Winterbourne's Daughter

by Stephanie Rabig

  "T'zugotha!"

  The Shadow hissed, gripping her tighter as it looked toward the top of the stairs. Gennadi was standing beside the empty doorway, looking like he was using every last ounce of his strength to hold up the book. Andriy stood next to him, helping to steady both him and the tome. It was Andriy's voice she had heard, calling out the creature's name.

  It snarled and let go of her. She fell to the floor and Vasya reached out, gathering her close, both of them watching as the Shadow slithered back up the stairs. It didn't move nearly so fast now, and Lisette prayed that the sound of its name had weakened it enough to let the young loyalist finish.

  "T'zugotha, in your name and in the name of your creator, Eshanti of Abaya, I command you to stop! You are barred from this world and from all those which touch it! Until my grandchildren's children grow old and die, I banish you from this realm!"

  There was nothing theatrical or frightening about the scream this time, just a cry of pain, and the Shadow vanished in a flash of heat and soot, leaving a dark stain on the stones all around it.

  Gennadi sagged against the wall, dropping the book. "Thanks, boy," he said, giving Andriy a clumsy pat on the head, casting a grin Lisette's way. "Someone didn't give me time to tell her that I don't know how to read."

  "Boy?" Andriy replied. "Do you not recognize me at all?"

  "You do seem familiar," Gennadi said. "Have to forgive me, I feel quite close to passing out, really." Then he blinked, peered closely at him. "Andriy? Is that...?"

  "Yes," Andriy said, and Gennadi let out a whoop of laughter and hugged him.

  Lisette grinned and turned to Vasya, but he simply pulled his hand out of hers and slowly made his way up the stairs, not looking back.

  "I'll go see to Mother and the other loyalists," Andriy said. "I'm sure they're quite worried. I am sorry for following when you said not to. But I thought you might need help."

  "You did the right thing," Lisette said. "Though that won't save you from getting lectured once Gennadi's thinking clearly again."

  He smiled and hurried off, and Lisette crouched next to Gennadi. "You all right?"

  "Never better. Where's Emeline?"

  "The Great Hall," Lisette said, helping him back to his feet. Vasya led them upstairs, saying nothing.

  When they reached the floor that the Great Hall was on, a loud wail had them all glancing at each other in recognition―they knew that voice―and then Vasya ran forward, and Lisette started to run as well but stayed back with Gennadi, helping him, until he took her arm and pushed her away.

  "Go," he said. "I'll get there."

  She gave him a worried look as he leaned against the wall for balance, and then she ran ahead, barreling through the ornate double doors that led to the Great Hall.

  The smell alone was almost enough to knock her off her feet. Blood and bile and some intangible rot, the smell of that thing...

  Then she saw Emeline. She was on her hands and knees next to the torn body of Ilari, sobbing. Vasya was next to her, trying to get her to look at him, and when that didn't work, he simply picked her up, carrying her out of sight of the death. Gennadi stumbled forward, slipping and falling as he tried to get to her faster, and then Vasya knelt down with Emeline still in his arms, and Lisette sank down beside them, too, the three of them all trying to hold her at once, to touch, to ground her again.

  Eventually, her desperate keening quieted, and her hands stopped pressing against the floor and reached out to them instead.

  "I'm sorry," Lisette said. "Oh, Emeline, I'm so sorry."

  "She just... right in front of me," Emeline whispered. "It tore her apart."

  "It'll be okay," Gennadi said. "We're here."

  She looked up at him, rubbing tears out of her eyes, and then her gaze focused enough to truly see his injuries. "Gennadi..."

  "I'm fine. Just a few cuts and bruises, that's all. What happened to you?" he asked. "I searched."

  "It was a spirit, a rusalka," Emeline said. "She didn't hurt me; she just needed a favor. I was―" She was cut off with a squeak when Gennadi tightened his hold enough to steal her breath.

  "I thought you were gone."

  "No, no. It's all right. I'm all right." She cleared her throat, wiggling for more room, and the other three retreated slightly. "We should... there are things that need to be done."

  Lisette nodded. "We need to search the castle. Find survivors, tell them what happened. Let them know it's safe now."

