by Sarah Ash
How had this happened? Eugene had summoned one Drakhaoul and one alone. Yet there was no escaping the fact that in replacing Nagar's Eye, even for so brief a time, he must have inadvertently set the others free from their stone prison.
In a sudden shudder of wings, they took to the air. Linnaius cowered in his craft as they streaked away overhead, like three fiery comets searing the deep blue of the sky.
“No,” Linnaius heard himself murmuring, as if a mere word from a magus could stop such powerful daemons. “What have we done, Eugene? What abominations have we let loose on the world?”
CHAPTER 11
Astasia wandered forlornly through the palace looking for Eugene. Exhausted, upset, and confused, she was determined to learn the truth about the sinking of the Sirin.
The servants were yawning as they began the work of clearing away the detritus left after the last guests had departed: the empty ballroom was strewn with streamers, discarded dance cards, crushed flowers, and plates of half-finished food. The polished floor was puddled with spilled wine and melted ices. The lingering smell of stale alcohol and gunpowder fumes almost made her retch.
Why do I feel so sick? Have I eaten something that disagreed with my stomach?
No one had seen the Emperor and Astasia eventually found herself at the office of Gustave, Eugene's personal secretary.
“Imperial highness!” Even the usually meticulous Gustave looked a little the worse for wear, with a hint of stubble darkening his cheeks and chin. “Why didn't you send for me?”
“Where's my husband, Gustave?”
“He—” and it didn't escape her notice that Gustave faltered— “he's gone hunting.”
“Hunting,” she repeated incredulously. It was so obviously a pretext—but for what? Does he have a mistress? “You expect me to believe that after the celebrations last night he's gone hunting?” And then she felt the tears burning in her eyes again. It was unforgivable of Eugene to treat her, an Orlov, in that neglectful way. His indifference was too much to be borne! Too proud to let Gustave see her reaction , she turned on her heel and hurried out without another word, only to run almost directly into a tall young officer in the uniform of the Imperial Household Guard.
“Are you all right, highness?” he said in concerned tones.
Blinking back her tears, she looked up and saw that it was Valery Vassian.
“Valery,” she said with relief, “I'm so glad to see a familiar face.”
“Your brother told me to look after you,” he said softly in their home tongue. “Shall I escort you back to your apartments?”
So Valery knew Andrei was alive. She put her hand on Valery's arm and let him lead her back through the hordes of sweeping and scrubbing servants. And as they walked, her anger at her absent husband began to grow. The Melusine, Andrei had said, would be sailing from Haeven—and a berth was booked for her. She glanced up at Valery and saw him blush and glance away. He had always looked out for her, even when they were children playing together at Erinaskoe, and she knew that his feelings for her were stronger than friendship.
Once safely back in her apartments, she sank down on a chair, all her energy exhausted.
“Can I get you anything: water, tea, coffee?” Valery offered. She pulled a face; even the thought of tea or coffee made her feel queasy.
“Valery,” she said, looking up at him pleadingly. “Will you help me?”
He didn't even hesitate. “Tell me what you want to do,” he said gallantly, “and I'll help you, no matter what.”
“I can't stay here a moment longer. I want to go to join Andrei.” She saw his eyes widen in surprise. “Valery, I shouldn't have asked this of you, I'm sorry—”
He went down on one knee before her. “I gave Andrei my word that I'd look after you and I never go back on my word. If that's what you wish, highness, then I'll make the arrangements straightaway. As discreetly as I can. Although until they've finished clearing up after the ball, no one will notice yet another carriage leaving the grounds.”
Astasia was so touched at his words that the tears began to flow freely. “Thank you, Valery, I promise I'll make this up to you …”
He took her hand and kissed it reverently. “Just to be near you, highness, that's all I ask.”
Celestine awoke to find daylight streaming into her room. “Too bright,” she murmured. Her vision was blurry and her head felt thick and heavy, too heavy to lift off the pillows.
