The Burning Chaos (Smoke and Mirrors Book 2)

by Melissa Giorgio

  EDWARD MET ME AT THE backdoor to the manor, his eyes bright and curious. “Did my brother get the intruder?”

  “Actually, I did,” I said. Edward’s eyes widened at that. I knew if I told him Leonid was with the man right now, Edward would dash back outside to find them. It was clear he worshipped his older brother, and his gilded life didn’t give him much of an opportunity to chase after evildoers and right wrongs. Wasn’t that what boys Edward’s age wanted to do? Be the hero?

  But now he was staring at me in open admiration, and I held up the small vial before he could start questioning me. “We need to get this to the soldier who’s helping your sister. Can you take me there? Your manor is so big, I’d get lost.”

  Edward nodded. As he led the way he made me recount what’d happened, and by the time we reached Harlin’s room, I’d become Edward’s new hero. I supposed I owed Leonid an apology for that.

  West looked up as I approached, his eyes on the vial I clutched carefully in both hands. “We think this is the poison.”

  He took it from me at once, unscrewing the top and taking a cautious whiff. “Dark root.” He said it like a curse, and although it meant something to him, I’d never heard of it. Standing, West began listing ingredients for Elyse, who pulled them out of the satchel one after the other. “We need to combine them in a pot, bring it to a boil, and have Harlin drink it.”

  “Will she be all right?” Leonid’s father asked while his wife clutched his arm.

  West nodded. “As long as we move fast, she’ll be okay.”

  “Edward, take him to the kitchen,” Leonid’s father ordered. Edward looked like he was about to protest, but when his father’s dark brows narrowed, the boy ran from the room. West and Elyse gathered the necessary supplies in their arms while I grabbed West’s satchel from the floor. I had no desire to be left alone with Leonid’s parents.

  “Irina, you’re bleeding!” Elyse exclaimed as we navigated the hallways once more. “What happened?”

  “We found the intruder in the maze,” I said. “He tried to attack me, so I fought back.”

  Edward whirled around, walking backward. “She hit him over the head with a stone!”

  West whistled. “I’m glad you’re on our side, Irina.”

  “It was horrible,” I said softly. Even though my heart had slowed somewhat, I still felt like I was standing on the edge of a cliff, my flailing arms the only things preventing me from toppling over. Once I fell, once I acknowledged my fear, I would lose it. And right now, I couldn’t afford to. Succumbing to it was for later, when I was alone in my room.

  “Of course it was.” Elyse smiled sympathetically. “I would have been so scared I would have just frozen. But you fought back, Irina. That’s amazing.”

  We entered the kitchen, which was probably bigger than the entire first floor of my house, and immediately got to work. The cook stared at us like we were the intruders, but Edward explained the situation and she ran over to the cabinet, pulling down a pot and setting it on the stovetop. “Just tell me what you need. I’ll do anything to help Mistress Harlin,” she said.

  “Thank you,” West said sincerely. “But this part isn’t difficult. This is a well-known poison, and it’s slow-acting. I think they chose it because of that.”

  “To send a message?” I asked, my stomach churning. I tried to help, but Elyse shooed me away, so I took a seat at a long table next to Edward. The cook began slicing thick pieces of bread for us. Edward ate his in two bites, but I simply shredded mine into little pieces with shaking fingers. Chuckling under her breath, the cook cut another slice for Edward, and this time he paused to smear some jelly on it before devouring it.

  “Most likely,” West said in answer to my question. He fell silent then, pouring the ingredients one by one into the pot on the stove.

  Seeing that he didn’t need any help, Elyse came over and instructed me to remove my coat. I winced a little when it brushed my injured arm, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as when I purposely stabbed myself with Bantheir’s knife. Elyse asked the cook for a clean cloth and a bowl of warm water.

  “Does it hurt?” Edward said, wide-eyed once more. He scooted over in his seat so he could see it better, and Elyse swatted him away playfully.

  “No, not really—” I broke off with a gasp as Elyse touched the cut with the wet towel. “At least, it hadn’t until now.”

