Page 43 of Unkindness of Crimson Ravens

Chapter 16

Royal Dungeons

“This way,” I whispered to Francis, turning off the trail to the cemetery.

We’d left our horses hidden behind a line of dense spruce, making the rest of the trip by foot.

Thankfully, the trip had not been long, leaving us no opportunity to fight. The cabin—I had no idea existed—settled down just beyond the palace grounds.

The air of the cemetery was impregnated with unwelcome memories. I wiped the sweat off my hands on my cloak, forcing my lungs to expand. Fidgeting with my sleeves, I focused on the passage ahead, determined to ignore my surroundings.

“Are we almost there?” Francis asked, scanning the cemetery for any unwelcome company.

“Yes,” I whispered as something caught my gaze.

Dozens of bright red flowers settled on the grave nearest to my brother’s. My brows furrowed as I took a step toward it. But before I got close to the stone Francis caught my hand, squeezing it tight. “Don’t look at it.” He gently pulled me back on our pathway.

Why?I wanted to ask him before the realization knocked the air out of my lungs.

My grave. My empty grave was now resting next to my brother and father. My stomach turned upside down, threatening to empty its contents.

Not tonight. My breathing quickened in unison with my heart beat. Not tonight.

“Look at me,” Francis held my face, forcing my gaze to meet his. “We must go, Princess. Every moment counts.” His cold hands were settled on my cheeks. “Take a deep breath and keep moving.” His stern commanding voice emptied my mind of any thought.

I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat. Francis was right—in a few moments there would be no turning back. I had to stay focused.

“Good.” Francis let go of my face. “We can do this, Your Highness.” He winked, giving me a reassuring smile.

We can do this.

Carefully moving the branches that covered the passage from unwelcome eyes, I slightly opened the door ajar.

We can do this.

The door creaked in protest. The passage was pitch black, though I had taken it so often as a child I could make the trip blind folded.

The passage only connected a few chambers: Sandra’s, Brian’s, and mine. If Francis and I were lucky, we would not meet anyone on our way to my rooms.

I brought a finger to my mouth, gesturing for Francis to be as quiet as possible—if anyone heard us here, we were trapped.

Step by step, we silently made our way through the darkness. The passage of my childhood now felt foreign, as though I had no business setting a foot inside of it. I supposed I did not. Familiar walls stared back at me, scolding me for intruding into their quiet night.

One, two, three, four.I counted the turns of the passage, afraid of ending up elsewhere.Five.The entrance to my bedchamber should’ve been on the left.

My shaky hands felt the wall, desperately searching for the handle. The smell of mold made my eyes water.Where is it?The longer we stayed in the passage, the more danger we put ourselves into. There were plenty of places to hide inside of the palace, but if someone saw us here—

Panic filled my mind, making me shake even more.

A cold hand covered mine, moving it to the left where the metal handle scratched my fingers. “Calm down, Princess,” Francis’ breath tickled my ear. “Trust your instincts. Our kind can see in the dark if your human nature would stop fighting it.”