“Awake at last!” Jagu's voice was so loud that it made her temples throb. She closed her eyes and turned away from him.
“How long have I been asleep?”
“Asleep? The Magus drugged you.” Jagu sat on the side of the bed. “Whatever possessed you to confront him on your own? You're lucky that he didn't do worse. And what's more, you've lost us our one advantage against him: the element of surprise. Now he'll be on his guard.”
“I hate it when you preach, Jagu…” She pressed her fingertips to her aching forehead. “Ahh, my head hurts.”
“Perhaps that'll teach you not to go charging in alone without making a proper plan.”
“I shouldn't have expected any sympathy from you.” She just wished he would stop talking and leave her alone to recover.
“Now's the time to go back and investigate, when the servants at the palace are fully occupied clearing up after the ball and all the remaining guests are asleep or too drunk to care.”
“Now?” she said, reluctantly opening one eye. “In this condition?” She was still wearing the powder-blue shepherdess costume, only now its silky folds were crumpled and stained.
“I've ordered the carriage. We'll spin the guards at the gate some story about your leaving your music behind.”
Celestine tried to push herself up to a sitting position. To her surprise, he slipped his arm around her and propped the pillows up behind her. “I'll fetch you some strong coffee. Or would the demoiselle prefer tea?”
Celestine approached Kaspar Linnaius's door a fourth time. Jagu lurked downstairs, keeping watch. Each of her earlier attempts to break in had failed. The Magus's wards repelled her, sending unpleasant shocks shooting up through her hand and arm.
This time, she was determined not to fail.
No one had challenged them as they made their way toward the laboratory. All the servants were busy clearing up after the ball. Many of the household were wandering dazedly around as if still in a drunken stupor. But then, she was already well-known as the Empress's intimate companion. Why should anyone wonder what she was doing?
For this attempt she had taught herself an incantation from her father's grimoire, “To Break Down Mysterious Barricades.” After checking that the corridor was empty, she murmured the words three times, knocking on the invisible door in the initiate's fashion.
Although she saw nothing alter, she felt the air ripple as though an invisible curtain had been drawn back. And when she raised her gloved hand to open the door, she met no resistance. The gloves were another precaution; Linnaius was almost certain to have left some trace of alchymical poison on the handles to snare the unwary.
The door swung inward. She entered, muttering the incantation again just for good measure. Warily, she went through the neat laboratory toward a second door, which had been left ajar.
A young woman lay on the bed. Her skin was pallid, her eyes open and staring, as if at some horror only she could see.
“Jagu!” Celestine cried. “Come quickly!”
CHAPTER 12
Jagu appeared in the doorway. “Sweet Sergius,” he muttered. “Is that a body? If so, we have more than enough evidence against him.”
Celestine knelt and held a glass to her lips. “Look,” she said, showing him the blurring made by the slight trace of breath. “She's alive.” She touched the young woman's shoulder. She shook her. “Wake up!” she cried. The young woman made no response at all.
“Alive, yet not alive,” said Jagu. “He's stolen her soul.”
Soul-stealer. Their eye
s met, locked.
“Is Linnaius the one, after all?” Her throat had gone dry.
“Is he the one who killed Maistre de Joyeuse?” Jagu put her suspicions into words.
Celestine didn't want to have to think about that most painful of subjects; she needed to stay strong and focused on their task. She rose. “We have much to do. He could return at any minute. Let's take as much evidence from here as we can get in the carriage.”
“Are we just going to leave her like this?”
A sudden shaft of sunlight penetrated the Magus's laboratory, catching glittering fire in a glass case on his desk. Celestine shaded her eyes, wondering what was sparkling so brilliantly amid so many stoneware jars of alchymical substances and ancient, dusty volumes. “What is this, Jagu?” She went over to the desk. “Could it be… ?”
