Bloodforged Read Free Page B

stepping to her and folding her in her arms. ‘I know. You are a child of the wide Kislev plains, and I believe the cloistered nature of Lahmian life pains you more than the shedding of blood.’ She kissed Ulrika’s cheek. ‘I promise you, dearest. You will ride again, but–’ She lifted Ulrika’s chin and looked her in the eye. ‘But you must make a promise to me as well.’
    ‘What is it, mistress?’ asked Ulrika.
    ‘You must promise to obey me now,’ said Gabriella. ‘You must promise to bide here in the house until I give you leave to depart. You must let me be the one who decides when it is safe to go out, and with whom it is safe to speak. These strictures will not last, but until I lift them, I would have your word that you will obey them.’
    Ulrika hesitated. She felt like Gabriella was stuffing her into the trunk with the doublets and boots and closing it tight. She wanted to run. She wanted to see the moons. But at the same time, she knew the countess was right. It was too dangerous now. They were on unfamiliar ground, and the population was still too unsettled. With a sigh she nodded her head. ‘Very well, mistress. I will obey you. You have my word that I will stay in the house, and that I will only speak to whom you allow.’
    Ulrika felt Gabriella’s arms relax around her. She smiled and stroked Ulrika’s cheek. ‘Thank you, dear one,’ she said. ‘I will make it up to you one day, you will see.’
    With another kiss on the cheek, she stepped back and collected her gloves. ‘I wish I could speak to you further on this, but I must go. I will return before daybreak. Feed from the maid if you wish, and I asked the butler to bring new books from the bookstalls. You shall have plenty to occupy you.’
    ‘Thank you, mistress,’ said Ulrika, and walked with her to the back door, where the maid waited with Gabriella’s cloak. ‘Take care.’
    ‘I will,’ said Gabriella.
    The maid fixed the cloak around her shoulders, then opened the door and curtseyed her into the yard. Ulrika turned away as the girl closed the door again, then paused as she heard the key turning in the lock.
    She turned back. The maid had no key in her hand. The door had been locked from the outside.

CHAPTER THREE
    ESCAPE
    Ulrika stepped past the maid to the door and tried the latch just to be sure. It was locked. Her skin prickled with terrible premonition, and she hurried through the house to the front door. It was locked too.
    She turned to the maid, who had followed her, wide-eyed, from the rear vestibule. ‘Fetch the butler. Tell him to bring his keys.’
    The girl scurried off, and Ulrika paced the entryway, her long skirts shushing on the polished wood floor until the butler arrived, looking sleepy and holding his ring of keys.
    ‘Open the door,’ said Ulrika.
    ‘Yes, m’lady,’ said the butler.
    He inserted the key in the lock and tried to turn it, then turned back and bowed to Ulrika. ‘It appears the countess has set the wards, m’lady. The lock will not open.’
    Ulrika cursed and looked around. ‘Wards? There are wards? Does she always do this?’
    ‘Usually only when she sleeps, m’lady,’ said the butler. ‘We must be able to go in and out, to go to market, to deal with tradesmen and–’
    Ulrika snatched the key from him, then tried it herself. With her unnatural strength, she bent it, but could not budge the lock. She cursed again and strode to the back door. She had the same result there.
    ‘Damn her!’ She threw the keys away, then stomped back into the parlour. There were floor-to-ceiling windows there, heavily curtained. She threw open the curtains and fumbled with the hasp that held the windows closed. It opened, and she breathed a sigh of relief, but as she pushed against the windows, they did not move. It felt as if she were pushing against a stone wall.
    With another curse she drew back a fist and punched at a square leaded pane. Her knuckles stopped a hair’s width from the glass,