by Jane Godman
“I don’t understand any of this,” Lidi said. “And please don’t tell me to look inside my heart to find the answers, because I can tell you now...they aren’t there.”
Alyona smiled. “I was going to say it’s simple, but that sounds patronizing. Perhaps it’s easier to understand if, like me, you have been part of the spirit world for the last thirteen years. Thirteen years ago, the foul massacre in the royal palace tore apart the very fabric of this land. The spirits who watch over Callistoya could not allow it to go unavenged. But while Gerald remained absent, it was hard to find a way to restore the true regime.”
“Couldn’t those spirits have found a way to remove the spell Vasily had used to prevent Ged from crossing the border?” Lidi asked.
“We both know that the spell was not the reason Gerald stayed away,” Alyona said. “The barrier was in his heart, not on the border. Sadly, we—for I had become one of those determined to redress the wrong that Vasily caused—were forced to wait until the time was right.”
“How did you know when that was?” Lidi was conscious of Bruno moving out from her skirts and lying on the grass, his relaxed attitude confirming her own conviction that Alyona meant her no harm.
“It happened when Vasily turned his eyes in your direction. From that moment on, although you didn’t know it, I was always close by.”
Lidi managed a smile. “If that was the case, couldn’t you have stopped Vasily from throwing me and my father into prison? Or at least helped me when I escaped?”
Alyona returned the smile. “My physical presence is an illusion. I am here to guide, but I cannot intervene.”
Lidi couldn’t help wondering if there might come a point when Alyona would tell her she had run out of questions. Her best option was probably to keep going while she could. “If you are his guide, why can’t Ged see you?”
“I’m not here as Gerald’s spirit escort.” As Alyona spoke, Bruno jumped up onto the bench and positioned himself between the two women. “I’m here for you, Lidi.”
Lidi took a break from the conversation to stroke Bruno. As a supernatural being herself, she was no stranger to the concept of unseen forces at work behind the scenes, but this was a little too personal. The idea that the spirits had their watchful eyes upon her was both comforting and unnerving. While it gave her hope that the good guys would win, it made her uncomfortable about her privacy.
“I am not always with you.” Alyona’s words addressed at least one of Lidi’s unspoken concerns. “But once you passed into the mortal realm, it was decided that I should materialize and appear to you from time to time.”
“But why?” Lidi asked. Although she had no wish to offend a spirit, she couldn’t see what Alyona had actually done.
“I was to be there if you needed my assistance. Most times, you’ve been doing just fine on your own.” Alyona’s smooth brow wrinkled. “In fact, I can only think of one occasion where I nudged you in the right direction.”
Lidi stared at her with a blank expression for a moment before she remembered what the other woman was talking about. “You told me which floor the band would be staying on in the Palais Hotel.” Suddenly the whole situation struck her as funny. “You dared me to get into the hotel. By telling me I couldn’t, you knew I would. I have a guardian angel who is my—” still unsure how to describe Ged in relation to herself, she hesitated “—a matchmaking guardian angel who is Ged’s ex-fiancée and whose job is to make sure I stay with him.”
Alyona appeared bewildered by her amusement. “That’s it exactly. You are the key, Lidi. You are the person who will save our king and, with him, our country.”
Lidi shook her head, the amusement fading. “No pressure, then. And that’s the reason you’ve hung around for thirteen years? To make sure Ged and I find each other?”
Alyona’s hand went to her neck. “Not the only reason. Revenge is a powerful motivator.”
Lidi swallowed hard at the thought of what Alyona must have endured that night. “Did Vasily do that to you?”
“Yes.” Alyona closed her eyes briefly. “I relive that night constantly. By the time the engagement feast was over, both Gerald and Andrei had begun to feel unwell. I wondered if it was something they’d eaten, but the other guests were all fine. Soon, they were so ill that they were forced to retire to bed. After about an hour, the party ended and everyone else went upstairs. Something woke me in the early hours of the morning. I’m not sure what it was. A sound that was out of place, maybe. I tried to get back to sleep, but then I heard a scream and the sound of running footsteps.”
