“It doesn’t need fixing. It’s working perfectly well, as you can see.” I pointed out, jerking my elbow away from his grip.
The man signed. “That’s the problem, Miss. Now, if you’ll follow—?”
I leaned forward to get a better look at the mechanisms inside. “Have you worked out what made the clock start working again?”
“Do you know something about clocks, Miss?” the man asked.
I nodded.
He hesitated, looking over his shoulder. “There are too many moving parts. It’s a very complex piece of machinery, and it won’t seem to stop ticking—it’s driving everyone mad.”
“Who asked you to fix it?” I asked, trying to distract the man, as I continued to study the mechanism. I felt for the familiar weight in my pocket and pulled out Mr. Pillar’s pocket watch, which. I still had not returned. I flicked it open. It was still working, though I hadn’t wound it since receiving it from Mr. Pillar. As I stared at it, I noticed the second hand ticked in exact time with the audible ticking of the Pinnacle clock.
“Our orders came direct from President Rowntree,” he replied.
“From the President?” I flicked the lid of the watch shut and shoved it back into my pocket.
“Yes, Madam President doesn’t like the ticking any more than anyone else. Now,” he repeated firmly, “I’m going to escort you down to the ground, Miss. We restrict this area. Though this clock hasn’t killed anyone yet, I wouldn’t want you to be the first.”
He took my elbow firmly, and this time, I couldn’t shake him off. He turned me back toward the ladder.
I glanced out at the city below, and the sight suddenly stopped me in my tracks. I’d been so busy staring at the clockwork I hadn’t noticed that I was standing on the top of the tallest landmark in Melfall. From here, the whole city spread out before me.
“I must insist, Miss,” the man said, tightening his grip on my elbow. “I’d rather not carry you down that ladder.”
7
25th August
“It’s your sister.”
Chesh spoke as I stepped into the sitting room for breakfast. I was surprised to see him, particularly this early. He pulled out a seat next to him. I stared at him without understanding.
“What about my sister?” I asked.
Chesh’s wide smile was absent, as the worry pulled his mouth down at the corners. “She was attacked last night.”
I jumped up from my seat. “What happened? Is she all right?”
Chesh put his hand on my arm, pulling me back down next to him. He gripped my hand and held it, looking into my eyes.
“It was a Heart,” he said. Moisture welled in his eyes, and the dark smudges under his eyes stood out in his unusually pale face. “It happened so fast.”
“Is she all right?” I repeated.
Chesh nodded. “I distracted it, then got her away. I brought her back here. She’s shaken, but not seriously harmed. The doctor assured us that she’ll be fine in a day or so.”
I stood from the table. “I need to see her,” I said, but the sitting room door opened, and Alice came in. Her figure was slumped with weariness, but her lips were pinched together tightly.
“Pearl is sleeping. You can see her later,” Alice said, as she sat down at the head of the table.
“Are you alright, Mother? Did you get any sleep at all?”
Alice waved a hand, as though to swat away my words. She looked at Mr. Hopewell, the butler. “Fetch Jack here directly.”
He nodded his head and rushed away to do her bidding.
“Those Hearts are a menace, terrorizing this city. I’ve had enough,” Alice snapped, then sipped at the coffee that had been placed in front of her.
Jack strode inside, smiling as he greeted Alice in the same way he did every morning. Alice didn’t bother with polite words as she launched into her instructions. “Tell Captain Walsh that every guard is to search for those cursed Hearts. I want them locked up by nightfall—every one. I will not tolerate another Heart attack in Melfall. Do you understand?”
Jack nodded, wide-eyed, then hurried out.
I watched the door close, wondering at the puzzles that nagged at me: the sudden ticking of the Pinnacle clock, the appearance of the Hearts, the rumors of the Queen’s return, the mysterious buying up of the city’s blood stores, Raven’s plot against Alice. It had to all be connected.
“Mother, I’ve been thinking…” I started.
Alice closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Unless it’s information about the capture of these Hearts, I don’t have time for it today.”
I pressed my lips together. “No, it’s not about that. I… Do you know there are rumors that the Queen is returning?”
