Page 28 of Music of the Night
It dawned on me. Had it been the week before? We made love, and she promised to save me. I had given little thought to those words but she must’ve gone sneaking about the castle, searching for more about High Tower, the history, the mystery behind it. I pulled away from her. It was happening again. I’d lose her, just like the others, for I had no doubt she was in deep danger now and telling her the truth would only intensify it. There was only one thing left to do.
“You have learned all that I can teach you.” I crossed my arms, my own voice hollow and empty inside me. “You owe me. Sing for me, and our bargain will be fulfilled. I will come for you, I will decide the place, the song, and when it is done, you are free to go.”
Aria gave a low moan. “Why are you doing this?”
My hands tightened into fists in an attempt to steel my resolve. She could not see that I mirrored her pain, like a broken mirror, the cracks filtering out, breaking, shattering. There went another future. Lost. Would I ever break free of this prison? Would the heavy mists ever shed to reveal sunlight again?
“To protect you,” I spat the words, whirling to face her. “There is more, much more going on here, and whatever your instincts are, they are right.”
Her eyes flashed as she drew closer, studying me. She lifted a hand to touch my face, her fingers grazing the place where my bad eye hid. I flinched. “Whatever you’ve done…” She shook her head. “Was it so terrible that you don’t deserve love?”
The anger and pain shattered within me, and with a groan I kissed her, hard, as though our very lives depended on it. Her mouth moved under mine, lips parting, tongue snaking out. I took all of her, drowning myself in her essence with that kiss. The bittersweetness of it rocked my soul for I knew, deep down inside, it was a goodbye. Nothing could be like it had been before, not now.
With a sob, she tore herself away and ran to the doors. They opened at her touch, and she fled out into the night, leaving me alone with my anger. Loneliness swirled like grasping fingers full of glee, seeking to drown me in a sea of blackness. I stepped forward to go after her when a folded piece of parchment caught my eye.
Snatching it up, I opened it to reveal words and splattered ink. A hand I knew well, which told a story of terror and a broken heart. Lucia. Aria knew about Lucia.
24
Aria
Apresence followed me as I fled through the wood, into the meadow and over the bridge. When I reached the town, I stopped to catch my breath before taking flight again, following the cobblestone road to where it wound up to High Tower Castle. It was frightening in the dark, the mist hovering like ghosts and phantom fingers stretching out to tear my hair, yank at my clothes and stroke my cheeks. When I reached my room, I was shivering, cold, wet and my throat raw and sore.
Most of all, my heart ached with a physical pain that made me want to cry out. I rubbed my chest, but nothing made that hurt go away. It was deep, unsettling, similar to how I’d felt when my father died, but so much more. Angrily, I brushed at my tears. It was no use crying for a lost future.
Dragging a chair in front of the fire, I laid out my wet cloak and watched it steam, warming once again. Shivering out of my dress, I pulled on a fur robe, sinking into the warmth. Just a few minutes by the fire and I’d go to sleep. Hadn’t father said to sleep and things would look better in the morning?
I touched my lips, sure the imprint of Uriah’s kiss still burned on them. I sensed he would not harm me, not intentionally at least. Or was he waiting? Waiting for the final song before he offered me up? I did not believe he’d kill me, and yet, what was so important that he needed my voice? A ragged sob escaped my throat just as the ominous clang of boots rang in the hall.
My heart skipped a beat as the stomping paused in front of my door. An image flashed before me: a torn throat, clawed body, blood spilling out on the ground. Pulling the neck of my robe together, I halfway rose as Zorik burst into my room.
His handsome face was twisted into a snarl of fury, lips flat, eyes blazing as he hurled himself toward me. I stumbled back and cried out as his fingers locked around my neck and slammed me, hard, against the wall. My head rocked back, jarring against stone, and spots danced before my eyes.
“Did you think I wouldn’t find out?” he demanded, his brows dark and glowering, his hand on my throat crushing.
A mere squeak left my lips as I pounded on his hand in a futile attempt to twist out of his reach.
He must have realized he was hurting me, for he let go, trapping me with his body instead, his face inches from mine. A strange musk emitted from him. There was a rawness to it, an edge I instantly disliked.
“Find out what?” I rasped, my hands going around my neck to protect it. It was already sore from my flight through town, and I was sure Zorik had left bruises. I’d never seen him so furious. His weight against me was punishing, as though he wished to draw the breath out of me. Adjusting his position, he gripped my arms, forcing me to look at him as he shook me.
“Your instructor! You dared go to the one place that is forbidden and learn magic, music, from a monster?”
“I didn’t know it was forbidden,” I wailed, fighting against the tears that pressed against my eyes. So Zorik knew about the haunted tower and the monster that dwelled there? Why hadn’t he warned me? “Please Zorik, I don’t understand why you are so angry. I learned to sing, my voice is much better, you said so yourself and the theater is full night after night.”
“Don’t tell me what I already know,” he growled, giving me another shake as though it would force his words to sink in. “It is forbidden to go to the haunted tower, and now you have brought madness to High Tower.”
“I was simply singing,” I replied, my mind going to the murders, the blood. Was Uriah capable of killing?
“Were you?” he snapped, yanking at my robe until it fell open, displaying my nakedness to him. “Or were you whoring around, plotting and scheming?”
“Zorik, I wasn’t!” I begged, scrambling to cover myself while trying to escape his grip. Tears and snot dripped down my face. “I only wanted to sing, and he taught me, I thought you’d be happy!”
“No more!” he roared. “He’s the menace that haunts this castle, he’s the reason people are dying with his pranks and tricks and murder. In your quest for glory, you’ve opened the door and let the devil himself inside.”
He hurled himself away from me, a scowl marring his handsome face. “You’ll stay here until I decide what to do with you.”
“What does that mean?” I begged, sinking to my knees.
