Cal turned to look at Mary and give her a grin. “Join us,” he said, gesturing to the chair next to him. She gave him a flat look and stepped back towards the hall.
“Lovely,” Cal said, turning back. He held his sword out and laid it delicately on the table between him and Jon. “Do you recognize this?” he asked, putting his hands to work lighting a cigarette.
Jon stared at it a moment. “Just looks like an ordinary sword.” He picked it up. “A little worn. Castalanian hilt.” He looked curiously at Cal. “Where’d you get it?”
“Oh,” Cal answered, “I hadn’t seen that particular sword in years. The question is, where did Jenner get it?”
“If he got it in Delhonne…” Jon’s eyes widened. “He didn’t…”
“He did. That crazy bastard climbed down the tunnel in Delhonne, dug through half a dead Chalk army, and found my old sword in the skull of a dragon.” Cal shook his head in wonder. “When I heard messengers from Camron were in the camp, I was set to ignore them for weeks. Then he laid this on my desk. We heard him out. And here we are.”
Jon was slowly turning the sword, studying every inch of the blade. “This might be the only one in the world to have killed a dragon.”
“It doesn’t have any special powers or anything.”
“He tried invoking them. Several times,” Aaron chimed in.
Jon laid it back down. “I might need to learn a little more about Jenner.”
“With all due respect to Jenner,” Aaron said, “I’d like to know more about Geoffrey. For a Queen’s Guard, he couldn’t have cared less about the success of their mission. It would have been a failure if it wasn’t for Jenner. But that’s beside the point. Spill, Jon. Why are we here? Why are you here?”
“I’ll tell you why you’re here in a bit. First I want you to meet the Queen. You should hear her story.”
“And when do we do that?” Cal asked.
“As soon as you finish those drinks,” Jon replied. “She doesn’t sleep much these days. When I heard you were coming in tonight, I told her to expect us. As to why I’m here, I was recruited by our mutual friend King Jacob. Apparently he and Queen Cassandra talk, and she needed some outside help with her problem.” He gestured around the dimly lit room. “Fit into my agenda. I got enough of a reputation for fixing problems in Delhonne that I started setting up other shops. I’ve got one in Danette. And now I’m grooming Shay and Finn to keep a shop running after I’m gone. So any help with that would be appreciated.”
“You didn’t bring us here to support your franchising efforts. The CA captain hinted at a crime that hasn’t yet happened. What’s the Queen’s problem?”
“You’ll hear that in short order. Drink up, gentlemen. We’re late for an audience at the Palace.”
Chapter 3. Wet Footprints
The Palace of Camron, formal seat of the Queen, was quiet, no surprise given the late hour. It sprawled out in long wings, looking to Cal more like a statehouse than a royal dwelling. It rested atop a small hill, giving it the illusion of height, though it was only three stories tall.
Jon led them through a small door past a pair of Queen’s Guards who gave him a nod. It looked as though he was well known. They walked down a hall, past another set of guards, and into a sitting room with a fire in the fireplace.
A servant seated them and promised to return with the Queen. As soon as he was gone, Jon leaned in close. “We’re mostly here to listen. If you want to ask her something, stick to the nights in question. Save the rest.” Cal nodded and reached for a cigarette but Jon shook his head. Cal groaned.
A few moments later, the door opened and Queen Cassandra Olmont of Camron entered. Though he left his hat in place, Jon rose to his feet, Cal and Aaron imitating him. The Queen was tall and thin, projecting the natural air of authority that seemed to cloak all royalty. She had a severe but handsome face, framed by short grey hair. Even with the grey hair, she was younger than Cal had expected. She closed the door behind her, the servant nowhere in sight. Cal couldn’t help but notice she had just placed herself alone in a room with three armed foreigners, only one of whom she’d met previously. Either her trust for Jon already ran unusually deep or she was reckless.
She didn’t bother with greetings but instead took her seat and gestured to the others to do the same. “I just received Jenner and Geoffrey’s report. These are the two men who are so important we devoted precious resources to get them here?” Her question was to Jon, but she was studying Aaron and Cal intently.