“The Queen is dead,” Alice snapped. She gripped the side of the table with both hands, her knuckles going white with the force of it. Beside me, Chesh froze. Alice breathed deeply through her nose before she spoke again. “The. Queen. Is. Dead. She has been gone for eighteen years. A few strange occurrences don’t change that. I’m trying to govern this city, and the continued repeating of rumors and speculation does not help me hold the city together.”
After a pause, her grip on the table loosened. She opened her eyes to stare at me, then caught sight of Chesh, apparently noticing him for the first time. She blinked, and two pink circles appeared at her cheeks. “I apologize for my outburst, Mr. Cheshire. I’m worried about my daughter, and I’m not feeling well-rested this morning. Please excuse my lack of courtesy.”
With one final glare in my direction, Alice rose from the table and left the room.
I paced in Pearl’s room, waiting for her to wake. After Chesh and I had eaten our breakfast in silence, he’d left to open the shop, and I’d disobeyed Alice’s instructions to come to Pearl’s room.
I stared at Mr. Pillar’s pocket watch, mesmerized by the continued movement of the second hand. It seemed as though it was trying to tell me something, but I couldn’t understand it.
As always, I could feel the mechanism working inside it, without looking. There was nothing wrong with it, but I had never once wound the watch—how did it work if the winding mechanism was not required? I’d opened up the watch, studying the inside, but couldn’t work out what was supplying the alternative source of energy.
It didn’t make any sense. The movement of the second hand moved in exact time with the ticking of the Pinnacle clock, both of them hammering away, as though saying: think, think, think.
The answer seemed just out of reach, and my inability to grasp it was maddening.
“Would you stop that? You’re making me tired, watching you.”
I spun around to stare at Pearl, snapping the watch case closed. Her eyes were open, but she had barely moved. Her long blonde hair was fanned out on her pillow, her pale complexion as soft as the linens she rested against.
“Are you alright?” I asked, coming to her side to perch on the end of the bed as I took her hand. “Are you hurt?”
Pearl nodded. “My head hurts. My back hurts. Everything hurts.” She took a trembling breath. “Did they catch it?” Her blue eyes stared deeply into mine. I saw the fear in them.
I shook my head. “Mother has the city guards searching for the Hearts. We’ll find them,” I said.
“I was going to the salon,” Pearl whispered. “Chesh was walking with me. He was looking for you and decided to accompany me. The Heart came out of nowhere. It grabbed me and threw me against the wall.”
“Then what happened?”
“I hit my head—everything was fuzzy after that. Chesh was there. He was very brave. He carried me, brought me back here. I don’t know what I would have done without him. The Heart might have killed me.” Pearl stared out of the window, her expression distant.
My stomach clenched at the thought that something terrible might have happened to Pearl. I gripped her hand tighter, wishing I hadn’t been so busy lately, wishing I’d had more time to spend with my twin.
“I
’m so glad you’re all right,” I whispered.
Pearl blinked, as though suddenly remembering my presence. “No permanent damage. I have no idea what I would do if the Heart had done something that devalued my esthetic stipend. It’s barely enough as it is.”
I bit my lip, reminded of the unbeautiful living in tunnels, and those who sought Wit’s help. Scarred, marked, poorly dressed, or simply plain. None of them could draw on the esthetic stipend for their living, either. It tore at my heart that the city ignored them. The fact that my sister had narrowly escaped a similar fate made me feel sick.
Suddenly, I couldn’t sit by my sister’s bedside any longer. I had to find answers. I looked outside at the long shadows of the afternoon. There was still daylight left. I made up my mind—there was only one person who knew what was happening in this city. I needed to find Raven and demand answers.
I patted Pearl’s hand. “I have some things that I need to do now,” I murmured. “Do you need anything more before I go?”
Pearl bit her bottom lip, a habit I hadn’t seen her do since she was an awkward girl before she’d grown into her beauty. “Pass me my mirror,” Pearl said, and pointed to the small hand-held mirror lying on her bedside table.
I did so, then crossed the room to open the door.
