Chapter 42: Suspicion and Uncertain Ground

When I was able to move again, I hurried over to Nyla. I wondered how long she’d been there. It wasn’t lost on me that whoever did this, had been right outside of my door while I was asleep.

“Help!” I called out before remembering that the security had been removed from our quarters to the end of the hallway.

When I shook her, she opened her eyes and then scrunched her brows in confusion.

I removed her gag first and asked, “Who did this?”

“I don’t know,” she answered. “I turned into the closet to find your dress for the day and someone came up behind me and hit me on the head.”

She began to cry and I used my fingers to unbind her ankles and then helped her to her feet so she could sit at the dressing table.

I pulled at the rope around her shoulders and lifted it up enough for her to wiggle free and then worked on the bindings at her wrists.

When she was free, she still clutched the note and I had to pry it from her hand with my own shaky fingers.