Free The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges

chair opposite Papa. I wanted to ask Papa more about the fallen soldier, but he looked tired. I sneaked a glance at the cold light surrounding Papa, then looked at Maman as well. They both appeared healthy, and the dying light that caressed each of them promised that death was far off. With a small sigh of relief, I curled up in the corner chair with my medical book and read.
    A while later, the footman announced a visitor. The officer asked Papa to come to the hospital quickly. I jumped out of my chair and begged him to let me go with him.
    My father only shook his head sadly as he took his coat and hat from the footman. “Do not wait up for us tonight, my dear,” he said to Maman.
    She stood up as well, placing her hands on my shoulder in comfort. I turned around and embraced her, saying a silent prayer for Count Chermenensky’s family. Twisting the obsidian ring around my finger nervously, I wished that he had not died so young.
    After Anya talked us into one more cup of tea, we all went to bed.
    And I dreamed.
    The nightmares I had after Theophany were nowhere near as lucid as the first one, the night before the Blessing of the Waters, but were far darker. The night before I went back to Smolny, I dreamed of being cold, as if I’d been buried deep in the winter earth. I awoke several times, still shivering, certain I could smell the damp dirt in my skin and hair.
    Was I going mad?
    I prayed for warmth and daylight.
    I prayed for my sanity.

CHAPTER TEN

    I tried to forget about the terrible dreams when I returned to Smolny. Madame Tomilov greeted us all and provided a wonderful welcome-back feast.
    Elena was happy to be in St. Petersburg again. “I have a present for you,” she told me at dinner. “I’ll give it to you when we are alone.”
    I’d already written a thank-you note to her parents for the onyx box. But I still did not know who had sent the tarot card—whether Militza had added the card to the gift. Or perhaps the crown prince himself.
    My cousin, who seemed a little paler since I’d seen her at the Christmas Ball, rolled her eyes. “What superstitious trinkets are you trying to scare Katiya with now?” she asked.
    A shudder ran through me as I remembered that Elena had taken a strand of my hair back to Cetinje with her. What had she done with it?
    She ignored Dariya and laughed. Her eyes seemed somuch brighter since her trip home. Suddenly, I remembered my nightmare, and I wondered what kind of dark magic Elena had been dabbling in over the holiday. What rituals did the Montenegrins practice in their kingdom? I took a nervous sip of my water.
    After dessert had been served, one of the Bavarian princesses leaned over and whispered, “We heard about the tragedy at the Blessing of the Waters. How sad!”
    I nodded. “It was Count Chermenensky, my brother’s friend.” I regretted my unkind words to him when we’d met in the park. I wanted to cry all over again. My poor brother was still grief-stricken.
    The girls were horrified to hear this. “We spoke with him in the gardens!” Augusta said. “How terrible!”
    Elena shrugged, finishing her lemon tart. Erzsebet gazed longingly at my plate. Glancing at the mistresses’ table and seeing them deep in conversation, I slid my tart onto Erzsebet’s plate.
    “
Merci
, Katerina,” she said happily.
    After dinner, we returned to our rooms to get ready for bed. Elena pulled a small silver box out of her trunk. “Happy Christmas, Katerina!” She opened the box as she held it out to me. Inside was a lock of black hair. “Go on, take it!” she said, nudging me.
    I stared at the black curl, tied with a leather cord. “What is that?” I had an ominous feeling in the pit of my stomach.
    “Danilo’s, of course! It’s yours now.”
    “It would not be proper to accept such a thing.” I pulled back my covers and climbed into my bed.
    She closed the box and set it on her bedside stand. “Youare no fun, Katerina. You sound just like your cousin,