“Ivy?” I turned back to see Pearl staring at her reflection in the glass. “Chesh is very handsome, isn’t he?”
I frowned, feeling a sudden tightness in my chest. “Yes, I suppose he is.”
“You’re not interested in him?”
I paused as the tight feeling intensified. Pearl’s eyes slid sideways so that she was looking at me from underneath her eyelashes.
“Chesh is my friend,” I replied, surprised to hear the plea in my voice.
Pearl smiled, then looked in her mirror again. I stared at her, hesitating, then shut the door behind me.
The sign on the door of Cappello’s Finest Hats declared the shop open, and the bell tinkled as I stepped inside.
Miss Lapin hurried around the counter and smiled as she recognized me. “Mr. Cappello will be pleased to see you,” she said. “May I bring you refreshment before I fetch him. Tea, perhaps?”
I caught a glimpse of myself in the large mirror hanging on the wall. My hair was ruffled, my shirt rumpled, and there were bright spots on my cheeks. I straightened my shirt and ran a hand over my hair, trying to smooth it.
I forced a smile. “Thank you.”
Miss Lapin hurried away, leaving me to browse the shop. Not a moment passed before I heard footsteps on the stairs.
“Miss Rowntree,” Raven said. I turned to see his sleek, lithe figure descending the stairs with a regal grace. His eyes sparkled, and the side of his lips twitched. “You have returned. I must admit, I thought you might have come sooner.”
“Did you miss me?” I said and instantly regretted it.
Raven chuckled. He turned to me, looking me over as though studying me. He was holding a hat in his hands, and he came over to me to place it on my head. I kept still, as his fingers gently brushed my hair.
He stood back, appraising me, lips pursed. “No, not that one, either.” He whipped the hat from my head, tossing it onto the counter. “You do intrigue me, Miss Rowntree, but I will find your hat.”
I felt warmth rise to my cheeks. “I’m sorry to have disappointed you, Mr. Cappello,” I said.
Raven turned, eyes wide. He reached out to put a finger to my chin, raising my face toward him. “I’m not disappointed in you, Miss Rowntree. Rather, I’m disappointed in my own skills as a milliner. Do not be alarmed, I’ve never shied away from a challenge.”
“Here you are, Miss Rowntree,” Miss Lapin appeared with a pot of tea.
“We shall take it upstairs, Miss Lapin,” Raven said before Miss Lapin had the opportunity to set it down. She nodded, turning towards the stairs.
“I actually came because—” I started, but Raven put a finger to his lips, glancing at Miss Lapin.
He put a hand firmly on the small of my back and guided me towards the staircase. My heart raced as he positioned himself so close to me that we were almost touching.
Upstairs, Miss Lapin set down the tray with a teapot and two teacups on a small table, then excused herself. Raven poured the tea, then offered one cup to me, before settling himself in the chair opposite.
“I’ve come—” I started, but Raven interrupted me again.
“How did your sister like the hat you chose for her?” Raven asked. He leaned back in his chair, as though completely at ease. I sat upright, rigid, and aware of every muscle in my body. I remembered Pearl.
“Pearl is the reason I came,” I said. “Yesterday, she was attacked. By a Heart.”
The smile dropped from Raven’s face. He leaned forward, reaching across the table to offer me his hand. I wanted to reach out, but I tightened my fingers around the porcelain saucer in my hands.
“Is she…?”
“Oh, yes. She’s alive. She’s fine—well, she’s not hurt, anyway.” The teacup clattered as my hand trembled. Raven reached over and took the cup and saucer from me and set it down on the table. Then he knelt next to my chair and took my hands. I startled, instinctively trying to draw my hands away, but Raven tightened his grip. I saw sympathy and kindness in his face.
“Are you all right?”
I closed my eyes, as much to stop myself getting lost in his gaze as to remember my mission. I took a breath. “None of this makes sense. The clock, the Hearts, the cogs, the blood bank…” I was rambling. I squeezed Raven’s fingers as I opened my eyes and stared directly into his. “Tell me the truth. What’s going on in Melfall?”
