Ch. 41.1 — Janine was making her last rounds through the dragon’s caves for the night — closing curtains, tidying, and locking up — when someone banged on the front door. The heavy sound echoed in the hallway.
She glanced at her pocket watch. “Hmph. It’s pretty late for visitors.”
The dragon stuck his head out of the library. “Bother these people. I can’t even get a page read. Someone’s always disturbing my peace. Tell them to go away.”
“Of course, dear Jay. At once.”
The library door slammed shut.
All Janine wanted was a hot bath and a good night’s sleep. Her feet hurt, her hands were raw from washing dishes and scrubbing floors, and her head ached. The last thing she wanted was to deal with another guest. Didn’t they realize that the best thing to do during a snowstorm was to stay at home?
Janine yanked opened the front door. The wind blasted in, along with a rush of snowflakes. At first she could only see a vague shadow on the path. The royal guards who usually stood outside were gone.
“Hello?” Janine said.
Then the person moved forward into the lamp light. The woman wore a dark fur cloak with a hood that covered her face. Janine could only see a pair of red, painted lips.
Something about those lips filled her with dread.
The woman moved even closer. She threw back her hood, revealing long, blonde hair and blue eyes set in a stunningly beautiful face – a face Janine had hoped never to see again.
Janine stumbled backwards and tried to shut the door, but her visitor was too quick. She shoved Janine through the doorway, entered the cave, and closed the door behind her. The key locked. The scent of lilies filled the hallway.
Zelda’s smile was cold and cruel. “Hello, sister.”
Carol Nicolas 