“Come on.” Darius drew her into the room as the door shut behind them. There was a hiss of steam, and the train began to move. Tay dropped into a chair, suddenly unsteady on her feet.
“We will be arriving in the City late tomorrow,” the footman informed them as he entered the room.
“Thank you.” Darius sat in the chair opposite and picked up a paper. “Can you fetch us a coffee and”－he looked over at Tay－“a hot chocolate.”
“Indeed sir.” The footman left the room, and Tay felt some of the tension lift from her shoulders.
“See,” Darius uttered, his voice soft. “Don’t worry.”
“I wish I could,” she replied, sinking down into a chair, and trying to relax.
“I’ll keep an eye on you,” he assured, and she looked up into his face, startled at the sincerity that she saw there.
“What’s the City like?” she asked, disturbed by the gentleness in his eyes.
“Full of fog,” he answered, settling back into the chair and relaxing. “But beautiful in a way.” His voice became distant as he recalled the memories. “The buildings are a lot grander than those back at home, and the main Palace…” He stopped talking as the footman returned, and handed over two steaming cups. Tay’s chilled fingers wrapped about the white porcelain, and she sniffed the chocolaty concoction, relaxing with the rich scent.
“The main Palace?” she prompted as the servant walked out of the room.
“It’s surrounded by parkland and gardens,” he continued, his voice strangely soothing. “The main building is only three stories high and made of golden stone. Inside”－he paused and looked at her－“it’s fully heated. Our apartments are on the southern edge of the Palace and overlook the ornamental gardens.”
“We’re staying at the Palace?” Tay managed to keep the squeak of fear from her voice, but shock permeated her words all the same.
“Yes.” A sympathetic gleam entered his gaze as she assimilated the new information. “They’re private.” What could have been reassurance rippled through his tones.
“There’s a swimming pool in the basement,” he continued. Tay stayed silent, the fear keeping her on edge. “You’ll like it.” She thought for a moment, finding it strange that he would concern himself with her likes. She stared down at the swirling chocolate, allowing her thoughts to drift ahead to the City, and she shifted uncomfortably in her seat.
“Lyana.” She dragged her gaze away from the cup and looked up. Darius’ eyes were fixed on her face and she was surprised by the concern she saw there.
“What will I have to do?” She took another sip and tried to calm down. “I won’t have a maid.” She seized on the least of her worries, trying to forestall thinking about the more difficult things she would have to attempt. “Won’t they find it strange that I don’t have a maid?”
“You will have one,” he said, understanding creeping into his voice.
“Won’t they know that I’m not her?”
“There’s no reason for them to.” He placed the cup he was holding onto a nearby table, and leant forward. “For all intents and purposes, you are Lyana James.”
“But…” She couldn’t help it, the doubts and fears seemed to stack up against her, and her hands started to shake. “I don’t…” She despised herself for the plea she heard in her voice. “What if…?” She couldn’t finish the sentence, fear choking her before she could.
“It’s alright.” He stood and crossed the room in several long strides. Crouching down, Darius’ gentle gaze reassured and calmed. “You can do this.”
“How do you know?” she whispered, nerves stealing the power from her voice.
“Because anyone who had the guts to visit me at my home, and ask for her father’s life, has enough courage to manage this.” A hand reached out and removed the cup before it spilt. Placing it down on the nearby table, he reached out and caught her shaking fingers. “Now relax,” he murmured, a soft note that was somehow comforting.
Tay took a deep breath and nodded, allowing his voice to reassure her. The tremors in her fingers began to diminish, bolstered by his confidence and support. She attempted a watery smile as she reached deep within herself for the strength to keep going.
“That’s better.” He released her fingers and moved back. “Come on.” He held out his arm as he reached his full height. “You’d better see your room.” After a moment, she reached out and caught hold of his lower arm, feeling the muscles beneath the soft fabric of his shirt. He drew back and pulled her upright. The train’s motion swayed beneath her feet, leaving her almost clumsy as she joined him. Suddenly shy, she removed her hands from his arm and waited. Gently, courteously, his fingers encircled her upper arm.
