Page 42 of The Nightmare Bride
“Does the seneschal keep something in there?” Vick’s green eyes bored into mine. “Something important?”
My throat worked. Goddess, Kyven had said Vick didn’t do small talk, but this was...intense.
“What business is it of yours?” I managed.
“This is my home, now. Shouldn’t I learn the ins and outs?”
I wanted to say no, but...ugh. Maybe he had a point. And my relentless sparring with Kyven had drained me of the will to argue.
So I pondered the question. It took me three tries to mentally conjure the correct hallway, but?—
Ah. A locked room.Thelocked room.
Right.
“It’s the Lady Marche’s bedchamber,” I said. “Or it was. Olivian sealed it up when she died. No one’s been in there in years. Well, except...”
Vick leaned in, but I had no desire to tell him about the steward who’d taken it upon himself to air out the Lady’s chamber five years ago. Olivian had hurled the man against a wall and throttled him to within an inch of his life. I would never forget the way the man’s mouth had opened, fishlike, while his face turned a mottled shade of purple.
Nor did I want to talk about how Amryssa, in an unprecedented show of initiative, had thrown herself into the fray. Olivian had shouted in her face, which had allowed the steward to scurry away, at least.
It was the only time I’d seen Amryssa defy her father, and unsurprisingly, she’d only done so for someone else’ssake. But afterward, she’d been subdued for days. And while she’d eventually forgotten the incident, I hadn’t. I’d come away from that experience knowing the Lady Marche’s bedroom was something Olivian would kill over.
Now even I feared to set foot inside. And that was saying something.
Vick cared nothing for my reticence, though. “No one goes in there? Ever? Surely there’s a key somewhere?”
“There is,” I said grudgingly. “But only one, and it lives in Olivian’s pocket. The others were melted down, so you can forget about opening that door. He’ll murder you if you even try.”
“Will he.” Vick licked his lips. I could practically see the desire to chart this forbidden secret unfolding behind his eyes.
“Look,” I said. “You really don’t want to?—”
The library doors creaked. I whirled, fearing Kyven had escaped my supervision, but he hadn’t strayed from the corner. Instead, Althea hurried in, brightening at the sight of me.
“Harlowe.” She came close, her hands clasped. “I’ve been meaning to find you. And say thank you, for that nightmare a few weeks ago, when you...”
She trailed off with a glance at Vick and Kyven. “Well. For when you did what you did. I can’t lose my position here, not when my family needs me. So...thank you.”
Her earnestness warmed me. “It’s nothing. Really. Anyone would’ve done the same.”
“Not anyone,” she said.
“And what, pray tell, did Harlowe do during the last nightmare?”
I nearly jumped out of my skin. Gods among us, how had Kyven gotten across the room so quickly? Somehow, he stood at my elbow, appraising Althea with keen eyes.
Verykeen eyes.
My heart turned over. Oh, no. Nope. Absolutely not. He wouldnotbe taking an interest in any of the housemaids, not if I had anything to say about it.
“Althea,” I said, “why don’t you go see if Olivian needs help?”
She hesitated, her attention shifting to Kyven.
He beamed a smile that probably would’ve disarmed a career mercenary. “Althea. How lovely to meet you. You have a family, you say? One that relies on your help? Tell me more. Do they live in town?”
She opened her mouth, but I cut her off. “Althea. Go. See Olivian. Or Miss Quist. Or literally anyone else. Now.”
