Page 34 of Song of the Dawn
Ginger stared at my hands, then at my face. Her expression changed, and fear shone in her eyes. “Take a deep breath.”
“There was a sound,” I gasped, my voice high-pitched, as I was almost in tears. “A slurping sound and a hiss. I called out to see if she needed help, but she didn’t respond. It all felt very wrong, so I came here…” I trailed off.
Ginger squeezed my arm. “You were right to come to me. I’ll take care of this. Sit, have a drink, calm down.”
She swept out of the room while I collapsed at the table. My entire body trembled as I recalled what I’d seen, first in the cellar and then in Lady Elodie’s room. What was it? What had happened? Rachelle joined me shortly to eat her dinner, while I sat stock still, sipping on a glass of wine, waiting for Ginger to return. Taking a deep breath, I asked Rachelle the one question I hadn’t dared to ask. “Rachelle. What do you think happened to Endia?” I whispered.
Rachelle’s brow furrowed. “Who?”
“Endia. Remember, she used to work here, with you, until she ran away.”
Rachelle looked up at me, a frown turning her lips down. She shook her head. “I don’t remember an Endia. I don’t remember working with her. Why did she run away?”
I stared. “I was hoping you could tell me, since you were close.”
Rachelle shook her head and finished her meal. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’ve never heard of anyone named Endia.”
As she stood to leave, I wondered if something was wrong with Rachelle. Why couldn’t she remember? I sat in the kitchen for a while longer, feeling safe as Moses and Marley cleaned up. Moses whistled as he worked, and the sound was calming, reminding me despite the terrors, I wasn’t alone. I finished another glass of wine as I waited, but Ginger did not appear again.
Mila
At dawn, the haunted tune of a violin filled the air, and I rose from my uneasy sleep. All night long I’d been wakeful, afraid to close my eyes, the fear of the dark very real. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something terrible had happened, but the inn was quiet. I listened to the tune play, but even it could not placate my fears. I had no desire to rush out and find it.
When I opened the adjoining door to wake Rachelle, she was already gone, likely to the stables. My shoulders slumped. As of late, not only was she distracted, but sometimes she woke earlier than I to go into the barn before breakfast. Feeling alone, I dressed and brushed my hair automatically, chewing my lower lip, but I couldn’t shake the uncanny shroud of gloom.
Scanning the shadows, I went downstairs, but nothing odd moved, and there were no strange sounds aside from the familiar creaking of the inn. A few guests were already eating in the dining hall, and I imagined they were the ones who would hurry off on business. Moving behind the bar, I made my way into the kitchen.
Ginger sat at the table, short black hair tucked behind her ears, drinking a cup of tea and finishing a blueberry muffin. Her eyebrows rose when I walked in. She gestured to the table and spoke, keeping her voice low so as not to be overheard by Moses on the other side of the wall. “Mila, come, sit and eat. I hoped we might have a word alone today.”
“About last night?” I guessed, my heart lurching at the thought. “What happened to Lady Elodie?”
Ginger frowned. “When it comes to matters that concern the guests, I expect you to behave with the utmost integrity and understand this isn’t something that should be discussed again, not with anyone else, not even Rachelle.”
I sat rigid in the chair. “I understand.”
Ginger folded her hands under her chin, red lips pursed as she stared at me. “Lady Elodie had an accident. Something made her very sick last night, which is why she was in the washroom when you went up. I was able to assist and, as she wished, helped her pack up and leave.”
“Leave?” I said flatly. Who left when they were sick? If she had been that ill and if she was the one making those sounds, a doctor should have been called. The one in the village would have ordered her to rest, not leave.
“Yes,” Ginger interrupted my thoughts, her voice firm. “She did not wish to be seen in her condition and wanted to be off as soon as possible.”
Perplexed, I twisted my hands together. “But why? If she was sick, it would have been better to rest here, in the privacy of her room. Besides, my room is right by the window. I didn’t hear any carriages last night.”
Ginger’s eyes narrowed. “I’m sure you wouldn’t have heard a carriage when you were sleeping.”
The warning in her tone gave me pause, and at the same time, something within me hardened, for her tale did not ring true. Was she trying to frighten me? Was she telling me the truth?
“It’s over and done with,” she went on. “You did the right thing in calling me, and I have dealt with the situation. We will not speak about this further.”
The insolent fever rose in me along with a hint of anger. Tapping my finger on the table, I glared back at her. “What about the shadow, the creature with red eyes, and the slurping sound?”
Ginger’s steady gaze flickered, and her lips curled back, almost into what might be a snarl.
“I heard a slurping sound. The first time I heard it was in the cellar and then again in Lady Elodie’s room. I also saw a shadow and glowing red eyes. I don’t think the lady was ill at all. I think something attacked her.” It was the first time the idea had come to me, but now that I’d said it out loud, it felt true. Emboldened, I continued, “Is this what happened to Endia? Did something terrible happen to her and you told everyone she ran away?”
Ginger did not respond. In fact, she let the silence stretch between us, and we stared at each other, unwilling to budge from our points of view.
At last, Ginger relented, her snarl morphing into somewhat of a sneer as she stood, leaning forward to tower over me. Her voice dropped even lower as she spoke. “I think you’ve had too much wine and it’s addled your mind. It is as I said, and I will not repeat myself. The situation last night was dealt with. The lady left, and there is nothing to base your suspicions on. In fact, why don’t you take the morning off, go get some fresh air, and think of how ridiculous your claim is? This is an old house. You’re likely to hear strange noises, and you have a vivid imagination. Suits you, though, with your purple hair.”
