So, the protections of my blood remained. Even with this rune on my arm, Evren’s glamours couldn’t touch me. Perhaps our agreement was only truly binding on Evren’s part. Did it even matter, as long as he believed he was magic-bound not to kill me? I was safe for as long as I could keep up the ruse. Whenever Evren seized my arm, whenever I tasted the bitter iron of his glamour on my tongue, I would be ready. I could pretend to writhe in agony, giving him the show he so desired.
But what about Casimir? Evren would certainly use me as a toy to torment him. Should I warn Casimir so that he wouldn’t be caught off-guard when Evren decided to dangle me like a broken doll for his amusement? Could Casimir give an authentic performance of rage while knowing the truth?
My eyelids fluttered shut and I sank to the floor, my bare feet cold on the icy blue tiles. The sharp smell of disinfectant burned my nostrils, andoh, I so badly wanted to rest a while longer. If I told Casimir that the bargain with Evren hadn’t worked, I’d also have to tell him why I’d made the bargain in the first place, which would invariably send Casimir into a rage. He might even decide to hunt down Evren, as he’d done with Monty. What if Evren and Casimir fought? What if Casimir were killed? I chewed my lips, considering the alternative. It would be difficult, but not impossible, to conceal the brand on my wrist for a few days. In any case, it was definitely preferable to provoking a face-off between two angry Daemons.
Why was lying always the most convenient option?I sighed as I resigned myself to another exhausting day, praying I wouldn’t run into Evren until after the full moon.
The next morning,Casimir appeared at my bedside bearing a much-needed change of clothes and a note from Gwen. I fixed my face into what I hoped was a neutral expression, and not that of a traitor who’d made a bargain with a Bloodweaver behind his back.
I grimaced when I read Gwen’s note, which not-so-subtly reminded me about my “obligation” regarding the Jewel Ball.
“Now he’s fetching your clothes and bringing you homework? You’ve been holding out on me, Arden. Don’t forget your promise! The Jewel Ball awaits!”
My face flushed with heat as I quickly folded up the note and stuffed it beneath my pillow.
I still hadn’t asked Casimir to go to the ball with me, but the closer we came to the full moon, the more frivolous the entire ordeal seemed. How could I ask him to go to some silly party with me on the same night as the blood ritual? It was absurd. What if he said no? Or, an even more terrifying prospect—what if he said yes? Imagining his polite refusal—or worse, his pity—was more than I could bear.
Casimir’s icy gaze swept over me, lingering on the purple half-moons of fatigue beneath my eyes. Appraising. “What happened last night? You seem… off.”
“You do realize I’m being treated for a concussion, right?” I replied acidly.
His eyes narrowed. “What’s that on your neck?”
I clasped a hand over the bruises left by Evren’s brutal fingers. “Nothing! Just Dr. Hobart’s invasive probing again,” I lied. “I think her perfume gave me a rash...”
He frowned as though he didn’t believe a word of it, but held back his suspicions for the moment. “How bad is it?”
I knew he was referring to my concussion. “Dr. Hobart ran some tests. She says I don’t use that half of my brain anyway,” I quipped, using his momentary distraction to ensure my sleeve fully covered the fresh brand on my wrist.
He rolled his eyes. “Everything’s a joke to you, Farrow.”
“Listen, I need to show you something…” I began. I watched Casimir’s expression change from irritation to growing interest as he read the sprite’s riddle. Not wanting him to believe I was truly unwitting, I added, “Obviously, the Minotaur clue means that this object is hidden in the Labyrinth. But I have no idea where.”
In answer, Casimir pointed to the first two lines of the riddle.
Silver-tongued and moonless
Encrypted in shadow and myth
“I think these two verses contain a double meaning,” he said. When I shot him a puzzled glance, he explained, “The Book isn’t just referring to the Minotaur beast dwelling in some shadowed, moonless labyrinth. I think you’re right about the Greek Mythology reference, but the use of the word encrypted is interesting. I think it’s a hint.” He underlined the middle of the word.
Encrypted
I stared at him blankly.
“It’s either an encrypted object, or it’s hidden inside a crypt,” he explained. “Or perhaps both.”
My eyes widened. “A crypt? Like a tomb? But where—” I began, but Casimir interrupted.
“There’s a crypt in the basement of the Labyrinth,” he said in an undertone. “It’s not so much a tomb as an underground chamber for ancient relics and old archives. Post-graduate students use it for research and storage. It’s not a place undergrads typically have access to.”
“But how will we get in if students don’t usually have access?”
Casimir smiled crookedly, eyes glinting.
Oh no. I knew that look.
“Don’t worry about that, Farrow. The professors each have a set of keys.”