Royal Promenade

by Suzanne G. Rogers

  “I’m going to watch her so closely I might need glasses.” Gus snickered.

  Kellan scowled at him. “She’s a foreign dignitary and a lady. Show some respect.”

  ∞∞∞

  Alice picked at her dinner, disconsolate. She had essentially been lured from Squirrel Flats under false pretenses and now was being held at Briarwood Castle against her will. Her father believed duty to the Crown rose above all other considerations, but she hadn’t been raised the same way and complete obedience was a hard pill for her to swallow.

  Given that no official announcement had yet been made, it wasn’t too late to back out of the whole nonsensical princess campaign. Indeed, if all her father wanted was a distraction, the Minfo could find some actress to play the part of the princess and Alice could return to Vanguard with no one the wiser. Seer had certainly proven himself adept at great deception and would probably welcome the challenge.

  And yet…what about Helene?

  If she left Colossus, would she ever learn her mother’s fate? On the other hand, even if she stayed, the mystery surrounding Helene’s disappearance might never be solved. Awash in anxiety, Alice retrieved her worry stone and brought it back to the table. As she set her thumb in its gentle depression, she felt her tension ease. The stone never failed to help, probably because Helene had told her it would. Of course, her mother could have enchanted the stone to have anodyne properties. Although Alice couldn’t detect any magical vibrations, that merely meant Helene had taken pains to embed the spell deeply.

  Don’t worry, the hologram had said.

  Alice’s mind reeled as she held the stone on the palm of her hand. Could the worry stone be the Key? The napkin on her lap fell to the floor as she stumbled to her feet and sped into her mother’s study. She gulped as she reached out with her free hand toward the painting…but the surface failed to yield to her touch once more. Obvious, her hunch was just wishful thinking.

  Unless…my mother’s worry stone is the Key.

  Alice spent the next two hours casting reveal spells and searching every nook and cranny in the suite. She methodically searched through her mother’s jewelry box, her handbags, and even the pockets of her clothes but the worry stone was not there.

  Physically and emotionally exhausted, Alice prepared herself for bed. As she tried to fall asleep, she wondered if her mother had been carrying the stone when she went missing. If so, the painting portal would remain closed forever or until her mother returned. Only one other possibility remained, and she vowed to investigate it tomorrow.

  Chapter Eight

  Run, Alice

  When Alice emerged from her suite the following morning, a familiar darkly handsome man in a Ranger uniform was waiting for her in the hallway. Perhaps her stars weren’t entirely unlucky after all.

  “Oh, hello.” She felt a flush of pleasure. “It’s nice to see you again."

  The man sketched a formal bow. “Ranger Kellan Stratford, at your service.”

  “I’m Alice Holland.” She glanced up and down the corridor. “Where are my guards?”

  “Rangers have been assigned to you from now on.”

  “Is that so?” Her smile slipped. Apparently, Blade had reported her to her father and her security detail had been tightened as a result. “Well, I’m late for my morning at the Minfo.”

  “Don’t mind me. I can keep up.”

  If Blade thought he could clip her wings by assigning a Ranger to dog her footsteps, she would prove him very wrong indeed.

  “That sounds almost like a challenge.” Alice gave the man an appraising glance. “Well, then, let’s see what you’re made of.”

  She darted off down the hall, descended the marble staircase as if pursued by a pack of devils, and sped from the castle at top speed. With her hair flying like a flag, she sprinted through the garden and into the labyrinth, emerging on the far side in short order. Although she didn’t hear Kellan’s footfall, she increased her pace nevertheless until she reached the Minfo building. As she reached for the door handle, however, the Ranger beat her to it. He held the door open and made a gesture of invitation. “After you.”

  “How did you..?” She peered at him, stunned. No sweat prickled at his forehead and his breathing was normal. “Are you a wizard?”

  Kellan chuckled. “I’m a Ranger, Princess.”

  She passed into the lobby, only to discover he was following her. “My other guards always waited outside for me.”

  “My orders are different.”

  “Of course they are.” Alice strode toward the platinum elevator, pausing when Kellan fell into step beside her. “Must you stay so close?”