“Remember,” he whispered as they headed toward the back of the carriage, and two sets of doors, “that this is not new to you. Granted, we are not the most cosmopolitan of families, but we have had our share of parties.” He came to a stop before the doors and looked down at her. The motion of the train rocked them and almost without meaning to, they moved closer together. “There’s no need to baulk at courtesy.” He whispered before stepping back and turning to the doors. She released a breath as he led her forward, and pushed open the door on the right to revealed a small but exquisite-looking room.
The room was panelled in a warm, golden wood and plush red carpet covered the floor. Beneath the window, a small desk stood, and built into the wall on the right was a bed. A nightgown was laid across its crisp surface, a long confection of lace and satin.
“Yours,” he said, releasing her arm, and allowing her to walk into the small room. She stepped forward, wonder flooding through her at the sight of the cabin, and for a moment all fears about being discovered faded. She stretched her hand out, and ran her fingers over the nightgown, marvelling at its silky feel.
“There’s more clothing in the wardrobe,” Darius continued, moving over to the panelled wall and pressing a small switch. The wall slid open to reveal the dresses beyond. Her mouth dropped open at the sight, and she reached into the cupboard to draw one of the dresses free. Her fingers slid over the rustling, deep burgundy taffeta, and for the first time, she relished being Lyana James. Thoughts of wearing this dress, and others like it, chased through her mind, and a smile came to her lips.
“You have a beautiful smile.” She dropped her hand from the dress, and stared up at Darius, having forgotten that he was there.
“Thank you,” she replied, unsure of how to take the compliment.
“A maid will be assigned to you in the City,” Darius continued, not missing the sudden tension that straightened her back. “And none of them know what my sister looks like.” He backed up to the door. “Dinner will be served at six if you want to spend the rest of the journey here.” He reached for the door and began to walk through.
“Darius…” He stopped and looked back at her, a question in his eyes. She took a breath, and closed her mouth, unsure of what she wanted to say. “Nothing,” she clarified, shaking her head.
“You don’t have to be concerned,” he said, his eyes fixed on her face. “I won’t let you be discovered, there’s far too much at stake for that.” And with that enigmatic statement, he turned back to the door and walked through, leaving Tay to stare after him in shock.
The door closed behind him and left her alone in the cabin. Running a nervous hand across her upper lip, she paced over to the window and stared out at the landscape beyond. The sky was almost gold today, and the view from the moving train was as clear as a bell. In between clouds of soot-filled smoke, Tay could see what laid beyond the Factory, and her jaw dropped open in disbelief. Once past the wall that surrounded her home, the fields began in earnest, and the sight of those wide-open spaces made her head spin. From the tracks to the horizon, the fields stretched out in all directions, the furrows filled with scraggly-looking plants choked by weeds. On a distant field, she could see the distinctive shapes of livestock, and in the midst of it all, a large farm with seve
ral outbuildings.
As her gaze drifted across the fields, she saw several teams of workers tilling the frozen ground, watched over by guards in warm towers. For a moment, shame rushed through her, she had forgotten about the farming communities. Despite being free of the Factory, they did not have a better life, with their existence dominated by quotas. As she watched, one of the workers stretched and glanced up toward the train. For an instant, her gaze looked with the woman on the ground, and Tay stepped back at the hostility she sensed. She turned away from the window and sank down onto the bed, her fingers nervously plucking at the bedspread.
Darius’ last words flowed through her mind, and she focused on them with some concern. What stakes could he be talking about? True, the stakes for her were quite high, and he was concerned about his sister, but she somehow knew that he was referring to something else. There was also the scene she had witnessed the day before. Lyana had not even referred to any issues. Granted, Tay was not one of her closest friends, but it could be something she should be aware of. Secrets within secrets. Tay was surrounded by them, Darius and his sister; Cody and Lars. They seemed so interested in Darius’ motives, but they had been the ones to send her to him.
