“Lady Emily,” Harriman said. Emily turned as the clerk entered the small office. The grey man didn’t look very tired, even though he’d put in more work than any of the accountants and bankers. “We are not going to find a quick answer.”
Emily nodded. Vesperian seemed to have almost no money. There were no secret bank accounts, no caches of pre-banking coins…everything he’d collected, it seemed, had been invested into the railway or used to pay his older debts. It certainly didn’t look as though Vesperian had intended to flee the city, taking everything he could carry with him. But there hadn’t been much he could carry.
“It looks that way,” she agreed.
“So far, his total debts appear to be upwards of seventy thousand crowns,” Harriman continued. “His total assets, assuming they were sold at purchase price, come to ten thousand crowns at most.”
“And they won’t be sold at purchase price,” Emily finished. Vesperian had driven prices up, simply by buying everything he could get his hands on. The price of iron had quintupled over the last two months alone. “We’ll be lucky if we get back a tenth of what he paid for them.”
“I’m afraid so.” Harriman looked downhearted, just for a moment. “I will have to present this to the council, tomorrow. It will not go down well.”
“No,” Emily agreed. She shook her head, tiredly. “I have no solution.”
“Nor do I.” Harriman nodded towards the window. “Everyone who can leave the city is going now.”
“I know,” Emily said.
She yawned, wishing – more than anything – that she could lie down in Caleb’s arms and sleep. The headache, never far from her mind, kept pounding away inside her skull. Her entire body felt drained…
“I’m going to have the building sealed for the night,” Harriman said. “The most important documents will be transferred to a bank vault for safekeeping. There are already suggestions on the street that Vesperian kept his money here…”
He sighed. “I suggest you get some rest. You may be called upon to testify tomorrow.”
Emily was too tired to argue. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” She glanced at Caleb. “Shall we go?”
“Please,” Caleb said. “We both need to rest.”
The roar of the mob grew louder as they – and the rest of the staff – emerged from the building. Emily felt the primal waves of rage and helplessness washing through the crowd, driving them into a frenzy. Someone had passed out bottles of beer and wine, perhaps in the hope that the crowd would drink itself into a stupor. Or perhaps, the cynical side of her mind added, they wanted a riot. The guardsmen kept their hands near their weapons, exchanging nervous glances as the mob roared its anger. Emily couldn’t help noticing that there seemed to be fewer guardsmen on the streets. She wondered, as she readied her magic, how many of the guardsmen had gone home to protect their families.
They didn’t sign up for this, she thought, numbly.
She held Caleb’s hand, gritting her teeth as the roar grew louder. The railway station was also under siege, hundreds of men and women gathered outside despite the curfew. Emily suspected the council had made a mistake by ordering everyone to be inside by nightfall, even though she knew they’d had little choice. They lacked the manpower to enforce it, let alone any more draconian measures they might have in mind. Even with the Hands of Justice backing them up – and there were no Hands in sight – the Guard was still badly outnumbered.
The roar faded as they made their way through the crowd and down the street. She didn’t envy the clerks, many of whom were carrying documents to Bankers Row. Markus accompanied them, along with a handful of other magicians, but she had a nasty feeling that there were magic-users who had also lost their investments. Sienna might have banned her children from investing in the railway, yet others might not have been so prudent. In hindsight, she should have asked if Alba and her family had invested…
A dull red glow appeared in the distance, casting an eerie light over the city. Emily tensed, glancing from side to side. The handful of people on the street – hurrying home, she assumed – didn’t look threatening. And then she realized the glow was coming from the richer part of the city…
She looked at Caleb. “What’s that?”
Caleb’s voice was grim. “Fire.”
Emily swallowed, hard. Beneficence had a fire service, she’d been assured, but would the firemen get to the blaze in time to save whatever was burning? Or would the flames spread out of control? The city was built of stone, but that might not make a difference if the wind fanned the flames. If the poorer parts of the city caught fire, hundreds of thousands of people would die or be rendered homeless. The fire service would just have to wait for the blaze to burn itself out.