  "Alain," Gennadi said. "Need to get him to the main courtyard. If he made it. Lot of wounded to tend to."

  "Including you," Lisette said. "Once we find the doctor, you're staying with him."

  "No arguments," Gennadi said, and Vasya helped him to his feet. Then he started down the hall ahead of them without a word.

  "Is he...?" Emeline began. "What happened?"

  "I'm not sure, but I'm going to get it straightened out," Lisette said. "Are you two all right?"

  Emeline nodded, letting Gennadi lean against her for balance. "We'll search the doctor's rooms."

  "And we'll meet you there," Lisette said before running ahead to catch up with Vasya. As soon as she was beside him, she took hold of his hand and opened the nearest doorway. It was a supply closet, nothing with an excess of room, but right now that didn't matter. Was for the best, in fact. Less room and fewer distractions meant that he might actually look at her.

  What had he been expecting? Lisette wondered. He couldn't have thought she would just hide in that glorified closet, not when―

  Then he slammed the door behind them, fury radiating off of him, and she wondered if maybe it wouldn't have been best to delay this, give them both time to calm down.

  "Did I or did I not tell you to hide?"

  Lisette almost shrank back. She'd only seen him this angry once before, the night of Roz's deathfight, but that had been anger turned inward. This was most certainly turned outward.

  Then she remembered exactly why he was angry and felt her own temper flare. "Oh, and you have every right to order me about?"

  "In that situation, yes! You train for a year and think that means you can handle―"

  "None of your fighting experience was enough for that thing!" she yelled back. "If that'd been a person, then yes, I would've stayed back, but it was―"

  "All the more reason to―"

  "What was I supposed to do?"

  "You were supposed to run!"

  "And use you as a distraction? No!" He gritted his teeth, too angry to even speak, and she pushed on. "Do you really think I would've cowered and just watched you die? I'm glad I didn't listen to you! I'm glad I didn't hide, and if I had the chance I'd do it again! I―"

  She started to continue on and then paused, remembering him as he'd been earlier that same day, lying on the stone, unable to reach his sword or win the fight even had he been able to reach it. And now he was here, they both were, and what was anger in the face of that? "I had to help," she said, a small smile creeping onto her face. "You think I wanted to drag you all the way through Vedrana's Forest back to that coffin?"

  He kept glaring at her for a few seconds longer, and then he closed the short distance between them and hugged her tightly. "I thought―"

  "I know. When it threw you..."

  "It's all right."

  Only it wasn't, not yet, because her hands were still shaking and his voice was hoarse and she wanted―needed―to be closer than this and she stood up on her tiptoes to kiss him.

  He kissed her back, grabbing her arms in the same place that the Shadow had grabbed her. She let out a quick hiss of pain.

  He immediately let go, stepping back when he saw fresh pinpricks of blood seeping through her sleeves.

  She shook her head and moved close to him again, resting her palm on the side of his face. "I'm not glass," she said, but even as she said the words, she remembered how recently he had seen her shattered. Unwilling to let that thought be the one he clung to, she took his hands and moved them to her arms
again, and this time when she kissed him, he didn't move away.

  *~*~*

  "What do you mean, the loyalists were gathered here?"

  "They weren't happy with Ilari's rule, and they were trying to decide what to―" Then she realized. Gennadi's mother and brother were the servants of Loyalists Emeric and Orianne; they might well have been in the castle when―

  "Come on," Emeline said. "Let's get back to the inner ward."

  Gennadi ran, making it down a quarter of one hallway before Emeline had to help steady him. "We'll get there," Emeline assured him. "We'll get there and they'll be safe. All right? Believe that."

  He nodded, though the fright and worry didn't leave his face.

  After what seemed an eternity, they reached the door to the inner ward, which had been propped open. The doctor was entering just ahead of them, carrying a fresh supply of bandages. They'd found him safe―he'd hidden under a cot in his office. She, Vasya, Lisette, and Gennadi had helped him ferry supplies to the inner ward, and then they'd gone out in search of survivors. Though they'd all tried to convince Gennadi to stay in the inner ward, he'd insisted on aiding in the search.

