Clara was without her slate (on purpose or by accident, he wondered, remembering all the times she had left it in her rooms because she was excited about one thing or another) so she only shrugged or nodded when the attendant questioned her. He hoped she would stand to dance again but Clara seemed content to watch.
Finally, he could wait no more and when the attendant whisked the goblet away for more punch, he strode forward again. Gesturing grandly to the dance floor, he bowed and offered his hand, hoping she understood him. (Was this how it was for her, all the time, hoping people would understand her miming?)
Clara smiled and took his hand.
Everyone was lining up for one of the Northern dances that had moments of popularity at Court. A part of Emmerich was relieved. He wouldn't have known what to do if it was one of those stupid new ones that got created between a group of friends after too much wine.
As the dance progressed, with the partners stepping close then away, holding up hands not quite touching as they circled each other, he tried to catch her eyes. But Clara was suddenly struck with shyness. She never looked higher than his nose.
Finally, the dance allowed him to pull her into his arms and whirl her away. She felt light and wonderful in the crook of his elbow as he guided her through the next series of steps. For a moment, he forgot he was there as part of some private joke of Marduk's, or whatever he planned. Emmerich breathed in her lavender perfume.
He became so caught up in watching the way the light danced over her exposed skin, he wasn't watching where he was going and jostled a couple.
Clara, startled, looked up and met his eyes. Something flickered through them and then there was grief, great and tumultuous. She looked down and away, her body gone stiff and rigid in his arms.
Emmerich couldn't imagine what had gone wrong. Not many men had grey eyes. She had to be reminded of him. Had he read too much in her wearing blue and white?
The song ended and they applauded the musicians. Emmerich expected her to move away but she didn't. The music began again almost immediately. He took her into his arms and she did not fight him. It was one of those riotous numbers based on country dances. Soon, the music quickened and he was lifting and swinging her, his side twinging in pain.
The music ended with a flourish, he spun her, and she tripped. In scrambling to keep her from falling, he pulled too hard and his glove came loose in her hand. He righted her and she smiled up at him awkwardly from beneath her mask. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Clara's attendant trying to make it through the crowd to them.
Clara's eyes went down to his bare hand and her body went still. It was his left hand. A broad scar snaked below his knuckles. He received it long before he met her as a child.
She looked up at him, recognition filling her eyes. Tears and rage followed quickly behind. She dropped the glove.
“My lady, are you all right?” the attendant asked, finally reaching them.
Clara dropped her eyes and backed away, nodding. She curtsied to Emmerich before returning calmly to her chair. The attendant gave him a good glare before following her mistress. He bent down and retrieved his glove, shoving his hand into it before slipping through the crowd to a quiet corner.
He crossed his arms, trying to understand her reaction.
“I don't think she meant to give it away,” said a quiet voice.
Emmerich jerked and turned. The wizard Erin sneered at him from under the mask.
“But she did,” he continued, “when she curtsied. She hasn't given anyone but Marduk so much as a bow since her first day.” He looked back toward Clara. “She thought you were dead. Now I wonder what she's thinking. I should have charmed your clothes as well, but, no matter. It's almost midnight.”
And he left Emmerich to wonder what Erin meant.
Katerina tried to get Clara to go out for some air, but she stubbornly shook her head.
It couldn't have been Emmerich. Emmerich was dead. Wasn't he?
She accepted Kat's offer of a handkerchief and discreetly wiped her eyes under the mask.
But if Marduk was doing such evil beneath the Palace, what if he had staged Emmerich's death?
She sipped the punch pressed into the hand, tasting something stronger mixed into it. Her nerves began to settle but the rage still throbbed within her.
What if Emmerich had had a different reason for killing Monica than what she had been told?
“My lady.”
Clara looked up, meeting Marduk's concerned eyes.
“My lady, are you well?”
She nodded, feeling the anger becoming something cold and lethal. A small smile crossed her face.
“If her ladyship isn't too tired, I would like to ask the pleasure of a dance. Time has passed so quickly: it's nearly midnight.” He held out his hand.
Clara took it and, handing the cup to Kat, followed him out to the dance floor. A slow dance began. They wove around the other couples, coming near before stepping away several times before he put his arms around her and they swayed slowly away. During one turn, she glanced around the room. More guards had arrived, stationing themselves around the room.
She smiled sweetly up at Marduk as the song slowly eased into an end. She took his face in one of her hands. Surprise filled his eyes as she leaned up to press her lips with his.
With her other hand, she drew the dagger and drove it up into his ribs. An explosion burst against her and she flew backward, hitting the ground so hard she saw stars. She gasped for breath. Screams and shots erupted as the soldiers made their move.
Clara's last thought was, Where is Emmerich?
Chapter Forty-One
Asher sighed as he read the missive. His generals stood before him in his tent. The shadows of men walking by were thrown against the canvas by torch and firelight.
“What does it say, General?” asked Owen.
“The Tierans were met by Marduk's men. They lost a company of men and have been pushed back several leagues. They will not be meeting us here for at least another se'ennight, if not more.”
The captains swore. Captain Turin said, “What are we going to do?”
Asher opened his mouth to answer when a long howl cut through the air. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end.
