When Kellan reached the ground floor, he discovered Blade waiting for him.
“Nearly breaking my neck made me a little snappish and I apologize.” A muscle worked in Blade’s jaw as he extended his hand. “Thank you for doing the decent thing.”
Albeit reluctantly, Kellan shook Blade’s hand. “You might try it sometime.”
The wizard curled his lip. “I don’t know why I bother.” He turned on his heel and strode toward the ballroom.
For a split second, Kellan wondered if he should have responded in a more gracious fashion. After all, it must have cost Blade something to thank him. On the other hand, he and Blade could never be friends, despite their blood connection. No, he’d done the right thing by keeping his distance. If he wanted a brother, he need look no further than Gus, Dewar, and Paddy.
After Kellan gave his name to the attendant at the ballroom door, the man gave him a warm welcome.
“The broadcast will begin momentarily, and the reception will follow. Feel free to get something at the bar or one of the waiters will take your order.”
Kellan nodded. “Thank you.”
As he scanned the crowed, he recognized prominent business leaders, vidscreen personalities, or members of the aristocracy. When he spied Paddy stationed near a rolling partition, he crossed over to greet him.
Paddy blinked as he approached. “What are you doing out of uniform? Better not let Captain Woods see you.”
Kellan chuckled. “I’m under orders by the king to play a part in the drama about to unfold.” He glanced down at his tuxedo. “The Minfo has spoken, and this is my costume for the evening.”
Paddy’s expression darkened. “I have a feeling that things are about to get messy.”
Kellan thought about The Love Triangle story line and groaned. “You have no idea.”
∞∞∞
When Seer informed Alice she had one minute until broadcast, her stomach turned a somersault. Moments later, her father strode over, causing every Minfo employee within view to either curtsy, bow, or snap to attention.
The king gave Alice a proud smile. “You look beautiful. I can’t wait to introduce you to the world.”
“Thank you, Father.”
Despite her show of confidence, after a recorded trumpet fanfare sounded, her fingers curled into the palms of her hands and she swallowed hard.
Seer beckoned. “The kingdom is ready for you, Your Majesty.”
“All right.” Her father winked at Alice. “See you out there.”
The king strode away as calm and relaxed as if he were taking a stroll in the garden. Alice marveled at the man’s extraordinary poise and wondered if she’d ever manage to achieve a fraction of his composure. She lifted her chin, lowered her shoulders, and tried to relax…until she realized she’d crushed her remarks into a tiny ball and had no idea what she was supposed to say. As her father began speaking on camera, she bent over her card, frantically smoothing it out.
A pair of fashionable dragon leather shoes came into her field of vision. Her gaze traveled upward, taking in an elegant tuxedo, until she recognized the handsome man standing in front of her.
“Kellan,” she whispered, “I’m about to make a fool of myself.”
“Impossible.” He plucked the crumpled card from her, set it aside, and took her hands in his. “You’re like ice.”
His strength seemed to flow into her, and she felt her body relax. “And you’re steady as a rock.” She managed a smile. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
“Good.” Kellan reached for the card and studied it a moment. “You cannot express what an honor it is to serve Colossus as its new princess, and you look forward to knowing everyone better.” His eyes crinkled at the edges. “That’s it.”
Alice remembered to breathe. “I think I can do that.”
“I know you can.” He set the card aside, took her hands again, and just held them.
She leaned closer. “You’re like sparkling wine.”
“What do you mean?”
She smiled. “You give me courage.”
Seer hastened over, bristling with energy. “Princess? You are coming up on your cue.”
Alice beamed. “I’m ready.”
∞∞∞
Once the princess had concluded her brief remarks, Kellan joined Paddy on the other side of the partition. His friend gave him an exasperated glance. “You knew who she really was, didn’t you?” Paddy murmured. “Why didn’t you tell us?”
“It was not my secret to keep.”
“What happens now?”
“The Minfo plans to broadcast nonstop coverage of The Making of the Princess. Then, they will feature a romantic triangle leading up to the Promenade.” Kellan grimaced. “That’s where I come in."
