Sisters of String and Glass, Part 152

Chapter Thirty-Nine

The news came quickly: the portal had been closed and Roderick Manor was likewise shut tight. My sister was stuck in the linked world. Without the portal open, we could not communicate. It broke my heart to not have any contact with my sister. I threw myself into preparing our older daughter to be Queen; her older brother, my first child, had no interest in ruling, instead choosing to become the ambassador to the Pearl Kingdom, just like his grandfather, to keep the peace.

The sun had risen and struggling rays of warmth attempted to dart in through the broken windows. But Abigail shivered and drew her knees closer to her chest. She was glad it was still winter and she had been found while in her thick quilted nightgown, but it was cold and she didn’t think there was an inch of her body left not shivering.

She bent forward and rested her forehead on her knees, blinking back tears. This was the fae tower her sister had told her about, the one she was supposed to avoid. And, yet, here she was. Thanks to someone she had taken to be a dotty old man.

He’d thrown her in before seemingly slamming the stones closed. She’d thrown herself forwards, but had only found a wall. There was no door, just a stone staircase that led up. So she’d gone up.

It was a surprisingly large tower, the round space divided into rooms that felt little more than cells, but they were sheltered from the wind that whistled in through the broken windows. She’d attempted to shout for help, but either the stones or the wind seemed to swallow her voice. She’d also found some bits of food and some jugs of freezing water. Just enough to sustain her until she froze to death.

She shuddered, but wasn’t sure if it was from terror or the cold.

Abigail was just thankful the sea glass still worked. Hope fluttered in her chest. Camille would bring Adrian and Kyanan and anyone else she could find to help. Her sister was smart and resourceful, and she wouldn’t let anything happen to Abigail.

She lifted her head and propped her chin on her knees as a ray of sunlight fell on her head. How they were going to get her out, she had no idea, but Helene seemed knowledgeable.

She just had to wait a little longer.

Voices startled her a few moments later and she stiffly unfolded herself. Her teeth chattered as she wrapped her arms around herself and went to the window. Even though the glass was broken, there was still something blocking her way. It looked like she rested her forehead on thin air, but it felt like she was pressing it to something cold and stiff.

There were people milling around at the base of the tower. She recognized the senior staff from Olidan Manor and some castle guards. There were also some fae, recognizable by their brightly colored hair.

Hope fluttered higher in her chest. Camille had found help. All was not lost.

Catch up on Sisters of String and Glass

Check out Queen of the Garden of Girls

This blog is my home base, but you can also find me on:
Pinterest | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook