“What is the grand duchess thinking?” my cousin said. “She is too far along in her confinement to be dancing in public!”
“Nonsense,” I said. “Princess Yussopova danced all night long at one of her own balls and gave birth to her son the very next day. With no difficulties.” I looked up at my cousin in the mirror and smiled. “And with no scandals.”
Dariya sighed. “I suppose it would be a worse scandal if the King and Queen of Montenegro were snubbed by the Dark Court of St. Petersburg. I do hope you are careful tonight. If only there was a spell you could invoke to protect yourself from the crown prince. I kept searching that book of yours, but I could not find anything that looks practical.” She looked at me pointedly. “Nothing that does not involve raising your own undead army.”
“That is out of the question,” I said, my hands trembling as I fastened pearl earrings in my earlobes. “I couldn’t possibly do such a thing.”
“But you do have the curse, do you not?” Dariya asked soberly. “Why else would Cantacuzene give you such a book? And the moth at the Smolny Ball. That was something you did, was it not?”
I did not know what to say. How long had she known? “But I didn’t want you to think I was a monster!”
“How could I? My mother had the curse as well.”
I looked at her in surprise. “How do you know that?” Dariya’s mother had died giving birth to her. Had she truly been a necromancer, like me?
“I found my mother’s journal when I was six. For years, I secretly hoped I would inherit some special talent from her. Even the curse. It would have kept me connected with her in some small way.” Dariya played with the lace in the window. “I know how stupid it seems,” she said sheepishly.
“Of course it doesn’t. But I wouldn’t wish this curse on anyone. I’ve wanted to tell you for so long, but I didn’t want you to be afraid of me!”
She rushed forward to embrace me. “I know you are a good person, Katiya,” she whispered in my ear. “I’m not afraid of you.”
I tried to blink away the tears. I prayed I would never let my cousin down.
“Girls!” Maman’s voice rang through the hallway. “We must leave immediately!”
Hastily, I brushed the tears out of the corners of my eyes and sighed. “I suppose I shall have to dance every dance with the crown prince,” I said.
Dariya smiled. “Do not give up hope yet, Katiya. We will think of something before you have to marry him.”
Peterhof was a stunning estate, consisting of several palaces and chapels. The Grand Palace was known as the Russian Versailles and had an impressive bank of fountains, called the Grand Cascade, that flowed down toward the sea. Our own family dacha was also close to the water, looking out across the Gulf of Finland.
It was a beautiful white night, the last in July, and the sun had no intention of setting that evening. All the women wore white court gowns embroidered in silver. Maman wore one of her tiaras and I wore an embroidered kokoshnik. Once I was married, I would be allowed to wear tiaras to balls and court functions. Maman had already showed me a few of her treasured pieces of jewelry she planned to give me as wedding gifts. I was afraid, though, that after my wedding, I would never see another ball again. I was afraid I would never see St. Petersburg again.
“Katerina, I am so pleased to see you.” The crown prince met me at the top of the grand staircase at the Grand Palace and kissed my hand possessively. “You are looking especially ravishing tonight.”
I could tell he did not plan to let me out of his sight all evening. With a polite bow to Maman and the grand duchess, he pulled me onto the ballroom floor, making sure everyone saw us as a happy couple.
We spun around and around to Strauss and Glinka. “You look distracted, my love,” he said. “As if you long to be elsewhere.”
I said nothing. I glanced around the ballroom. The Montenegrin princesses were all dancing gaily. Princess Anastasia was speaking with her mother and Grand Duchess Miechen. The grand duchess did not look happy. She looked pale.
“What has happened?” I asked.
“Nothing to concern yourself with, my dear,” Danilo said. “But Russia’s worst fears have been confirmed. Konstantin the Deathless has returned.”
I was so shocked I almost tripped over my own feet. I stopped dancing and stared at him. “How do you know this?”
“He has been at the priory here at Peterhof all along. The vampires have seen him and reported this to Militza.”
“The tsar! He must be warned!” I tried to pull away from Danilo. His hands gripped me tighter. “The imperial family is here at Peterhof for the wedding ceremonies. We must send word to them immediately!” Tsar Alexander and his wife preferred staying at one of the smaller palaces on the estate. It was tucked far away from the Grand Palace.
The crown prince smiled lazily. “Do not worry your pretty head about this. Montenegro has sworn her allegiance to Russia and the tsar. We have already sent our warrior priests to help the tsar’s men defeat Konstantin Pavlovich.”
My stomach knotted. When the tsar found out about Queen Milena’s ritual, he would know of my involvement. My blood had brought back Konstantin the Deathless. I could be killed for treason.
“Do not be frightened, Katerina. The tsar will never know your part in betraying him.” He pushed a lock of my hair back off my shoulder and leaned forward to whisper, “That is what you were thinking, is it not?”
I looked over again at Queen Milena, who was smiling at me and the crown prince. The grand duchess was no longer standing with her. I looked all around the vast ballroom, but Miechen had left her own ball. Maman and Papa were dancing merrily, as were Princess Elena and one of the Georgian princes.
“Your Highness, I am terribly sorry,” I said. “I have been overcome with a terrible headache. I must beg you to excuse me for a moment.”
“Perhaps you need some fresh air?” Danilo asked as he turned to lead me to the veranda.
I could smell the sea air on the night breeze, but I did not want to go outdoors. I wanted to find the grand duchess. I shook my head. “I need to find a quiet place to sit down.”
His eyes flashed darkly as his fingers dug into my arm briefly. It was a painful warning. “Do not try anything foolish.”
“Of course not, Your Highness.”
CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
I searched the long corridors of the Grand Palace for the grand duchess. The private apartments were on the opposite side of the palace from the ballroom. I knew I wouldn’t have much time before the crown prince would come looking for me.
Grand Duchess Miechen was sitting on a couch in the Blue Room, just off the grand staircase. She still looked pale, and was holding her belly.
“Your Imperial Highness? Can I send for anyone?”
She shook her head. “Katerina, do not worry about me. You must get word to the tsar. The foolish Montenegrins have uncovered Cantacuzene’s secret and resurrected her dead lover, Konstantin Pavlovich. He is going after the tsar before the bogatyr can be summoned.”
“What can we do?”
The grand duchess smiled, despite her obvious pain. “I can do nothing, I’m afraid, except keep the rest of the Dark Court out of the fight. The Russian vampires will wish to side with Konstantin, of course. He and Princess Cantacuzene created most of them. There are still families in St. Petersburg who are bitter about Nicholas’s brutality in crushing the Dekebristi. To revenge themselves against Nicholas’s grandson would be too tempting.”
“I am so sorry, Your Imperial Highness,” I said. “I was there when Queen Milena released him, but she did not realize what she was doing. And then he disappeared, and there was nothing anyone could do.”
“Soon everyone will know. The tsar will not be pleased—if he survives.”
“Why do you care?” I asked suspiciously. “Would you not be happy to see the tsar dead?”
“Alexander Alexandrovich is a foe I much prefer to Konstantin Pavlovich. What hope would my Vladi
mir have of inheriting the throne from a lich tsar?” She gave a little grimace as her face drained of all color.
“Is it the twins?” I asked anxiously. “It is much too early, isn’t it?”
She nodded and clutched her abdomen with a strained whisper: “Katerina, send for Dr. Badmaev. I cannot let the vampires in the ballroom smell the blood.”
I gasped and realized the grand duchess was indeed beginning to hemorrhage. Mon Dieu. “Can you walk at all?” I asked. “I can send for our carriage.”
The grand duchess shook her head. “I cannot leave the palace.”
I helped her down the long corridor to her private rooms. Her maids quickly undressed her and helped her into bed. They had a footman send for the Tibetan doctor. It would take several hours, however, for the man to reach St. Petersburg and to return with the doctor.
“Shall I get my mother?” I felt helpless as I watched the grand duchess suffer. The cold light that surrounded her seemed to be growing. She nodded, not bothering to open her eyes. Her maids stood at her bedside, bathing her face with cool rags.
I hurried down the corridor, heading back to the ballroom. I needed to find my mother without the Montenegrins finding me first.
CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE
I slipped into the ballroom and saw my mother speaking with Queen Milena. Merde. I looked around for my father instead. He needed to know about Konstantin Pavlovich as well if he was not already aware. My brother and the rest of the living members of the Order of St. John were still in danger.
“There you are.” Danilo’s voice was low in my ear as he came from behind and grabbed me around the waist. “I was beginning to get concerned.”
“What did your mother do to the grand duchess Miechen?”
“She has done nothing.” He smiled. “My sisters, on the other hand, consider the grand duchess a friend of Cantacuzene, and therefore an enemy of the tsar.”
“She was no friend of the princess!” I hissed. “Let me go!”
He led me out of the ballroom, and into a deserted corridor. “I am afraid I cannot do that.”
“She could die!”
Princess Elena sneered behind us. “And what can you do to help her? Pretend to be a doctor?”
If there was ever a moment I wanted to embrace my darkest powers and destroy someone, it was then. But Danilo pushed me into a small sitting room. I heard the door lock behind me.
“What are you doing?” I screamed.
“You must not interfere, beloved. When Konstantin is defeated, we shall be married. There will be no more meddling from the Dark Court.”
“What do you plan to do? How will you protect the tsar?”
There was no answer.
“Danilo, you cannot leave me in here!”
But the crown prince and his sister had already left. The hallway fell silent.
There were no windows in this room, decorated in an Oriental style, and only the one door, which was locked. I was trapped. No one would be able to hear me above the noise of the ball.
Except George Alexandrovich, if luck was with me.
“Your Imperial Highness?” I spoke aloud. “Please, Your Imperial Highness. If you can hear me, the tsar is in danger. Konstantin Pavlovich has returned and is here at Peterhof. Princess Cantacuzene was raising the undead army for him.”
I tried to stay calm.
“Your Imperial Highness? Georgi?” I whispered desperately.
There was a sudden commotion in the hall. I could hear Elena shrieking.
The door opened, and instead of the Vladiki prince, I saw the grand duke. I wanted to cry. “George,” I whispered, forgetting all imperial protocols.
He stared at me for a moment. “Katerina, I—”
“Who dares disturb my bride?” Prince Danilo said as he rushed into the room.
The grand duke turned to face him, his hand going to the saber at his hip. “I dare. And by the order of the tsar, Katerina Alexandrovna must come with me at once.”
“What nonsense is this? This is a Dark Court gathering and you have no right to be here.”
“I have no intentions of staying. But the necromancer must come with me.”
Danilo tried his best to look menacing. “But the duchess and I are about to be married.”
“I do not believe the duchess wishes to be married,” George Alexandrovich said, glancing at me. I shook my head slightly. There was no reason for me to pretend anymore.
“This is none of your concern, Imperial Highness,” the crown prince said.
“Perhaps not, but by order of the tsar, I am required to take the Duchess of Oldenburg to the Peterhof chapel immediately.”
“For what purpose?” Danilo said through gritted teeth.
“Urgent matters of state.” George turned to me and offered his arm, which I took, gladly.
“This is an insult to my family. I will not allow this.” Danilo grabbed for me, his fangs visible.
But the grand duke was faster. He took my arm and swung me out of the crown prince’s reach. He threw a punch at Danilo’s jaw. The crown prince stepped out of the way just in time.
I was too scared to scream.
I looked around the room wildly as the two princes scuffled. George had managed to land a blow somehow, as I noticed Danilo’s lip bleeding. I saw the Oriental vase in the curio cabinet wobble as Danilo shoved George into the wall. I ran to catch the vase before it tumbled off the shelf, and turned around to hit it over Danilo’s head.
Something sharp poked me in the back. “Don’t even think about it.” Elena’s voice behind me was menacing. “Tell the grand duke to leave, or I will kill you, Katerina Alexandrovna.”
I tried to twist away from her, but she held me by the hair. I let out an unladylike yelp.
Just then, Danilo punched the grand duke in the stomach and he staggered back into the wall. George slid to the floor, dazed.
“No!” I cried, trying to break free. Elena pulled me back, pressing the blade a little deeper.
Danilo turned toward me, his eyes darkening and his fangs growing longer. I couldn’t let him have my blood. He would have the power to kill the grand duke. Or worse.
“Your Imperial Highness!” I pleaded. “Get up!” He was still conscious and trying to regain his bearings.
We had to get out of there. I kicked backward at Elena’s shins and she let me go. “Bitch!” she screamed. I pulled away before she could reach me again.
“He cannot help you now,” Danilo said. He laughed as he grabbed me by the arm and pulled me close. His breath was warm on my neck. “You belong to me, Katerina.”
“No, she does not,” George Alexandrovich said grimly, throwing a punch that struck Danilo in the jaw. He let go of me and fell back.
Elena screamed and jumped at the grand duke with her dagger, but I snatched the back of her dress, causing her to stumble. She dropped her blade. I kicked it across the floor and the grand duke picked it up.
“Now,” he said, wiping the blood from his lip with the back of his hand. “I am taking the Duchess of Oldenburg to the tsar. And there will be hell to pay if anyone makes another attempt to stop me.” He offered his arm to me. “Your Highness.”
I felt a little giddy. He had come to my rescue. Even if it was only because the tsar needed me. We stepped over the Montenegrin siblings and ran out the door.
Right into my father.
“Katiya! Where have you been? Your mother has been frantic since you disappeared with the crown prince.”
“She is safe, Your Highness,” the grand duke said. “We have no time to explain, but the tsar is waiting for her.”
“The tsar?” Papa asked. “Whatever for?”
“The bogatyr must be summoned.”
“The bogatyr?” Papa asked. “But what does this have to do with Katiya?”
“She is the only one who can perform the necessary ritual.” The grand duke turned to me. “We must hurry.”
I saw fleeting bewilderment on my father’s face. But he
was a clever man. He knew what the grand duke meant. “Go, quickly, Katiya,” he said. “We will have much to talk about when this is over.”
“Please take Maman to the grand duchess Miechen at once, Papa. She is in danger of losing the twins.”
“Mon Dieu. I will see that your mother attends her immediately. And that the doctor has been sent for.”
The grand duke helped me into the carriage. He scowled silently as we rode off across the park. The chapel was only a short ride from the main palace.
“Were you hurt badly?” I asked him.
“I’m fine, Duchess.”
More scowling silence.
I sank back into my seat, folding my arms. “I’m fine too, thank you ever so kindly for asking.”
He grunted. “Were you really planning to marry that creature?”
“They said they would hurt my family! My brother.” I risked a glance at him. “Even you.”
The grand duke seemed to relax slightly. He reached over and touched my cheek. I felt dizzy as my world tilted a little bit. “Katiya, they cannot harm your family. Or me. Please believe that. You need never fear them again.” He turned his attention back to the road ahead. “Once Konstantin and his army are defeated, the tsar will have nothing more to do with the Montenegrin king.”
But how could he be right? There was a horrible bond now between me and the crown prince. I was afraid I’d never be safe from the Montenegrins.
CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX
Members of the Order were stationed around the Gothic Chapel. We were met at the chapel entrance by the tsarevitch. “Georgi! Thank goodness!” he said. “We must hurry.”
I took a step back, startled to see the silvery white wolf sitting quietly by the tsarevitch.
“Isn’t it beautiful?” he asked. “It just showed up this evening. It won’t come inside the chapel, but it won’t leave either.”
The Gothic Chapel was a tiny square building with beautiful rose windows on each side. This was the imperial family’s private chapel when they stayed at Peterhof.
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