  “I do.”

  Alice bit back a sharp retort.

  All morning, whether she was having her makeup and hair done or posing for photos, the impassive Ranger remained at a discreet distance. She stole glances in his direction several times, but he never met her gaze. After a while, she took every opportunity to admire the man’s hair, features, and fine physique. If her father had arranged for her to marry Ranger Stratford, her attitude would be far different. What a pity she had to be stuck with a man like Blade Blackmon!

  As the photographer was finishing the session, Blade came into the studio. He’d donned a formal suit and bow tie and looked perfect in every way. Annoyance ran down her spine, even as she plastered a smile on her lips.

  “Ranger Stratford?” She beckoned to Kellan. “Would you mind taking a few photographs with me?”

  “You shouldn’t be photographed with the help, Alessandra.” Blade glowered at Kellan. “Wait outside.”

  “I don’t take orders from you, wizard.” Kellan strode onto the set and offered his arm to Alice. For Blade’s benefit, Alice sidled in a close as possible and gave him a sweet smile.

  “That’s great, Princess.” The photographer’s camera whirred. “I love that expression on your face.” He paused. “If you could look at her, Ranger, that would be perfect.”

  As Kellan gazed down at Alice, she felt warm from the top of her head to the ends of her toes.

  “That’s enough.” Blade’s voice rang out. “Let’s take a few photos together, Alessandra.”

  She pretended to misunderstand. “Photos of the three of us? Wouldn’t that be wonderful!”

  “You know what I meant.”

  Apparently, Kellan had managed to get under Blade’s skin and Alice couldn’t be more delighted. The wizard was used to being the best-looking man in the room, undoubtedly, and didn’t brook any competition.

  She giggled. “Indeed, I do but Ranger Stratford is my shadow from now on, Mr. Blackmon. I can’t thank you enough for that.”

  A muscle worked in Blade’s jaw as he reached for her hand. “We need to talk.”

  He pulled her into a corner of the studio. “You’re angry with me about the change in your guard detail.”

  “Not at all.” Alice decided to play it coy. “To be honest, I’m honored you cared enough to call the Rangers. And, as you said before, I think it’s best if we maintain a civil relationship.”

  “I’m glad you see things my way.” Blade gave her an appraising glance. “After I’m finished here, let’s have lunch together.”

  “I have plans.” She glanced at him from underneath her lashes. “Could you tell me how to get to my mother’s office?”

  “I can do better than that. I’ll take you myself.”

  Alice would sooner drop an anvil on her foot. “Oh, you don’t have to go out of your way, Blade. I’ll just look it up on the building directory.”

  “Yes, but Pompano sealed her office.” His expression grew cocky. “It just so happens I know how to get in.”

  ∞∞∞

  Blade escorted Alice toward the Ministry of Magic, with Kellan following close behind. Since she needed the wizard’s help to enter Helene’s office, she decided not to antagonize him further. Instead, she cast about for a safe topic of conversation.

  “You must know your way around Briarwood Castle
very well.”

  “About as well as anyone. Remind me to show you the catacombs sometime.”

  Her eyebrows drew together. “What’s so special about catacombs?”

  “They are ancient, for one thing, and they stretch on for miles. You could get almost anywhere in the city from here if you know the way.”

  “Miles?” Alice began to think Blade was pulling her leg. “Where is the entrance?”

  He smirked. “It’s a secret. In fact, if I take you there, you’d have to wear a blindfold until we’re inside.”

  Now she knew he was pulling her leg, but she gave him a bright smile and a noncommittal response.

  When they entered the Ministry of Magic, energy radiated from the marble floor and wood-paneled walls. The magnificent building, with its broad stone staircases and classic columns, was designed around a lush, open atrium filled with magical plants and flowers.

  As Alice ascended the staircases with Blade and Kellan, she paused on the landing to admire the fountain down below. As she watched, a pool of silvery liquid grew solid in bits and pieces, building higher and higher in a jagged display reaching toward the glass domed overhead. Then, with a merry splash, it disintegrated into the pool once more.