Paddy peered at him. “You’re going to be acting the part of a suitor?” He made a sound of disbelief. “Don’t let your head get all swelled by the attention.”
“Don’t worry.” Kellan averted his gaze. “My fame will be brief and fleeting before I flame out into obscurity.”
Seer bustled over. “Ranger Stratford, you’re to escort the princess as she circulates at the party.”
Kellan’s spirits lifted. “Certainly.”
Paddy smirked. “Never mind me. I’ll be waiting here, playing the part of a bodyguard.”
Kellan chuckled as he threaded his way through the crowd. When he spotted Alice in the throng, however, Blade was already at her side. He hastened over nevertheless and offered Alice his arm. “Princess, may I escort you around the room?”
Blade’s smile was tight. “I’ve got it covered, Stratford. Why don’t you get yourself a drink and circulate?”
A muscle worked in Kellan’s jaw. “Why don’t you?”
Alice’s smile was filled with charm. “I’d be delighted for both of you to escort me.”
King Justin swooped in with a hearty laugh. “I see young men are lining up already.” He held out his arm and Alice went to join him. “Thank you for your attentions, gentlemen, but I’d like to escort my daughter tonight.”
As the king and the princess sailed off through the crowd, Blade slid Kellan a hostile glance. “You haven’t got a chance, Ranger.”
“And you haven’t got a clue, Blackmon.”
They broke apart but not before Minfo cameras caught it all. Obviously, Minister Seer had set the whole confrontation up and this was only the beginning. If Kellan hadn’t been under orders from the king, he never would have put up with such nonsense. Disgusted, he crossed over to the bar for a glass of sparkling wine.
As he sipped his drink and watched Alice circulate, she radiated confidence and good cheer. The aristocrat speaking with her must have said something witty because she laughed. Kellan’s spirits soared at the sight of her merriment and he was glad the shadows were lifted from her features. In the next moment, however, he felt like a penniless child gazing through a shop window at a toy he could never afford.
Blade sauntered over with a glass of amber liquid in his hand. “You look like someone kicked your puppy.”
Kellan returned the gibe with one of his own. “Why aren’t you rubbing elbows with your betters?”
“Because they are my betters and won’t have anything to do with me yet.” He stared into his glass. “Once Alice and I are engaged, the aristocracy will finally consider me worth their notice. At the moment, however, I’m just an exceptionally handsome and talented wizard whose father is a convict, thanks to you.”
“Zachary Blackmon’s fate was of his own making, as you know full well.” He drained the last of his sparkling wine and returned the glass to the bar. “Enjoy the party.”
Kellan strode over to speak with Paddy. “I’ve served my purpose, so I’m off.”
His friend grinned. “Free drinks aren’t enough to make you linger?”
“Not if I have to drink alone.”
Paddy nodded toward the bar. “You’ve got Blackmon over there.”
“Like I said, I don’t like t
o drink alone.” Kellan chuckled. “See you at dinner.”
As he made his way through the crowd, Alice met his gaze. The princess smiled at him in a mischievous fashion, almost as if they shared a secret and warmth spread through his chest. When the crowd shifted and their connection was broken, Kellan felt a pang of something he couldn’t readily identify. He tried to shake off a sense of deep frustration as he left the ballroom, but it was little use. Perhaps he would visit the castle gymnasium after dinner and work out his feelings with a pair of boxing gloves and a hanging bag.
As he strode across the entrance hall, he heard the sound of someone running.
Blade called out, “Wait.”
Kellan paused to let the man catch up. “What do you want?”
“Alessandra told me something alarming about the Gallery Hall earlier today.” Blade’s ordinarily arrogant attitude had disappeared. “I think you should investigate.”
Kellan cocked his head. “She didn’t say anything to me.”
“She might have been embarrassed.” Blade paused. “She imagined that the hologram of her mother was giving her messages. The problem is that the exhibit was originally created by Queen Tara.”