Jon folded his hands in his lap. “You gave me autonomy in this. Our deal included some freedom from explaining every action before I am prepared to.”
“You presume much.”
“I am focused on my task above all else. If you wanted a sycophant to tell you exactly what you want to hear, I can find hundreds willing to do so. Wouldn’t even have to leave the building. Or maybe you want someone who is good at funneling your resources into their pockets while placating your concerns. They could set up their extended families in a guard rotation around the princess. Was Lorimer’s offer anything like that?”
The Queen ignored the second part of Jon’s comments. “What is it I am so desperately wanting to hear that I am prone to the kind of bad decisions you won’t find anywhere else in my affairs?”
“You want to hear that your daughter is protected. You want to hear that your worries about her safety are unfounded. That no enemy would dare test your resolve. That she can be disguised, or moved, or placed under lock and key, and she will be safe.”
“Are you any closer to guaranteeing that? Or at least providing me with your recommendation for what to do?”
“Perhaps.”
The Queen gave Jon a dark look. “You hinted at my agents funneling away my resources towards their pockets. A bold claim, given how much I just paid to get these two men here, who are well-known friends of yours. Am I funding an elaborate reunion, your fun fueled by the whiskey I can smell on all of you? For this I anger Camron Air and invite known agents of the Syndicate of Delhonne Corvale to the Palace? This investment must prove its worth, Jon Harpish. We only have three more nights until the moon is at its fullest.”
Jon leaned back and gave a small shrug. “Did you have more reprimands you wanted to get through? Or have we given them enough of a show?”
The Queen’s face, cold as ice a moment ago, softened. “I think so. Why are you here?” she asked in a gentler tone.
“I want them to hear the story from you.”
“It is not so much fun I wish to tell it often. Surely you could relay it to them.”
“They might catch something I missed.”
The Queen looked at Cal and Aaron, the hard edge returning to her face. “Do either of you have children?” Both shook their heads. “The same day I sent my guards out looking for you at Jon’s request I sent a message to King Jacob of Tannes. You know him, I believe. It was at his recommendation that I secured Jon’s services. I asked him about the two of you. He gave you the highest praise, which is why I am trusting this is not a waste of time. King Jacob knows the pain of losing a child. It is something I have had many occasions to speak to him about. I do not wish to know the pain of losing two.” She took a deep breath as though summoning her courage. She opened her mouth to begin, then stopped and looked at Jon. “I never know what order to go in.”
“Do it the same as you told me,” he replied.
She nodded, fear spreading in her eyes. “Then it begins with the wet footprints.”
“Three years ago,” the Queen said, “my husband Johan dealt with a severe bout of insomnia. He took to wandering the halls late at night. It was not beloved by the staff. This was their time to relax, set affairs in order for the next day, and enjoy their rare personal time. It was no favor to them to have the King of Camron strolling into the kitchens at all hours. He would not demand anything, but it still shook them up. It was a restless time at the Palace. It took me many months to understand what was happening. I was sleeping so
undly. There was nothing of great concern on the horizon such that one would expect either of us to lose sleep over. My husband did not tell me of his nighttime ramblings and the staff kept it quiet. Eventually I was told and we discussed the strain it was placing on the household. He agreed to pass his time within our chambers when he couldn’t sleep.
“A few nights after our discussion, however, I awoke to find both the bed and the chambers empty. I pulled on a robe and went out into the halls. It was dark and cold. I remember being frustrated with him as I looked around. Finally I heard some voices around the corner. I discovered my husband studying the ground with a pair of the guards. They were looking at a set of footprints.
“The footprints were wet, as though someone in bare feet had stepped in a puddle of water and then tracked it across the hallway’s stones. I found them unusual, but not particularly noteworthy. I would have passed them without comment. Likely some chambermaid or scullion. The spill of a mop bucket. Nothing worth my attention. But I could tell Johan was enraptured by this mystery. He had another guard looking for the origin, but they had dried past a certain point. Indeed, they were drying as we watched. If Johan hadn’t been walking the halls they would have faded and we all would have been back asleep instead of diving deep into pointless questions. Johan told me he’d followed the footprints to our daughters’ room but they didn’t appear to go inside. None of the guards, not even the one stationed outside the girls’ door, had seen anything that might explain them.