“Were you in your own room?” Lidi remembered that Alyona had been in Ged’s bed when she was murdered.
“Yes. I was scared, so I put on my dressing gown and went along the corridor to Gerald’s room. When I got there, the room was empty and his bed hadn’t been slept in. I’d only just closed the door behind me when Vasily burst in.” She swallowed hard, and Lidi could see the effort it took for her to force herself onward. “He wore some sort of protective glove that came all the way up his arm, and when I looked at his hand, I could see the reason why. He was holding a silver dagger. The glove was to protect him from the effects of the silver. The knife was dripping with blood.”
Lidi wasn’t sure if she would be able to touch Alyona. When she placed her hand over the other woman’s, she was pleased to find she could feel it. Perhaps it wasn’t quite flesh and blood, but it was there. Alyona looked down at their entwined fingers for a long, heartbreaking moment before continuing her story.
When she spoke again, her voice was stronger. “Vasily screamed at me, wanting to know where Gerald was. He wouldn’t believe me when I told him I didn’t know. He showed me the blood on the knife and told me he had just killed the king. Now it was to be Gerald’s turn. I tried to run, but he caught hold of me. He took the cord belt from my dressing gown and twisted it around my neck, trying to get me to tell him where Gerald was hiding.” Her voice hitched on a sob. “Because I didn’t know, I couldn’t tell him. I was losing consciousness when I heard another voice. It was a woman and she was crying. She pleaded with Vasily to stop.” Alyona turned tear-filled eyes to Lidi’s face. “That was when I felt the burn of the silver dagger and...nothing.”
“A woman? Ged’s friend Pauwau told us that the person who saved him and Andrei that night was a woman,” Lidi said.
“Queen Zoya, Vasily’s mother, was the person who rescued them. She was the one who tried to stop Vasily from killing me. Zoya had heard rumors of the assassination plot and was placed in a terrible position. If she took the story to her husband, the king, he would have Vasily executed for treason. But she knew she couldn’t sit by and do nothing. She consulted the spirits and devised a spell to incapacitate Gerald and Andrei on the night of the feast. Then, she ordered her servants to carry them to different locations in the mortal realm.”
Lidi frowned. Although the picture was clearer, she was still confused. “If Zoya wanted to save Ged and Andrei, why did she have them beaten? Ged was seriously injured, and Andrei was left in a wheelchair as a result of his injuries.”
“When her servants returned, they told her that, even though they were under the influence of a powerful spell, the Tavisha brothers had fought them and had needed to be physically restrained. Zoya was angry and had the men responsible punished, but it was too late by then to do anything. And she had other things on her mind. Zoya herself was suffering the aftereffects of Vasily’s anger.”
“Did he know what she’d done?” Lidi asked.
“He didn’t know she was the person who had rescued Gerald and Andrei. Even though Zoya is his mother, that would have meant certain death,” Alyona said. “But he was furious because she tried to save me.”
“But her husband died that night. How could she have let that happen?”
Lidi didn’t get an answer to her question. To her surprise, Alyona disappeared a
s she was speaking. The reason soon became obvious when Bruno gave an excited bark and leaped from the bench.
“Talking to yourself?”
Lidi turned her head to see Ged walking toward her.
“Or talking to Bruno? I’m not sure which is more troubling.” His gaze scanned her face. “Hey...are you okay?”
Since the information Alyona had given her would take more than a few minutes to share, she smiled. “Just gathering my thoughts.”
He held out his hands, helping her to her feet. “I came to tell you that my uncle has arrived. And also that Bogdan has been dealing with a possible rebellion from the staff over the theft of meat from the kitchen.”
Lidi linked her arm through his and they strolled back toward the courtyard with Bruno trotting beside them. “That sounds strange.”
