Tuesday (The Days of the Week #2)

Chapter Eleven

I stood frozen in the doorway, staring out at William's study. The room was dimly lit, the only light coming from the dying embers in the massive fireplace. Shadows danced along the walls lined with bookshelves.

I scanned the room, half expecting William to be sitting in one of the high-backed chairs, waiting for me. But the room was empty, the silence broken only by the soft ticking of the grandfather clock in the corner.

I stepped fully into the study, easing the hidden door closed behind me. It blended seamlessly into the other bookshelves, invisible unless you knew where to look. My mind raced as I tried to process what I had just discovered.

The underground passageway, the shackles, the creature stalking the grounds. As my eyes adjusted to the dim light, I caught sight of something on William's desk. A large, leather-bound book lay open as if William had been interrupted during reading.

I crept closer to the desk, my eyes locked on the open book. The pages were yellowed with age, the ink faded but still legible. It appeared to be a journal or ledger of some kind, the entries dated from over a hundred years ago.

As I scanned the cramped, spidery handwriting, certain words leaped out at me. “Transformation.” “Curse.” “Bloodlust.” A chill ran down my spine. What was this?

I turned the page with a shaking hand. There, in the margin, was a detailed sketch of a creature that looked eerily similar to the beast I had encountered in the maze. My breath caught in my throat. Was the Ashcroft family breeding the creatures?

I flipped through the pages, noticing the handwriting changed every so often. Skimming through the aged journal, I quickly realized it was not just one person's account, but a record passed down through generations of Ashcrofts. The earlier entries spoke of a “family affliction” and experiments to find a cure.

There were entire pages devoted to drawings and descriptions of plants. Most of them poisonous. What exactly were the Ashcrofts trying to do? Were they experimenting on the creatures? Why?

One passage in particular caught my eye: “I fear I will not be able to control it much longer. The herbs provide temporary relief, but the effects are weakening. It requires more and more to contain the beast. I am losing hope.”

The ink was smudged in places as if the writer's hand had been shaking. I flipped forward in the journal, my heart pounding as I scanned the increasingly erratic entries. The most recent pages were written in what I recognized as William's elegant script.

“I can feel it growing stronger. The herbs barely take the edge off now. I fear it is only a matter of time before I am unable to control the change.”

The passage was dated one week before I arrived. With rising horror, I realized the full extent of what I had stumbled upon. William was not just harboring a dangerous creature on his estate. He was drugging it to keep it contained.

A floorboard creaked behind me. I whirled around, the journal falling from my hands to land on the desk with a thud. Holloway stood in the doorway, a look of shock on his face. Holloway recovered quickly, his expression smoothing into one of polite concern.

“Dr. Blackwood. I didn't expect to find you here.” His gaze flicked to the open journal on the desk before returning to my face. “Is everything alright?”

“I was just looking for Mr. Ashcroft,” I said quickly. “I had a question about the search.”

Holloway's eyes narrowed slightly, and I got the distinct impression he saw right through my lie. He took a step further into the room, his posture stiff and formal.

“This room is private, Dr. Blackwood. I would ask you to return to your room.”

“Of course,” I agreed, forcing a smile. “It can wait until morning. Good night, Holloway.”

His gaze followed me as I hurried past him to the hallway. I rushed down the corridor to my room and lurched to a stop. The door was pristine. No sign there had ever been deep scratches. I lightly ran my fingers over the wood grain.

They had to have swapped my door for another. It was the only explanation. I entered my room and locked the door behind me, my mind reeling with everything I had learned. William was knowingly harboring the creature, and his family had a long history of the same dangerous pastime.

I paced the room, trying to make sense of it all. They had to be doing some sort of genetic experimentation. It was the only logical explanation for the strange, six-limbed creature. But why the talk of curses and transformations? I could not make the puzzle pieces fit together.

I barely slept that night. I tossed and turned, drifting into fitful dreams filled with glowing eyes and snapping jaws. When the first rays of pale sunlight filtered through the curtains, I was already up and dressed, my bag packed with the few belongings I had brought. I needed to get out of this place, and back to the sanity and safety of town. But first, I had to confront William.

I made my way down to the small dining room where breakfast was usually served, steeling myself for the conversation ahead. But when I entered, the room was empty, the table bare. Frowning, I turned back to the hallway, nearly colliding with Holloway.

“Dr. Blackwood,” he greeted cooly. “Mr. Ashcroft is having breakfast in his study. He has requested your presence.” He turned away without waiting for an answer.

My stomach twisted with nerves as I followed Holloway through the winding corridors. I went over what I knew in my head, wondering how much I should reveal. The events of the previous night played on a loop in my mind - the hidden passageway, the shackles, the damning journal entries. William was clearly into some kind of illegal genetic experimentation.

Before I was ready, we reached the heavy doors of William’s study and Holloway knocked sharply. The sound echoed in the stillness. After a moment, William's deep voice called from within.

“Enter.”

Holloway opened the door and stepped aside, gesturing for me to go in. I took a deep breath and crossed the threshold. William stood by the window, his back to me as he gazed out at the misty grounds. He wore a dark suit as usual, but there was a tension in his broad shoulders that I had not noticed before.

“Leave us,” he said without turning around.

Holloway bowed and retreated, closing the door with a soft click. The silence stretched between us, thick with tension. I licked my dry lips, trying to find the words to begin.

“William—” I started, but he cut me off.

“You were in the maze last night.” It was not a question. He finally turned to face me, his expression unreadable. “I told you it was dangerous.”

I lifted my chin, refusing to be cowed. “Yes, I was. And I found your secret.”

William went very still, his amber eyes boring into mine. “And what secret is that, Christina?” His voice was low, almost a growl.

I gestured to the journal still lying open on his desk. “I know about your family's history. The experiments, the creature you're keeping on the grounds.”

A muscle ticked in William's jaw. He took a measured step toward me.

“You don't understand,” he said, his voice dangerously soft. “The creature isn't something we keep.”

I shook my head. “William, whatever is going on, I can help you. But you have to tell me the truth. Is Aiden Wilson alive?”

William's eyes flashed and he closed the remaining distance between us in two strides. “The boy was never here. I told you that.”

I stood my ground, tilting my head back to meet his intense gaze. I wanted to believe him. Even with everything I knew, there was still an irresistible draw between us. William’s gaze dropped to my lips.

“Christina…” He said my name like a caress, his deep voice sending a shiver down my spine despite the tension crackling between us. “I am trying to protect you.”

I swallowed hard, trying to ignore the way my body reacted to his proximity. “From the truth?” I demanded.

William’s eyes narrowed. “From me.” Before I could react, his lips were on mine.