  “That liquid is actually a magical metal with the ability to assume various shapes.” Blade leaned against the railing. “Helene invented the formula and called it Helenium.”

  She blinked. “Really?”

  “The Node Network gates are created from it.”

  Alice gave him a puzzled glance. “I thought Pompano invented the Node Network.”

  Blade shrugged. “The Node Network is a joint development between the two of them, actually. Her disappearance put the crimp in the rollout and Pompano is frantically trying to solve the issue.”

  “What seems to be the problem?”

  “Access is limited to one vehicle or so at a time. When more people or vehicles try to go through the gate, it shuts down.”

  “Hmm. So, it’s a scaling problem.” Alice frowned. “I wonder how my mother planned to solve it?”

  “That’s the big question.”

  Once they reached the top floor, Blade ushered her into an enclosed stairwell. The floor-to-ceiling window on the landing had a view of the castle grounds.

  Alice looked at him askance. “What are we doing in here?”

  Kellan stood in the doorway. “That’s what I want to know.”

  Blade ignored him. “Helene built a magical backdoor into her office and I’m the only one who knows the password.”

  Alice frowned. “Which is…?”

  He took her by the hand. “Do you trust me?” He paused. “Let me put it another way; do you trust your mother?”

  “I suppose I have no choice if I want to see her office.”

  “Hang on.” Kellan’s voice rang out. “Wherever the princess goes, I go.”

  Blade gave him a scathing glance. “I’m the one who arranged for the Ranger detail. Wait for us in the hallway and you’ll have the princess back soon enough.” His grip tightened on her hand. “Alice.”

  Blade yanked her through the window, which was suddenly no longer solid, and into a room. The journey was so disorienting, Alice would have fallen on her face but for Blade’s steadying arm.

  “Oops.” She straightened. “Thank you.”

  “Think nothing of it. I did the same thing the first time I walked through.”

  The reply was surprisingly gracious, but Alice was in no mood to reciprocate. “I’ll have a look around and then we’ll go.”

  “Take your time.”

  She wandered over to a doorway which led to a large laboratory. “What’s this?”

  “Helene’s workroom,” Blade joined her. “I think she spent more time in here than anywhere else.”

  Alice crossed into the lab and spotted a freestanding silvery arch off to one side. “Is this a Node Network gate prototype?”

  “Yes.” Blade gestured toward a doll-sized version of two circular portals on a tabletop nearby. “In her original experiment, Helene transported walnut shells with the destination code sealed inside.”

  A table underneath a window held a sealed container of Helenium. The liquid substance seemed to have a life of its own as it roiled and twisted of its own volition. As she went around the lab, peering at her mother’s meticulous and innovative inventions—from fabrics that could change color and texture to new species of plants.

  “I’m not surprised my mother became Head Wizard. I only wonder why she wasn’t appointed Head Wizard sooner.”

  Blade shrugged. “Politics, I imagine.”

  Alice returned to her mother’s office, where she focused on locating the worry stone. She sat in her mother’s chair, certain the item would have to be within easy reach. When she spotted it resting on top of an artistic desktop display of similarly shaped stones, she averted her gaze instantly. How was she to take the stone without Blade noticing?

  She smiled at him. “Erm…do you suppose I could take something with me as a memento?”

  “I don’t suppose anyone would care.” He frowned. “Helene was your mother after all.”

  “I want something small.” Alice pretended to peruse the desk. “Um…this will do.” She grabbed the stone and slipped into her trouser pocket. “Shall we go?”

  The office door burst open, and Pompano appeared…followed closely by Kellan. As the Head Wizard glanced from Alice to Blade and back again, his eyes glittered with arrogance. Although she knew she had nothing to fear, a prickle of apprehension ran down her spine. As if Kellan could read her mind, he strode over and stood directly between her and potential danger.

  Pompano’s voice dripped with condescension. “This room is off limits.”

  Blade’s face was pale. “Alessandra—the princess—wanted to see where her mother worked.”

  Pompano’s lips flattened. “I’ll deal with you later, Blackmon. If you’ll excuse us, I’d like to have a word with the princess.”