A device intricately engineered out of metal, wood, and crystal lay within the case. It looked like a timepiece or a chronometer, and yet there was something familiar about it that tugged at her memory. “Is this my father's Vox Aethyria?” She had seen a device just like this in her father's study. Don't touch, Klervie, it's very delicate… warned a voice from the past, strong hands gently yet firmly removing her sticky fingers from the case.
She turned to Jagu. “We must take this with us.”
“It looks far too fragile.” Jagu had begun to pack books of alchymy into a trunk. “What is it?”
“It's a communications device. With this, our agents will be able to talk directly to the Emperor. Just imagine what an advantage this will give us in negotiations!” She lifted it, holding it close, sensing the faintest of vibrations within the sensitive mechanism.
It's all right, Papa, I'll be careful this time, I promise. I'll guard it with my life.
Celestine watched Jagu and the coachman carrying the box containing the Vox Aethyria and the books out of the courtyard. Still no one had challenged them. It was almost as though Linnaius had sprinkled his sleepdust over the whole palace. Perhaps the Emperor's servants had been ordered not to interfere with the Magus's experiments and had learned to stay away…
A sudden chill gust of wind pierced the balmy summer warmth. Celestine's skin tingled. She clutched her arms to her as the icy draft scored a warning across her mind.
He's here. For a moment she felt overwhelmed by panic. Suppose Linnaius unleashed the full force of his powers against them?
Sleepdust. She returned to the laboratory and slipped the little phial of iridescent granules into her bodice. What was the harm in using some of the Magus's own magic to subdue him?
Gathering up her skirts, Celestine ran down the stair and toward their carriage, calling out a warning. “Jagu! He's returned!”
Jagu felt the wind gust through the parkland trees, setting all the leaves trembling. He squared his shoulders, reminding himself that hunting down magi was the principal reason he had joined the Commanderie.
I'm not just doing this for Francia, I'm doing this for Celestine.
Yet he had not been forced to confront a true-blood magus face-to-face since Paol's murderer had almost taken his life too in the school chapel. And as he set out toward the gardens, he was forced to clench his fists to stop his hands from shaking.
He felt a faint prickling sensation in his left wrist. Looking down, he saw that the skin where the magus had imprinted his sigil on him was glimmering.
It can't be the same magus. He was young, even well-favored. And Linnaius is so old.
He caught sight of an elderly man in the distance. He was slowly coming toward him along one of the gravel paths, stopping every now and then, as if to catch his breath, one hand pressed to his chest, the other clutching a little casket.
As Jagu watched, he reached the topiary gardens and, tottering to a garden seat, lowered himself onto it. Emboldened, Jagu set out toward him, passing along a path of grey gravel between clipped box beds. The Magus was sitting slumped against the ironwork scrolls of the bench. His breath came in shallow gasps and his eyes were shut.
“You don't look very well,” said Jagu quietly. “Can I help you?”
Linnaius slowly raised his head, squinting in the bright sunlight. “I'm just a little… fatigued.” He tried to get up again, clinging to the side of the seat.
“Lean on me.” Jagu took hold of him. “Are you going into the palace?”
Linnaius nodded and they set off at a slow pace toward the stables.
As long as he doesn't notice that I'm steering him in the opposite direction…
”Just a little farther now,” Jagu said aloud, as they reached the stable courtyard, where their coach stood waiting, horses harnessed, ready to leave. The coach door opened and Celestine emerged.
“Good day, Kaspar Linnaius,” she said. “We have been waiting for you.”
Jagu felt the Magus react and tightened his grip on Linnaius's arm.
“What do you want with me?” Linnaius demanded.
“Just to take a ride in this coach together,” she said. “It's a lovely day for a ride, isn't it?”
“I will not be taken anywhere against my will—” Linnaius began.
“Please don't make a fuss,” Jagu said as he drew his pistol from his belt, “or we will be obliged to compel you by other, less pleasant means.”