  “There’re ointments in my bag,” West said from the stove. “And needle and thread, if it needs to be stitched.”

  Elyse examined the cut closely and shook her head. “It’s not too deep. All she needs is a bandage and she’ll be fine.” Silence settled over the kitchen as she and West worked. Edward watched Elyse, chewing absently on his third slice of bread.

  A quarter of an hour passed before West deemed the antidote ready. The cook handed him a glass, and West carefully poured the contents inside. The liquid was clear, like water, but it gave off a faint odor of roses. Edward stood to show West the way back. “Coming, Irina?” Elyse asked.

  I shook my head. I was too drained to navigate the halls once more. She gave my shoulder a squeeze before following the others.

  “Is there anything I can make you, sweetheart?” the cook asked. “Something warm to drink? Maybe some soup?”

  Something warm sounded nice, but I was afraid anything I consumed would find its way right back up. Shaking my head, I stood and tried to smile for the woman, lest she think I was being rude. “I actually have an odd request. Can you show me to the wine cellar?”

  CARRYING A CANDLE, I MADE my way carefully down a set of creaking stairs. It was freezing, and the candle made large shadows dance against the wall. I shut my eyes briefly, forcing myself to breathe in and out.

  “Lark?” Leonid emerged from the shadows, carrying his own candle. He set it down on a table and came to my side to hug me, mindful of the candle I still carried. The table was the only furniture in the small, square-shaped room. The walls were brick, and the floor was dirt. It was a sharp contrast to the rest of the overly ornate manor, but I imagined only the servants ventured down here.

  It was the perfect place to interrogate a prisoner.

  “Where’s the…”

  “He’s in that room.” Leonid pointed, and I squinted into the darkness, just making out a closed wooden door. “With Parnaby. I needed to step out and clear my head. I’m so worried about Harlin—”

  “She’s going to be all right,” I rushed to tell him. “West knew which poison it was, and he made the antidote. Harlin should be drinking it right now.”

  Relief shone on his face. “Finally, some good news.” Running a hand through his hair, he leaned against the wall and sighed deeply. The candle’s light cast dark shadows under his eyes, making him appear much older than eighteen years. I put my candle down on the table next to his and wrapped my arms around him. He buried his face in my hair and I shut my eyes, absorbing his warmth and the strength of his arms. We didn’t speak because we didn’t have to. Just holding one another was enough.

  A few minutes later, Leonid pulled away to brush a soft kiss against my forehead. “Thanks, Lark. I needed that. First my sister, and then you, and now that man can’t talk…”

  “He hasn’t told you anything yet?” I asked.

  “No.” Leonid grimaced. “He can’t say a word, Lark. Someone cut out his tongue.”

  I gasped. “His tongue?” I thought back to my fight with the man. He hadn’t said a word, had he? Because he couldn’t. I wanted to hate him for what he did to Harlin and almost to me. I should have hated him.

  And yet, I couldn’t.

  Leonid was frowning. “He can’t write either; we gave him some paper and a quill, but he just stared at it blankly. Whoever hired him did their research first. We won’t be able to find out anything from an illiterate mute.” His hands curled into fists. “Why did they target my sister? If they wanted to hurt me, they should have come to me. Don’t involve the people I care about.” Even in the poor light I could se
e the rage flashing in his eyes.

  “Did you find Vernen?” I asked, worried for our friend.

  Leonid pulled away to go over to the table, staring at the dancing flames for a long moment before answering me. “I did. He was in a bad state, Lark. It was like in the beginning, after you brought him back. He was just staring into space, frozen.”

  I shouldn’t have been surprised. There was no way Vernen wouldn’t have come running after hearing me scream, not unless he couldn’t. But hearing Leonid say it still made my stomach twist painfully. “Where is he now?”

  “I sent him home.” Leonid’s voice cracked. “I can’t… I can’t deal with that along with everything else right now.” He took a big, shuddering breath before continuing. “I thought he was getting better. That was stupid and foolish of me. I see that now.”

  “Leonid, no.” I joined him at the table, forcing him to turn and look at me.

