Amelia set her hand on her bare neck. “I would never.”
“Please. Some of my Fantomes gave me trouble today.”
I rubbed my chin. Could they be the same mages that I’d possessed last night? I certainly hoped not. If I was going to find the vortex watch, I needed every ally I could get.
Amelia blinked innocently. “So your servants are giving you trouble. What could that possibly have to do with me?”
“When it comes to Fantomes, things like this simply don’t happen. That is, unless you’re around for some reason. In fact, this is the second time such odd goings-on have occurred. First, you visit the de Havilland mansion. That time, one of my mages ended up dead in flames.”
Philippe stepped up to his sister’s side. “There was no sign of foul play.”
“Even worse. These mages are far too powerful to be killed by a random fire.”
“We all have our off days,” said Amelia. “Even Fantomes.” I was so proud of her calm tone of voice.
“I don’t believe in coincidences. Yet I do believe in warnings. And I gave you one, didn’t I?” The Vicomte set his fists on his hips. “So imagine my surprise when I awoke this morning to learn that one of my mages hesitated before killing a servant. I had them all looked into, and there’s something wrong with six of them. Know anything about it?”
“No,” said Amelia.
The Vicomte stepped up closer to his so-called daughter. He stared at Amelia for a long moment before speaking. “No, I don’t think you do. Genesis Rex is open to your marriage, and you seem smitten with him for some fool reason, so I don’t think you’re the one behind this.”
“Excellent,” said Amelia. “Now, if you don’t mind we need to—”
“Silence!” The Vicomte stepped up to Philippe next. Nervous energy zinged through my limbs. In all the excitement, I hadn’t considered that the possessed Fantomes would expose themselves so quickly. Who asks people to murder innocent servants anyway?
My stomach fell to my toes. The Vicomte, that’s who. I should have guessed that this would happen.
The Vicomte looked Philippe over from head to toe. “I don’t think you had anything to do with it, either. Meddling with my mages wouldn’t get you into anyone’s bed.”
Philippe pressed his lips together hard. I knew he was dying to say something. By the gods, I was dying to say something too. Philippe may be a rogue, but there was more to him than that. He’d actually been helping us all along, and for no other reason than Amelia wished it.
After that, the Vicomte stepped up to stand before me. He moved so slowly I felt like a rabbit being hunted by a fox. He stared down his thin nose at me. “Which leaves you, the one who wanted a peep at my watches.”
My heart beat so hard I thought it might break out of my rib cage.
Remember your training. Don’t reveal any emotion.
The Vicomte gripped my chin. “You look familiar, too.” He leaned in closer, and the scent of stale smoke and whiskey wafted from his breath. “Where have I seen you before?”
When I dressed in Caster leathers and sent the Tsar into exile?
“I didn’t realize you dallied in ladies,” I said coolly.
The Vicomte’s thin mouth stretched into an evil smile. “Trying to goad me, eh? It won’t work.” He dropped my chin. “Besides, I don’t have the time for this nonsense. I need all my powers of persuasion in order to ensure Genesis Rex engages himself to my wayward daughter today.” His features turned dreamy. “Imagine. I’d be in the line of succession for the Caster throne. My scouts have been all over their continent, you know. The Casters have gold mines galore. Rooms filled with diamonds. Yet they toss those riches aside to fornicate in the trees like animals. Mark my words. That place is a ripe fruit waiting to be plucked.” He glared at Amelia. “Once you’re Queen, we’ll have to take very good care of you. Wouldn’t want anything to befall you or Rex, now would we?”
Amelia’s face fell. The Vicomte basically admitted to planning to murder her and Rex so he could take over their continent. The man was insane.
The Vicomte tapped his chin. “Rex hasn’t said anything about my plans, has he?”
“He knows nothing, Father.”
“Not that you’d tell me anyway,” the Vicomte sighed. “You’re always loyal to the dullest knife in the drawer. Well, if Rex does say anything, you can tell him to stop snooping around the dungeons here. I don’t know what his people did, but I have Fantomes missing and signs of Caster magick everywhere.”
