Revolution (Chronicles of Charanthe #2)

by Rachel Cotterill

  *

  She got back just in time for the academy’s graduation dinner. It had come as no great surprise to anyone that Raf returned victorious from the third contest, in which the task had been to retrieve the key to a cipher one of the rebel factions had adopted. Raf had pick-pocketed a sheet of parchment from one of the rebels as he left his home, while Greg and Stefan had still been contemplating how best to get inside the rebel meeting house.

  Eleanor dressed for the evening in her favourite green gown, with only a single stiletto hidden in the strategic boning of the bodice. They weren’t expecting any trouble tonight. The artificial blonde had long since grown out of her hair, returning it to its usual deep red shade, and she built an elaborate mound of curls on top of her head.

  She walked with Ivan to the banqueting hall, where he took the empty seat next to Raf, and Eleanor found that Daniel had saved a space for her.

  “Venncastle continues to take over the council,” he muttered as she sat down.

  “Can’t you leave it for just one night?”

  Daniel mumbled to himself as he counted heads around the table. “They are almost half,” he said. “It makes fair voting impossible.”

  “How many times have we needed to vote on anything? I can only think of twice in the whole year.”

  “But soon we will have to vote on whether we indulge our Empress by sending a second expedition into the mountains.”

  “I don’t think we can stop her.”

  “Then perhaps we should remove her from the equation. Give your Crown Prince and his heir the chance.”

  Eleanor was saved from having to think of a suitable response by Ragal standing and striking his glass to get their attention.

  “A few words before the feasting begins,” he said. “Tonight we celebrate the growth of another cohort of our students from hopeful young men into competent members of our Association. Although it’s natural that we give particular attention to Raf’s ascension to the council, tonight is for all of you. Make the most of it. Tomorrow, the hard work begins.”

  Everyone clapped and cheered at that: the graduating students anticipating a fresh challenge, the first years looking a year ahead to their own graduation, and all the older members of the Association who remembered their own first days.

  The banquet was as impressive a spread as every year, and the wine flowed freely as everyone heaped second and third helpings onto their plates. Eleanor was relieved that Daniel fell into conversing with Albert about his latest experiments, giving her at least a temporary reprieve from having to work out whether he was seriously threatening to decapitate the Empire.

  By the time she was drunk enough and tired enough to want to go to bed, half of the hall had already emptied, but Daniel and Albert were still arguing furiously over some theoretical corner of apothecary. She tried to get Daniel’s attention but he waved her away impatiently, more interested in winning his point. She sighed; when he got so absorbed in work, it could be days before he’d want to talk to her.

  “I’m going to bed, then,” she said. He grunted an acknowledgement, though Albert was still talking and she was sure he was paying more attention to his words than hers. “See you tomorrow.”

  Eleanor spotted Raf ahead of her on the otherwise empty path, his purple tunic billowing in the warm summer breeze. Creeping along behind him, she slipped a dart into her pipe and aimed it at his ear. He reached up to see what had pricked him, found the tiny needle caught in his skin, and turned in alarm.

  “It’s okay,” she said. “It’s only a blank.”

  He flicked the dart onto the path and ground it with his heel while he waited for her to catch up. “Normal people might’ve just called out.”

  “But you prefer me,” she said with a smile. “What are you doing alone on your victory night? Don’t you have some more celebrating to do?”

  “It’s exhausting, isn’t it? Spending a whole evening being the centre of attention.”

  “So I shouldn’t congratulate you again?”

  “You can.”

  “I’ll settle for welcoming you to the real world. Council seat and everything – you’ve finally caught up with me again.”

  “Does that mean I can come and spot for you more often?”

  “It means I can spot for you for a change. It’s about time I got a break.”

  “Nice to see you’re still wearing your necklace.” He reached out to lift the pendant from her skin, twisting it to make the emeralds sparkle in the moonlight. “I wouldn’t want to think I’d made myself a thief for nothing.”

  She stared at him. “You just won a thieving competition.”

  “Yeah, but that’s different. That’s work, this was... just because I could.”

  “Well, it’s the prettiest thing I own. Which is not to say I don’t sometimes think about how to improve it.”

  “How would you improve it?”

  She looped the chain from around her neck and held the pendant where they could both see it. “See the long edge here?”

  He nodded.

  “I can’t help noticing that if it were hollow, it’d be just about long enough to hold a useful dose of something.”

  He laughed. “You’ve spent too much time with Ivan.”

  “No, Ivan would have made it by now. Whereas I’d have to ask Harold to do the real work for me.”

  “Get him to do it, then. Just the same, but with that bit hollowed out and maybe a spike on the end to administer whatever you keep in there.”

  “But then this wouldn’t be my favourite pendant any more.”

  “Never mind that, just do it.” He took the chain from her hands and put it around her neck again, making tiny adjustments until the pendant lay flat against her skin. “I won’t be offended, promise.”

  “I’ll think about it. Now, are you really going straight to bed or shall we get a drink first? It seems a shame to waste such a lovely evening.”

  “It’s nearer dawn than midnight.”

  “So it’s been a long evening. But it is beautiful, isn’t it? Come on, it’s your last night of freedom – let’s sit out on the lawn for a bit.”