“What in the nine hells?” muttered one of the captains.
Another howl, this one on the other side of the camp, started up. Soon, the air filled with the sound of howling.
“Gather the men,” barked Asher. “Marduk's creatures are about to attack.”
The captains charged out of the tent, yelling. One of them grabbed a horn hanging from a pole and blew into it. The army erupted in noise in confusion. Wolves and dogs far too large burst into the camp, slaughtering those they fell upon. Other strange, lizard like creatures, and giant boars, followed on their heels. The men broke and fled like chaff before them.
Bellowing, Asher drew his sword and charged, hoping his men would rally even as he fought.
Emmerich shoved his way through the panicking crowd. Scarlet-clad guards fought one another while wizards in the crowd tried to subdue the rebellious soldiers. Marduk lay in a heap where he dropped after Clara drove a dagger up through his ribs, angling for the heart. She laid several feet away, unconscious.
When he reached her, he dropped to his knees and fumbled at her neck. He sighed with relief at the steady feel of her pulse. Cloth and boots shuffled behind him. Looking over his shoulder, astonishment swept through him as Erin helped Marduk to his feet. His robes were torn and he looked winded, but he showed no other signs of injury. He removed his mask.
“I believe we need a quieter venue,” Marduk remarked loudly, tossing his mask to the side. He looked at the fallen Seer. “Clara.”
She sat bolt upright, her eyes open but only showing white. She reached up and took off her mask before getting slowly to her feet. The mask slipped from her fingers to fall to the floor.
Marduk held out his arm and she went to him. Emmerich stood, reachin
g out to stop her, but two soldiers grabbed him from behind. He watched helplessly as she took Marduk's arm. The king winked cheekily at Emmerich.
“Shall we?” he said, leading them through a crowd that parted like water before them even as men fought and nobles panicked.
As they walked through the Palace, it was evident the Rebellion had spread. Skirmishes in halls decked the walls and floor in blood. Women and men fled crying and screaming. Carriages nearly collided in everyone's haste to leave. And they walked through it without someone even so much as seeming to notice.
They entered the complex beneath the Palace and Emmerich looked with disgust at the creatures that stared at him with too-human eyes. The tall cages in the back gave him a bad feeling, though nothing stirred within them.
Marduk opened a door and they entered a circular chamber. Emmerich suppressed a shiver as he looked at the casket in the circle.
“Leave us,” Marduk said.
The soldiers released Emmerich and left.
“Emmerich, you remember your old friend?” He gestured to the side.
Emmerich looked to his right. Gavin hung from chains set into the wall. His friend looked at him miserably before casting his eyes back to the ground.
“Oh, and you may remove the mask.”
Something snapped, like a belt drawn too tight suddenly popped. Emmerich reached up and pulled off the mask.
“Emmerich,” cried Gavin. “You're alive.”
“Aye,” he replied, saying the word cautiously. But there was no pain. “Marduk, what are you planning?”
“Planning?” asked the sorcerer. “It's planned, my friend. Now is time for the execution. Clara, here, almost ruined it with her ill-timed assassination attempt, but my reflexes are as quick as ever. Are you the one who taught her how to fight so? She's quite marvelous.” He kissed her cheek. “I am very proud of her. She turned out better than I hoped. My dear, if you would stand by the wall? There's a good girl.”
Clara went to stand at the wall opposite of Emmerich.
“No sense in gazing after her,” Marduk said. “She has no sense that you're there. No sense of anything really. She probably thinks she wandering through a forest or something equally foreboding. Erin! How goes it?”
Erin was at the far end of the chamber, arranging vials, bags, and bottles on a table. “It goes well, your Majesty. We are nearly ready.”
“Begin by mixing the incense. We must give our friends a proper welcome.”
“Friends?” mocked Emmerich.
“Yes.” He gestured at the casket. “Elemental spirits, trapped since Creation. Quite mad from their long imprisonment. I'm going to reshape the world, my friend.”
“I'm no friend of yours.”
“Figure of speech, I assure you.”
“When Asher–”
“Asher can go piss in the wind for all I care. By the time he's lined up his troops, this will all be over.”
Scowling, Emmerich charged Marduk, but the sorcerer flung out his hand. Wind slammed Emmerich backward and he hit the door with a solid thud. Dropping to the ground, he gasped for breath.
“Stop being a living cliché, Emmerich. It's boring.”
Emmerich's body jerked as something unseen dragged him across the floor, pulling him up to pin him to the wall. His arms were yanked upward and manacles clamped over them.
“Now, if you'll excuse me.” Marduk gave a mocking bow before going to stand by Erin. The two men began working in separate bowls and spoke in low voices as they mixed ingredients.
Emmerich looked over at Clara, but she hadn't moved since Marduk ordered her to the wall. The realization that she had been under his influence for months made him sick.
“Gavin,” he began.
“Emmerich, please forgive me.” Gavin looked up at him. “But they tortured me. They said she would be safe if I just cooperated. I couldn't see her get hurt. I love her.”
“Cooperated? Gavin, what did you do?”
He began to cry. “I didn't think she would actually believe me. I wanted to warn her but–”
“What did you do?”