“Doesn’t it? Some people were inclined to blame the devil-dog you brought with you from the mortal realm.”
Lidi huffed out an impatient breath. “If they would just take a little time to understand him—”
“That’s what Bogdan told them.” Ged held the door open so she could step through in front of him. He lowered his voice as she passed so that only she could hear. “Bruno hid the remains of his robbery under your bed. I’ve already removed them.”
She had only just stopped laughing when they reached the drawing room where Eduard Tavisha awaited them.
* * *
Ged could never see his uncle without being reminded of his father. And memories of his father brought a combination of joy and pain. Ivan Tavisha had been a king in every sense of the word. Big and powerful, he had reigned over Callistoya with an understanding of his subjects and their needs that was deeply intuitive. Taking into account the fact that he was a bear, it was also remarkable.
He knew now that his homesickness and anger at Vasily’s behavior had prevented him from grieving properly for his father. Maybe avenging his death would be one way to begin that process. It would certainly make Ged feel as though he was doing something to redress the balance.
As he gripped his uncle’s hand, he thought he could see some of the same thoughts reflected in Eduard Tavisha’s eyes.
Eduard smiled as he indicated Ged’s disguise. “It’s a little unsettling, but I’d have known you anywhere.”
Ged frowned. “I hope Vasily isn’t as perceptive.”
His uncle shook his head. “Vasily is too interested in himself and too busy trying to deal with the threats to his reign. He doesn’t notice anything beyond the end of his own nose. I wouldn’t underestimate his cunning or his instinct for self-preservation, but together, we will reclaim what is yours. This land needs a Tavisha on the throne once more.” He looked around. “Can what Bogdan tells me really be true? Is Andrei with you?”
“He is, but his experiences have taken their toll. My brother has no memory of his life in Callistoya.”
As Ged finished speaking, Andrei entered the room with Bogdan. With no time to waste, they launched into a discussion about the size of the resistance forces and the plan to overthrow Vasily. It soon became clear that his uncle had devoted the last thirteen years of his life to building the resistance into a formidable army.
“I believe that we, with the addition of Vitchenko’s forces and the support of Bogdan here on behalf of the Count of Aras, we can defeat Vasily’s army,” Eduard said.
Ged’s heart swelled with pride at the news he was hearing. When he was forced to leave Callistoya, he had never dreamed of leading an army. He had been relatively young, and his experience of military action had been limited to combat training with the royal army. But, back then, his father had been alive. If he had thought about it, he supposed that one day he would ride out at his father’s side on his missions to quell the rebels. “One day” had seemed a long way off.
Now he was preparing to lead the resistance, and he found the prospect exhilarating. Curiously, his time in the mortal realm had been good preparation for this moment. Managing a rock band might not appear on the surface to have many similarities to leading a revolution, but the skills he had honed were the same. He was used to being in charge. And managing Beast meant he knew how to cope with the unexpected.
In addition, he had spent his time deliberately facing peril by rescuing other shifters from danger. For thirteen years, he had thrown himself from one wild adventure to another, never pausing to consider his own safety. Looking back, he supposed it was the best possible training for what he was about to face.
“I want you to approach the palace from the south,” he told Eduard.
“The south?” His uncle shook his head. “That would be a mistake. You haven’t been to your old home recently, but the south plain has become an encampment for Vasily’s men. We should take him by surprise and storm the palace from the east.”
“No.” Ged’s expression was determined. “As far as possible, I want the palace left untouched.”
Eduard laughed. “A wise move. A battle inside the building would leave it in ruins. Do you have any other requests?”
“Yes.” He handed Eduard a slip of paper. “You will need to get someone into the mortal realm to contact this man. His name is Khan and he will be waiting close to the border. Once he and his companions arrive in Callistoya, have them escorted directly to the royal palace.”
Eduard blinked, but nodded. “As you wish.”
Ged turned to Lidi. “I think that’s it. We should start our journey.”