  "Mistress," Alain said, bowing. "Quite wonderful to see you again."

  "Thank you. Tell me, have Loyalists Emeric and Orianne been found?"

  "My mother and brother may have been with them," Gennadi said.

  "Loyalist Emeric was killed trying to fight the creature," the doctor said. "His wife was unfortunate enough to witness it. I do not know of any servants, but Loyalist Orianne is over there."

  Gennadi stumbled off in the direction the doctor had pointed, and Emeline hurried to help him. Orianne was sitting in the dust, staring off at nothing. She was alone.

  "Loyalist Orianne," Gennadi said, stopping in front of her. "What news of Donatien and my mother?"

  She looked up at him, blood streaking her face, and gave him a tired smile. "They are safe, Huntsman. They remained at our home today."

  "Thank the Goddesses," he whispered. "Emeline?"

  "I do not suppose there's any way I can convince you to stay here and rest?"

  "No."

  He started back toward the door, and Emeline knelt down, taking Loyalist Orianne's hand. "I am sorry to hear about your husband. What of your boy?"

  "We... we sent him in a different direction. Emeric and I went one way, and Gustave went another. They have yet to find him."

  "What of Alexei's bride? Jyotsana?" Not only was she concerned for the girl she had promised to protect, but if Jyotsana had been felled by the creature, her mother might well declare war.

  "They live," Orianne said, nodding toward the door. Emeline glanced over to see Jyotsana curled into herself, sobbing, as Alexei hugged her to him. Rachna lay beside them both, the lower half of her right arm missing. Her eyes were closed, and from this distance Emeline couldn't tell if she was breathing.

  Then Orianne's eyes focused on a point over her shoulder, and she shoved herself to her feet and ran past Emeline, nearly tripping over three prone people in her haste to get to the door.

  Gustave was there, leaning against two guards, his right leg broken and twisted. Orianne stopped in front of him, crying, gingerly putting her arms around his shoulders. "Oh, darling," she said. "What happened? I thought we had lured it away from you."

  "You did," he said, glancing away, his face turning red. "I started to run down a flight of stairs and I tripped."

  *~*~*

  Gennadi couldn't catch his breath by the time he and Emeline finally reached Emeric and Orianne's house. He leaned against one of the entryway columns, gasping, as Emeline knocked on the door.

  He should have listened to the others, should have taken the rest of the day to start to recover and gone to see his family tomorrow, or asked a messenger to send word to them, tell them to come to the castle.

  But the idea of staying still had hurt worse than any injuries Grisha and Ilari had inflicted; he had needed to move, needed to see them right away, to make sure that Loyalist Orianne had spoken the truth and that they were safe.

  Donatien opened the door―and Goddesses, he was so tall now; taller than he was―and Gennadi stepped forward, enveloping him in a hug. "You're all right."

  "Of course I am," Donatien said. "But you... what happened to you? Mother!" he called.

  "I'm fine," Gennadi said. "Really. I'm fine now."

  Ambre hurried into the doorway then, her mouth falling open at the sight of him. "Oh, my poor boy," she whispered. "Come here."

  He took two quick steps and then he was in her arms, and she murmured soothingly, peering up at him a moment later. "What happened?" she asked. "And here, come in, both of you." She glanced over at Emeline as she said that, and only then seemed to realize who she was. She quickly began to bow.

  Emeline shook her head and stepped forward, putting a hand on her shoulder to stop her. "Don't," she said. "You don't ever need to bow to me."

  "But you're―"

  "My words still stand."

  Gennadi took her hand then, and Ambre stared at their entwined fingers for a few seconds, a questioning look on her face, and then she smiled. "Come sit down," she said, motioning them to a well-cushioned couch. "Donatien, do get your brother a drink? And would you like something?" she asked Emeline.

  "No, thank you."

  "Just for Gennadi, then." She twisted her hands together nervously as she regarded her son's wounds, and then she sighed. "All right. Tell me everything."

  Chapter Nineteen

  "What of my mother?" Emeline asked.

