nna

face pale with terror. A pot of water was alr

ce dangerously quiet as I began to gen

maid. And Betsy... Lady Andrea's." She swallowed hard. "I heard them... in the kitchens

steady, but a fire was raging in my vein

are the

l, mistress. They'll be t

f my mind calculated the risk. If Agnes and Betsy faced no consequences, they would only strike

is room. Protect Julian and Rowan. No matter what you hear, no m

my intent. But she didn't question me. She saw the look on my face,

e fireplace. The iron fire poker lay amongst the

weight felt good in

ps silent and purposeful. The poker was held loosely at my side. Any s

ew louder as I approached the servant

m fell

of eyes widened in shock and fear. My gaze

full of food, their faces smug. When they saw me, a

the first to recover. She pushed her chair back and stood, trying to look intimi

waste a s

es's eyes widened in alarm as I closed the distance.

oker in a low

with her knee with a si

agony, as her leg buckled beneath her. She coll

terror. She scrambled up from the bench a

earest table-a solid, brutal thing used for stirring th

k of her ankle. Another scream, another crack of bone. She w

zen, plastered against the

oker from beside Agnes, who was still clutching her shattered knee. I

ce cold and flat. "You left her to di

d. "Please, mistress, it was Lady Cecili

them," I said. "You

poker high

she sc

down with all

en it hit her skull

creaming and crying hysterically. "I'm sorry! I'

t of that before you to

blood-spatter

ought

le

dripping of blood from the end of

with a loud clang. I turned to f

he dead quiet room, "in this estate, my people are not to be touched.

one. I saw no defiance. Onl

knees. Heads touched the

last few minutes receded, and a wave of dizzine

grimy, blood-splattere

n the center was a pool of glowing, silvery water. Panels of light flickered on the walls, d

as it came. I swayed on my fe

do. I had pe

out of the dining hall, leaving the kneelin