“What else does he want?” There was an answer to that whispered question, but she dismissed it as soon as she thought of it. As he had said in their first meeting, he had no need to pay for sex, and he didn’t strike Tay as a man who would go to such lengths to obtain it another way. With his looks and almost arrogant confidence, he would be certain to entice any woman he chose. No, she was sure Darius had another plan in mind.
Stressed and tired from the last week, Tay closed her eyes and began to doze. Memories of her mother flooded her thoughts, and for the first time, she focused on the stories that her mother had told. Tales of life before the nobles, of the Coils, and other ephemera had dominated her youth, and she had always dismissed them before. With Lars’ interest, she had been forced to re-examine the role of those stories. The Coils had never been history as such, but on reflection, they had also never been discussed in open surroundings. Any discussion of the Coils occurred in closed rooms with people you trusted. As she drifted into the clarity that sleep sometimes brought, she wondered why she had never noticed that before. Sinking into a heavier slumber, her thoughts drifted, finding different memories, darker memories. Tears slid from her eyes as she remembered a recent argument with her father. He had wanted to explain his reasons for rebelling, and she had not understood. When he had been dragged from their house, Tay had almost felt vindication, hollow though it was. Rebellions and riots never did any good. She rolled onto her side, and clenched her eyes tightly shut, trying to still her troublesome mind. Several deep breaths and her thoughts began to clear, allowing her to find enough peace to sleep.
She woke some time later. The sky was darker, and long shadows stretched across the room. With a sigh, she pushed herself off the bed and flicked the small switch that turned on the light. In the cool glow of the bulb, she stared at herself in the mirror. Her hair, which had been curled and pinned into the latest style, was lightly mussed from her doze. She wore a long skirt in heavy green twill, a matching jacket, and beneath it all, a fine cotton blouse in white. With the small, pillbox hat pinned to her hair, she had to admit that she at least looked the part of a wealthy lady. Tugging at the hairpins, she dragged the hat from her head to reveal the cleverly pinned, and elegant-looking, hairstyle. Her brown locks had been teased into ringlets, and secured with silver-tipped hatpins to the crown of her head. For a long moment, she stared at her reflection, noting the richness of her dress with a strange mixture of envy and frustration. Any one of the pins adorning her hair would feed her family for days. Turning away from the mirror, she removed the green jacket and placed it on the back of the chair.
She reached beneath the bed and drew out the small attaché case that had been left for her. Placing the small box on the bed, she crossed the room, and turned the flimsy lock on the door, giving her some small measure of privacy. Taking a deep breath, she turned back to face the box. It laid on the crisp bed sheets like a sleeping tiger, and she watched it for a few moments, as though concerned it would harm her. Shaking her head to clear it of worrying thoughts, she hesitantly stepped forward and undid the latch on the small case. A tray of various cosmetics met her eyes as she lifted the lid, but she paid them no attention, as she reached to the top right-hand corner, and pressed twice. There was a click, and the deep cosmetics tray lifted free to reveal a large, metal disc. Gingerly she reached her hands forward and picked up the item. Lars had given her a brief tutorial on how to use the recorders, and while it seemed simple enough, she still hadn’t worked out how she would gain access to them. Despite her assumed parentage, she doubted that she would be allowed to visit the records office, and it was even less likely that she would be there for long enough to steal the shipping records. Running her fingers over the notched edge of the disc, Tay pondered her options, which were depressingly few. Not for the first time, she wondered why she had agreed to spy for the resistance, and whether it could be managed at all.
There was a sudden jolt, and the train screeched to a halt. Tay fell forward, the disc dropping from her hands as she landed on the bed, her knees stinging painfully as they collided with the wooden bed frame. Silence settled over the carriage as she began to pick herself up. The luxurious cabin now felt oppressive, more of a trap than it had been before. With careful fingers, she lifted the disc from the floor and returned it to the box, fumbling the cosmetics back into place as shouts sounded from other parts of the train.
