“Plans are the machinations of fools. You’re probably wise to not have one…” He was silent for a moment while I contemplated his words. “Sabine asked me to kill Adair, the day of the hunt.”
The hunt seemed a lifetime ago. We had gone to the woods to celebrate Sabine and Adair’s engagement. Half the court at Keisan had attended. At the time, I thought someone planned to assassinate Sabine, to stop her from marrying Adair. Instead, Beau had attempted to shoot Adair and had shot Layton instead. If Johai had not revealed that he was using a glamour to pretend to be my guard, Layton might have died. I wondered where Layton was now and if he had been allowed back at court.
I studied Beau’s profile framed against the glowing fire. He had a strong jaw and thick brows. His lips were wide, and he seemed at all times unobtainable. What did Sabine see in him? His confession was unexpected, and I wondered if his opening up was a way for me to know I could trust him. He had never spoken of Sabine in our time together. I ached for her calm presence, but from what I had learned on this journey, I was not sure if I really knew her. I thought Sabine had been free of political plotting, other than being used as a pawn. I was beginning to realize I was wrong. Perhaps I did not know her as well as I thought.
“I—I didn’t know,” I replied, ashamed of my inept response.
“I asked her to run away with me when we heard about Sarelle’s engagement. We had plans to escape when the caravan headed towards Neaux.” He continued to gaze into the fireplace as if I were not there. “When Sarelle died, Sabine blamed herself. She confessed that she had been in correspondence with Sarelle and had convinced her to accept Reynard’s proposal. She thought because she had convinced her to marry him, it was her fault she had died because it got in the way of Adair’s plans. She asked me to kill Adair, and I tried, but I was stopped. That is why I joined you. I am still trying to find a way for us to be together.” He looked at me then, and the intensity of his gaze was full of emotion that I had not glimpsed from him before. “When you love someone, you’ll do whatever it takes to be with them.”
If only it were that easy. There is no more hope for Johai and me. I had known about Sabine and Beau. What surprised me was how little I knew about Sabine. She had plotted to kill Adair? She had convinced Sarelle to marry Prince Reynard? I thought her an innocent, but I was wrong. She was pulling the strings just as everyone else at court was. Just as I have been.
“I miss her,” I said after a long pause. It was the truth. Whatever her sins, they were no greater than mine.
He sighed. “As do I.”
Chapter Nine
The guard leaned against the door, picking his nails with the edge of his dagger. I hesitated to reveal my position hidden beneath the archway. This was a gambit to say the least, but it was too late to turn back now. All the pieces were in place. I stepped into the street, and a carriage zoomed by, nearly knocking me off my feet. I took a step back and for a moment reconsidered my choice. If Johai found out what I was working at, he would be irate. He will not find out. I am just going in to look for information. The street cleared, and I looked both ways before crossing once more.
“Sir,” I said in accented Neaux, “can you help me? I have lost my way.”
The guard straightened and grasped a sword at his belt, not as careless as I would have originally thought, but we had planned this down to the last detail.
“My lady, how can I be of assistance?”
I pulled down my hood and hoped he would not see my face or the unusual color of my eyes. If he were to sound the alarm,days of planning would be ruined.
“Sir, I am new to the city, and I am lost,” I repeated.
“Come closer, my sweet.” He beckoned to me with the crook of his finger, and I felt a wave of revulsion. I had chosen my mark for this reason, but I could not help but feel adverse to the man.
“I am scared, sir. They are after me.”
He stepped out of his niche and into the street where I stood.
“I’ll help you, pet.” He reached for me and took my hand in his. It was slick with sweat, and his breath stank of wine. I knew now why the maid had chosen him as our target. “Come inside. I’ll help you.” He pulled me into the niche and opened a door beyond.
The inside of the hall was cast in shadow. One window high in the ceiling sent a single shaft of light across the floor. He stepped out of the way for me to enter, and as I passed by, he put his hand in the small of my back. I bit my lip to keep from batting the greasy hand away. I must do this. I resisted the urge to look over my shoulder and check to make sure Beau had followed.
