Jax rolled her eyes at this new foil in her grand plan. Of all the remaining duchies, Jax would have thought it would have been easiest for her to entice Perry to join her vision of a unified realm. Now, she didn’t feel at all sure her husband would even support her. She should be happy her husband felt such strong loyalty to his homeland, but instead she found this newfound devotion troubling. When she’d first met Perry, he’d wanted nothing to do with Pettraud. Many things had changed over the years: his relationship with his father and brothers, not to mention he had been crowned the duchy’s sovereign. Perhaps, given that her parents’ deaths had left her alone in the world, Jax had forgotten that the bonds of family were quite strong, capable of forcing great change. Why, she’d given up her all-consuming love for George when she was younger because she knew her parents would have disapproved…
Jax shook that errant thought from her head. “We got sidetracked by Carriena’s appearance with the tea. You never explained why you left Pettraud in the first place. What are you doing here?” She eyed his stomach, noting the knuckles of his left hand were white from pressing against it.
Perry took a deep breath, inhaling air through gritted teeth. “Is it so unfathomable to think that I simply missed you and wanted to be by your side? It’s not every day one’s wife gets crowned the leader of a new nation, after all.”
She frowned at his flippant remark. “Then why did you lead me to believe you wouldn’t be attending? That I would have to go through this all on my own?”
“You’re never alone, my darling.”
“Sometimes it certainly feels like it.” Jax’s thoughts floated to Sabine and Uma, to George and Ziri. They were her dearest friends, but nevertheless a chasm existed between them, given the pressures of her royal title. Normally, she would never feel that same dividing gulf between Perry and herself, but she could no longer ignore that he was the Duke of a foreign nation. They may be equals, but there was also an inherent rivalry that could prove problematic in the future.
Perry gave her a sad smile. “I’m sorry for the part I played in your feeling that way. I just didn’t know how long it would take me to set things right in Pettraud, and I didn’t want to give you false hope and then disappoint you.”
“Well,” she said, reaching for his right hand, “I’m glad you’re here now. Although I must insist you rest a bit, my love. Did Mistress Lenora really give you a clean bill of health to travel? Your skin is far too pale for my liking.”
A fleeting blotch of color sprouted on his cheeks as he blushed. “I won’t lie to you. My court physician was not entirely pleased that I insisted upon making the trip so soon after returning from Cetachi. But,” Perry held a finger to her lips to silence her protests, “Lenora assured me I was fine to make the journey south.”
“You don’t look fine.” Helping Perry up from the settee, Jax threaded her arm through her husband’s and led him out of the room. As much as she wanted to give him a tour of the grounds and show him another side of her history, of her life before she became Duchess of Saphire, she knew he needed rest if he was going to be able to attend dinner with them all. He wasn’t leaning on her as much as he had when they’d walked into the sitting room earlier, but she suspected he was trying to put up a strong front.
Perry patted her hand. “All I need is some of that famous Hestian coastal air to restore my stamina.”
Jax responded with a weak smile. Then she spotted a familiar figure ahead of them, striding in the direction of their dormitory wing. “George? Have you just come back from speaking with Lord Ashcroft?”
George halted his steps and waited for Jax and Perry to draw closer. “Indeed.”
“Any news about the search?” Jax asked.
George’s concerned gaze drifted from her to Perry. Without another word, he moved to Perry’s other side and wrapped an arm around him. Jax felt Perry’s strength give way as he sagged against them, a rag doll in their arms.
“Should I send for Master Yokudran?” George eyed Perry up and down.
“I’m fine,” Perry grunted. “I just need a bit of a lie down before dinner.”
“Your wound needs redressing.” George’s words were meant for Perry, but his dark eyes met Jax’s worried gaze.
“I’m perfectly capable of changing my own bandages, thank you.” Perry’s response was clipped, his annoyance on full display. “Now, what news do you have about these providence documents, George? It seems to me that the sooner we locate them, the sooner we can be on our way.”
“I found Ashcroft leaving the headmaster’s office in a bad mood,” George began, helping support most of Perry’s weight as the trio started to ascend the staircase to the dormitory. “Apparently, Ezarath denied Ashcroft’s request to review the staff records.”
Jax wrinkled her nose. “On what grounds?”
“His wounded pride, most likely.” George snorted. “I doubt Ashcroft was very diplomatic in his request. Ezarath probably thought the Lord Praesidio was accusing him of lax hiring practices and went on the defensive. Whatever the case, Ashcroft wasn’t able to get his hands on any additional recommendations or information about our merry little band of professors.”
“You really believe…one of them…to be behind the theft?” Perry’s breathing became more labored with each word.