  To Blade’s credit, he lingered. “I’m not supposed to leave her alone, sir.”

  “It’s a good thing she’ll be with me, then.” Pompano jerked his head toward the door. “Wait outside.”

  “I’ll be all right, Blade.” Alice silently performed a ward spell as she came to stand next to Kellan. “I’ll join you in a moment.”

  Blade frowned. “I’ll be waiting in the hallway.” He left.

  The Head Wizard focused on Kellan next. “Get out. I must speak to the princess alone.”

  Kellan did not budge. “No. As a senior member of His Majesty’s Rangers, I have jurisdiction over everyone in this castle except for the king.” He paused. “Need I remind you that any magical attack on a Ranger is a capital offense?”

  Alice stared at Kellan in awe. Did he not understand the strength of Pompano’s power? To her shock, the Head Wizard merely shifted his cool gaze to her.

  “This room is off-limits for a reason…even to a princess.”

  She drew strength from the man by her side. “Why?”

  “It’s the scene of a crime and I’m still searching the premises for clues to Helene’s disappearance.” Pompano’s gaze shifted to the arrangement of stones on the desk in front of Alice. “Removal of any objects is strictly forbidden. Put back the stone.”

  “You can’t be serious! My mother is gone, and I deserve to have a memento.”

  Pompano approached. “Give me the stone or I’ll force you to give it to me.”

  Kellan blocked the Head Wizard’s path. “No, you won’t.”

  “I-It’s fine. He can have it.” Alice retrieved the worry stone from the breast pocket of her jacket and returned it to the display.

  The wizard’s smile never reached his eyes. “Thank you."

  Kellan offered Alice his arm and escorted her toward the door.

  Pompano’s voice rang out. “Oh, and Princess?”

  She paused.

  “I would advise you to focus on your Minfo duties and stop meddl
ing in things you don’t understand.”

  Alice glanced at him over her shoulder. “I wouldn’t dream of meddling.”

  As soon as she and Kellan emerged into the hallway, Blade stopped pacing and came to meet them. “What did Pompano say to you?”

  She released her tight grip on the Ranger’s arm. “He scolded me for trespassing on a crime scene.” Alice reached into the pocket of her trousers to make sure her mother’s stone was secure. “Don’t be concerned.”

  Blade’s eyebrows drew together. “Easy for you to say.”

  “Why was Pompano so severe with you, Blade? I thought you were the Head Wizard’s assistant.”

  “When Pompano took the job, he brought his own people with him. I work for the Minfo now.” He gestured toward the stairs. “Let’s get out of here."

  ∞∞∞

  Alice begged off lunch with Blade, claiming she had no appetite. As she and Kellan mounted the stairs toward her room, she slid the Ranger a smile of gratitude. “Thank you for protecting me back there. If it hadn’t been for you, I think Pompano would have made me turn out all my pockets.”

  He nodded. “Just doing my job, Princess.”

  Alice bit her lip. “What’s the bad blood between you and Blade, if you don’t mind my asking?”

  The Ranger shook his head. “It goes back a few years but it’s nothing for you to worry about.” He paused. “How do you know Helene Masters?”

  “She’s…well, I suppose I can tell you since everyone will know soon enough. She’s my mother.”

  Kellan’s ordinarily stalwart expression revealed his shock, but he made no reply. Once they reached Alice’s door, she turned to face him. “How do you know her?”

  “Helene is a mentor of mine. She helped me with a few inventions.”

  “What sort of inventions?”

  “A locator of sorts, for one.” His dark gray eyes crinkled at the edges as he smiled. “I have nothing but respect and admiration for her and I hope her health improves quickly.”

  The praise lifted Alice’s spirits. “Thank you for saying that.”

  Kellan took up a position just outside her door and she let herself inside. Mary had left a sandwich and bowl of apples on the table for lunch, but Alice ignored in. She hastened into her mother’s study and with her fingers wrapped around the worry stone, she pressed her other hand against the canvas. To her delight, the illusion of a painting finally yielded to her touch.