Page 37 of A Fable of Riddles and Redemption

He nodded in reminiscence. “What happened after you left?”

“I do not know! Must you ask these ridiculous questions I do not know the answers to?”

Taking a deep breath to help himself remain calm, Herrick said, “I am only trying to discover what happened to you so that we may bring the perpetrator to justice.”

“That fool of a guard is already imprisoned,” Carlotta spat. “Justice is already here. But I would not object to a heavier punishment!”

Herrick clenched his teeth. “Jupp was arrested as a precaution for now. We have no proof that he did anything to you beyond flirt.”

“Bah! No proof? You have more than enough proof! The girl who supposedly ‘found’ me is also to blame!”

Anger surged through him at that, but he kept his tone mild. “She is not. She saved you, far more than anyone else did.”

“Fool! You think that because she’s almost as pretty as me that she’s innocent?”

While Herrick suspected there was more to Zorina’s past than what little she’d shared, he knew these claims were completely false.

And she’s far more beautiful…and less hostile, despite everything.

Confirming that he would get nothing useful out of the diva, he said, “I thank you for your time, madam. We will inform you of any updates in your case. I bid you good day.”

Carlotta hmphed at that, turning her head away in disgust.

Herrick eagerly fled the scene, rolling his eyes at her ridiculous antics once he was out of sight.

Zorina

On the third evening after Megail Giry’s disappearance, Zorina headed toward home, Anala bounding at her side. She sighed in relief as she took in the fresh evening air, inhaling the crisp, woody scent of bamboo and pine. It had been a long and tedious day, and she was more than ready to curl up in bed and relax.

It didn’t help that she knew Megail and considered her a friend—or at least as close to one as she could claim. The housekeeper’s daughter was kind and thoughtful, despite her penchant for matchmaking, and Zorina worried about her. For two women with similar features to go missing so close together… It was troubling.

The fact that she also shared the same similar features did not escape her.

As she neared home, Zorina thought she heard the distant sound of a flute playing. It’s not the first time I’ve heard that in the woods…

A sudden realization struck. Not only did she think she’d heard it the night she’d found Carlotta, but she vaguely recalled hearing music—flute music—the nights both Carlotta and Megail had disappeared.

It can’t be a coincidence…can it?

Brushing the strange thoughts aside, Zorina followed the sound, almost as if the music called to her. It was so beautiful, and the lighthearted tones helped relieve her burdens and worries.

As she turned a bend in the path, she unexpectedly almost crashed into someone.

Someone she knew. Someone who, up until that moment, had been missing.

“Megail!” Zorina cried out, her heart in her throat. “Are you all right? Where have you been?”

Megail stared at her blankly, seeming entirely unaware of her presence.

“Megail?” Zorina asked again, a knot of dread twisting in her stomach.

The housekeeper’s daughter said nothing in response. It was like finding Carlotta all over again, but this time, with a woman she knew. The fact that Megail remained uncharacteristically silent unnerved her.

Sighing, Zorina wrapped an arm around Megail’s waist and guided her toward Adael. Although Megail had a similar body type to hers, she was several inches taller than Zorina, which made leading her a bit challenging. Carlotta was taller, too, but not by as much.

Thoughts swirled through Zorina’s mind as she brought Megail into the city, Anala following until the barrier stopped her. How—and why—had two women disappeared and reappeared a few days later, disoriented in the same way? Who was behind it?

And were the strange but hauntingly beautiful melodies she kept hearing part of it?