It took a force of will for my eyes not to bulge out of my head. The Vicomte knew about the signs of our battle from yesterday.
Amelia kept up her innocent face. She could make a master spy herself, one day. “I don’t know what you mean. Rex and I spoke of nothing like that.”
The Vicomte sniffed. “I suppose not. Sharing secrets wouldn’t help him put a baby in your belly. I’m sure that’s all he wants.”
Disgusting pig. If I didn’t need that vortex watch, I’d crush the man right now.
The Vicomte sauntered over to the door and pounded on it with his bony fist. “Jonas! Hannah!”
The door slowly swung open. Two Fantomes stepped inside, a man and a woman in black robes. They had the classic look of Necromancers. Both were tall and lithe with aristocratic features, pale skin, dark hair, and brown eyes. The woman spoke first. “What do you wish, Your Eminence?”
“This one.” He shoved me forward. “Torture her until she confesses to something.” He snapped his fingers, an idea appearing. “We had to lock up those six Fantomes. None of them would follow the rules today. Make her take the blame for that.”
It took everything I had not to gasp. If Jonas and Hannah got their spells into me, I could confess to more than they bargained for.
And I still wouldn’t have the vortex watch.
The Vicomte waved his hand dismissively “However you kill her, just do it quietly and out of sight. I don’t want to upset Genesis Rex.”
The man bowed slightly at the waist. “As you command, Your Eminence.”
Amelia stepped forward. “No!”
The Vicomte rounded on her. His gray face suddenly turned pale with rage. “I’ve half a mind to end you as well. Think I can’t take another heir? I can and easily.” His voice lowered to menacing whisper. “Do I make myself clear?”
Amelia nodded.
I gave her my most serene gaze. “I’ll be fine, Amelia.”
The Vicomte’s eyes locked with mine. Every line of his gray face darkened with pure hatred. “No, you won’t. You’ll be dead in an hour.” He paused, waiting for someone else to speak.
Frustration and rage careened through me. My hands balled into fists. I wanted to take down these two Fantomes now, but I needed to be smart. It would be much easier to fight them if we were somewhere secluded.
I didn’t want anyone to hear the screams, either.
25
The Fantomes guided me through a series of deserted garden pathways. Behind us, the windows of the Montagne mansion flickered with candlelight—a hundred tiny beacons against a darkening sky. The sickly-sweet smell of withering flowers hung heavily in the air. With every step, my silk gown rustled gently.
I shook my head in disbelief. In some ways, this evening resembled another fairy tale. I was wearing a lovely red ball gown. In a few hours, I might watch my friend become engaged to a powerful king.
Trouble was, in my version of the tale, I had to fight a few mages first.
In my silk gown.
With a party mask on.
My pulse beat so hard I could feel it in my throat. I wanted nothing more than to cast some spells and defeat these Necromancers, right now. I clenched my casting hand, repeating the same two words over and over.
Not yet.
Casting this close to the mansion would only attract more Fantomes, and I’d have enough trouble with these two. Plus, I must conserve my energy. Not only would I need to stay alive, but I also had to find the Vicomte’s
watch. My throat tightened.
I don’t want to kill other Necromancers. I may have to, though.
The mages led me to a small clearing in the far corner of the gardens. Despite the growing shadows, I could tell the place was large enough for a lover’s bench and little else. I gritted my teeth in frustration.
No way could I conjure battle skeletons here.
The spot was simply too small. Which meant that I’d have to do my own fighting. I took in a deep breath.
Fine. I’ll take this hand to hand.
The mages stopped at the opposite side of the clearing. Moving in unison, they slowly turned around to face me. Hannah was the first to speak. “The Vicomte seems to think you had something to do with our fellow Fantomes acting strangely. What do you know of this?”
I gave her a look of doe-eyed innocence. “And what do you think?”
Jonas lifted his chin. The movement meant he looked down his elegant nose at me. “I think anyone who could cast that well is long dead.”
“Agreed,” said Hannah. “I doubt she even has any power worth draining.”