“Sit, my pet,” the guard said, and he motioned towards a table and chair set aside in a room just beyond the door. I went in with my head down and took a seat at the table. “Can I get you anything, how can I be of assistance?” He stood over me. He was not very tall, with a chin covered in dark stubble. His clothes were stained, and he had a faint sour smell about him.
“Perhaps something to drink?” I said in a whisper. Over the guard’s shoulder, I saw Beau slip inside.
“I am at your service.” He bowed sloppily, and I suspected he was drunk. It was surprising to me that Jon would leave such a man to guard one of his entrances, but then again, it was merely a kitchen entrance where deliveries were made. Not really a stronghold. I was fortune enough he was too intoxicated to notice my features half-hidden under my hood or sense Beau creeping up behind him. The guard went over to a cupboard in the wall. Inside were a decanter and a couple of glasses. He was fumbling with them when Beau snuck up and struck him over the head.
The guard crumpled to the ground. I jumped up to help Beau put the man in the chair on the opposite side of the table. We tipped over a cup beside him and set down the decanter after pouring out most of its contents. The guard’s arms were slung across the table. We curled one hand around the empty decanter.
“Good enough. If we’re lucky, if someone finds him, they will think he was drinking,” I said, admiring my handiwork.
We exited the small room, leaving the unconscious guard behind. At the end of the hall, there was a door. Beau eased it open and poked his head out. He motioned for me to follow, and we emerged into the empty hall beyond. The clang of pots and the smell of roasting meat carried down the hallway. We headed for the kitchens, and the scullery maid met us outside the kitchens. She was pacing back and forth. She wrung her hands, and when she spotted us, she ran over.
“Madame, madame, madame,” she said to me. She then proceeded to say a few words in rapid Neaux. It was too quick for me to comprehend.
“Pardon, slower.” I held up my hand. Though my Neaux was proficient, I struggled to understand when it was spoken too quickly.
She nodded and then looked over her shoulder back towards the kitchen with a stricken face. “The cook is away, and the master has gone to court. There should be no one to disturb you.” She glanced over her shoulder once more. Who is she afraid of? Perhaps we should turn back. Nothing but desperation would have led me here. Jon had information that I needed desperately. This was the last move I had left. If I did not find out more about Sarelle’s death, then I could not save Johai. My leads had run dry, and I had not even discovered who Damara was working for. Summer was upon us, and Johai grew more distant with each passing day. I feared I was losing him. I handed the maid a bag of coins—all that I had earned working at the playhouse.
“Thank you for your service.” I closed her shaking hand around the satchel.
She jerked her hand back and held the bag to her breast. “Thank you, madame.” She scurried past me and down the hall.
We went into the kitchen and to the pantry, which housed the entrance to the secret passageway. Beau pulled on the shelves, and the hidden door swung open. He went in first, and I waited a moment to make sure no one was nearby. When I heard nothing, I joined Beau in the hidden passage.
I pulled out a couple of candles and handed one to Beau. I lit the first, and then Beau lit his using the flame from
mine. With one hand, he closed the secret door from the inside, and we were plunged into darkness but for the small light the candles gave us. Beau led the way up the inky black passageway. The light from my candles sent long shadows onto the walls that shifted and danced with the candlelight. In the feeble light, I could see the rough-hewn walls and creatures that scurried away from the light. The steps were worn down the middle and shiny. Once, this passage had been used, but now cobwebs gathered in the corners, and rats made nests in abandoned niches.
The ascent did not take long, and soon the slivers of light coming from Jon’s study appeared behind the bookshelf’s hidden door. Beau handed me his candle. The double light gave Beau two long shadows as he pressed his ear to the wood. He stepped away and then pulled a dagger from his belt and held it in front of him. Did he hear something?
I swallowed a lump in my throat.
