Red Hood's Revenge

through that extra layer of magic, but it would not be pleasant.
    “What’s wrong?” Danielle called.
    “Proper spellcasting takes time,” Snow said.
    Talia’s snort echoed clearly up the well. “When did you start worrying about propriety?”
    Snow smiled despite her frustration. She touched the stone again, when a faint chirping sound on the other side startled her. She yanked her hands back.
    “Wait,” said Danielle. “Try to lift it now.”
    Snow did so. This time, the cap rose higher, revealing a round windowless cellar. A small brown and black bird with a tufted head stood on the edge of the well.
    “Talia was getting impatient,” Danielle explained. “I thought you might want help.”
    Snow said nothing. She reduced the light from her choker as she peered around the cellar. Once she was sure nobody was within, she braced herself and pushed the lid higher. It was surprisingly heavy, falling back with a loud thud. Snow froze, but heard nothing.
    “I would have gotten it eventually,” Snow called down. She climbed from the well, shooting an annoyed look at the bird. A metal rod the size of her little finger lay beside the bird, close to an iron loop anchored into the floor. “Oh, sure. It’s easy to unlatch it from the outside.”
    The well itself was simply a hole in the stone floor. A bucket and rope sat to one side, the rope knotted to another bolt in the floor. Snow lowered the bucket to help the others climb out, then examined the room more closely.
    The first thing she noticed was a low humming that reminded her of air playing over the mouth of a jug. The sound came from a round hole in the ceiling. Metal bars crisscrossed the hole, which was wider than the well and appeared to be a chimney of some sort.
    The cellar was a small room with open doorways to either side. Heavy curtains had been tied back from the doors, allowing a strong breeze to pass through. The air chilled Snow’s wet skin.
    Clay jugs lined the walls. Most were painted in brown and orange designs, with images of animals both magical and mundane. Dust covered the floor, save for the paths from the well to the doorways.
    Roudette emerged next, followed by Danielle. Danielle smiled when she spotted the bird.
    “Thank you,” she said. He fluffed his wings and flew into the air, disappearing into the hole in the ceiling.
    “What is that thing?” Snow asked, pointing to the ceiling.
    “Windcatcher,” said Talia, pulling herself up onto the floor. “Remember the tall structure we saw outside? The wind flows past, sucking the air up through the tower and pulling cool air from the cellar throughout the mansion. The only downside is how easily a good thief can use them to sneak inside. Eventually people started building bars into the towers to keep out unwanted visitors.”
    Snow peeked up into the windcatcher, her pain momentarily forgotten. She had read of these structures but had never seen one. “There should be shutters at the top to control the effects of the wind.”
    “That’s right.” Talia coiled the rope and bucket onto the floor, then pulled the well cover back into place.
    “So we made it to the cellar,” Roudette said, looking around. “How do you intend to reach the gardens?”
    Talia smiled at Roudette, her expression as wicked as Snow had ever seen it. She cut a length of rope from the bucket, tucking the ends away to hide them. She tied a quick loop in the end. “Where else would we take the newest addition to Rajil’s menagerie?”
     
    Wet wolf smelled a great deal like wet dog. Talia grimaced as she strode through the hallway, one hand clutching the rope tied around Roudette’s neck. They passed the baths and several storerooms before being stopped by a young man in a sleeveless white tunic trimmed in red. He was carrying an enormous bundle of soiled clothes.
    He jumped back at the sight of Roudette in her wolf form. “Who are you?”
    “This beast is a gift for the raikh,” Talia said. “Where can we find her?”
    The man shifted his burden. “You’re soaked. What happened?”
    “Have you ever tried to bathe a wolf?” Talia demanded. “Believe me, the raikh would be most displeased if we delivered this animal smelling the way she did before.”
    Roudette turned her head, growling at Talia. The servant backed away, and Talia used the opening to drag Roudette another step toward the stairs. Roudette fought, and Talia had to grab the rope with both hands to keep her grip. Danielle grabbed