I clasped my hands under my chin and widened my eyes further. It was a pitiful attempt at begging, but I was a mage, not an actress. “You can drain Necromancer power?” I forced out a gasp. “I may, uh, know someone who wants to get rid of hers.”
In my mind, this was an obvious ploy. However, the mages didn’t doubt my intent in the slightest.
“Why?” asked Jonas. “Do you have power to speak of?”
I kicked at the grass with my slipper. “I might.”
Hannah stepped closer. “The Vicomte asked us to interrogate you, but he thought you were only a troublemaker. Why, if he knew you had power, he’d…”
Kill me? Drain me?
“If he knew, then he’d want to help me?” I glanced between them, doing my best to appear wide-eyed and helpless. It didn’t seem possible that they’d keep believing my act, yet they did.
“Precisely,” said Jonas. “The Vicomte runs a charity where he helps those like you to rid yourself of cumbersome magick.”
What a bastard. Jonas spoke the lie so smoothly it was obvious that he’d done so before.
“Why don’t you tell us?” asked Hannah. “How much power do you have?”
I shifted my weight from foot to foot. “Well, I’ve nothing like you two.” I scrunched up my eyes as if concentrating with all my strength. Magick flowed into me, but I kept most of it in reserve. I released the smallest amount. A spark of blue light flew across my palm. I slumped my shoulders, pretending to be winded. “See? It’s only a little power. Even so, it’s dangerous to have it.”
A ghost of a smile rounded Hannah’s mouth. “We can help you.”
“Really? When?”
“Right now,” answered Jonas. “The Vicomte has need of mages like you.”
Sure, so he can power his totem ring and take over the realm.
I worried my lower lip with my teeth. Pretending to be frightened was a surprisingly fatiguing activity. “Is it far? I wouldn’t want to leave Amelia for too long.”
“Why, it’s right below our feet.” Jonas pointed to the ground. “The Vicomte has a special infirmary set up for people like you.”
People like me.
The words sent a jolt of awareness straight up my spine. Could he be talking about Ada and Veronique? That couldn’t be possible. Quinn said they were all dead. My logical side jumped on that thought.
At the time, Quinn also seemed somewhat barking mad.
When I spoke again, my voice took on a hollow sound. “There are others? Here? Now?”
“Of course, there are.” Hannah reached for me. “Just come along and we’ll show you.”
The jangle of metal stopped me cold. Jonas had pulled enchanted manacles from the folds of his robes. I’d encountered those before. They could block the power of even the most advanced mage. Even worse, they hurt like hell to get off.
I still had plenty of magick left, so I put it to good use. I sent a blast of blue smoke from my left palm. It shot over to Hannah and Jonas, wrapping around them in a swirl of blue. When the haze disappeared, Jonas’s enchanted manacles had dissolved into sapphire-colored dust. The trick was to cast the dissolver spell before they got those irons on.
The elegant lines of Jonas’s face fell slack with shock. “How is this possible? The only Grand Mistresses left are Fantomes.”
Hannah sniffed. “It’s a low-level mage trick. The Vicomte warned us about her.” She reached into the folds of her robes, ready to pull out her own set of enchanted manacles. When she removed her hand again, her palm held a small pile of blue dust. She stared at it, open-mouthed. “What?”
“It’s a Grand Mistress level spell,” I said simply. “You didn’t think it would only effect Jonas, did you?”
I fought the urge to smile. People believed what they wanted to believe. I stood before these two mages, having just completed a rather complex spell. Still, this reality threatened their status as the greatest Necromancers around, so the two didn’t even think to start a counter-spell.
All the better for me.
Raising my arm, I released more of my magick. A glowing blue mist appeared by my feet. The haze quickly swirled up my body, solidifying into a suit of enchanted bone armor. Giant femurs protected my shoulders, the ball sockets covering my upper arms. Layers of heavy ribs shielded my torso. Carved fibulas encased the rest of me. Satisfaction warmed my chest. A perfect casting. This armor was impervious to most weapons. Even better, it would give me extra strength when fighting hand to hand.