Instead of answering, both Jax and George concentrated on assisting Perry up the remaining steps. By the time they reached the third-floor landing, George appeared to be half dragging her husband along the hallway. Perry needed to lie down, or he might collapse entirely.
George kept his focus on the door to Jax’s suite. “The Praesidio have combed every inch of the fortress and found no other intruder,” he said, finally responding to Perry’s lingering question. “Nor did anyone pass through the gates unauthorized. Whoever attacked Master Gautherd had to have already been inside the compound.”
“We…can trust these…Praesidio?” Perry had enough strength left to cock an eyebrow. “What’s to say…one of them didn’t…nick the documents?”
George’s lips drew into a thin line. Jax half expected him to berate Perry for insulting the honor of the men who’d sworn to protect the Academy with their lives, but to her surprise, he said, “We have no choice but to trust them, or at least to pretend to trust them. I’ve been trying to ingratiate myself with Lord Ashcroft ever since we arrived, just so I can keep an eye on things. But so far, I’ve seen no evidence that a member of the Praesidio has defected and escaped the Academy.”
By now, they had arrived at the door to Jax’s suite. Jax reached for the handle. “How does Lord Ashcroft plan to proceed?”
Before George could answer, Ziri materialized from the hallway shadows. At Jax’s request, the spymaster had been keeping diligent watch over their rooms.
“How wonderful of you to join us, Duke Pettraud.” Ziri dipped her head in greeting. “It is good to see you looking so wel—good to see you somewhat standing.” She moved past Jax and held open the door.
Perry managed a light chuckle. “I…look worse than I…feel. Trust me.”
With everything she had learned since his sudden arrival, Perry’s word held little meaning for Jax. Her trust in him had been shaken. As much as she wanted to look past his deception, to tell herself that Perry had only tried to do right by his duchy, she could not absolve his lies so easily.
“Let’s get him to the bed.” Jax directed George, tilting her head in that direction. To Ziri, she said, “Could you send for some hot water? Perry needs to change his bandages.”
“Of course, Duquessa.” Ziri paused in the doorway. “Shall I send for Master Yokudran?”
“No,” Perry moaned.
“Yes.”
Ziri bowed her head in acquiescence to Jax’s command.
As George and Jax dragged Perry toward the bed, he began mumbling furiously.
“What’s he saying?” George mouthed over the top of Perry’s slouched head.
Other than “alone” and “myse
lf,” Jax couldn’t make out what her husband was saying, either. “I’m not sure. But I think his fever has returned.”
“Perhaps we should place him in the room across the hall instead of having him share a bed with you,” George suggested, his expression mildly uncomfortable.
Jax readily agreed. She didn’t want to risk her own movements aggravating Perry’s wound in the night.
“Stop talking about me…like I’m not here.” Perry’s words were angry and slurred, but intelligible. “You two. Always whispering with each other. Always seeking each other’s reassurances. I can never compete.”
Jax nearly gasped out loud at Perry’s startling remark, but quickly realized her husband was struggling on the brink of unconsciousness. He doesn’t know what he’s saying, she reassured herself.
George, too, ignored Perry’s delirious observations, instead opening the door of the suite directly across the hall, already made up by its former student resident. “Is everything all right in Pettraud? I didn’t know we were expecting Perry to join us this soon.”
Jax waved the question away. Now was not the time to delve into the unnerving developments Perry had brought with him. She didn’t want anyone, even George…no, especially George, to learn of Perry’s new Code of Succession. She didn’t want anyone to know how dismissive her husband had been of their martial partnership, their bond. “Nothing we need to concern ourselves with right now. We have more pressing problems to deal with.” After laying an unconscious Perry out on the bed, she dashed across the hall to her room, eager to have a minute to herself and reign in her faltering emotions.
“So,” Jax asked George once she returned to Perry’s side with a damp washcloth, “what is Lord Ashcroft’s plan going forward with the investigation?”
George reached for the back of his neck, a sign that he was stressed. “He’ll continue to have each professor shadowed, to see if one of them slips up. If the documents have been hidden away in the castle somewhere, whoever took them is bound to return to their hiding place eventually.”
“But we don’t have until ‘eventually’ to wait.” Jax dabbed the wet cloth along Perry’s sweaty hairline. “Headmaster Ezarath has invited us all to dine together this evening. We can use the time to get to know each of the professors a bit better. We don’t know much about them, especially since Ashcroft has failed to obtain their records from Ezarath, but we might be able to piece together who had motive for wanting to abscond with the providence documents.”
George nodded, simultaneously stroking his chin. “It’s a start. But we must be careful with our questioning. We don’t need to put an even larger target on your back if our thief thinks you are close to uncovering him.”