“I’ll confess I was perturbed with Johan at this point. I could sense the guards’ desire to get back to their stations, their weariness with their King’s presence. I tried to explain it away. I mentioned the idea of a chambermaid but he pointed out they would be wearing shoes whereas these were clearly made by someone with bare feet. Maybe a child at play, I said, but he said they were too large. He kept questioning it until I just ordered him to bed. As we climbed back into bed, he was still muttering. I remember clearly, he said, just before he fell asleep, ‘Strange things come with the full moon.’ That was my last thought of that night. That he was right, it was a full moon.
“I gave the wet footprints no more thought. Johan did not bring them up the next morning. He actually seemed to turn a corner the next few days, sleeping better and letting the Palace rest at night. The Palace fell back into its usual routine. And then one month later my daughter was taken.”
As she spoke, the Queen fought waves of emotion which threatened to disturb the stoicism in her face and voice. A ripple across her brow. A sudden tightening of her eyes. This was a woman of rigid, even admirable self-control, being forced to relay her worst nightmare.
“The twins were seven. Kylee and Ami. They slept in the same room. We didn’t realize Kylee was missing until Ami awoke alone in the room. There were no signs of a struggle. Nothing missing. The guard had seen no one enter or leave. When we pressed him hard, he confessed to having fallen asleep at his post. We don’t know much, but we suspect at some point in the middle of the night, someone was able to enter the room and spirit Kylee away. He or she did so without waking her sister. Ami could tell us nothing. We went through everyone Kylee might have gone with voluntarily. Her tutors, her old nursemaids. By all appearances they were innocent and just as concerned about her fate as we were. It became clear to us that someone had successfully kidnapped the princess. We assumed they had a way of getting out that only enabled them to take one of the two princesses. We waited for a ransom note. None came.”
Her hands were shaking. “I can’t even begin to describe what this did to my family. Ami, Johan. Me. Each of us blaming ourselves, cycling through grief, hope, disillusionment, doubt, all on different schedules that divided us. When Johan fell ill, he barely fought it. He died two years ago. Subsequently, I’ve focused on ruling the Kingdom justly and in raising my remaining daughter. I have tried to fill my life with purpose so the events of that night don’t ruin Ami’s life the way they ruined mine and Johan’s. It has been three years. It still hurts like it happened yesterday.”
She shifted in her seat, looking down momentarily and smoothing her skirt as if brushing off the emotion. “Recently I’ve suffered from a bout of insomnia, much like Johan had. I’ve taken to wandering the halls late at night. I understand I’ve been given the nickname of the Ghost Queen by some of our less kind staff. I can’t argue with it. But I can’t seem to help myself from roaming the cold, dark halls, constantly checking on Ami to make sure she is still in her bed. It was one of these late nights that I saw the wet footprints again. The same set. The same route. Bare feet tracking water to the princess’s door. A guard who saw nothing. This time I did not treat them so lightly. I woke the entire household, spent the rest of the night checking every corner of the house, my daughter in my arms, the only place where I could be certain she was safe.
“For you see,” the Queen said, “I remembered then. It was the night of a full moon when my husband first saw the footprints. It was the next full moon that my daughter was taken. Three years later, I saw the same footprints on the night of a full moon.”
She looked up at Cal and Aaron. “This was no simple kidnapping. Kidnappers do not walk the halls in bare, wet feet, sniffing out their prey with a full moon in place. This was something else. I believe someone or something is coming for my remaining child. I believe first my husband’s insomnia and then mine were tied to the threat to our family. I have spoken with my spirit guide and she agrees. I believe my husband was right when he said strange things come with the full moon. There are three nights until the next one. I believe that is the night it will come. I have tripled the guard around my daughter. But now I face the hardest decision of my life. And that is the decision I have asked Jon’s guidance on.”
