CHAPTER SEVENTY THREE – TOO MUCH QUESTIONS

In the days following her unnerving discovery of the hidden research chamber, Cassie found herself scrutinizing every member of the manor staff she passed with newfound scrutiny. From the butlers to the maids, gardeners to footmen, she scanned each of their faces and exposed skin for any telltale signs - the imprints of what, she didn't know. A Few of the elder valets bore puckered scars along their forearms and necks, the twisted topography of mottled flesh raising the fine hairs along Cassie's nape whenever her gaze lingered too long. But it was the fresher wounds, the jagged lacerations and barely-scabbed gashes scoring the hands and faces of certain junior attendants, that truly set her on edge. Like claw marks, she couldn't help thinking each time her eye caught the unmistakable bright pink slashes. From some sort of beast...? But no, that was merely her mind playing tricks after being sent spiraling by the arcane research materials surrounding the von Steiner "curse." She refu