#Chapter 223: The Thrall

Ella’s POV The first thing I noticed when I woke was the cloying scent of the chemicals that had knocked me out. Then came the nausea sweeping over me like a dark cloud. Something retched bubbled up in my throat, although I swallowed it down with a grimace. As my vision cleared, I realized that I was still in the guest room at the Oxford estate—the very same room that I’d found the artifacts in. Only now, I was tied to one of the plush armchairs, right in front of the crackling fireplace, and I was alone. What a fool I had been, thinking that it would be so easy to take the artifacts out from under Margaret’s nose. Julie had warned me that Margaret was powerful and dangerous. One doesn’t get that way from being stupid and gullible. The plan never would have worked. Margaret knew that we intended to take the artifacts from her, and she had played us right back just to make a point. What had happened to Alexander, I wondered? Was he still at the gala,