“I have just one question.” She turned to Eduard. “Where is Queen Zoya?”
He looked confused. “I’m not sure. Vasily has effectively closed the royal palace off from the rest of the country. After King Ivan was killed, the queen went into mourning. Although she has not been seen in public for many years, she is believed to reside in the royal palace. Why do you ask?”
“I was just curious.” Lidi spoke casually, but Ged knew her well enough by now to be sure she had a very specific reason for asking.
They left soon after. Sasha reassured Lidi that she would take care of Bruno, who, with his uncanny sixth sense, seemed to understand that he couldn’t accompany the mistress he had chosen for himself. Instead, tucked under Sasha’s arm, he watched as Ged and Lidi mounted their horses.
They had discussed the method of travel. Although the journey would have been quicker if they had shifted and crossed the Callistoya landscape as bears, Lidi’s reasoning had prevailed. This time her arguments about nakedness had nothing to do with modesty and everything to do with first appearances.
“It is my intention to arrive at the royal palace and request a meeting with Vasily. Once I present myself to him, he will assume that I am willing to marry him after all. I will feel more comfortable if I am not naked when we have that conversation.”
Ged’s feelings had threatened to overwhelm him at the image of Vasily’s eyes on Lidi’s naked body. As the time drew closer when they would play out their charade, it was bad enough to contemplate him anywhere near her.
Not for long. That was how he managed to deal with it. We will get inside the palace, spoil his festive ball and then destroy him.
Horses were not naturally comfortable around bears, but over the centuries, the Callistoya nobles had bred sturdy packhorses to carry them and pull their carriages. This breed was large and functional rather than beautiful, but they displayed no nervousness around bear shifters and could be relied upon to carry Ged, Lidi and their belongings without any problems.
Ged leaned forward in the saddle to grasp Andrei’s hand. “Any regrets about this mad adventure so far?”
“Only one.” Andrei smiled in response to Ged’s raised brows. “I’d have liked to be there to see you kick Vasily’s ass.”
Ged raised a hand as he departed. “Don’t worry. I will make Vasily pay for what he did to you...to all of us.”
Chapter 19
S
ituated high in the Callistoyan mountain range, the royal palace was a breathtaking sight. It was said that the very first Tavisha king, upon being granted his kingdom by Callisto herself, had decided to create something unique and romantic amid the snowcapped peaks.
Although Lidi had seen the colorful building, it had been when she was brought here as a prisoner. On that occasion, she had been in no mood to admire the royal residence. This time, it drew a gasp from her as they approached. “It’s like...” She paused, lost for words.
“My mother, who was musical, once described it to me as an opera made from bricks and mortar,” Ged said.
Lidi, who wasn’t musical, couldn’t understand the comparison. She gazed at the towers, facades and architectural flourishes that appeared to have been thrown together from a bunch of different castles. One portion resembled medieval European parapets, while the section next to it was modeled on an Islamic tower dome. And so it went on. Each part of the facade was also presented in a different color; a long purple wing was flanked by a red clock tower and a yellow minaret, the bright colors eye-catching against the stark landscape. It was opulent, indulgent, foolish...and incredible.
“It’s beautiful.”
“I’m glad you like it.” Ged seemed relieved, and as they moved closer to the palace, Lidi took a moment to wonder why that was. She knew he cared about her. After everything they’d been through and all they’d shared, it was obvious his feelings for her were strong. But she would never be part of this life. So why should it matter what she thought of his home?
She shrugged the thought aside. There were more important considerations right now, such as the impending meeting with Vasily. She still hadn’t told Ged about her encounter with Alyona. Not because she didn’t want to. On the contrary, she really wanted to share what she’d learned, but the details of what had happened on the night of the massacre had been devastating to hear. If it could distress Lidi, who hadn’t known Alyona, how would it affect Ged? He needed a clear head for the coming encounter. If his judgment was clouded by a red mist of rage, he might jeopardize the whole mission. Worse, he could endanger himself.