Chapter 16 Death in the Well
82%
Finished
Once the storm had passed, the air felt crisp and rejuvenating. Violet retired to her chambers to rest, while Brielle gathered her astrolabe and ventured out into the cool evening.
She was searching for a place where power gathered strongly-a spot where mystical energies flowed unbroken-so she could draw in the light of the moon. This was vital for honing her inner power and speeding the recovery of her strength.
Deep into the night, the manor fell into a heavy silence. Guided by the astrolabe, Brielle wandered until she found herself in a secluded pavilion nestled within a forgotten garden. She set the instrument down before her; the needle began to rotate with a slow, rhythmic consistency. A beam of pale moonlight struck the brass face of the astrolabe, causing it to emit a faint, ethereal white luminescence.
*****
The horizon began to lighten with the pale hues of dawn. Brielle opened her eyes. Though she had only dedicated two days to her internal cultivation, the results were unmistakable. She curled her hand into a fist, feeling a surge of power that was significantly stronger than before.
“Ahhh-”
Suddenly, a piercing scream shattered the tranquility of the morning
*****
Sarah was dead.
She was discovered at the bottom of the stone well situated in Brielle’s courtyard, yet her position was grotesquely unnatural. Her pale, bloated face floated upon the water’s surface, but her body stood perfectly upright at the bottom. It defied reason; how could a corpse maintain such a posture?
A crowd quickly gathered in the courtyard. Several servants attempted to hoist Sarah’s body out of the well, but it refused to budge. It felt as though something-or someone-was anchoring her feet from below.
Soon, news of the tragedy reached Daniel, and he, along with the rest of the household, hurried to Brielle’s courtyard.
Reid ordered several guards to descend into the well and retrieve the body. While they worked, the servants began to whisper amongst themselves, speculating on the cause of Sarah’s demise.
“I saw Sarah creeping into Lady Brielle’s chamber last night,” one murmured. “They were having a terrible
row.”
“I heard it as well,” another added. “Sarah sounded possessed, completely deranged.”
“Do you suppose Lady Brielle…?”
Upon hearing these insinuations, Daniel’s expression darkened ominously. He turned his gaze toward Brielle. “Did Sarah come to see you last night?”
“She did,” Brielle replied, her voice dripping with annoyance. “So what? Does that automatically condemn me as a murderer? For all we know, she did this to spite me-dying in my chamber specifically to frame
me.”
“Brielle, surely Sarah did not simply perish in your chamber without cause,” Donna interjected, her face
|||
<
1/3
09:52 Thu, May 7
Chapter 16 Death in the Well
82%
2 Finished
masks of grave concern. “Why would she choose anywhere else? Surely you have nothing to hide. Tell the truth, and we can clear your name.”
Brielle’s eyes turned glacial. She shot Donna a look heavy with meaning but remained silent.
Initially, Brielle had assumed Sarah had jumped into the well of her own volition. However, observing Donna now, it seemed entirely plausible that Donna was complicit in the girl’s death.
She waited until the guards finally managed to haul Sarah’s sodden corpse out of the well. Then, she stepped forward to examine the remains with a clinical eye.
Donna, by contrast, feigned terror, burying her face in Daniel’s chest to avoid looking at the body. “Brielle, how could you be so cruel? Sarah has already suffered so much. Why did you have to take her life as well?”
Ignoring the provocation, Brielle meticulously checked the body for any signs of trauma.
Meanwhile, murmurs rippled through the courtyard; the mob was convinced of Brielle’s guilt. They had all heard the argument, after all.
With the atmosphere growing hostile, Daniel knew he had to address the accusations. He frowned sternly at Brielle. “Explain yourself. What truly happened last night?”
Brielle continued her examination of Sarah’s body, refusing to look up at Daniel’s interrogation. Her tone was frigid. “Sarah drowned. There are rope fibers embedded in the scrape marks on her palms. Furthermore, there is a length of rope tied around her waist-a very long piece.”
She lifted the rope for Daniel to inspect. “She lowered herself into the well intentionally,” Brielle stated sharply.
Daniel’s frown deepened, his gaze icy. “I asked what you did. Did you quarrel with Sarah or not?”
He was not asking for the cause of death. To Daniel, the manner of Sarah’s passing was irrelevant.
Brielle’s temper flared. “Did you not hear the crowd? Yes I argued with Sarah last night. She came at me like a madwoman. But does an altercation prove murder? Did I hypnotize her into the well and hold her head under?”
She was furious. She was demonstrating evidence that Sarah had entered the well voluntarily, trying to explain the sequence of events, yet all he cared about was casting blame. Did a simple argument make one a murderer?
“But she died in your courtyard,” Daniel countered coldly. “You were in your chambers. How could you fail to notice what she was doing right outside your door?”
“I was asleep. Must I be omniscient?” Brielle snapped. Could she admit she hadn’t been in her room? No. That would only invite accusations of skulking around for nefarious purposes.
Reid, having finished his own examination of the body, rope fibers frayed on the stone ledge of the well. Sarah above severed the rope, leaving her to drown.”
poke up. “Lady Brielle is correct. There are fresh ust have lowered herself down. Then, someone
Reid hesitated, casting a brief, significant glance at Brice. For a moment, she failed to grasp the implication of that look.
“Speak your mind,” Daniel commanded.
2/3
09:52 Thu, May 7
Chapter 16 Death in the Well
82%
Finished
Reid bowed his head respectfully. “Last night, I came to deliver medicinal herbs to Brielle. As I was leaving the courtyard, I did indeed witness Sarah enter and engage in an argument with her. Furthermore, Sarah bears several fresh bruises consistent with a physical struggle.”
As soon as Reid finished, Donna seized the moment. She looked at Brielle with wide eyes of shock. “Brielle, Sarah was already so wretched. Why could you not show mercy? Why did you have to kill her?”
The servants erupted into renewed whispers.
“What is there to debate? Brielle killed her, plain and simple.”
“A venomous woman, that one.”
Brielle’s gaze narrowed into a lethal glare directed at Donna. Donna flinched and shrank further into Daniel’s arms. Though she said nothing, the subtle movement drew Daniel’s eye.
He turned a piercing, warning look toward Brielle, his eyes filled with menace.
The sight only fueled Brielle’s anger. “Yes, Sarah and I argued last night. But if I intended to kill her, I would not be foolish enough to do it in my own courtyard. And as Reid noted, I possess enough strength to have left bruises; why would I resort to a convoluted trick involving a rope and the well?
“The very fact that Sarah lowered herself into the well is suspicious. She despised me. Why would she climb down right in front of me, essentially handing me the weapon to kill her?”
Brielle’s logic struck a nerve; a flash of panic flickered across Donna’s eyes. Brielle caught it instantly.
Her expression turned calculating. She spoke with deliberate weight, “I believe Sarah was deceived. Someone tricked her into descending the well, staging it to look like my handiwork. But Sarah did not wish to die; that is why she used the rope as a lifeline.
“But the person waiting at the top of the well decided to silence her. They cut the rope and let Sarah drown, ensuring her death would be pinned on me.”
As she spoke, Brielle studied Donna intently. Suddenly, realization sparked in her eyes. She noticed distinct wear marks on the cuffs of Donna’s sleeves. She stepped forward, seized Donna’s wrist, and thrust her arm high into the air for all to see.
洄
30
3/3
09:53 Thu, May 7
Fate Binds Me to Lord Clarke