“I can’t see what’s burning,” Caleb added. “But Vesperian’s mansion is over there.”
“Yeah,” Emily agreed.
Caleb was probably right. She had a feeling he was right. Vesperian’s mansion was the most logical target for the mob, after all. The City Guard might not have had the manpower to protect the mansion. Or, perhaps, they would not have tried. Letting the mob run riot for a few hours might just burn off its energy before it started rampaging through the city at random. Who knew? Perhaps the guardsmen had studiously looked the other way. They’d lost money too.
She wondered, as they turned down a street, if Tyron and his mother had escaped. They’d been advised to flee, but had they? She wondered if she would have fled, if she’d found herself in such a trap. It was a trap, too. Tyron owed more money than he could possibly repay. The smart move would be to grab whatever he could and run for his life before the mob caught him.
Caleb muttered a curse under his breath as they turned a corner. A nasty-looking crowd had gathered outside a closed bar, yelling loudly for the bartender to come out and start pouring the booze. Emily didn’t blame the bartender for not showing, not when the crowd looked disinclined to pay for the drinks. A number were already drunk, singing tunelessly as they poured more and more beer down their throats. Others picked up makeshift weapons and hacked at the door, trying to break it down. Emily hoped – prayed – that the bartender and his family didn’t live above the bar. But, judging from the other bars she’d seen, she suspected it was a forlorn hope. The bartender wouldn’t be able to afford lodging away from his bar.
The crowd rippled. “A whore,” someone shouted. “A whore!”
Emily felt a flicker of panic as the crowd surged towards her. They didn’t know who she was, part of her mind noted; they certainly didn’t care. They’d just seen a young woman with only one protector. They thought they could just brush Caleb aside and do whatever they liked to her…
She stepped forward, casting a spell. The magic billowed around her, then lashed out, picking up the crowd and throwing them down the street. She felt a pang of guilt as some of them landed badly, breaking bones; she forced the guilt away, reminding herself that the crowd wouldn’t have hesitated to gang-rape her, then beat her to death. And they would have killed Caleb too…
The magic grew stronger, slamming into the stunned crowd. How dare they? How dare they? A mundane woman wouldn’t have stood a chance if they’d caught her, no matter who or what she was. Emily felt her anger grow stronger, felt the ground shaking under her feet…
Caleb caught her arm. “You’ll bring down the whole street. You have to stop!”
Emily rounded on him, then caught herself as she controlled her rage. She’d nearly lost control. The magic faded, slowly. A roof tile fell to the ground with a clatter. Further down the street, she thought she heard something shatter into a million pieces. The remainder of the crowd – those who could still walk – ran for their lives. Emily couldn’t help feeling, with a flicker of grim satisfaction, that they weren’t drunk now.
She walked onwards, looking down at the moaning bodies. No one had died, as far as she could tell, but a number definitely had broken bones. Their blood looked black in the darkness…she wondered, numbly, if she sho
uld try to help them. But they’d intended to rape her, then rip her to shreds. And if they’d managed to catch a defenseless victim, they would have done just that. She told herself, firmly, that she shouldn’t feel sorry for them.
Caleb said nothing as they reached the end of the street and hurried on, leaving the bodies behind. Sorcerers Row came into view a moment later, guarded by strong wards and a team of patrolling magicians…although it didn’t look as though the community was in any danger. Emily wasn’t particularly surprised. If she’d been able to flatten a crowd of rioters with a single spell, more experienced magicians would be able to do a great deal more damage to anyone stupid enough to attack them. Caleb spoke briefly to the sorcerer on duty at the corner, then waved Emily down the street. There were so many wards drifting through the air that Emily suspected some of them were actually weakening the others.
“No one trusts his closest neighbors to ward his house,” Caleb muttered, when she mentioned it. “Too much espionage amongst magic users.”
