Page 2 of The Howling (Monsters of the Yeavering #2)
T he Redcap gives me a shove, and I stumble down the three stone steps into the kitchen.
“You’ve got until I get bored,” he says, grabbing a plate filled with bones and throwing himself into a chair by the fire. “Don’t waste it. You won’t be seeing daylight for a long time.”
“What have you been doing, girl?” Gloriana declares, looking me up and down, taking in my disheveled state.
The witch is, for want of a better title, the head housekeeper and cook. She rules the kitchens and the underside of Lord Guyzance’s palace with a rod of iron, although don’t tell the Faerie.
She’s also one of the fairest people I’ve ever met.
“She escaped,” the guard says through a mouthful of food. “The Lord’s sending her to the dungeons.”
“Shit,” Kaitlyn says. “Did you?”
My red-haired friend has never minced her words in all the time we’ve been here. And she’s been here longer than I. She doesn’t care if it gets her into trouble, although she’s pretty adept at keeping out of it.
Unlike me. I seem to attract trouble.
“No. I’m here, aren’t I?” I glare at Kaitlyn. “I was looking for mushrooms,” I add pointedly.
“Did you get any?” Gloriana asks.
“No, I dropped them,” I respond.
“Shame. I have a spell which could do with some.” She sighs.
“Lord Guyzance is sending you to the dungeons because you were collecting mushrooms?” Kaitlyn queries.
“She’s going to the dungeons to work,” the Redcap interjects. “And she says she needs a few things before she goes, but if you all don’t shut up, I’ll take her as she is.” Nastiness glitters in his eyes.
Gloriana gives me a knowing look and flaps a kitchen rag in my direction. “Get changed. I’ll get your supplies,” she says before turning to the Redcap. “Get your filthy feet out of my kitchen,” she growls. “Or I’ll turn them into flippers.”
She’s a formidable witch, and the Redcap guards, whilst masters of intimidation, know it.
Her threat is not an idle one, and the Redcap, whilst attempting to maintain his dignity (difficult for a creature who soaks his cap in the blood of his victims), drops his boots from where they are propped and puts the platter where he found it.
“Don’t be long,” he snarls at me. “I’ll come and get you, and it won’t be pretty.”
Gloriana puts her hands on her waist, her golden curls bobbing at him. Like most witches, she doesn’t need glamour to look good. She’s a goddess all on her own.
Kaitlyn pulls at my arm, and I allow myself to be dragged into the rear scullery which also doubles as our living quarters. She pulls a dull blue dress out of her trunk at the end of her bed and shoves it at me.
“I can’t take it.” I push it back.
“You can and you will. You can’t go to the dungeons in that .” She looks me up and down. “For a start, it’s wet, and if you get cold, you’ll get sick.”
“Which the Faerie will promptly cure,” I point out.
“Not if you’re stuck in the dungeons,” Kaitlyn retorts. “You know it’s basically an oubliette. It’s what we’ve always been told.”
“I’m just working there,” I wail as I strip off my dress.
I don’t have any underwear. Everything we own was stripped from us when we entered the Yeavering. I have to thank my lucky stars as a bigger busted lady that the dresses the Faerie prefer are tight fitting, at least in the bosom area.
I wriggle into Kaitlyn’s dress. It’s tighter than mine and shoves the girls front and centre. But it does feel better having dry clothing on.
“Here.” Kaitlyn shoves a damp piece of linen at me. “You look like you’ve been in a ditch.” She points to her face.
I wipe over my face and the linen comes away dirty.
“I was in a ditch. The Redcaps ran me into one.”
“Fuckers,” Kaitlyn growls. “Anything to hurt something smaller than them.”
“What’s a Barghest?” I ask.
“What?” Kaitlyn stops fussing with a bag she’s shoving things into. “What did you say?”
“A Barghest. Do you know what it is?” I repeat.
The colour drains from her face. “The black dog of death,” she says in a semi whisper. “Why?”
“There’s…one in the dungeons,” I say slowly as my heart speeds up. “The Redcaps caught it the same time they caught me.”
Kaitlyn visibly swallows. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anyone do that before.
“It’ll be fine. It can’t hurt you here in Lord Guyzance’s castle,” she says in an entirely unconvincing way.
“Apparently it sucks souls.”
“Then you should kick it in the knackers and run away before it gets yours.” Kaitlyn grabs me in a big hug.
“I’m sure this won’t be forever,” I say into her hair. “I’ll see you soon.”
“I’m sure you will.” Kaitlyn’s voice is muffled in my shoulder.
I want to believe her, but I’ve been in the Yeavering for all of three months. She’s been here years. Kaitlyn knows the score and she’s frightened for me.
Great.
A black dog of death and dungeon duties. All because I thought, stupidly, I could escape this place. The Yeavering proved me wrong yet again.
There is no escape. I am here until the Faerie let me go. And they’re never going to let me go.
A commotion out in the kitchen has Kaitlyn releasing me. “Go,” she says. “Don’t get into more trouble and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” She shoves the bag into my hand.
“That’s a wide remit,” I reply.
Kaitlyn gives me a wan smile. She swapped places with her sister to end up here. She has no idea if her sister made it away from the Faerie or not. A gamble of all gambles.
“You know what I mean. Stay out of the dark.” She fist bumps me. “Keep to the light.”