The door swings open and Tobias storms through. His hair sticks up in places and his black shirt only half fastened as he looks wildly around. "Where is she?"
He attempts a stern tone but the panic in his voice is clear. His gaze lands on Maeve in my arms—the same way Katherine's has landed on his half-naked chest.
Tobias swears beneath his breath and crouches down to tentatively reach out and touch Maeve's bare arm. "Maeve. What's happening?"
She lifts her head and whispers something to him that causes his mouth to thin and he doesn't respond.
"Could you leave us now, please, Katherine," he says stiffly.
With a large huff, Katherine flounces away.
Tobias sits back on his heels and drags a hand down his face. "This is because Jamie told her the story about the patient. She's having a nightmare about the cellars."
"I need to know the secret," she whispers.
"There's no secret," says Tobias. He stands again. “Have you ever been in the cellar, Andrei?”
“No. Students aren’t allowed.” I narrow my eyes. “Why? What’s down there?”
“The space is used for storage and isn’t large.” He crouches down again. “Do you think the heartbeat is coming from the cellar?”
Maeve points at the floor and Tobias nods.
“We’ll take you down,” he says soothingly. “Okay?”
Brightening, Maeve sits forward. “Yes. Then can you stop the noise?”
“I think once we look down there, the noise will stop.”
I exchange a look with Tobias. Maeve may be dreaming—or hallucinating—but that sounded condescending to me.
She makes to stand, and I help her to her feet. Tobias stands too and pulls a key chain from his pocket, then studies the keys. Selecting one larger than the rest, he holds his arm out to direct us forward.
Like all students, I’m aware of the locked door to the cellars. All houses have them and they’re filled with spare furniture and school supplies. Katherine had permission to store decorations left over from the Winter Ball down there and never mentioned anything strange.
The black arched door unlocks easily and opens onto roughly cut stone steps. Tobias and I have no issues with the unlit stairs, but Maeve needs help not to trip. We reach a floor covered in cracked white tiles piled with boxes, tables, and chairs, as expected. Tobias lights a gas lamp in the centre of the left-hand wall and looks to Maeve.
She stands in the middle of the small cellar with her eyes closed and hands over her ears again.
“Open your eyes. There’s nothing here,” says Tobias.
“Can’t you hear the heartbeat?” she says in desperation as she uncovers her ears. “It’s so loud!”
She grabs the nearest box and pulls items from inside—Katherine’s Winter Ball banner, tablecloths, plastic cups—and drops them to the floor. As she grabs another cardboard box, I catch her arm. “These are decorations for the school dance.”
She wraps her arms around herself and shivers, crestfallen with tears shining in her eyes. “But I can still hear the heartbeat, Andrei.”
Tobias subtly moves me to one side. “I thought she'd calm down if she saw the place."
"Yeah, I don't think that worked, Tobias."
His lips thin at my sarcasm. "Can you sense anything? A presence?"
The first thing I did when I stepped in here was to focus my mind on picking up anything unusual. "Nothing."
"I can’t either. I'm not prepared to empty the cellar to check the floor and walls tonight; Maeve has drawn enough attention. We need to persuade Maeve to leave until tomorrow.”
“But look at her,” I whisper. “She’s a mess and convinced she can hear something.”
Tobias flicks a look from place to place in the cellar “Perhaps she can.”
“You don’t believe her, do you?” I ask in horror.
“I will never discount anything, Andrei. Not in the current situation.”
“Can you see them?” Maeve exclaims. “There! Look.”
My stomach lurches and I turn, ready to defend myself.
“Them?” I ask. “Nobody’s here.”
“No. The runes.” She moves to the bare, white-painted wall the boxes rest against and points. “They’re glowing. Can’t you see them?”
I exchange another confused look with Tobias. “No. We can’t.”
“They’re Blackwood.”
My blood ices. “Is she imagining those too?” I whisper to Tobias.
“I’m unsure how lucid Maeve is. It’s possible only she can see them.”
Maeve touches a spot on the wall with her fingers and looks at us, eyes dull. “I saw them in the Blackwood house, the day Anastasia touched my mind.”
“Shit. Can you feel anything from them?” I ask.
Maeve looks back at the wall and her pale face is covered in more confusion. “Oh. The runes disappeared.”
“Another traumatic memory,” says Tobias and Maeve scowls. “Has the heartbeat stopped?” His tone is hopeful, but she shakes her head and moves to a different part of the room.
“What’s through there?” Maeve points at the wall opposite the steps.
“Nothing,” says Tobias. “Solid stone; not a built wall.”
Frowning, she approaches and places a hand on the stone. “Are you sure?” she asks and presses her ear against it. "Andrei. Listen."
I bite my lip and copy her. "I can't hear anything, Maeve," I say gently and take her hands."
"Under here?" She drops to her knees and holds her ear to the tiles. "Yes. Under here."
Fuck. I drag a hand through my hair and look at Tobias. He nods and I kneel beside her. The tiles are cool against my cheek, but the only sound is my breathing. Looking up, I shake my head at Tobias.
Maeve's hair falls to her shoulders as she sits again. "I think this is where the noise is coming from. Can we get down there?"
"There's no way down," says Tobias.
"There must be!" she protests and stands.
As she reaches out to move more boxes, Tobias stands in her way. “I promise we’ll come back tomorrow for a closer look,” he says. "If you hear this every night, the noise will still be there tomorrow."
“Do we take her back to Walcott?” I whisper as Maeve chews her lip, considering his words.
“No. I don’t want Sofia involved.” He rubs his forehead. “Maeve can’t stay at Petrescu either. I’ll take her back to my quarters.”
I’m on the verge of retorting how inappropriate that is, but he's stern-faced. “Is that okay with you, Maeve? If Tobias takes you to his rooms?”
“If the noise stops, I don’t care.” She looks at me with the same desperation and my heart sinks. I take her in my arms again and rest my chin on the top of her head. I am useless. I can’t help her.
“Look after Maeve,” I warn Tobias.
Look after Maeve, the girl I love, standing lost and frightened, more vulnerable than I’ve ever seen her.
His harsh expression drops. “Andrei. I always look after Maeve.”