Page 14 of The Dragon Sacrifice

“Oh, my Lords.”

Pulling her eyes from the ceiling and walls, she took in the room. A gigantic four-poster bed took up one wall. It was covered in fluffy white blankets that appeared as soft and light as clouds. Beside the bed, two armchairs angled toward each other. Between them, a chessboard carved from the most beautiful wood Seela had ever seen. Across the room, more bookshelves soared at least two stories up, stuffed with books. Lastly, her eyes landed on a deep pool of water at the back of the cave, which looked quite inviting. She only hoped it was warm.

“This is my room,” Langdon said, “but it is now yours for the entirety of your stay.”

She offered him a tired smile. “Thank you. That is most generous, but really, I don’t need all this.”

“I insist,” Langdon said. He seemed like a man who was used to getting his way.

“I’m just a simple girl,” she added, feeling guilty. They thought she’d been specially selected, that she could be the savior they’d been waiting for all these years. She should tell them the truth.

But when she stared into their kind, hopeful eyes, her tongue froze. “Thank you,” was all that came out.

“Enjoy your rest,” Jerrard said, shooing his brothers out. Before closing the door, he fixed her with a look. “Please call if you need anything.”

He shut the door behind him, leaving Seela alone.

Seela made her way to the bed, falling into it. The blankets were as soft as she’d expected, the mattress as luxurious. She vaguely wondered what in the world she would do with herself and how she might find rescue. Would Mickey come after her? Would her mother? Neither knew she was here. And no sacrifice had ever returned to tell the tale. Seela made a note to ask the princes about that, but the fatigue was winning out. Her blinks were long and heavy. She fell asleep and knew no more.

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