Page 88 (1/1)

Two years had passed since I had buried my amulet Someone had probably discovered it by now For an exercise, I tried usingIbored, when suddenly, the soles of my feet felt hot When I continued they cooled I moved here and there until, oncehook fro at the spot My efforts revealed soround withmy lost amulet

It was dull and covered with dirt The ribbon that held it was torn and stained Pressing the fla fro the pal it onto the necklace chain with Valek’s butterfly

"Not the best hiding place Wouldn’t you agree?" Valek asked

I ju behindfor you Why did you run?" he asked

I briefed Valek on the Co he would draw the sa Criollo to take control of theirthe power?" Valek asked

"I don’t know We need to search the manor"

"You rew up there I know every inch" The first place I wanted to look was in Reyad’s laboratory wing "When do we start?"

"Now We have four hours till dawn What are we looking for?"

When I explained that ere seeking either a circle of diamonds or a painted wheel, Valek’s thin eyebrows puckered as if he wanted to question me about how I had come by this information He held his peace and headed back toward the barracks

I hid outside while Valek changed into his black skintight sneak suit He brought ht red uniform shirt, and carried an unlit bull’s-eye lantern My cloak would be too cuh the halls, so I hid it in the bushes

We found a back door near the servants’ quarters Valek lit the lantern Pushing the slide alht to escape Inside theon the ground floor, opposite the laboratory The entire wing had been his, and there were a number of doors that he’d kept locked while I had been the resident laboratory rat

Old horrors haunted nized the faint acidic aroma of fear that mixed with the dust stirred by our footsteps It was edmy mouth with the taste of ashes and blood I had bitten ht It was an old habit, a way to stiflethe laboratory roo from the walls and piled on the tables Each revelation sent a cold nue shadows of equipainst them The room resembled a torture cha like an animal pierced in the metal jaws of a trap, I wanted to screaht Valek here? Brazell’s advisers were housed on the second floor Mogkan’s dia, was probably hidden near his roo the lantern In the hallway outside Reyad’s bedroo My muscles trembled An icy sweat soaked my uniform I waited at the door while Valek went in I could see the darkin a corner of the roohthost said,besidethe wall A yelp escaped ht you were gone for good," I whispered

"Never, Yelena I will always be with you My blood has soaked into your soul You have no chance of cleansing me away"

"I have no soul," I said under hed "Your soul is drenched black with the blood of your victims, my dear, that is why you can’t see it When you die, that heavy blood-filled essence will sink to the bottom of the earth where you will burn in eternity for your crie that made my voice hiss

Valek came out of Reyad’s room With a face pale as bone, he stared atthat I wondered if he had been struck duhost without seeing hi a moment with his head bowed to press a hand to his forehead

" There’s so a ghostly white finger at Valek "It’s a shame he doesn’t let his de that would love to plague him" Reyad looked at me "Only the weak invite their deht?"

I refused to answer Reyad as I followed Valek We continued our search but it was obvious that, other than the laboratory, the wing had been abandoned There were three doors left