He tapped on the door, which opened. Karan stood just inside, holding a silver knife in one hand and a spell in the other. Frieda stood behind her, looking bored. She hurried forward as Emily entered and gave her a tight hug, then released her a moment later. Emily undid her cloak, placed it on the hanger and followed Frieda into the living room. Croce sat at the table, writing in a journal. There was no sign of anyone else.
“Marian hasn’t come home,” Karan said to Caleb. “Mum and Dad haven’t returned, either.”
“Dad’s got a new job.” Caleb looked up, sharply. “Where did Marian go?”
“I don’t know,” Karan said. “She said she was going to visit Lepta.”
“She couldn’t stay there after sunset,” Caleb said. He sounded alarmed. “Take care of Emily, please. I’ll go look for her.”
Emily glanced up at him. Her head was still throbbing. “Do you want me to come with you?”
“You need your rest,” Caleb said, shortly. He pulled his cloak over his head. “She’s just down the road. I’ll be quicker on my own.”
“Okay,” Emily said, torn between annoyance and understanding. She knew Caleb meant well, but she didn’t want him to go out alone. Sorcerers Row would be safe enough, she was sure, yet…“I’ll be here.”
“Don’t go up to Starry Light,” Karan said. “Vesperian’s mansion is on fire.”
Emily looked at her. “How do you know?”
“I saw the flames from my window,” Karan said. “The entire building is on fire.”
“Someone probably used a burning spell,” Croce commented. His voice was rough, as if he was as tired as Emily herself. “The flames looked impossible to quench without powerful magic, but they don’t seem to have spread beyond the mansion or its grounds.”
“Be careful, Caleb,” Karan said. “There are riots on the streets.”
“We know,” Caleb said. He snorted, rudely. “I don’t think she’ll have gone outside Sorcerers Row”
He shook his head. “Why did you even let her go?”
“It’s just down the street,” Karan whined. “You know what she’s like when she really wants something.”
“You should have stuck her feet to the floor or sealed the wards,” Caleb said, rubbing his forehead. “This isn’t the time for a temper tantrum.”
“She’s not had a good time of it,” Karan said. “You’ve been away…”
“So have you,” Caleb snapped back.
He caught himself with an effort. “I’ll be back soon, hopefully with her,” he said. “If Mum comes back, let her know where I’ve gone.”
If, Emily thought. The council might have found something else for her to do.
She saw the worry on Caleb’s face and silently forgave him. His family was important to him, even though she knew he sometimes wondered how he and his siblings could come from the same parents. They were different in so many ways. But Caleb would fight for them, if necessary, and they would do the same for him. She couldn’t help feeling a flicker of envy as Caleb turned and hurried to the door. The thought of having siblings who loved her…
Karan passed her a mug of hot chocolate, then left the room. Croce looked at Emily and Frieda for a long moment, before following his sister. Emily’s tired mind wondered if it was appropriate for Croce to share a room with two unmarried girls, even though one of them was courting his older brother. Who knew how his parents would react?
Poorly, she thought, as she sipped the drink. Croce and Frieda are both of marriageable age.
“It’s been a long day,” Frieda said. She sounded tired – and sullen. “What happened to you?”
“You can come help with the accounts if you like,” Emily said, feeling another stab of tired guilt. Frieda had been trapped in the house all day, unless she’d decided to sneak out despite the chaos on the street. She did have homework to do, but that wouldn’t keep her occupied indefinitely. “Right now, my head feels like there’s a troll living in it.”
“Ouch.” Frieda reached out and touched Emily’s hand. “Is it going to be bad?”
“Very bad.” Emily rubbed her eyes. “The streets are on edge…noon tomorrow, when the bills come due, there isn’t going to be any money to pay. And then all hell will break loose.”
Frieda gave her a searching look. “Should we leave?”
