Chapter 14 · The Name Under the Ash

The key was cold in Morgana's hand. Too cold. Like it'd been sitting in ice for five years.

"I asked you a question, Lyra Ashveil." She stepped closer, and I smelled old blood on the iron. My blood. "How did you get this key?"

I couldn't breathe. The key. The one I'd used to open the east gate that night. I thought I'd dropped it in the courtyard when the wolves came through. I thought it was gone.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Liar." Morgana flipped the key between her fingers. "This key opens two locks. The gate you betrayed your clan through. And the Thornwood bloodline vault. The one that holds the original curse contract."

My stomach dropped.

"You're saying the curse is locked in a vault?"

"I'm saying you have the only key that can open it." Her smile was all teeth. "Which means either you're the luckiest traitor alive, or you knew exactly what you were doing five years ago."

"I didn't—"

"Save it." She tossed the key at me. I caught it on instinct. "You're going to open that vault. Tonight.