“At least let me bring a few possessions…”
Jagu pressed the muzzle of a pistol against the back of the Magus's neck. “Into the coach,” he whispered. “Now.”
CHAPTER 13
Jagu hurtled across the cobbled quay toward where the ambassador's carriage stood waiting.
“Urgent, you say, Lieutenant?” Abrissard gave Jagu one of his frostiest looks. “This had better be urgent enough to make me delay my return to Muscobar.”
Jagu, too breathless to reply, handed the casket to him.
“What's this?” Ambassador d'Abrissard opened the lid. A rich crimson glow emanated from inside, fierce as a winter's sunset, lighting his face with its fire.
“The Tears,” Abrissard said in wondering tones. “The Tears of Artamon.” He shut the lid swiftly and when he looked up, Jagu saw that his eyes gleamed. And the ambassador was usually so self-controlled. “How did you—”
“They were in the Magus's possession.” Jagu, exultant that he and Celestine had pulled off such an outrageous feat, could not stop himself from smiling.
“And you weren't followed?” The ambassador glanced anxiously around. “You're certain no one saw you?”
Jagu gave a little shrug. “The palace servants were too busy tidying up after the ball.”
“I will inform his majesty straightaway.” Abrissard was once again the prudent diplomat.
“Isn't the king still in Djihan-Djihar?”
“Indeed. I'll get the rubies off Tielen soil as swiftly as possible.” Abrissard's tone was brisk. “Where's Demoiselle Celestine?”
“Keeping guard over the Magus in case he wakes.”
One of Abrissard's curving black brows quirked upward and Jagu found himself wondering if it had been so prudent to leave Celestine alone with Linnaius.
“She'll be fine. Père Judicael taught us special techniques to subdue the magi.” He spoke with a confidence he did not feel; he was anxious to get back to Celestine as soon as possible to make sure that she was still safe.
“Captain Peillac will take you and Linnaius to Francia on the Dame Blanche. As to the Tears, I can assure you they will be delivered to the king directly.”
“Very good, Ambassador.” Jagu saluted and turned to leave when Abrissard stopped him.
“I'll be commending you both to his majesty. The contents of this simple casket could well change the tide of history. Well done, Lieutenant.”
Jagu bowed, acknowledging the compliment. As he hurried back to the tavern, he still could not quite believe their good fortune in capturing both the Magus and the prized rubies together.
“This is where we must part company, your highness.” Celestine curtsied to Prince Andrei. “I wish you a saf
e journey to Francia.” She turned to board the Dame Blanche but Andrei seized hold of her hand.
“Are you certain you're feeling all right?” he asked in a low, intense voice. “I was so worried about you. Linnaius is dangerous—”
“I'm fine.” She smiled at him, touched by his concern. “I was just careless and I let my guard down. Don't worry. I won't make such a foolish mistake again.”
The crates containing the incriminating papers and alchymical equipment from the Magus's laboratories were being carefully loaded onto the Dame Blanche under Jagu's watchful eye.
“Maybe I should come with you.” Still Andrei held her hand between his own.
“But you promised your sister that you would wait for her!”
“I don't know if she will come, though.” Andrei looked so forlorn that her heart was touched.
“Oh, she'll come. Your sister feels very neglected by—”
“Celestine!” Jagu was standing at the top of the companionway watching them with a frown as dark and menacing as a thundercloud. “We're waiting for you.”
* * *
The sky above the port of Haeven began to darken as if a tempest were blowing in across the Straits.
Celestine's ship, Andrei thought anxiously. The Magus is on board. Suppose he's summoned a storm to help him escape? She could be in grave danger…
And then his whole body chilled as if he had fallen into deep icy water. For what was coming straight toward them was no stormcloud. It dashed across the tops of the waves, whipping them up into a frenzy of foam. Eyes fixed on him, daemon eyes of dazzling intensity that seemed to pierce through him to the deepest core of his being.
“What's wrong, Andrei?” He heard Astasia's voice as if from a great distance.