“I told her you murdered Monica in a rage. She already knew you had killed her but you hadn't told her why. It was simple to confirm her worst fears.”
He felt the blood fall from his face. “You didn't.”
“I'm so sorry.”
“You should have refused to your dying breath. How could that be any worse than what they threatened?” He nodded at Clara.
“They were going to kill her.”
Marduk interrupted. “Oh, come now, we're trying to concentrate. And, Gavin, really. If I went through all the trouble I have to get Clara, do you really think I would kill her just because you didn't cooperate? I would have had you executed, your head stuck on a pike, and then gone on my merry way. You just made my day a little easier, that is all.” He looked at Erin. “Pass me the lindus powder? Thank you.”
Gavin began to cry quietly as Emmerich tested the manacles. They were rusted and old. He thought if maybe he pulled hard enough, he could snap free.
Trying to gain a little time, he said, “So, what's Clara for?”
“You'll see.”
“Why see when you can tell me?”
“Impatient?”
“Curious. How long have you been planning this?”
“Since I came across her. Seers of her caliber are rare. And the greater the gift, the more open to manipulation if that gift goes untrained. That child is terribly untutored.”
“So? What does that have to do with the box?”
Marduk smiled as he took a bowl from Erin and went around to stand on the side of the circle in front of the casket. He laid the bowl down. “Every spirit needs a vessel.”
Marduk waved his hand and the incense began to smoke. Erin came to stand beside him, ceremonial knife in one hand and wooden bowl in the other.
“Don't worry, Emmerich. You'll see the end result of our work. Gavin, I'm afraid you won't. You'll make a fine sacrifice with all that despair.”
Marduk raised his hands and began to chant.
Clara opened her eyes. She stood in the room where she thought she had grieved over Emmerich's corpse. The bed sat empty. She tried to open the door but found it locked.
Slamming her fists against it, she yelled, “Let me out! Someone let me out!”
A sinister chuckle slid over her skin.
She looked around the empty room, searching the shadows. Turning back to the door, she yanked hard on the latch but nothing happened. The chuckle returned and she felt something feather-light brush her shoulder.
Jerking, she turned back towards the empty room.
“Who's there?” she asked. “Show yourself.”
No one (or no thing) answered. Slowly crossing the room, she looked out the window. Or tried to. It was completely black outside. She fumbled with the window but it wouldn't budge. Dropping her hands in frustration, her palms brushed her skirt and it wasn't soft silk. Looking down, she realized she wore the dirty tunic and gown from her days as a kitchen slave. Something tightened around her neck as she bent her head.
Her fingers scrambled at her throat and she felt the leather of a collar.
What was going on?
Turning, she ran to the door, banging against it and pulling on the knob. “Let me out! Someone, let me out!”
Wind whispered over her skin and she smelled pine. A voice hissed, “There is no one but us.”
And as she turned, the floor opened and swallowed her up.
The shadows lengthened and deepened as Marduk chanted. Erin stared at the casket, captivated as the thing took on a lurid orange glow. Emmerich began to yank on his constraints. Gavin's tears had subsided.
“Don't give up,” hissed Emmerich. “Help me.”
Gavin glanced back at Marduk for a moment. “I don't see what we can do.”
“But we have to try. If you love her, you will try.”
He muttered an oath. “That is becomi
ng a very annoying threat.”
“Then get loose and fight me over it.”
Gavin snarled and began to yank on his constraints as well. Erin noticed and started to walk over but Marduk gave a quick shake of the head. The younger man scowled but returned to his master's side. Emmerich didn't like that. If Marduk was letting them try to escape, either he knew they couldn't or that it was pointless if they did. Emmerich pushed that thought away as he focused on pulling himself free.
“Clara,” Marduk said. He held out his hand.
Clara drifted over to him and took his hand. He kissed it.
“Go to them, my dear.”
She stepped into the circle, the air shimmering and crackling around her. Things, twisted creatures with bent backs and crooked limbs, began to appear in the shadows, swaying to unheard music. Wind rose up to tear through the chamber.
Gavin broke free first. Emmerich's came right after. Gavin launched himself at Marduk, Emmerich screaming for him to wait.
Marduk snatched the dagger from Erin and snarling words in another tongue, plunged it into Gavin's throat as he reached them. With a twist of his wrist, Marduk ripped out the blade through the side of his throat and blood fountained over the floor. It fell across the metal circle, where it hissed and steamed. Some splattered over Marduk and the back of Clara's gown. Gavin crumbled to the floor
“We are nearly there,” hissed Marduk. “Remove the body.”
Erin dragged Gavin's corpse out of the way, the eyes wide with shock and pain.
“Clara,” he shouted over the gale, “open the casket.”
She raised her hands, reaching for it.
“No,” cried Emmerich. “Clara, stop!”
She stopped, her hands hovering over the wood.
Clara landed in a field with a soft rustle from dying stalks of wheat. Stumbling up to her feet, she saw her parents' cottage in the distance. Laundry snapped in the wind as it hung on the line. She ran through the wheat, past the laundry and all the way to the back door into the house, stopping short with her hands grasping the sides of the open door.
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