  “Yes, Lark, it was,” he said. “If you hadn’t fought back, what would have happened to you? That man would have hurt you. He did hurt you.” Leonid skimmed his fingers against the bandage on my arm, feather-light. “He could have done much worse, and Vernen wouldn’t have helped you.” Squeezing his eyes shut, Leonid bowed his head. “I need to accept the fact that the Vernen from before is never coming back. I can’t pretend that he is, not unless I want others to get hurt. You escaped this time, but what about next time?” His eyes snapped open and he stared at me with such a fierce intensity that it took my breath away. “I love you, and I can’t lose you. Hearing you scream? It was like someone had shoved a knife into my heart. I never want to experience something like that again.”

  My mouth parted open slightly as I stared at him, trembling. Did he even realize what he was saying? Would he take it back when things had calmed down?

  I would be destroyed if he renounced his declaration. Without realizing it, I’d given Leonid my heart. He was my everything, and I couldn’t lose him, either.

  As if sensing my thoughts, Leonid took a step closer to me and cupped my cheek in his hand. “I love you, Irina. Now and forever, no matter what. That will never change, I swear to you.”

  I reached up, curling my fingers around his. My heart was beating faster than when I was in the maze, and no matter how much air I gulped down, I wasn’t able to catch my breath. But this was a good feeling, like I was soaring, and despite everything that had happened today, I was able to smile.

  “I love you too, my captain.”

  We embraced in the flickering candlelight, our lips meeting.

  I wished this moment could last forever.

  THE DOOR TO THE OTHER room squeaked open, and I jumped. Leonid refused to relinquish his hold on me, not even when Parnaby came out of the other room and stared at us with his arms crossed.

  Leonid had said he’d love me forever, no matter what, but Parnaby could change that in an instant. I made sure my left hand gripped Leonid’s tightly and hoped the Essence would protect him again.

  “Sir, I know you said she’s a distraction, but she’s not,” Leonid said, breaking the tense silence. “She was attacked, and my sister was poisoned. I will not rest until I find out who ordered this. You don’t need to threaten us to get the job done. I will get it done.”

  “Fine.” Parnaby looked disinterested, and I wanted to yell at him. How dare he act like this didn’t concern him when he had worked so hard to break us apart!

  Leonid’s shoulders slumped in relief. I hadn’t realized how much it cost him to talk to Parnaby like that. “Thank you, sir. Were you able to find anything out from our prisoner?”

  “No. He knows nothing. I even tried having him draw the face of the person who ordered this attack, but they were wearing a hood.”

  “So he was definitely hired,” I said.

  Parnaby looked at me as if I were dense. “Of course someone hired him. Do you honestly think someone from the slums was carrying an ornate dagger and a vial of poison? Oh, and I suppose you believe he cut his own tongue out, too.”

  I scowled at him. Keep talking, Parnaby. You’re just making it easier and easier for me to justify stealing the amplifier from you.

  “I’m obviously getting close to the truth,” Leonid said, frowning. “They’re uncomfortable, so they sent me this message, warning me to back off. We need to be careful. Lark, you can’t go to the slums anymore, not until we catch the culprit. The real one. No one close to me should travel alone.”

  Parnaby nodded. “We’ll keep soldiers posted here. I don’t think they’ll strike again, but we can’t be too careful.”

  “Thank you,” Leonid said. “I’ll have some men escort our prisoner to Pelltrock’s prison. I’m going to spend the night here. Lark said my sister is going to be all right, and I want to be here when she wakes.”

  “That’s fine,” Parnaby said, surprising me. I expected him to order Leonid to forget his family and go find the culprit right now. “Elyse and I will head back to the mansion. Come see me tomorrow morning, and we’ll go over the case in detail. Bring everyone you trust; the more people working on this, the better chance we have of cracking it.” His gaze fell on me, and he nodded slightly.

  My eyes widened. “Me, too?”

  “You did figure out where the Essence was,” Parnaby admitted. “Who knows? Maybe you’ll surprise everyone tomorrow.”

  “Maybe,” I echoed.

  Parnaby and Leonid went over a few more plans before the president left the cellar. Leonid saw the expression on my face and smirked. “Are you surprised Parnaby paid you a compliment?”

