Page 16 of Deadwood
I hurriedly grabbed two rags and a dustpan from the shelf. “I’m sorry.”
He ignored my apology as I cleaned the glass and flickering liquid off the ground. It still held some of its shimmer, but it was dying out. Magic needed to be handled with care, and it knew more than any that it wouldn’t be of use in this state, littered with shards of glass. My heart pulled at the knowledge it was letting itself wilt away, knowing its purpose was no more.
I stood, dumping the contents in the barrel by the door. I refrained from looking in to see the salve flickering out in the bottom. It’d lose its color, turning a murky gray as the life faded from it.
“Is it done?” he asked, his hands folded behind his back as he watched me move.
I set the pan on the shelf and the dirty rags in a cloth bag, making a mental note to bring it to the laundry when I got the chance. I gestured to the ground where there was now no trace of the mess. “It’s clean, is it not?”
“The crates, Auria.” He sounded irritated, and I inwardly cringed.
I shouldn’t make his job harder than it already was.
I lowered my head the slightest. “I just need to fill one last vial, and the list will be finished.” If I hadn’t dropped the one, my father would have walked in with perfect timing.
He gave a curt nod, then turned for the door. “I’ll send guards to bring the crates up. Leave them outside with the lids on.”
Then he was gone, the door shutting behind him. I was once again alone.
With a sigh, I grabbed another full vial, along with an empty one, and repeated the process I’d been doing for hours. The familiar tingle flowed up my arm the moment my power lit my palms with that pinkish light. It traveled through my body, the burn paired with a cool aftertaste as it moved. In seconds, the empty vial was filled with the glowing green liquid, the color shining bright through the thin glass. It swirled around, almost happy to be there.
Once the duplication was complete, I let my power dissipate, the light leaving my skin, then set the original vial back on the shelf. I carefully placed the new vial in the crate, set the lid on top, then brushed my hands on my dress.
Satisfied with the now-filled crates, I turned for the door, opening it to find my guard where I’d left him.
“Done,” I told him.
He nodded, moving a few feet up the stairs so that I could move the crates out of the room. Their lids covered the contents so the guards could move them without knowing what all was inside. It was the process my father made sure I followed down to the most minute detail to make sure they couldn’t see inside the cellar, and that all the boxes going in and out were covered. They were not to know what was in them, only that my job was done once the correct amount of boxes were moved out of the cellar for them to bring wherever my father instructed.
After all the boxes were in the small area below the stairs, I slowly climbed the steps to meet my guard. The additional guards my father sent to retrieve the boxes headed our way. As they passed, one of them said to the redhead, “Care to help?”
My guard eyed the one who spoke, then glanced back at me in question. He was assigned to stay with me, but I was eager to be alone.
“I’m sure I can find my way to my room. You can help them,” I said.
He contemplated staying with me, the indecision spiraling in his eyes. He then gave a tight nod, watching me a second longer to be sure I was okay with it and this wasn’t a test. I offered a smile, which seemed to be enough as he turned to join the group of them, disappearing down the stairs.
I knew this castle like the back of my hand, so it wasn’t like I could get lost. And with the heavy security around the perimeter of these walls, nothing would happen to me in the few minutes I was away from my guard. Plus, even if I wanted to get lost in the castle, I was too tired from overusing my power to try.
A warm bath and my bed were the only two things I could think of right now as I forced my heavy eyelids to remain open.
After heading down one of the halls, I rounded a corner, only to have my face immediately met with a hard wall. I staggered back, my palm coming up to my forehead as a hand wrapped around my upper arm to steady me. So it wasn’t a wall I’d hit, then.
“Sorry,” I mumbled, rubbing my head before looking at who it was I’d run into.
Even without the mask, recognition hit me in the gut like a punch. The man from the balcony stood before me, wearing the same leather jacket.
“Not very aware of your surroundings, are you?” he questioned, dropping my arm. His voice was smoother than honey, though a slight rasp hid deep within, and it tugged at me.
“The halls are typically empty,” I defended, doing my best to put a bite behind my words, despite the exhaustion pulling at me. I wasn’t in the mood to deal with this on the way to my room. I was tired, and he was a thorn in my slipper.
“Balconies, too? Or is it your guards that always check those for you?”
I lowered my hand to my side, narrowing my eyes at him. “I’m perfectly capable of being aware on my own.”
He raised his eyebrows with a nod, not an ounce of him believing the words coming out of my mouth. Though, with the fatigue tugging at me, I feared he might be right in that I couldn’t do it on my own. As if he could see it in my expression, that spot between his brows creased the slightest bit as he studied me.
I didn’t have the energy for this.
