Once Upon A Curse Book 3 (Completed)

Chapter 5

The oubliette wasn't at all where I thought it might be, so I was glad I'd asked Grandfather to lead us there. Over time, magic had moved doors and holes in the floor so often that even a map wouldn't have helped. When we found it, the metal grate didn't look very sturdy. A lattice of holes as wide as the palm of my hand, it was about three feet square and quite heavy. The grate felt brittle and was hard to move, but Eadric and I were able to lift it free of the opening and set it aside on the floor.

"Now what?" asked Grandfather, floating over the hole as he peered into the darkness below.

"Now I go down there." Taking the piece of string from my purse, I laid it on the floor and made it grow. With a soft hiss, the string stretched until it was longer and thicker. One end of the string fastened to a hook in the wall as the other dropped down into the hole. I listened until I heard the end of the rope slap the floor of the oubliette.

"Let me go first!" said Li'l. She fluttered her wings, circled me once, then swooped into the absolute dark of the hole. "Not much down here," she called. "Just a lot of bones."

"I'll go look," said Grandfather. "Maybe I'll find someone I know." Drifting through the opening, he disappeared from sight.

"I'll go next," said Eadric. "I want to make sure it's safe." Sitting on the edge of the opening, Eadric grasped the rope, hooked one foot around it and slipped down its length. "It seems all right," he called, his voice sounding strangely hollow.

"I'll be right there," I called down and was reaching for the rope when a scrabbling of nails on the stone floor made me stop to listen. At first I thought it was Grassina turned back into a lizard, but when a scrap of shadow detached itself from the gloom, I knew exactly what it was.

"Emma, are you coming?" Eadric called.

"In a minute," I said, stepping back from the edge of the hole.

The glow of my witches' light wasn't very bright, but it was enough to make the shadow moving toward me obvious. The size of a newborn calf, it had no discernable features except for its red eyes. Aunt Grassina had taught me how to deal with the shadow beast years before, so it no longer frightened me as it once had, but I didn't want it to follow us down into the oubliette where I might not have space to maneuver. Bracing my legs, I waited for it to attack. It came at me in a rush, the scrape of claws on stone its only sound. I waited until the last second, then hit it between the eyes with my fist while I jumped out of the way. Unfortunately my foot caught on the grate that I'd left lying on the floor, and I tripped and fell headfirst into the hole.

"Emma, what are you doing?" Eadric shouted as I plunged toward the floor. Something grazed my hand and I snatched at it, catching the rope and nearly dislocating my arm. The rope swung wildly as I flipped over so I was right side up again. My witches' light bobbed around like a crazy thing, casting shadows that shrank and stretched on the walls and floor like some strange kind of monsters.

I felt Eadric grab my legs. "Let go. I've got you," he said.

Li'l circled me, so close that her wings nearly brushed my face. "Why did you do that?" she asked. "I thought you were going to climb down the rope."

"Are you all right?" Grandfather said, floating up to where I still hung. "Do you need help?" he asked.

"I'm fine," I said, although my voice sounded forced even to me. I took a deep breath. My heart was pounding so hard I was sure everyone could hear it. just let go, I told myself. Unfortunately my fingers weren't listening, and I couldn't make them do anything. "I think I'll stay here awhile," I announced, although my hand hurt and my shoulder shrieked with pain.