  “Yes!” I said. “Although I don’t know if it really counts. He did insult my intelligence every other sentence before he complimented me.”

  Leonid chuckled. “That’s Parnaby for you.” His expression sobered. “And he’s right. You helped a great deal during the Bantheir case. Sending you to the slums when you could have been helping me was a mistake. I hope you show up at the mansion tomorrow and figure out the case in less than a minute.”

  “Wouldn’t that make you feel bad?” I teased.

  “A little. But the expression on Parnaby’s face would be worth it.” Leonid tucked a curl behind my ear.

  “Very worth it.”

  We shared a smile before Leonid pulled away from me with a sigh. “Can you do me a favor and tell Aden I need him? I’m going to have him transfer the prisoner, and I hope he doesn’t botch this up—”

  “Leonid.”

  “What?” he said innocently. “You know I don’t like him.”

  I ignored that. “You want me to send him down here?”

  “Exactly. I’ll handle the rest. I don’t want to leave the prisoner alone. He’s tied up, but I’m not taking any chances. Not after what he did today.” Leonid picked up one of the candles and handed it to me. “After that, go home?”

  My heart sank. “But you’re going to be here—”

  “As much as I want you to stay,” Leonid said, “I don’t feel right about leaving Vernen home alone. Someone needs to check on him and make sure he’s all right.” Leonid’s face fell. “I yelled at him, and he probably thinks I’m angry with him. But I’m not. I was scared, Lark, and I said things I didn’t mean.”

  “I know.” I touched his arm with my free hand. “I’ll make sure he realizes that, if he doesn’t already.”

  “If West doesn’t need to stay here, then go home with him,” Leonid said. “And tell him to spend the night. But if he needs to stay here, then wait, and I’ll organize a group to escort you home. All right?”

  “I’m fine with that if you promise not to leave the house tomorrow alone, Leonid.”

  He scowled. “I don’t need—”

  “Promise me or I’m not going to do anything that you just asked.” I raised my brows, letting him know that I was serious.

  “Are you threatening me?” he asked incredulously.

  “Are you making me threaten you?”

  Sheepishly, he nodded. “I suppose I am.”

  �
�So what are you doing tomorrow?” I stepped closer to him, holding my candle up so I could see his face better.

  His dark eyes sparkled in the light. “I’m traveling to Parnaby’s mansion, with a soldier by my side.”

  “Take two.”

  “Lark!”

  “They poisoned your sister,” I said. “That didn’t work, so if I was them, what would I do next?” I poked him in the chest. “I’d target you. Which is not going to happen, Leonid. You are not allowed to get hurt. Not when I just told you I loved you.”

  “Oh, is that how it works?” He scooped me into his arms, and I narrowly avoided setting one of his eyebrows on fire. The thought of Leonid with only one thick black brow was so ridiculous that I burst out laughing. “Lark, I’m trying to be serious here!”

  “Why?” I asked.

  My question made him pause. “You know what? I have no idea.” He kissed me so passionately, I almost dropped my candle.

  When we parted, I said, “So? How many soldiers are you taking tomorrow?”

  “Are we still discussing this?” When he saw I wasn’t to be dissuaded, he sighed loudly and mumbled, “At least two.”

  I beamed. “See? That wasn’t so hard, was it?”

  “No,” he said, stealing another kiss, “not so hard at all.”

  I FOUND WEST IN THE hallway, outside Harlin’s room. He explained that the family’s physician had arrived. “There’s nothing more for me to do here,” he said. “She’s going to be fine.”

  Even though I’d already heard him say that, it was still a huge relief. Maybe Leonid will be able to sleep tonight, knowing that his sister is all right. But I doubted that. Knowing him, he would probably spend the night working and show up at Parnaby’s mansion tomorrow exhausted but somehow still awake.

  “Was the poison used on Harlin different from the one that killed those fourteen people?” Now that Parnaby was allowing me to work on the case again, I had a lot of catching up to do. As we walked home, I listened carefully as West explained how they were actually two different poisons.