Page 137 of Hollow Court

Still nothing.

The unease morphed into something closer to panic. Even when she hated me, she had always answered the door.

I tried the handle, and it moved easily, the door opening with a deceptively quiet click. Something in my expression must have betrayed my concern because Ewan stood a little straighter, his hand going to the hilt of his sword.

There was no need for his diligence, though.

This room, too, was empty.

My heartbeat thundered in my ears. I called for her again, though my voice was more alarmed this time. Frantic footsteps led me from her closet to her attached bath before I circled back to the main room.

That’s when I saw it.

A prism of crimson light danced on the marble surface of the vanity, reflected from the deep red ruby of the ring I had taken far too long to pick out.

And underneath the ring, a single sheet of parchment.

I ripped the letter from the vanity, my eyes skimming along the slanted cursive.

“Mi’laird,” Ewan spoke up cautiously.

“Hang on,” I muttered, trying and failing to comprehend the words in front of me.

They couldn’t mean what I thought they did.

“Davin.” This was a different voice, unexpected enough that I spun around.

Uncle Finn stood in the doorway, his expression uncharacteristically grim. The blood drained from my face.

Did he know something about Galina?

“The magistrate is here,” he said solemnly. “He needs to ask you some questions. I need you to come downstairs with me.”

I swallowed back the lump in my throat. “About Galina?”

He narrowed his eyes. “No. About Tavish.”

“Then it can wait,” I said, already turning back around.

“No,” he corrected gently. “It can’t. Tavish is dead.”

Epilogue

GALINA

It wasdark inside the carriage.

Early morning rays of sunlight had barely even begun to stretch out along the horizon. I wondered if Davin was still sleeping. Peacefully unaware of all that awaited him when he woke up.

Of all that didn’t.

My stomach twisted, and I fought another wave of nausea. Whether it was from the whiplash of going from Davin’s gentle caresses to Alexei’s bruising grip, or the reality of what came next, I couldn’t be sure.

All of it felt like a nightmare.

Alexei adjusted his grip again, settling my hand in his lap to study the half moons he had carved with his fingernails. His thumb slid from my wrist to the bracelet and down to the charm he’d given me.

The one I wanted him to choke on.