requesting my presence for some private rendezvous this evening. I open the pouch to find a map marking a secluded door somewhere in the palace. Well, well...looks like someone has something clandestine in mind.

My eyes scan the elegantly scrawled lines, curiosity piquing as the words sink in.

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