Of Blood and Roses

Chapter 34

Getting out of the dungeons was the easy part.

Once we reached the hallway above, Jourdon led us through the hall, carefully pausing at each turn, watching for guards. It was only moments until someone noticed Pierre had been gone too long.

Chaos erupted.

Jourdon hastily led into a room beside a stairwell. It was dark and damp, neglected down in the dungeons. The skeleton of a bed frame and a broken mirror were the only things inside. We waited with held breaths as the guards passed.

Sabine was just barely holding herself up on her own. We couldn't go fast, but we made up for it in silence as we pressed against the wall. We listened as guards moved just outside the door.

"I'll check in on this room here."

"You mean the old Baby chamber?" There was a frown in the voice. "Nah, no one would be hiding in there—well at least no one that knew any better. Only ghosts have business in that room."

The Superior's voice stiffened, trying to maintain an edge of authority. "Well, someone needs to check. Now off with you."

There was a scuffle as footsteps dispersed, one set taking to the stairs beside us, another continuing down the hall outside. I shot a glance to Jourdon., His eyes met mine in the darkness. He shook his head. We pressed closer to the wall, waiting.

Outside there was a faint whisper of movement. The door creaked open beside us, leaving us in the door's shadow. It stopped once it was partway open, leaving us just outside of the light that spilled inside.

"Ghosts," the guard murmured. He sniffed a short laugh, but it lacked the confidence he had mustered a few moments ago with his men. "Fool's legends. Just stories."

He lingered a moment. I held my breath, waiting for him to enter. Jourdon didn't move an inch. Even Sabine managed to slow her breathing. Then the shadow beyond the door shifted and footsteps moved away, the door falling back to cast the room in darkness. Once the guard was gone, Jourdon moved across the bedroom. It was peculiar that they would have one down here.

"You think it's safe to go out there yet?" I whispered.

Jourdon shook his head, his jaw set from the strain of helping Sabine walk.

"The way out is in here."

I stared at him, dumbfounded. It was dark in the room, but I saw no other doors other than the one I stood beside. In answer, Jourdon approached a cracked mirror leaning against the wall, shifting it aside.

Another, smaller, doorway sat behind it.

I followed him, shooting a careful glance over my shoulder at the door out to the hall, but it was silent now. The deeper I moved into the room, the colder it got. Skin prickled along my neck. Jourdon pushed on the door and after a moment of resistance, it gave. It had no latch or handle on the inside.

He let out a relieved sigh. "That's good. It's unlocked."

I stood next to Jourdon as he carefully helped Sabine up to the door. Only darkness stared back at me.

"What is this place?"

Jourdon hefted Sabine up, his brows creasing. She grunted in pain. "It's the room of one of King Aurel's mistresses. He was known to have many."

I nodded. Aurel's conquests were only rivaled by the current king's. Like King Gilroy, the previous king, better known as his given name, married a queen who died young along with his first child. He had many mistresses, and the son that eventually succeeded him—King Laurent-Henri, was said to be the result of one of his many affairs.