~ ZARA ~
Without another thought, I grabbed the spools of thread I'd gathered, tied one to the leg of the table near the passageway door and triggered the door to open, striding into the dark without a second thought.
Until I heard the laugh.
One step beyond the walls of my room and that frenetic little laugh, that strange, cold titter that Emory had been using with the men in the ballroom tonight sent a shiver up my spine.
I froze, mid-step, turned away from the direction that would eventually take me to David's rooms and turned to face Emory's.
Which was when I saw the line of light.
The passageway door into her room that had been left slightly ajar, leaving a line of warm light further down the narrow passage.
Someone had gone to Emory's rooms through the passages.
And she was laughing about it.
Certainty settled on my shoulders like one of those heavy fur capes. Swirled around me to hold me as I started to move.
