Page 11 of The Veiling

Earlier, the man dressed as the jester had cleaned and dressed the wound just inside my hairline while avoiding any direct eye contact with me. Although I was thankful, I did not understand why he had been so polite and kind when he did not have to be. He assured me he would have the doctor examine me soon but told me I needed to rest for tonight.

Valentino’s reasons for holding me hostage differed from whatever nightmare I was trapped in now. I was in physical pain, and the last person I saw before this was my insane uncle. Though the jester wascompassionate, I still was unsure if it was all an act. Maybe he was grooming me for whatever Felipe had in mind. For now, I did not trust anyone.

There was no sexy lingerie or multi-room closets filled with perfectly sized clothing. So, it could not have been sex he wanted. No fancy food, no friendly staff to offer me a smile of assurance, convincing me there might be light at the end of the dark tunnel. They only provided me with an oversized pair of navy-blue medical scrubs and, what I referred to as, prison slippers.

Groaning, I fell back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.What was it with rich men and locking women in rooms?My mind began to play tricks on me, and I rolled over onto my stomach.

My mouth fell agape. “Oh my God,” I whispered. “Is this a copycat crime?” I had read and seen too many true crime documentaries. Women were usually never seen again. The only hope for me was that they might have wanted money from Valentino and that would somehow keep me alive…or at least buy me some time to come up with a plan.If the jester was not Felipe, was he working with him?

Sluggishly, I crawled off the bed, creeping to the black silk curtains covering the back wall of the room. Nervous about what may be behind them, I gripped them tightly and let out a slow breath through puckered lips. Finally, I yanked them back. It was too dark to see anything other than my reflection beyond the opaque glass. Gulping, I tugged the drapes closed, unsure who might be able to see inside or what may be beyond them when the sun rose.

The windows are not real. A deep voice echoed through the room.

Startled, I jumped, twirling around several times, inspecting the ceiling and walls. “You’re watching me?!” I screamed. “Why are you spying on me?!”

Get some rest.

“Why are you doing this?!”

Moments of complete silence passed before there was a click behind me and the door flew open. My eyes swelled as the jester paraded in wearing a formal black suit. He had switched out his mask for another; crackled textured cream with blue and black diamonds framing his eyes and intricate gold details throughout. It had replaced the menacing smile painted on the other mask with a small brushed, dark smirk.

As he neared, I took several steps backwards until I was pressed firm against the wall. He came to a stop in the center of the room, next to a single, contemporary black armchair. It was the only piece of furniture in the room other than the bed. Cocking his head, he stared at me for a moment before flickering his gaze to the curtains and back at me.

“Who are you?” My voice cracked. “You haven’t hurt me, and the only weapon I saw was the knife you used to free me. You’re not actually going to hurt me again, are you?”

He shrugged. After a few noiseless seconds, he shook his head.

“Why did you hurt me to begin with?” I was desperate for answers. None of what happened made sense. The situation I was in would have been terrifying for anyone, but after London, I was ready for anything, even if it scared me. I only wanted information so I could use it to my advantage later. I was determined to bring this person down with Felipe in the end.

“I didn’t hurt you.”

“But—”

“Felipe hurt you.” He paced in front of me, never making eye contact. “I’ve been stalking him for a long time now. Then, I remembered the masquerade and thought for sure he’d be there. The easiest place to hide among everyone. When I confirmed he would, I pursued him. I had to get you away from him, so I—”

“You poisoned me!”

He stopped in his tracks, twisting toward me, lifting his hands. “No, no.” Crossing his arms, he leaned on the chair. “Well, yes, but not with anything dangerous. Just enough to get you out of the room and safely away.”

“You could have hurt my child!”

He shook his head. “I knew what I was doing. The plan was to lure you somewhere safe and lock you away long enough so I could kill Felipe without your fiancé and his people making a scene and getting hurt again. I got distracted for a second by Valentino speeding out of the room and thought he might have found Felipe. It was at that point you disappeared, and Felipe cornered you in the bathroom. He pushed you down and you hit your head. I couldn’t stop you from falling, which is how you got hurt. Ididbeat his ass, though. You started to panic when I checked on you, and that’s when he ran away.”

“I don’t remember that part.”

He remained quiet.

“You’re insane!”

He chuckled. “So, I’ve been told, but that was a long, long time ago.” Suddenly, he cleared his throat. “You should get some rest. Soon, I’m taking you to see my friend…the doctor. The same one who saw you earlier.”

“Hell no!” I snapped. “I need some answers from you!”

“Like?”

“All of them!” I folded my arms over my midsection. “Let’s start with when I can go back to Valentino.”

He shrugged. “It’s too risky right now. Felipe is after you and keeping him away from your people is the safest thing right now. For all of you, I mean. Gives them a chance to hunt him down.”

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