“Lyana.” Darius’ voice echoed through the door as he rattled the door handle. “Are you hurt?” Tay had to give him some credit, he sounded genuinely concerned.
“I’m fine,” she called back as she shoved the case back under the bed. Standing up, she walked back toward the door and popped the lock. Casting a quick glance at the bed, she reassured herself that the box was out of sight before she opened the door. Behind Darius, two of the train guards waited with weapons in their hands.
“What’s going on?” she asked, as Darius curled his fingers about her upper arm.
“We think rebels,” he replied carefully, as he drew her into the hallway. Tay felt her stomach clench at his words. It was unusual for rebels to attack the transports of the nobility, but not unheard of. “We should stay in the parlour, just in case,” he continued, guiding her along the corridor.
“But how?” she asked as he pushed open the door, and took a spare weapon from one of the men.
“They would have blocked the line,” he answered tersely, as he indicated that she sit behind the bar and out of sight. “It’s easy to do out here.”
Tay slid to the floor, blocking out the fear with the sound of his words. “Surely the guards…” She almost chortled to herself at the thought of expecting help from that quarter, but the hope was there. She was currently dressed as a noble and as such, her chances to escape unscathed had dropped.
“It’s hard to guard out here.” Darius rested his back against the wall of the bar. “There’s too much space for a sufficient presence.” He nodded at the window. “The farms and warehouses can be guarded effectively, but once out in the countryside, the train is reliant on the guard it carries.”
“So”－she disliked the tremor that entered her voice－“what’s going to happen?”
Darius glanced down at her but did not answer, leaving Tay to imagine what fate could be in store for them. Silence settled between them, stretched taut with unspoken fears and secrets. Resting back against the cabinet, Tay tried to keep her hands from shaking. After a moment, Darius moved forward and sat down beside her.
“It’s alright.” His voice was soft, gentle and reassuring as he reached out and took hold of her hand. She almost flinched at the warm pressure of his fingers but controlled the impulse, conscious of the watching guard. “Nothing’s going to happen to you.” Tay glanced up at him, confused for a moment
by his manner. He winked at her and continued, “Don’t worry about it, sis.” With those words, Tay understood, he was reinforcing the image the guard had of them as siblings, and she had a role to play.
“Easy for you to say.” The joking tone was forced, but the guard could interpret it as nerves over the situation. “You’re holding a gun.”
“Do you think I’m daft enough to hand you a weapon?” Teasing tones rippled through his voice. “You’re far more likely to shoot me than any intruder.”
“Well, you’d probably deserve it,” she joked back, encouraged by the familiar notes of sibling teasing. If she relaxed, she could almost pretend that he was an older brother.
“And that’s why you don’t get a gun,” he finished, as a door swung open behind them. Darius stood up and faced the newcomer. “Well?” he asked, and there was no trace of the humour in his voice as he stared at the guard.
“We’ve checked the obstruction.”
“And…”
“It was a fallen tree,” the guard clarified, staring straight at the lapels on Darius’ shirt. “No sign of rebel activity, and the train staff are clearing it from the track as we speak.”
“Excellent.” Tay looked at Darius, impressed at the crisp, curt notes of command that infused his voice. “Is that all?”
“That’s all sir.”
“Good, then get on with your work.” Darius dismissed the guard with barely a glance, and held out his hand to Tay. “See,” he continued in a lighter tone, “there was no need to furnish you with a weapon.” Tay gave a watery smile as she took hold of his hand, and he helped her to her feet.
“You two can go as well.” Darius nodded at the remaining guards and waited for them to leave. As the door clicked shut, Darius released his hold on her hand, and strode back to his chair. Settling back against the cushions, Darius regarded her carefully.
Amber Sky (C.O.I.L.S Of Copper and Brass Book 1) Page 11