Sneak Peak at book two: Rise of the cardinal

The whip cracked in the air. I felt the leather strings touch my lower back, and as Shrike pulled, I could feel my skin lift and tear. Once the hooks were out, I was flung back near the post. I stopped breathing and tried to control the pain. I had not expected that.

“The show is for my personal amusement, as well as to install fear in your mind. Fear in the body is no fun, but fear in the mind, now that is entertaining. Regarding the reasons why I am doing this… let’s just say it’s simply to pass the time until the king arrives, and then we get down to the nitty-gritty.”

I felt the leather touch the inside of my ribs. Again, the skin pulled as the hooks receded. Shrike inflicted four more hits, but those had been higher on my back, where my skin was thicker. It pained me less than the previous ones, but I still had to muffle a cry.

I started sweating from the pain and noticed that my feet and knees were slipping in the small pool of blood that was accumulating under me. At this rate, it wasn’t my mind they would break, but my body. I had had enough.

The chain that bound me was tight, but I had enough wiggle room to allow myself to try something. I placed both my hands that were shackled on the flat surface of the wooden post and sent a discharge of energy through it. I hid my face to the side and waited for the spell to work. The wood beneath my hands glowed blue, then cracked and exploded, allowing the chain that had been secured tightly to fall freely on the ground.

I swirled around, my knees still on the floor, and had just enough time to see Shrike and Harrier covering their faces with their arms to prevent wood splinters from hitting them. I sent a blast their way. I heard their bodies make a loud ‘thud’ on the wall. One of them cursed, and I smiled internally at the fact that I had caught them by surprise.

My heart hammered ferociously, and my mind flooded with possibilities of escaping and getting caught. The probabilities of leaving this place were slim, but I had to at least try. The more I thought about it, the more I knew my snarkiness would get me killed, especially with Shrike. His sadistic pleasures were most likely only the tip of his capabilities, and I had no doubts that he would be capable of making my life a living nightmare.

My primary focus was to get out of here and get my bearings as to where I was. They restricted me in what I could do since I was still bound at the wrists and didn’t have enough slack to allow me to do a lot of spells. I needed more movement.

Once I spotted the door, I got up on my feet and pounced on it. It had been locked. I placed my hand on the knob and repeated what I had done to the post. The door gave way, and I exited the room, running through a long corridor. It felt familiar somehow, but nothing confirmed if I was going in the right direction.

I heard someone tumble outside the room, and the sound of running feet getting closer alarmed me. I moved near the sidewall and slid my fingers the length of it while doubling my pace. Crackling blue sparks flew out of my fingertips, then I heard the paintings and wall decorations fly, hitting whoever was in my pursuit. I turned the corner and noticed a staircase. I grabbed the railing and flung my legs up the stairs, pulling my body upward with the metal rail. I took them two, almost three at a time. Once I was up, I pushed the door that led to another corridor. This time, vivid memories of my childhood flooded my head. I was in the castle. My castle. I was home.

Guided by my memories, I ran faster, trying to reach the library. I thought of using the secret passage Otis had shown me to make my escape. I was confident that no one knew it existed since I hadn’t known about it before the uprising, and I thought I had known every possible secret passage that this castle contained. I just needed to get closer to the central staircase. The library laid just beyond it.

My mind was in a haze, so I followed my feet to where I needed to go. I passed several maids that pushed themselves out of my way while they gasped at my dreadful appearance. The sound of clinking armour made me halt. It was coming closer from the direction in front of me.

I needed to change paths, so I doubled back, hitting a footman coming out of a room. I pushed him none too gently, and he fell backward, landing on his behind. His eyes went wide in surprise, but soon after, he yelled to let the guards know I was there.

As I retraced my steps, I saw I had been leaving a trail of blood. I removed the top of my dress and corset that were still hanging on me and used it to swipe at the long drips of hot red liquid on my back and side, then tossed the slashed clothes and pressed on. If I couldn’t go to the library, I would need to go into my father’s study. There was a passage behind one of the paintings that I could use. It reminded me of the servant’s stairs back at High Hill Estate. A labyrinth of narrow passageways followed the inside walls and allowed someone to move from room to room undetected. There weren’t many in this castle, so I had to pinpoint the closest room I knew contained one.

I took a sharp left and lifted the hem of my ripped dress to allow more running room. My father’s study had been on the same floor as the library but on the opposite side. My breaths had become ragged, and my lungs were burning from the effort. Echoes of running feet and armour metal hitting themselves together sent me into a frenzy. I hadn’t been able to shake off my pursuers. Faiths only knew what was in store for me if they caught up and dragged me back to Shrike and Harrier.

I saw the beautiful ornate door that I had been looking for. My body connected with the door with force. My shaking hands went straight for the knob and pulled it down. Relief washed over me when it opened, and I quickly went inside, closing it behind me.

I took a few seconds to recollect myself and calm my thundering heart. The stress and adrenaline I felt were so intense that I thought I would pass out. I closed my eyes and took deep breaths through my nose. Once the feeling had passed, I turned around and almost screamed. Someone else was in the room.

The man sat behind my father’s desk, and he gazed at me, looking me up and down. His stare sent shivers down my spine and pinned me in place. I didn’t dare move. The imposing man put down the quill he had in his hand and placed the paper he was writing on top of a pile of letters. Then he slid the chair back, allowing him to get up. Once he went around the desk, he strolled towards me, only stopping a few feet away. I thought I had seen concern on his face, but I highly doubted it.

“Cressida. It’s been a long time.” His roguish voice resonated in the small room. He almost sounded happy to see me.

“It has… Lord Osprey.”