Beau eased the door open, and it creaked in protest. I stopped and waited, expecting a host of guards to come charging in to apprehend us. The bright light from the study flooded the passageway, and I blinked into the light for a moment before my eyes regained focus. The study looked the same in daylight. The walls were lined with books, and in the center of the room was Jon’s desk with parchments scattered across it. A window on the far wall was open, and a curtain flickered in the breeze.
The room appeared empty at first glance. The back of the high-backed chair was to me, and I could see the top of a head with dark, curling hair. He must have dozed off because a book hung limp from one of his hands. Beau crept across the room, dagger out in front of him. He pinned him to the chair with the dagger to his throat. He jerked his arms in surprise. I followed Beau and stood before Jon Sixton, who looked past Beau to me with a smirk not far from his lips.
“Do not move or he’ll cut your throat,” I said with as much authority as I could muster.
Jon laughed. I had not expected such a reaction. He knew I was coming. The maid tried to warn me, but I didn’t take time to listen. This was a fool’s errand from the start.
“Lady Diranel, I never took you for one to threaten with violence, or make threats at all, for that matter.” Jon Sixton turned in his seat to face me, a smirk in place. Beau pushed the point of my dagger closer to his vein. His throat bobbed up and down, but his eyes remained focused on me.
“And I did not think you would send a woman to threaten me,” I replied and tried to arrange my face in a way that I hoped was intimidating.
He raised his brow in question. “I am not sure what you mean.”
“I performed at the palace, and after the show, you sent a woman to tell me to keep out of Sarelle’s death. What do you know, and what are you not telling me?”
He did not answer right away, and Beau poked him with the blade. A crimson drop of blood blossomed on his olive skin. His eyes flashed to Beau only for a moment before locking on me once more. “I could ask you the same thing. I never expected you to break into my home a second time, and now you’ve added threats. If you wanted to visit, you only need ask.”
He knows; he is trying to stall until the guards get here, but if he knew, why did he not have men here waiting to apprehend us straight away? “I’ve told you before; I do not want to play games. I want answers, quickly.” Beau pressed the blade down a little more to make my point. A thin line of blood joined the droplet, and it ran down his neck.
“Don’t be hasty,” he said and squirmed in his chair. Jon sat up a bit straighter, his neck coming dangerously close to the blade.
“What is the Order planning in Sanore??” I demanded.
He gripped the edge of his chair, and his feet were square on the ground. “I don’t know. I am sent correspondences, and then I deliver them. I am not high enough in the Order to know what they say.”
“You’ve never read one of them?”
“No, they’re sealed. If I were to break a seal, they would know I had read it.”
“What does that matter if you’re part of the Order?”
“I have no desire to read the contents of those letters, because each recipient was dead before a fortnight passed.”
“How do I know you’re not lying?”
“Do you want names? I have a list in my drawer over there on the desk. Take it, and see that I am no liar.”
I glanced towards the drawer and back at Jon. “Watch him,” I said to Beau.
I walked over to the desk and picked up a few of the pieces of parchment. One on top had a list of names. There were a dozen or so names written on it.
“This is just a list; it doesn’t prove anything. This could be a members sheet for all I know.”
“You would have to trust me to know for sure.” He smiled, and I did not like the arrogance he was showing. He’s planning something.
“Why didn’t you give me over to Adair? Why did you let me go?”
“Would you rather I returned you to the king? I have heard he is desperate to have you back.”
My stomach squirmed, and I tamped down my rolling emotions. “I am sure, and would that not put you in his good graces?”
“Perhaps, but it would also put me at odds with my queen.”
I glanced at Beau without thinking, and Jon’s smile deepened. “Now I know where I recognize you.” He looked up at Beau. “You were her guard dog, the one that tried to kill the king. I bet that foiled all of her plans.” Beau dropped the dagger and grabbed Jon by the throat. He lunged at him with such force that the chair toppled over, and Beau straddled him and the overturned chair.
“Beau, stop, we need his information. You cannot kill him!”