  "I cannot truthfully say that the thought of imprisoning her isn't a pleasant one," Lisette said. "But I―I have prayed to Nobaris for years now, asking her to not let my impulses, my heart, forever rule my mind. And right now my mind tells me that Sidonie has lost a grandchild. No punishment given would even be felt in comparison to that pain." Emeline nodded, tears in her eyes, and Lisette took her hands. "She will never hold a position of power here again, but she will be cared for."

  "That... that would be best, yes," Emeline said. She wiped at her eyes. "Well. I think for our first change, we'll give everyone a seat at the table for meals. Like they did in Village-by-the-Sea, remember?" she asked Gennadi. "None of this nonsense with the servants having to wait until all of the royals and higher-ups and fighters have had a chance to eat."

  Remembering the many nights she'd gone hungry, Lisette nodded. "A wonderful idea."

  Emeline didn't register how it all looked until they reached the throne room, where the crown rested on the tallest throne, and Vasya looked to her, starting to bow.

  "No, no," Emeline said quickly, picking up the crown. "This was never for me, for so many reasons. I don't wish to take it now. I'm not sure I could do it justice and besides―" She smiled at Lisette. "―there's someone here who would make a far finer ruler."

  "Emeline..."

  "Truly, the job I would most like to have here is headmistress of the servants," Emeline said. "I would know that they have someone who cares for their well-being, for once. But you are a king's daughter," she said. "And you've acted nobly for years, working to defend your kingdom while in a position where no one would've expected it of you."

  Lisette looked to the others, waiting for them to nod their approval before she slowly reached out and took the crown. She couldn't say that this thought had never occurred to her, that she hadn't wished for it. But still... "Do you think the people will..."

  "Are you planning to take them from their homes when they disagree with you and sentence them to deathfights?" Gennadi asked.

  "Of course not."

  "Then you're already a marked improvement."

  "And you would be an improvement as well," she said. "Every one of you would." She stared at the wall, as if enough focus would make shapes, answers, appear in the sunlit stone.

  This was foolish, she thought. In the very recent past, she'd faced down a Shadow. She should not be so nervous about a question.

  "Wha
t's troubling you?" Vasya asked.

  "Nothing."

  "Lisette."

  "It's fine," she said. "A small dilemma, nothing more." Then she smiled, and carefully placed the crown on top of her dark hair. It was slightly oversized, sliding down enough to push her bangs fully into her face, and she laughed, nudging the crown back up and holding it in place. She slanted a look at Vasya, still grinning. "I believe you were ready to bow?"

  He did so, not taking his eyes from hers. And there it was, that half-smile that softened his entire face and made her want to throw her arms around him, as Gennadi laughed and whispered something to Emeline that made her blush, and different words were out before she could think them over. "Marry me. All of you."

  She froze, calling herself at least twenty different kinds of fool, and then she realized they were staring at her and she covered her face with her hands. "Oh, Goddesses," she grumbled. "That was the world's most stunning proposal, wasn't it? And it wasn't even a question! Pretend I didn't say that, give me a few days, and I'll come up with something much better."

  She felt arms slide around her waist―Vasya; he was the only one of them who could rest his chin on the top of her head―and she smiled, resting her hands over his.

  Then Lisette heard an unmistakable sound and quickly looked up to see Gennadi leaning against the wall, shaking with laughter.

  "I see how you are. I propose to you, and you laugh. I'm indescribably offended."

  "I can see that," he said, still grinning as he walked closer.

  "So can I interpret your hysterical laughter as a yes?"

  "You certainly can," he said, and as soon as he got within reach she took his face in her hands and kissed him―very gently, in deference to the still-healing cuts on his mouth. Then she turned slightly to look at Emeline, who was still several feet away, her expression uncertain.

  "Emeline?" Lisette asked. "I realize your first marriage was far from blessed, not to mention your time with Nazar, and if you don't want to risk such a thing again, I understand, but―"

  "It is my dearest wish," she whispered. "To be with you all, to be safe. For so long it's been nothing more than an idle daydream." She walked to them and opened her arms, trying to hug all of them at once. "It would be an honor to marry you."