Page 28 of Lured By the Dus
Desire stirred inside me, along with a cold reminder of our conversation yesterday and the echo of his words—I’m quite fond of my wife.
Instead of flinging a taunt back at him, I held his amber gaze. “I won’t.”
His jaw worked, as though he would say more, but he promptly released me. Without hesitation, I made my way up the palace walls to my old bedroom.
My aunt waited inside, as though she’d guessed I’d come today, and I wondered if she snuck to my room daily for peace from the chaos of the palace.
“I need more,” I whispered. “I read the book you gave me, but the text is old. It’s over my head and there are many parts I don’t understand.”
Aunt Matzie pressed her lips together, the blood draining from her olive complexion as she shook her head slightly. “Nothing in there was helpful? What of the ancient magic? Surely some of it pertains?”
“If it does, I don’t know how to use it, not against him. The sorcerers might know, but…” I shrugged.
Clasping her hands in her lap, she stared at the barren fireplace before relenting. “They store the old texts in the temple, but I don’t like the idea of you going there. It’s dangerous if they catch you.”
“What about you? Can you go? Surely that’s where you pulled that book from?”
Her eyes darted around the room as she shook her head. “I cannot go back. They caught me. Once.”
I recalled the cracking sound my uncle’s hand made as it slapped my face, and the feeling of my stomach cramping from his blows. Gingerly, I touched my belly, even though the bruise had healed. Yet, as I looked at my aunt, I realized she’d been privy to more abuse than I assumed.
Lifting her chin, she went on. “I have the children to think about, and if I’m caught talking to you… ”
She trailed off, but I understood.
Crossing my arms, I frowned. “But if we’re on the same side, why would they be angry?”
“No one trusts you,” she admitted. “They’d assume you had enlisted me to help you and we’d both be punished for interfering.”
I chewed on that for a moment, aware of the weight of her words. “Why haven’t you left?”
Aunt Matzie averted her eyes. “Where is there to go? I stay for the children.”
“But they are growing up here. Under this!” I gestured helplessly. “Once they are grown, they will just repeat the crimes of their ancestors and the cycle will continue.”
She jerked her chin up and rose. “That is why we have to stop the Piper. I’ll tell you where to go. In the temple, behind the curtain, is a series of doors. The first one leads to the library, but they keep it locked.”
My hand went to my chest, where the key Oren had given me lay against my skin. The key to unlock things that were sealed with magic. He wanted me to try it on the magic-thralls, but the idea of going back into the vault made me feel physically ill.
“I’ll worry about the lock,” I explained. “Where are the important papers likely to be kept?”
Aunt Matzie gave me directions and I memories her instructions. As I placed my hand on the doorknob, her soft words floated to my ears. “Don’t get caught, Tanith.”
As I slipped out and made my way down the halls—wondering what foul creatures Oren had summoned this time—another thought occurred to me. My aunt was a victim of this, a silent sufferer who had endured. Why? Had the unfortunate events of her life kept her cowed and submissive? Or was there something else I was unaware of that kept her passive?
The air of the palace was heavy with apprehension, and whispers from behind closed doors floated to my ears as I passed. Heart in my throat, I continued until a door opened. I flattened myself on the wall, hoping whoever was on the other side was a friend, not a foe, but when I saw Carter, my heart twisted.
His eyes lit up when he saw me, a reminder of how I’d taken advantage of his crush on me.
“Tanith, you’re back.” He frowned. “Why?”
“Not for long.” Shaking my head, I squeezed his arm. “Carter, listen and listen carefully. Something terrible is going to happen in this city. You need to flee while there is still time.”
“And go where, Tanith?” He grabbed my hand and pressed it between his. “We were supposed to rob the grave and run away together. Now we don’t have any money.”
I winced at the reminder of the night everything went wrong. “Money will not matter soon. The Piper will stop at nothing to get what he wants, even if he has to destroy everything and everyone. You’ve seen the plagues.”
A shadow crossed Carter’s face. “I have. He’s dangerous. You need to get away from him.”