Kellan frowned. “Show me.”
They made their way to the exhibit, where the luminescent representations of historical figures had always reminded Kellan of ghosts. Helene Masters’ display was dark and marked Out of Order.
The wizard gestured toward the empty exhibit. “The night Alessandra ran away, she said the hologram told her she was in danger.”
Was that why Alice had nearly collapsed?
Kellan muttered an oath. “What a perfect way to get her out of the castle and vulnerable to attack.”
“That’s what I told her, more or less.”
Kellan scowled. “That was the right thing to say.”
“Don’t sound so surprised. Believe it or not, I don’t want anything to happen to her.”
“Of course not. She’s your ticket into the aristocracy.”
Blade’s hands formed fists at his side. “I ought to knock you down for that remark.”
“Save your ire for Alice’s enemies.” He produced his tracker from a back pocket and trained it at Helene’s exhibit.
Blade eyed the instrument. “Do you bring that thing everywhere?”
“Not into the shower.”
At first, Kellan detected no energy signature at all. After recalibrating his tracker, however, he managed to pick up something extraordinarily faint. He moved around the Hall checking energy signatures until he returned to the dark exhibit.
Blade frowned. “Well?”
“The energy signatures connected to every other hologram are identical but the wizard who enchanted this hologram used an eradication spell in an effort to cover his tracks.”
Kellan focused on the faint signature again, caught a trail, and followed it to a few feet from the door. Then, just like in the labyrinth, the signature vanished.
He glanced at Blade. “Are there security cameras inside the Gallery Hall?”
The wizard shook his head. “Only in the main corridor of the shopping arcade.”
“Of course.” Kellan gritted his teeth. “The suspect has the ability to shut off his energy signature and I suspect he stole the disrupter prototype from Helene’s lab.”
“If that’s the case, a copy should be easy to spot.”
“You would think so, but Seer has seen fit to flood Colossus with duplicates.”
“That’s right, he has. The man has always had a flare for the dramatic.” Blade grimaced. “Did Alessandra mention the security video outside Helene’s office was erased on the day she disappeared? It was the same for every point of ingress and egress from the Ministry of Magic.”
“Whoever we are dealing with is very, very clever.” Kellan shook his head. “The wizard pushed Helene through the Node gateway prototype, tried to get rid of Alice, and has removed and destroyed evidence. I just can’t figure out his end goal.”
“Maybe he wants to spoil the Promenade?” Blade shrugged. “Families from around Colossus are going to be arriving in Briarwood starting tomorrow. If people thought a rogue wizard was on a rampage they wouldn’t come.”
“I can’t believe the motive would be so shallow.”
“I don’t think you understand how important the Promenade is. Dynasties are created by strategic marriages and wars are circumvented.”
Kellan gave Blade a sharp glance. “You may have put your finger on it. King Justin is using the Promenade to prevent war with the Shadow Realm whereas the suspect may want to usher one in.”
They left the shopping arcade and returned to the entrance hall, pausing for a moment at the light fountain. Blade bent to scoop up a handful of sparkles and let it drip through his fingers. “What are you going to tell His Majesty?”
“Without something more concrete than speculation, I can’t say anything.” Kellan paused. “There is something else.”
Blade frowned. “I’m all ears.”
Kellan told him his theory about Helene and the gateway prototype. “The only way to know for certain is to shut down the entire Node Network first.”
Blade’s expression was full of doubt. “Even if your theory is right, shutting down the Node Network will never happen—at least not until the Promenade is over.”
“The Head Wizard has already informed me of that and in no uncertain terms.”
Blade shrugged. “Looks like your investigation is at a standstill.”
“For now.”
Kellan stared at the fountain, deep in thought. Helene was the one witness who could solve the mystery and set things straight. At the moment, however, she was out of reach and it seemed he was out of luck.
