Page 31 of Unraveled
“Hide it from view at all times, Mia. Don’t let anyone touch it, not even Irene.”
Knock,knock.
I struggle to open my swollen eyes against the brightness of the candles burning around me. My head pounds with the migraine I’ve been fighting for a week, ever since Ash revealed the forbidden grimoires were his.
I spent the better part of my time locked inside this room, telling myself he lied. But under the webs of my rage, I know Ash was telling the truth.
Humans didn’t write what’s inside those grimoires. They are forbidden for a reason, and I sneaked in to study them instead of asking for permission, because I knew if I asked, they would deny me.
Knock, knock, knock.
I groan, wearily lifting my head to turn toward the majestic door across the room. “Go away, Finley, I already said I’m not hungry!” I shout with a voice roughened by my crying.
How can I leave this place to warn Irene of what’s coming—of what we are doing—when I don’t know what’s right and wrong? When I can’t fully trust what I’ve been taught.
“Oh, it’s not Finley. It’s Morgana.” The voice coming from the other side of the door is feminine, marked by a light accent. “The king sent me to fit you with new clothes and help you run a bath.”
I lift a brow and eye the tight-fitting dress I’ve been wearing since yesterday. I found it in the back of the dresser, and it’s one size too small for me. I can’t wear my librarian dress anymore, not after Finley cut it to treat my wounds. Plus, it’s caked with dirt and blood. And my old slip is ripped and filthy after my failed escape attempt.
“I can run the bath myself,” I say.
I hear the distinct sound of a heavy sigh and a body pressing against the door. “The king is quite upset you escaped a few days ago, and sent me to ensure your room is—safe. I can’t leave until I come in and make sure all is well.”
Does that mean Finley left for Hedrum already and won’t be coming to check on me today? I guess the blood moon has passed now...
“I don’t think I can open the door.” Not without Naheli’s help.
“Oh no, that’s not how the spell works. It will allow you to open the door and let me in. It just won’t let you out.”
I sigh and roll out of the bed, tiptoeing my way over the frigid floor and across the room. When I touch the handle, it’s warm enough to give me pause, and I pull my hand away. A warning, perhaps?
Should I not open the door?
“Miss?” The female voice comes again.
Surely, Ash wouldn’t send anyone here to hurt me, right? He might hate me, but he’s saved my life multiple times.
“How do I know you’re here to help me?”
She laughs, and it’s so melodic, almost like chimes. “Alright, what can I do to prove His Majesty sent me?”
I press my back against the door and eye the red roses by my side. Waves of magic hug the stems, brightly colored. “I don’t know...”
There’s a pause, and then I hear the distinct shifting of fabric on the other side. Perhaps the sound of her dress? “His Majesty told me beasts destroyed your white dress in the forest. He said lunargyres out there hurt you, and that your boots have holes and need repairing.”
I look to the place I left my boots, right under the dressing table, and frown. Those are my best shoes. I open the door and find a female lunargyre standing on the other side. A bubble pushes me back, just like she said. She’s a lot less bald than any of the other beasts I’ve seen so far and greets me from across the threshold with a demure smile before dipping into a curtsy.
“You don’t have to do that.” I try to stop her, but she’s already straightened and is pushing into the room, holding a tray of food that smells just as delicious as Alaris’s kitchen. A black mask covers most of her face, and her wavy blond hair flows like a cascade of gold behind her back.
Morgana places the tray at the bottom of my bed. “I know the mask is strange,” she says, dragging a finger along the edge of it. “But I’m afraid my face isn’t what it used to be, and I don’t want to frighten you.”
Her eyes are brown with a trace of gold speckles. Not white or red. That settles some of my nerves.
“I really thought I was going to have to beg you to let me in.” She chuckles, then eyes me from my filthy bare feet to the top of my messy hair. Her brows dip right before she points at the dressing table. “There should be a comb in there.”
My cheeks warm as I close the door behind her and step toward the food. “There is, but I can’t find a mirror anywhere.” I can’t fully place her expression with the mask hiding most of her features.
“Ah, yes. Of course. I’ll try to bring one when I come back with your new dresses. It must be a lot for a human girl like yourself to take all of this in.” As she speaks, she inspects the room with increasing curiosity. Her eyes fix on the climbing rose in the corner, now blooming bright red. “I’ve never been to this room before...”
