Emily brought a soup, and even though I wasn’t hungry at all, I forced myself to eat while thinking I would need the energy to run away later. In my mind, I traced multiple escape choices for when I was finally free.

Should I hide in the forest until the full moon was over? Was it a better idea than trying to go to town? Well, I actually didn’t know where the town was, so hiding in the forest might as well be my only option. Besides, it would only be a day, two at most. But, what if the viscount was so enraged at me for ruining his plans he kept looking for me just to have me killed? Or worse, what if he decided to execute my whole family as punishment? No, the heroes wouldn’t take that longer to appear and take him down. If I sidestepped this, then my survival and that of my family was all but guaranteed.

But not Lucas’.

I shook my head, willing the thought to leave my head. Since Mathias left, I couldn’t stop thinking about Lucas and how he was supposed to be the original sacrifice for the ritual. What would become of him if I escaped? Would the viscount deem me not worth the trouble and just use his son instead? My heart hurt thinking about that sweet boy getting killed by his own father in my stead. But then, what could I possibly do?

It didn’t occur to me that Mathias’ claim might be false. I did remember the necromancer and the viscount himself saying something about Lucas’ soul being similar to mine this morning. Besides, for all the evil in the world Mathias seemed capable of, I knew one thing for sure: he loved his younger brother, would do anything to keep him safe, even if that meant starving a family for a whole year to get my parents to sell me. He had no reason to lie about that.

And according to what he said, Lucas was aware of it too, which meant he knew that if he helped me escape, he was most likely going to be the next in line for the sacrifice. He was risking his life for a stranger like me, and that made me feel bad.

Wasn’t there a way for both of us to be saved?

“Miss, it’s time.”

I raised my eyes to look at the guard who came for me. I thought Emily would be the one to escort me to the place of the ritual, but I guess even she had her limit. Feeling lifeless, I nodded, walking behind him without opposition. While he wasn’t looking, I made sure the glass shard was on my pocket numerous times. I was glad no one seemed to notice. Nervousness was making me paranoid.

When we exited the castle and walked in the direction of a familiar garden, I was surprised, though I shouldn’t have been. The mausoleum was coming into sight. Torches were illuminating the path, and the doors were opened.

I gulped as we entered.

I had never been inside a mausoleum, but I wondered if all of them were equally as creepy. In the first place it was nighttime, so the place was illuminated only by gas lamps, leaving a play of light and shadows dancing on the walls and floor. Everyone was already reunited there; the viscount, Lucas, Mathias, the necromancer and Adela. I noticed with a start the door closed behind me as I took my first steps inside, and when I turned around the guard wasn’t there anymore.

So the viscount didn’t want outsiders to witness the ritual.

I bit my lips, glancing around, avoiding looking at any of the people present. If I looked at Adela or Lucas, I feared our mere eye contact would reveal our plan to the others. If I looked at the viscount or Mathias, I was going to crumble to the floor.

The necromancer cleared his throat.

“The preparations are ready. Stand closer Adela, to have a better look at the ritual.”

“Yes, master.”

She was a good actress, or at least I thought so. I couldn’t hear anything different in her voice.

I kept staring at the floor as I heard Adela stepping closer, and then a hand lightly pushed me from behind. I turned around expecting to see Mathias being impatient like always, but my face became pale when my eyes connected with the viscount’s.

“Go” he ordered simply. I went.

I didn’t know what would happen from then on. I vaguely remembered Adela saying I would have to be inside the coffin with the deceased viscountess, and I raised my eyes to look for it. It was at the back of the room, going up a few steps in a small platform. There were flowers on either side, as well as more torches. It was open.

I walked up to it and fearfully peered inside. I was supposed to enter there, be in a confined space with a corpse of over a year. I wondered, just what did a corpse that old looked like? It surely wouldn’t be just bones already, but I doubt it would be in perfect shape.

However, I was wrong. I gasped upon seeing the body of the viscountess.

If I didn’t know she was dead, I would think she was simply sleeping. Sure, she looked way too pale to appear natural, but besides that, she seemed like she could open her eyes at any moment and look at me.

Her hair was black, as dark as her eldest son’s, curly and long, going all the way down to her waist. She was small but graceful, with long eyelashes, a perfectly curved mouth and high cheekbones. She was wearing a light blue dress with lace and a choker with a small sapphire.

She also looked young. Too young, honestly.

I took a step back.

“Not so fast” the necromancer said, holding my shoulders from behind me and stopping me on my tracks. I unconsciously tried to shake him off, but his hold was strong. “Calm down girl” he leaned down to whisper in my ear; “it’ll be over in a second. Just close your eyes and lay with her for a while.”

“No!” I yelled, struggling even more. I knew that to get things over fast I should just comply and enter the coffin, but damn it! That was a corpse he was telling me to lay with! Stop joking! “Leave me alone! I don’t want to enter!”

“I know it’s not pleasant, but if you would just…”

“No buts! I don’t want to lay with a corpse! Just leave me already!”

“Enough” I heard the viscount say while stepping closer. He sounded exasperated. “Just throw her inside and get this over with. Midnight is approaching.”

“Fuck you!” I screamed at him, raising my eyes and focusing my blurry vision on him. “Just what are you asking a little girl to do?! You’re going to burn in hell for this! And then you won’t see your wife ever again!”

Apparently, those words were the limit. I didn’t even notice when he shortened the distance between us, grabbed me by the waist and threw me inside the coffin.

The world was deaf to my pleas as they close it, everything becoming black as the lid was put in its place. I started crying more.

The space was too small, there was a smell of decadence in the air, and I could definitely feel the dead woman next to me, cold and hard as stone. I fought more, but it was becoming more and more suffocating as I continued to struggle.

Calm down Elaine. You have to calm down.

I tried to even out my breathing, my hand instinctively reaching for my pocket. This was part of the plan, I had to remind me of that. Just a moment, and it would be over. I would be far from here, from this people, forever. If I could just calm down…

“Ouch!” my hand connected with the sharp glass and I winced, but I quickly shut my mouth, afraid they would hear me. My breathing was still harsh, but I concentrated on the sounds outside. A muffled voice talking in a slow cadence. Good. I wasn’t heard.

I closed my eyes, taking another deep breath, and raised my hands to my throat, positioning the glass as if about to slice it open. I pursed my lips, still hearing the necromancer’s voice mingling with my breathing, and while doing the best to ignore the corpse beside me, I prayed for a miracle.

If there was a God out there, please let the plan work.