The door shut behind me, and I was suddenly plunged into darkness. Even the darkness outside was softened by the light of the moon. My heart raced as I heard Raven’s footsteps behind me. I touched my throat, on the place where I’d dreamed about the vampire bite.
In my dreams, the face had become Raven—or had it always been Raven—I was no longer sure. I knew my blood was pumping through my veins, and Raven could probably smell it from where he was standing.
With his heightened senses, he could probably see the vein pulsing madly. I put my other hand to my stomach, trying to settle the storm brewing inside.
I heard another movement somewhere in the room, but I couldn’t see anything. Was it Raven? But he’d been behind me a moment ago. Or was I turned around? My breath caught.
“Mr. Cappello?” I whispered.
There was a scraping sound, and then a flame appeared. It illuminated Raven’s face; the tiny fire mirrored in Raven’s dark eyes as he stared at me. The light danced, casting shadows across Raven’s face, glinting off the pointed fangs as he smiled at me.
I gripped my throat tighter, stepping backwards. Suddenly, I wasn’t certain this was a good idea. Something about Raven made my pulse race, and I wasn’t sure whether I liked it or not.
Raven tilted his head, as though he wasn’t sure what to make of me, then he stepped sideways and reached out with the hand holding the light. Another light caught, and another. In a moment, a chandelier of candles was burning brightly.
The darkness was chased away, revealing a large sitting room. Large leather armchairs faced an unlit fireplace, a circular rug covered the floor, and several paintings decorated the walls, themselves fashioned with wine-red wallpaper. It was a cozy room, comfortable.
I took a breath and made an effort to stop clutching at my throat.
“I apologize. I think I frightened you, Miss Rowntree. I should have warned you that it was dark in here. I tend to forget that you aren’t equipped with my eyesight.”
I attempted a smile. “Please, call me Ivy,” I said, wishing the storm in my stomach would settle.
“I will call you Ivy, as long as you call me Raven,” Raven said, and he smiled broadly at me, revealing his fangs again. I sucked in a breath, then tried to act as though it was natural.
“You are still frightened, Ivy,” Raven said, frowning
. “I thought you were afraid of the dark. Now I wonder whether it’s me that you’re afraid of?”
I pleated the fabric of my skirts between my fingers and attempted a smile again. “I…” I tried to shake my head. “I’m sorry. It’s just that I’ve never been friends with a vampire before and—”
“And you’ve been warned about my bloodthirsty ways?” Raven said. His eyes dropped away, and he stared up at a painting on the wall. It was a portrait of a very beautiful woman. She had glossy black hair, piled on her head with curls tumbling down on one side.
“This woman,”—Raven waved towards the painting—“is my mother. She was very beautiful.”
“She was,” I agreed.
“I told you that my father was a milliner, did I not?”
I nodded.
“My parents were both human. Both born of Melfall, more than a century ago. They married, they had five children. I was one of them—the eldest and trained as a milliner, to take over my father’s business. I had two sisters and two brothers. Even after birthing five children, my mother was very beautiful.
“One day, she caught the Queen’s eye. The Queen was a renowned beauty, too. She appreciated the beauty in everything—did you know that? She was the one who set up the esthetic stipend first. She thought beauty should be rewarded. It wasn’t long before beauty was the measure of everything. As you know, in this city, it still is.”
I swallowed, remembering the poor, unbeautiful people in the tunnels.
“The Queen asked my mother to be among her ladies-in-waiting. My mother couldn’t refuse. No one refused anything of the Queen—it could cost one’s life to anger her. At first, it was fine. The Queen was demanding, and my mother spent long hours away from us, but we were old enough to fend for ourselves. I was an adult—barely—and working with my father in the shop. My younger siblings were growing up and made themselves useful. They didn’t need the constant supervision of our mother.
“One day, when my mother left for work, my father reached out to touch her hair, laughing. He’d found a gray hair among the black, and said that she wouldn’t be able to work much longer for the Queen, who wouldn’t hold with such imperfection. My mother didn’t come back that night. Nor the next.” Raven sighed deeply.
Ivy: Daughter of Alice Page 17