Page 91 of Gilded

“Papa,” she breathed, running back outside. Zelig watched drowsily as she scampered through the yard, hopping over the gate that surrounded their small garden, and rushed around to the gristmill. She yanked open the door and was greeted by the familiar smell of grinding stone and timber beams and rye grain.

But she stopped cold again, her hopes crashing to the wooden planks at her feet.

Thomas glanced up from adjusting the millstones, startled. “Ah—you’re back,” he said, starting to smile, though something in Serilda’s expression must have given him pause. “Is everything all right?”

She ignored him. Her gaze darted around the mill, but no one else was there.

“Serilda?” Thomas took a step toward her.

“I’m fine,” she said, the words automatic. They were the easiest lie, one that everyone told from time to time.

“I’m glad you’re home,” said Thomas. “I was having some trouble with the water gate sticking earlier, and thought your father could offer some suggestions.”

She stared at him, fighting back tears. She’d had so much hope.

Miserable, unfounded hope.

Swallowing, she gave her head a shake. “He’s not home.”

Thomas frowned.

“He stayed in Mondbrück. I had to return to help with the school, but Father … the work isn’t finished yet on the town hall, so he wanted to stay.”

“Ah, I see. Well. I’ll just have to figure it out myself, then. Do you know when he plans to be back?”

“No,” she said, digging her fingernails into her palms to keep away the threatening tears. “No, he didn’t say.”

Serilda waited for him.

She remembered smelling sea salt in the air during the hunt. He could have fallen as far away as Vinter-Cort for all she knew. It could take days, even a week, and that was if he was able to find transportation. He likely had not had coin with him. He might have to walk. If that was the case, it might take even longer.

She clung tightly to these hopes, and tried to keep up appearances in town. Everyone was so busy preparing for Eostrig’s Day that no one paid her much attention. She feigned an illness to keep from going to the school. She spent her days going through the mindless motions of sweeping out their house, sewing a new dress for herself, as the few articles of clothing she owned had been left behind in Mondbrück, and spinning—when she could stand it.

She spent many hours staring at the horizon.

She could not sleep at night. The house was too eerily quiet with no rumbling snores coming from the next room.

When Thomas had questions about the mill, she told him that she would write to her father and let him know once she’d heard a response, even going so far as to walk into town to post the fake letter.

When she saw nachtkrapp, she threw stones at them until they flew away.

They always came back.

But her father never did.

Eostrig’s Day

The Spring Equinox

Chapter 28

She had been dreading this visit all week. Had, on more than one occasion, tried to persuade herself that it was not necessary.

But she knew that it was.

She needed to know more about Adalheid. She needed to know when and how and why the Erlking had claimed the castle. What had happened to leave its walls haunted by so many brutally murdered spirits. Whether or not there had been a royal family who had ever lived there, and what had become of them. She needed to know when and how the citizens of Adalheid had entered into this strange relationship, in which they prepared a feast on the equinox, in exchange for the hunt leaving them and their children alone.

She didn’t know which answers, if any, would be useful to her, which was why she would learn as much as she could. She would arm herself with knowledge.