Page 107 of The Forsaken Heir
“What are you saying?” Bastien called from the door.
Freddy released my hair, letting my head thump back.
“Nothing. Just letting him know how fucked he is. Come on, let’s see what Dad needs.”
As he closed the door, Freddy caught my eye and gave me a faint, yet meaningful, nod before turning the lights out. I tried to think through the pain in my stomach. That had all been a show for Bastien’s benefit. Freddy obviously wasn’t what he seemed.
Maybe I wasn’t all alone here after all.
24
BRIELLE
I’d spent the remainder of the morning in a haze of confusion and terror after hearing what my family had planned for Aurelius. Delphine had done her best to comfort me, but I didn’t want to talk.Couldn’ttalk. How did you discuss the fact that someone you cared for so deeply was about to be murdered? You couldn’t.
The mansion remained a hive of chaotic activity, but I drowned all that out with the rumbling thoughts bouncing through my head. I recalled the dream I’d had, and all the silly things I’d tried to do to save Aurelius. It all made sense in the dream, but was completely ridiculous in real life. That didn’t stop me from fantasizing about doing all those things and more. Anything to save Aurelius from the fate that had befallen him. A fate that was partly my fault.
“Good day, Lady Brielle.”
I jumped and spun around to find Titus standing in a doorway of what looked like a small staff dining room.
“I’m sorry,” he said quickly. “Did I frighten you?”
I’d wandered into the lower levels of the northern wing of the old mansion, where the staff quarters were. I was in the hallway between the dining room and the laundry facilities.
“I didn’t see you there, that’s all,” I said, trying to calm my racing heart.
“Is there anything you needed? Did you come looking for assistance, maybe?” he asked, raising his eyebrows hopefully. “I can get one of the housemaids, or a butler, perchance?”
Perchance? Who talked like that anymore? Even the oldest shifters altered their language to fit as time went by.
“No, I’m fine, Titus. I was out exploring. Thinking,” I added with a shrug.
His lips pressed together in a thin line, and he nodded once. “Yes. That makes sense. The news is… Well, it isn’t ideal.”
“Yeah,” I said and sighed heavily. “Look, Titus, I’m not trying to be rude, but is there someplace I can go to be alone? To, I don’t know, sit for a bit?”
He bowed his head slightly. “The estate is quite full at the moment. In all honesty I can’t remember a time when it was this busy.” A sad frown crossed his face. “It was most likely when the queen died years ago. Dignitaries from all across the world came for the funeral. That was most likely the last time there were so many people here. Hard to find a quiet corner when its’ like this. Though,” he added, his face brightening, “there is the library.”
“I went there earlier. A bunch of stuffy rich guys were in there talking. Not what I wanted to deal with.”
“I meant the original library. It’s in the older castle portion of the estate. Built when it was first founded, when the dragons cameto the new world. It’s smaller and tucked away. Most don’t know about it. Our staff goes there every now and then to dust, but it’s unused for the most part.”
“That sounds perfect.” My shoulders sagged in relief. All I wanted was to stew in my misery in silence. “Where is it?”
Titus gave me some general directions, and I set off down the smaller side corridors and less-traveled stairs in an attempt to stay out of anyone’s sight. The deeper I went into the older portion of the castle, the quieter it became. A dull ache rose in my chest as I remembered Aurelius giving me a late-night tour. Aurelius preoccupied my mind almost every second, drowning out all other thoughts. I almost didn’t notice the dull rumble of a voice, until I was standing outside the old library. I paused and leaned toward the door when I recognized Vincent’s voice. From his tone and cadence, it was obvious he was reading something.
“‘Stuff your eyes with wonder. Live as if you’d drop dead in ten seconds. See the world. It’s more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories. Ask no guarantees, ask for no security, there never was such an animal. And if there were, it would be related to the great sloth, which hangs upside down in a tree all day every day, sleeping its life away. To hell with that. Shake the tree and knock the great sloth down on his ass’.
“What does that mean, anyway?” he asked, after finishing the passage.
“Well, it means that Mr. Bradbury was telling us to do all we can with the life we have. A very insightful idea. It’s one, I think, humans have a better understanding of than we do. We live such long lives, I feel we forget how tenuous life can be. We take it for granted. Until it’s too late, anyway.”
I glanced around the corner and saw Cassius sitting in a chair opposite Vincent.
“You know I met him once,” the king said.
Vincent looked up from the book. “Who?”