Jon was taunting us, trying to keep our guards down. He didn’t want us to leave, and with Beau preoccupied, if someone came to Jon’s rescue, I would not be able to fight them off. I suspected he knew I took his letter and was taunting me. I tugged on Beau’s arm as Jon was starting to turn blue. He eased off at last and got to his feet.
Jon stayed kneeling on the ground, and he glared up at us. He rubbed his throat, and when he made to stand, Beau withdrew his sword and pointed it at his chest.
Jon looked at me. “Sabine and I have drawn close since you left, Lady Diranel. There are few that the queen can trust, and I am lucky enough to be among the trusted few.”
“You lie.”
“You don’t believe me even after seeing the letter?” He arched his brow.
Why is he toying with me?
“May I stand? I promise I am not playing any tricks.” He looked at me with a raised brow, and I shared a look with Beau. He gave me a nod, and I waved for Jon to stand. He brushed himself off and then turned to me. “I did not send anyone to warn you. Sanore is not like Keisan. A dagger in the back is to be expected. What did you say to draw their ire? I thought you would know better than to do something so foolish as to draw attention. Are you not a fugitive?”
My hackles rose, and I scowled at him. He did not deserve the truth, but I felt compelled to defend myself. “I had a vision of Sarelle. She should have been queen of Neaux, but she was murdered; I suspect by someone she was close to.”
Duke Sixton shrugged. “Hard to say since she is dead now, but as far as I know, her death was not cleanly done, and there are many fingers being pointed in regards to her death. It sounds to me that you’ve made an enemy already.”
Sabine had been imprisoned for Sarelle’s murder once. Jon had made a promise to Sabine. She is connected to you, more than you know, the diviner had told me of Sarelle. “Is that why Sabine sent you here, to look into Sarelle’s death?” I said, voicing my suspicion.
He wagged his finger. “Now, now, Lady Diranel, I cannot give away my patron’s secrets to a convicted traitor, not for free, anyway.”
“What are your terms?”
He smiled again, and I did not like the predatory gleam in his eye. “I made you an offer once, back in Keisan. Do you remember it?”
I felt the heat rush to my face. Jon, shortly after becoming a duke, had proposed to me a marital alliance to ti
e Damara’s house and his own together. I had refused, adamantly. I was disgusted by the idea of marrying a man I did not love. That felt like a thousand years ago.
“What could you gain from a marriage to me? I am a traitor to the throne.”
“Yes, that is true, but I am not after wealth or lands. Those are valuable, yes, but you possess a gift no other man can boast. You foretold the marriage between Sabine and Adair. You saw King Dallin’s death. It is your power that I am after. Together we can rise higher than anyone before us. We could be greater than any king and queen—”
“No,” I replied, ending his tirade.
This is why he let me go, so that I would agree to his terms. I am not so desperate yet that I will give away my life to another power-hungry man. I almost did that once, and that only led to ruin. Never again.
“You are making a mistake. You will not find the answers you are looking for without my help,” Jon replied with a small frown.
He’s right. This was my last chance, and it has led to naught. Johai is slipping each day, and I am no closer to the answers than I was before.
“I know,” I said.
“We cannot let him go,” Beau said. “Now that you have denied his offer, there is no reason for him to let you live.”
Jon stared at me, wide eyed. “I never took you for a killer, Lady Diranel.”
I regarded him for a moment. Beau was right. If I let him go now, Adair would know where I was, which meant the end of my search. Jon had said Adair wanted me back; I could only imagine how it infuriated him that I had escaped with the truth.
Jon laughed. “Oh, Lady Diranel, how you’ve changed since we last met.”
“Why are you laughing?” His blithe behavior was infuriating, and it only made my decision easier.
He leaned on the back of his chair. The hairs on the back of my neck prickled. Shouts echoed down the hall, and heavy footfalls followed.
“You should have perfected your Neaux before coming here, Lady Diranel. The maid tried to warn you, but you still gave her the gold, a foolish mistake.”
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