Read Online (Skeleton Key) Into Elurien by Kate Sparkes - Free Book Online

think another door might help us find Verelle. If Hazel can open one—”
    “Let it go,” Jaid growled, but without real anger. “Verelle is gone. Be content with that.”
    The ogre leaned back in his chair. It creaked under the strain. “If that’s settled…”
    Grys turned to him. “I suppose it is, for now.”
    The ogre cracked his knuckles so loudly that it sounded like boards breaking. “Auphel should be returned to regular duties if the human is no longer a prisoner. I’d be happy to take her in as part of the rearrangement crew. We could use her strength.”
    Auphel stiffened beside me, fists clenched, but said nothing. She would do as she was told, though the idea of going with this creature obviously distressed her.
    I couldn’t blame her if she was afraid. He was practically salivating.
    “I need Auphel to stay with me a while longer,” I said. I knew I was far overstepping my rights, but she’d protected me. I had to return the favour. “She’s helping me figure things out here, keeping me out of trouble. I won’t be a bother to any of you if she’s with me.”
    Jaid lifted her lips in a silent snarl. “The new human wishes to have a monster servant. How shocking. This is a bad idea, Grys.”
    “Not a servant,” I added, before he could respond. “A friend. I understand it would be inconvenient to lose her for other purposes, but I do think this would benefit everyone.” Auphel more than most, I added silently as I caught the disappointed scowl that crossed the male ogre’s face.
    “Having a monster with her to keep an eye on Hazel isn’t a bad idea,” Zinian said. “We believe her to be trustworthy, but having Auphel with her would allow us more certainty.”
    Grys waved an indistinct hand at us, then tossed the skeleton key onto the table. It skittered toward me, and I caught it from the air as it sailed off the end. “Go, then. Zinian, you’ll continue to supervise.”
    Zinian nodded, and Auphel dragged me out of the room.
    “That was pleasant,” I said under my breath. I was still quaking inside from my unaccustomed display of nerve, but I felt stronger. More in control than I had since my arrival.
    “It really was not.” She shuddered. “I guess we’re free now, though. Want to get some fresh air?”
    My stomach turned at the thought of returning to the streets, but if I was going to find my way home, I’d need to explore the city. And I knew no one would dare mess with Auphel. “Definitely.”
    After a few wrong turns, we found the palace entrance. We stepped out into an empty street, though I heard voices from farther away. The sun beat down hard and hot as we walked, and I kept my eyes open for doors that looked as out of place as the one in the attic had.
    “Thank you for asking to keep me,” Auphel said as we walked toward the square. “I wouldn’t want to work for Kringus.”
    I was about to respond, but the words disappeared as we rounded a corner and I stepped into a puddle. Not water, but thick, dark blood. I gasped and jumped to the other side, and Auphel pulled me away. She put her body between me and the spiked boot on the other side of the puddle.
    I turned away, but not before I saw the thin, shapely leg sticking out of it, torn off at the knee. I gagged, and spots appeared in front of my eyes.
    “I’m sorry, Hazel,” Auphel said as I leaned my face against a cool stone wall and caught my breath. “I expected they’d have cleaned up.”
    I waited until the spots cleared before I tried to walk away. “This is what they were doing last night?” I was glad that Auphel had been with me, but felt sick thinking she’d known about this.
    She picked at her rough fingernails and bit her lip. “I suppose. I mean, I didn’t know exactly, but I knew they were still hunting down a few important people. Personal enemies. Slavers.” She glanced up at a nearby storefront. “A garment maker who…” She looked back. “Hazel, he kept imps tied to his machines