There was a long and tense moment, which Aaron broke by leaning forward. “You want to know if you move Ami…or use her as bait.”
The Queen nodded slowly, a tear trickling down her cheek. “I must move her,” she said, shaking her head as if in argument with herself. “I could never live with myself if I lost her too. When I decide, I will move her in secret. I will tell as few people as possible. I will do everything I can to keep the trap baited. When whatever it is enters our halls, we will be ready. But a part of me fears the moment I move her, it will know. It will come for her in whatever less secure location I put her in. Or it will not come at all, and we will have lost whatever chance we ever had to learn what happened to Kylee. To the other piece of my heart. My daughter who I believe somewhere, somehow, still lives.”
“I don’t know why Jon sought your help,” she said, looking at Aaron and Cal, “but I can tell you why I approved the request. It is because, when I make the inevitable decision to hide my remaining daughter, to send her far away from whatever hunts her, when I doom Kylee to her unknown fate by doing so, I will ask you, Aaron Lorne, to carry Ami out of here. To take her out of Camron and up into the mountains where your stronghold lies, far away from the wet footprints. I cannot trust anyone who was here three years ago. Or even a month ago. I have to trust you with the last thing that matters. King Jacob said you saved the city of Delhonne. I am asking something simpler of you. I ask that you save my daughter. Will you help me?” Her plea was directly to Aaron, ignoring Cal and Jon.
Aaron replied in a low voice. “You said, when you decide. There is still time to dig deeper before we take Ami out of here.”
“Yes,” the Queen said. “Little. Will you take her when that time is gone? Will you keep her safe?”
Aaron looked at her for a long time before nodding.
The Queen turned to Jon. “Unless you find something to indicate otherwise, I want Ami out of here before nightfall the day after tomorrow. Use these men as you see fit, but you heard Aaron agree to honor my request. Did you have any other questions?” She looked ready to leave.
“What have you heard about the gathering at the Laurent House?” Jon asked.
“The only report I received mentioned it in passing, n
o details. What do you know?”
“I know a whole bunch of people went missing. And no one knows why or how. I’ll look into it more at daybreak.”
The Queen nodded. “Anything else?”
Jon hesitated, then gave a shrug. “For what it’s worth, both Cal and Aaron noted that Jenner is worthy of praise for his dedication in getting them here. Wouldn’t have happened otherwise.”
A peculiar look crossed the Queen’s face. “Noted,” she said tersely. “Now if there is nothing else, please show yourselves out. I’ll expect a report tomorrow night.”
The men rose as the Queen left. Jon led them to a different door.
When they were alone in the halls, Aaron spoke quietly, “What’s the deal with Jenner? Why’d she act so strange when you said he did well?”
“Remember how she mentioned a guard admitted falling asleep the night her daughter was taken? That was Jenner.”
Cal exhaled slowly. “That’s a hard one to shake off.”
“Earned him that fucked-up eye in a subsequent beating, courtesy of his fellow guards.”
Aaron looked down the dark halls. “Is it worth us taking a look at the place this happened?”
“Not now,” Jon said. “We’ve got another appointment we want to make before daybreak.”
“Who’s that?” Aaron asked.
“You heard her mention her spirit guide, right? That’s who we’re going to see.”
“Spirit guide? Is this going to be worth our time?”
“I sure hope so. She’s dying to see you. She’s the one who asked that I bring you down here.”
Chapter 4. A Quick Swim
The rains had died down but the streets were still wet, shiny with puddles and water flowing along the gutters. Finn was waiting outside the Palace with the carriage. He dropped his cigarette and ground it into the wet stones. Jon, Aaron, and Cal climbed in. There was a woman inside, waiting for them.
Jon flicked a thumb towards her. “This is Shay. Finn’s her brother. I’m setting them up to run the local shop as a team. Most people think Finn will run the show, and he’s good, but Shay’s something special. Shay, meet Aaron and Cal. They’re just getting up to speed with the happenings on the Plate.”
Alliance of the Sunken (Spies of Dragon and Chalk Book 3) Page 3