Tressa lazily opened her eyes. Ahead of them lay the most magnificent palace she'd ever seen. Tall ebony towers veined with periwinkle. Golden columns flanked an iron gate carved with images of dragons in flight, in battle, and at rest. Whereas the gems at Jacinda's castle in the Sands had felt gaudy, here the firelight bouncing off the embedded diamonds was warm and calming.
"It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," Tressa said as the cart drew closer.
The gates opened. The bearer pulled them into the courtyard and up a ramp to a set of closed doors. He laid the poles on the ground. Fi jumped off the settee, grabbing her pack and Tressa's from the storage compartment behind their feet.
"Are you ready?" she asked. "I'll get you a room and call for the healers. We'll have this figured out soon. I promise."
Tressa smiled at Fi's optimism. She wanted to feel it too, to believe that whatever was going on inside her could be fixed so easily. She remembered the small amount of blood she'd drunk. It wasn't enough to turn her. Her father had told her as much. He said she needed to drink the entire cupful. One drop couldn't ruin her, could it?
Chapter Seven
Tressa eyed the goblet the woman held out to her. She looked at Fi, who nodded her approval.
"Trust me, this should help," Fi said, her eyes sympathetic. “It’s okay. You can trust Leisa, too.” She nodded to the woman holding the goblet. Leisa’s long, dark hair hung to her waist, straight as sticks. She wore a crimson gown, belted with a golden braid.
"Every time I drink from a cup someone else has poured, something awful happens." Tressa thought of the tea her Granna had given to keep her from conceiving, the same tea she suspected Jacinda had used to force an abortion. Then there was her father, forcing her to drink dragon blood.
"You must drink, mistress," Leisa said. Her hands shook. "It is the only remedy."
"For what?" Tressa asked. "What is wrong with me?" Neither woman would meet her eyes. Tressa crossed her arms over her chest. "Until someone tells me what's in that cup, I won't drink a thing."
She appreciated the opulence of the bedchamber. The bed was soft and comfortable. The sheer linen curtains hung from the canopy, giving Tressa the feeling she was sitting on a cloud—not a bed leagues underground, but that was where the good feelings ended. They needed to tell her the truth.
No one made a move. The woman with the cup kept her arms outstretched. Fi stared at the door. Tressa threw dirty looks at both of them.
Finally Fi broke down. "Stay here." She waved a hand in the air. "I'll be back soon." She left the room in a huff.
Tressa smiled at Leisa. "Put the cup down. Your arms are going to ache."
"They already are," Leisa admitted. She set the cup on a table and shook out her arms. "It will help, you know."
"No, I don't know." Tressa sat on a damask upholstered chair. She rubbed her forehead. "I can't trust anyone anymore. I'm not even sure why I'm here. Jarrett felt it was the right thing to do, but how would he know?"
Leisa shrugged. "I don't know who he is, so I cannot speak to his character. Do you trust him?"
"Yes." There was no hesitation in her voice. She believed Jarrett always had her best interest at heart.
"Then believe him. We will help you here."
"Why?" Tressa asked. "You're asking me to trust you and I don't even know who you are."
She smiled. "I am the assistant to the Black Queen."
Tressa was taken aback. "The queen? What does the queen want with me?"
"The queen sent our dragons to Malum to protect you. The queen is a powerful seer. She knew you needed help, and she knew you would be coming here."
"Why me? I'm no one," Tressa said.
"Not true," a familiar voice said as the door creaked open.
Tressa's heart thundered in her chest. She turned toward the door and saw the speaker clearly. "You're dead," she stammered.
"No, my sweet Tressa, I am alive again." Granna seemed to float across the room, a black train trailing from the back of her long gown. She knelt in front of Tressa, grabbing her shaking hands.
"I saw you die. I was there." Tressa pulled her hands away. She glared at Fi, standing in the doorway. "What is this? Why are you doing this to me?"
Granna placed a soft hand on Tressa's cheek. The old woman’s wrinkles had been replaced by smooth, youthful skin. "It's me. After I passed, I was resurrected and brought to my new home. You need to drink this medicine." Granna took the cup off the table, holding it out to Tressa.
"What makes you think I would drink anything you offer me?" Tressa knocked the cup over, spilling the red liquid all over the carpet. She turned to Fi. "This is why you brought me here? Because you thought she'd help me? That woman never did anything but ruin my life."