Emily frowned, honestly unsure. She’d promised General Pollack she would stay until the mourning period was completed, but she had no idea what had happened to the coffin, let alone the farewell ceremony. Sooner or later, she’d either have to go back to Whitehall or resign herself to repeating Fifth Year. And she didn’t think there was anything she could do to help Beneficence. There were no necromancers to kill, no dark wizards to catch…all she could do was watch helplessly as vast sums of money evaporated.
She rubbed her forehead. She didn’t have the money to buy back the notes at face value. She didn’t know anyone, save for King Randor, who did. And his assistance would come with strings attached. Beneficence might prefer being broke to bending their knee to a king.
Which won’t help anyone who’s starving, she thought, coldly. They’ll be too hungry to care who’s in charge.
Frieda nudged her. “Emily?”
Emily jumped. She’d nearly drifted off.
“Emily.” Frieda touched Emily’s hand, again. “Should we leave?”
“Not yet,” Emily said. She didn’t want to leave Caleb – and she knew he wouldn’t leave, not until his family was safe. And she knew neither Sienna nor General Pollack would turn their backs on their city. “I promised I’d stay until Casper was buried.”
“And I promised I’d stay with you.” Frieda squeezed Emily’s hand. “And I think you’d better go to bed.”
“Thanks.” Emily yawned, covering her mouth hastily. First Harriman, now Caleb and Frieda. “Why does everyone want me to get some rest?”
“Because you need it,” Frieda said. She helped Emily to her feet. “And because tomorrow might be a better day.”
Emily shook her head. She knew that wasn’t going to be true.
Chapter Twenty-One
EMILY COULD HEAR SIENNA’S VOICE ECHOING up the stairs as she dressed and then led Frieda down to breakfast. Marian was in trouble, judging by the racket. It sounded as though Caleb hadn’t managed to find her last night…Emily searched her memory, but she couldn’t recall hearing Caleb coming back to the house. Had he spent all night looking for his sister? She hoped he’d managed to get some rest too.
“You’re nowhere near old enough to be wandering the streets in the dark.” Sienna was glaring at her daughter as Emily entered, her anger matched by her obvious fear for Marian’s safety. “And the streets are very unsafe…”
“I didn’t go out of Sorcerers Row,” Marian snapped back. She looked, just for a moment, like a younger version of her mother. “Mother, I was perfectly safe!”
“Fifty people were killed last night – and that’s just the ones we know about,” Sienna said.
“I can’t even guess at how many were injured or raped or…”
She slammed her hand down on the table. “I gave you specific instructions to stay in the house. Why didn’t you listen to me?”
“I was safe,” Marian insisted. “I’m not a child!”
“You are a child,” Sienna said. “You are too young to learn magic, too young to get married, too young to be on the streets on your own! And you are too young to decide for yourself what orders can be safely ignored, and…”
Marian glared at her mother, then switched her glare to Emily. “I…”
Her face flushed, brightly. She’d been so angry that she hadn’t even noticed Emily and Frieda entering the room. Abruptly, she pushed past them and stormed out, her footsteps echoing as she stomped up the stairs. Sienna moved to follow her, then stopped herself. Emily did her best to avoid the older woman’s eyes, wishing she’d thought to stay in her bedroom. She’d never enjoyed being told off in front of the entire class, and it had to be a good deal worse in one’s home.
“I apologize for my daughter, Emily,” Sienna said, finally. She sounded as though she was trying to keep her temper in check. “Rest assured, she will be suitably punished.”
“She’s under a lot of stress,” Emily said, trying to be kind. Marian had lost a brother. “I…”
“Her conduct is inexcusable,” Sienna said. “Caleb had to spend hours looking for her.”
Her face darkened as she motioned for Emily and Frieda to sit. Karan entered a moment later, carrying two plates of scrambled eggs and bread. She looked weepy, suggesting Sienna had already told her off for letting her younger sister leave the house. Emily didn’t blame Sienna for being angry, but…she shook her head, inwardly. At least Sienna gave a damn about her children. Emily’s mother hadn’t cared about anything but the next bottle of cheap wine.
Fists of Justice (Schooled in Magic Book 12) Page 20