Unfortunately, the casting itself took a toll. My head felt woozy and my legs were unsure. Still, I couldn’t pause to catch my breath. I marched toward Hannah, who had finally snapped out of her disbelief. Her shoulders straightened and malice lit up her brown eyes.
Excellent. I enjoy a good fight.
Hannah lifted her left hand, showing off the totem rings on her fingers. “Kill, destroy, burn.”
Hannah’s rings flared blue as her totem rings came to life. An array of tiny weapons sped toward me through the night. There were bone darts and small daggers. Fireballs and throwing stars. Hammers and arrows.
And all of them bounced off my armor harmlessly.
This really was one of my favorite spells.
Raising my arm high, I slammed my fist into the side of Hannah’s head. She dropped to the ground, unconscious.
Jonas whirled around to face me. “I don’t know who you are or how you escaped us for so long, but your power belongs to the Vicomte now.” I could tell that Jonas had been pulling magick into himself. Now, he quickly released his own mist and spell. I expected another volley of weapons. Instead, the glowing mist opened a small incision on the man’s neck. A chill of fear rolled across my shoulders. There was only one reason he’d open up his flesh like that.
Jonas was about to release his bone crawler. Why?
A memory appeared. Back at the Havilland’s gallery, Kamilla had said that some Fantomes were experimenting with their bone crawlers. Was Jonas one of them?
An ugly smile rounded Jonas’s mouth. A heartbeat later, his bone crawler skittered out of the incision and onto his shoulder.
My stomach heaved with disgust. I’d seen these creatures before, back at the Midnight Cloister. Like all the others, this bone crawler had a centipede’s body and long twitching antennae. The outer segments of its exoskeleton were covered with a thin, indestructible layer of bone.
The creature soaked in more magick from Jonas’s spell. Blue mist seeped into its segmented body. After that, the bone crawler completely transformed. I’d never seen anything like it. The creature’s many segments stretched and multiplied. Soon, Jonas was covered in bone crawler armor.
I blinked hard, not believing my own eyes. I knew the Fantomes all had bone crawlers inside them. Back in the gallery, I’d seen one move inside Kamilla, but nothing like this. My breath caught as the realization struck.
The Tsar
was gone now. The Fantomes really were working on ways to use the bone crawlers to their advantage.
And to my defeat.
Alarm rattled through me. This wasn’t good. Bone crawlers were indestructible. My armor wouldn’t last long.
Neither would I, for that matter.
Jonas lunged at me, pinning me to the ground with his heavier weight. His right hand wrapped around my throat, shattering the armored plate around my neck. The insect gauntlets he wore twitched against my skin. I couldn’t breathe.
With his left hand, Jonas tore through my breastplate as if it were made of paper. His grip tightened on my throat. Pain shot through my neck. My lungs ached. All my thoughts about spellwork disappeared. My enchanted armor fell to dust around me. I could only think about one thing.
Air. I need to breathe.
I wrapped my bare hands around the Jonas’s. For the first time since I fought the Tsar, my palms touched a bone crawler made with hybrid magick.
Suddenly, a different kind of power shot through me. Purple light flared around my hands and neck.
My body went on alert. This level of power was something I’d only felt once before—when I was fighting the Tsar. That had been the one time I used hybrid magick. Afterward, I’d never been able to repeat the casting. Now I knew why. When I fought the Tsar, I’d been holding a bone crawler. Somehow, that had helped use with both Necromancer and Caster power. Excitement flared through my bloodstream.
I could counterattack.
On reflex, I pushed against the mage. He flew off me like a rag doll.
I stared down at my hands. The purple light still danced across my skin.
This was hybrid magick. Again. And it was mine to command.
Jonas slowly rose to his feet. “How did you do that? The bone crawler answers only to its host and the Tsar. And they never transfer power.”
In truth, I had no idea why the bone crawler would give its hybrid magick to me. Jonas didn’t know that, though.
“Come closer, Jonas. I’ll show you.”
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