The Gathering Storm

by Robin Bridges

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

 

  The next morning at breakfast, we heard terrible news. There had been another death. Another soldier from the Order. Madame Tomilov did not know the dead man's name, however, and quickly sent one of the footmen to find out. I worried about Petya, whom I hadn't spoken to in days. Dariya put a hand on my arm. "I am sure your brother is somewhere safe. Surely he is going after the killer right now. "

  That thought twisted my stomach even more. I tried to smile. "Most likely, you are right," I agreed halfheartedly. I could not concentrate on my French or history lessons. I ran to the window every time I heard the clip-clop of horses approaching the front gate.

  Madame Orbel ani was sympathetic, but Madame Metcherskey was not.

  "Katerina Alexandrovna, return to your seat at once. There are several students here that have family members in the Order. You are not the only one. "

  I looked around, shocked that I had not realized it earlier. Countess Orlova and Princess Troubetsky, both younger than I. The poor girls. I knew that Aurora Demidov had withdrawn from Smolny after her cousin had been killed, but the countess Orlova had remained and had been there to comfort Princess Troubetsky when she heard about her cousin. Princess Troubetsky was distantly related to Countess Orlova, and thus the Count Orlov, so her grief had been doubled.

  "Forgive me, madame," I said, sliding into my seat. I stared out the window at the darkening clouds passing overhead. I prayed my brother was safe. I worried about my mother, for I knew she must be in hysterics.

  The dining hall was like a tomb at lunchtime. Everyone picked at their food silently and got up with relief when it was time to return to class.

  Madame Metcherskey canceled our dance lessons for the afternoon, and instead, we went to the chapel to pray.

  It was late afternoon when a messenger returned with more news. The dead prince was Aleksey Narychkine, murdered in his sleep. He had been the nephew of the elder Prince Narychkine, who had died before Christmas. He had no sister or cousin at Smolny, so we all breathed a sigh of relief, crossing ourselves and saying a prayer for his soul.

  "What is happening to the Order?" Princess Troubetsky cried. "Why would someone go after the tsar's men? Why won't the tsar do something?"

  Madame Orbel ani embraced her. "This nightmare will be over soon, I am sure of it. "

  The night patrols increased throughout the city. The soldiers always patrolled together, never alone. It made me only slightly less apprehensive for Petya.

  Anya looked frightened when she helped me get ready for bed that night.

  Whispering so she wouldn't awaken Elena, she told me what her brother had seen when the dead prince had been taken to the hospital that afternoon.

  "There were two bodies, Duchess! He said that Prince Narychkine managed to stab his killer in the neck before he bled to death. " She looked green as she told me this. I knew she didn't like hospitals to begin with, even when there were no dead bodies involved.

  "Do they know who his attacker was?" I whispered back. Elena rolled over in her sleep, her breathing slow and regular.

  "That is the strangest thing, Duchess! They said it looked just like Prince Ivan Naryshkin. "

  I racked my brain, trying to place the name. Was he a friend of my brother's?

  Anya's cold fingers grabbed my hand as she whispered, "But that is impossible, because they said Prince Naryshkin died over ten years ago. It couldn't have been him. "

  Mon Dieu. As limited as my knowledge of necromancy was, I did know that it would have taken a powerful necromancer to reanimate someone who had been dead for that long. I shuddered and tried to ignore the wave of nausea I felt. And the other robbed graves-they were all being turned

  into the House of Bessaraba's undead army.

  This horror needed to end. Soon.

  I tried to stay away from Elena the next day. I walked in the garden with Dariya. She was looking pale again. "It's the night air," she complained, pulling the budding leaves from the lilac bushes as we passed them. "And those horrible insects that keep flying into our room. " I stopped walking suddenly and stared at her. "Have any of the insects bitten you?" I asked.

  Dariya frowned. "I don't think so. But I did wake up once with one on my face. Oh, it was horrid! I screamed into my pillow so I wouldn't disturb anyone. "

  I looked at Dariya in alarm. Was it a veshtiza that was making her ill?

  What about the hemlock that had shown up in her blood? I needed to learn more about veshtizas and the other vampires. I didn't dare ask Princess Cantacuzene. Or the Montenegrins. We had to find a way to keep the window closed at night.

  Elena found us in the hallway on our way to dinner. "Katerina! Where on earth have you been?" She did not wait for a reply. She was breathless, almost giddy. "You'll never guess what happened. Princess Cantacuzene has been murdered!"