The Chateau (Chateau 1)

The days trickled by, and I waited.

The high I felt from escaping faded away quickly, because now I was worried about Magnus.

What if he never came?

What if he’d died? Or what if they’d killed him?

Rose and I could make it the rest of the way on our own, especially with no one chasing us, but I worried about him…my friend.

On the fifth day, there was a loud pounding on the door.

I was on the floor in the sitting room, reading the book that survived the journey in the saddlebags. It managed not to get wet, so it was still intact. I turned at the sound, my blood spiking with both excitement and adrenaline.

Rose turned too.

I got off the floor and came to her side. “It’s probably him, right?” What if the guards were outside? What if they’d figured it out?

I moved to the door and realized there wasn’t a peephole.

The knock sounded again. “Raven?” It was his voice—I’d recognize it anywhere.

He must have given me his only set of keys. “I’m here!” I turned the lock and yanked the door open.

He stood in his uniform, his hood down so the daylight could highlight his features. His eyes shifted back and forth as he looked at me, like he immediately noticed the difference in my hair.

I lunged into him and wrapped my arms around him, squeezing him hard in an embrace that made me so warm I forgot what it was like to ever feel cold. I felt his muscled frame under my grip through the clothing, my touch immediately familiar because I’d held him before. My face moved into his chest, and I closed my eyes.

He didn’t hug me back—like he had no idea what was happening.

I pulled away and looked at him again. “I’m so glad you’re alright.” I examined his head where I’d hit him, seeing a scar that he would carry for the rest of his life. “I was worried about you the entire time.”

His eyes continued to take me in. “I told you I would be fine.”

“Doesn’t matter. I’m so sorry that I did that to you.”

After holding my gaze for a few seconds, he moved past me and entered the house. “I’m surprised you’re still here.”

“What do you mean?” I shut the door behind him.

“I thought you would take off. You’re free now.”

The thought never crossed my mind. “I had to wait for you, to make sure you were alright.” He told me he would be there in a few days, but I probably would have waited weeks before I accepted the horrible truth—that he didn’t make it.

He stared at me again, his guarded eyes slightly dropping in hostility. When I hadn’t answered the door right away, he must have assumed that I didn’t bother to wait for him, that I got what I wanted, so he was insignificant. When he realized that wasn’t the case, his frozen eyes started to thaw. When he turned to step farther into the chateau, he halted when he saw Rose standing there, staring straight at him.

Rose neighed as she looked at him.

“Why the fuck is there a horse in here?” He turned to me, accusation in his eyes.

“It’s too cold outside.”

He looked around the room, noticing the droppings.

“I’ve been cleaning it, but Rose goes a lot.”

“Rose?”

“Yeah, I named her.”

“Why didn’t you put her in the stables?”

“There’s a stable?”

He sighed loudly then walked to the stairs. “Take her down there and clean this place up.”

“Where are you going?”

“Shower.” He moved the rest of the way until he disappeared.

I turned back to Rose. “Sorry, it’s not you. He’s just…kinda grouchy.”

She stared at me, warm breath coming from her nostrils.

“Let’s go.” I took her by the reins and guided her outside. It was a sunny day and there was less snow, so I spotted the stables farther down the hill. It was the first time I’d been outside, since I arrived, so I took a look around. There were gardens on the property, but now they were wild because no one had taken care of them in decades. The bushes were overgrown, flowers mixed with weeds, and the patio furniture made of iron had rusted to a blood-orange color.

I walked her to the stables and found another horse there. “At least you’ll have someone for company.” I walked her inside then found the bucket of hay. I poured it into her trough so she could eat. I shut the door then turned to the other horse. He was solid black, so his eyes disappeared into his coat. He stared at me in stillness—just like his rider. I could tell he wasn’t friendly like Rose, so I didn’t bother trying to pet him. I made sure he had food and water before I returned to the chateau.

When Magnus came back downstairs, it was evening.