∞∞∞
As Alice moved around the cocktail party with her father by her side, a feeling of intoxication ran through her veins. The men and women of title, wealth, and prestige were behaving toward her as if she were an intimate friend. She was praised, admired, and cultivated in a way she could never have imagined a few weeks ago and it tickled her fancy. None of these people would have bothered to give Alice Holland a second glance but Princess Alessandra was worthy of compliments and attention.
She scanned the crowd from time to time, hoping to catch another glimpse of Kellan, but the Ranger had disappeared. If he had become engrossed in a private conversation with a viscountess or socialite somewhere out of view, she had no right to object. Furthermore, although debutantes were not due to arrive in Briarwood City until tomorrow, she wondered if some other young woman would catch his eye in the days to come. If so, could Alice maintain her composure so readily? Given her future engagement to Blade, she ought not feel anything for Kellan. Deep down, however, she had to admit the Ranger excited her body and soul like no one she’d ever met before.
Her father brought her over to a powerfully built man in a military uniform. Although the fellow was handsome enough after a fashion, his saturnine expression and arrogant demeanor reminded Alice unpleasantly of Pompano.
King Justin’s manner was formal as he performed the introduction. “Sir, may I present my daughter, Alessandra. Alessandra, this is Prince Theissen of the Shadow Realm. He arrived at Briarwood Castle just now.”
Alice dipped into a perfunctory curtsy. “It’s an honor to meet you.”
Prince Theissen’s response was equally rote. “The honor is mine, Princess.”
She cast about for a topic of conversation. “Erm…you have traveled a long way, sir?”
The corners of his lips quirked up in a mocking smile, almost as if she’d just said something foolish. “The Node Network made the journey quite manageable.”
“Yes, of course.” She felt a blush heat her face. “Are you staying for the Promenade?”
“I may stay to watch the festivities for a few days, but my plans are not yet fixed.” He bowed. “If you’ll excuse me.” He moved off.
Alice whispered to her father, “Did I say something to
offend him?”
“I shouldn’t think so, but you can’t expect the crown prince to make idle chitchat.”
She lowered her voice even further. “Is he Queen Tara’s brother?”
“Her cousin. Since Theissen’s father has passed away and the present King of the Shadow Realm has no living children, Theissen will assume the crown when the time comes.”
Alice glanced at the prince over her shoulder. He had joined a group of aristocrats and was greeting them with more animation than he’d shown previously. Despite her father’s assertion, Theissen was perfectly capable of idle chitchat, but apparently not with her. She hoped the boorish man didn’t bother to speak with her again any time soon.
Minister Seer hastened over. “Your Majesty, Colossusians began to arrive at the castle almost before your broadcast was over and they’ve now filled the streets as far as the eye can see. It would make a dramatic statement if you and the princess were to appear at the Tower Balcony.”
The king glanced at Alice and nodded. “Yes, I imagine the gesture will be well received.”
A shaft of apprehension nearly took Alice’s breath away. “What if they’ve come out of anger, Father? What if they boo…or throw things?”
Seer bristled. “Princess, I take great pride in the emotional content of my campaigns and I assure you that nothing of the sort will happen.”
“I meant no offense, Minister,” she managed.
Her father smiled. “I’ll be at your side, Alessandra. Truly, you have nothing to fear.”
Her spine straightened. “In that case, I will endeavor to make you proud.”
The king patted her hand. “I never doubted it.”
∞∞∞
Kellan checked his watch. If he hurried, he just had time to change out of his tuxedo and meet his friends for dinner. As he hastened across the entrance hall, however, a roaring sound reached his ears. He paused and cocked his head, wondering if a heavy summer hailstorm was raining down on Briarwood City. In the next moment, he caught sight of a vidscreen. King Justin and Alice had stepped out onto the famous Tower Balcony and the roar was coming from the crowd.
He burst out of the castle entrance and sped down the driveway until he had a view of the balcony. Apparently, the Minfo had arranged the event ahead of time because huge portable vidscreens had been set up around the perimeter of the castle to allow people to see the royal family close up. Although the gates were closed, people were pressed up against the tall wrought-iron fence, cheering and waving. Alice raised her hand in a tentative wave.
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