“Or her.” Jax smiled. “I think I might write to Master Vyanti and ask him about him recommending Yokudran for the position. If Ashcroft can’t get his hands on any documents about the professors, perhaps we can dig some information up through our own channels.”
“Didn’t Lady Carriena say Rowan Lotus was from Mensina? Perhaps someone in your grandfather’s court has heard of him.”
Jax bobbed her head, an ember of excitement building within her. Despite all the troubles that plagued her mind, she loved the thrill that came from chasing down clues. “We brought one of our crowned falcons along, didn’t we?” She had planned to use the Academy’s trained kestrels to send a letter to Vyanti at his post just off the coast on Isla DeLacqua, but one of her renowned falcons could make the trip to Mensina in under two hours.
George nodded. “She’s in the bunkhouse, being tended to by our guardsmen.”
“Good. I’ll send her off with a note for Aunt Adelaide. Grand-Père might have too much on his plate to go chasing down an herbology scholar.”
George chuckled. “What about Vera Nightingale? Is there anyone left in Tandora that we trust enough to write to?”
An annoying pressure pulsed against her forehead. Jax placed the washcloth on Perry’s bedside table and reached to massage the spot, only to wince as her fingertips brushed against her scar.
George’s gaze sharpened at once. “Is your head hurting you?”
Until now, Jax had almost forgotten about her injury, having successfully ignored the dull throbbing throughout the excitement of the day. But sitting on the bed next to Perry’s unconscious form, she felt her own stamina begin to wane. She had to take it easy if she were to remain clearheaded for the evening ahead. “It’s nothing.” She gazed down at her ailing husband, his chest rising and falling with labored breaths. “I don’t have any helpful sources in Tandora that I trust at the moment, but maybe Jaquobie can dig something up for me.”
“Jax—”
“If I compose a few notes, would you see to it that they are sent off before dinner?”
George opened his mouth, seeming intent on saying more, but Jax stopped him.
“It’s been a long day. Why don’t you take some time to yourself afterward? Perhaps a stroll outside in the gardens?” She forced a demure smile on her lips as she inched away toward the door. “I’m sure Ziri would enjoy a more formal tour of the grounds.”
George held her gaze a moment longer, his dark eyes searching. What he was looking for, she didn’t know.
Chapter Eleven
George watched as Jax set the quill down on the desktop, her other hand massaging her temple. “I shall write to the others after dinner.”
His fists balled at his side, silently telling him to resist his instinct to comfort her. “Perhaps you should turn in for the evening. If I learn any new developments from Ashcroft, I’ll wake you at once. I promise.”
Her tired gaze traveled up the length of him, the whites of her eyes a patchwork of red. “I’ll be fine after a short nap. I just need some time to recover.”
George folded his arms across his chest and assessed the woman before him. Recover from what, he wondered. Jax had been in good spirits despite all that had occurred since they’d arrived at the Academy. That is, until Perry showed up.
She’d clearly been surprised to see the Duke, but when George had run into the pair on their way back to the dormitory wing, they had looked less than thrilled with each other. If George remembered correctly, Perry had said he’d be in Pettraud for at least a week, going through the ritual ceremonies for Ivan’s burial. To have him show up here so soon after their own arrival suggested that might not have been the case. Whatever was going on between Jax and Perry, it was wearing both of them down.
Jax handed him the folded slip of parchment addressed to her Aunt Adelaide in Mensina. “Is Master Yokudran in with Perry still?”
George struggled to keep his face neutral. “Yes. He’s cleaning Perry’s wound before binding it back up.”
He watched as her shoulders relaxed at the news. He had appeased her, at least for now. He would leave the grisly details Master Yokudran had shared with him for later, once she had regained a bit of her own strength. She will need it in the days to come.
“Now, why don’t you rest a bit. I’ll see that this is sent off.” George placed the note to Adelaide in his breast pocket and patted it. “I’ll borrow an Academy kestrel and send word to Uma and Sabine that we’ll be remaining here overnight, as well.”
“Take Ziri with you,” Jax suggested. “The rainclouds have cleared, and the sun is shining. Please, try to enjoy yourselves a little.” Her fleeting smile was laced with sadness.
He could barely think straight, let alone enjoy himself, seeing her in such pain. But to placate her, he bowed his head. “We’ll be back to collect you before dinner.”
He took his leave of her, his body collapsing against the stone wall once he was alone out in the corridor. He yearned to take Jax in his arms and comfort her, to give her whatever strength he possessed. How he wished he could spare her all this pain.
A door creaked open to his left. “Is the Duquessa all right?” Ziri’s words trembled with anxiety.
He cracked open his eyes, staring at the skilled warrior. During their
adventure together at Fort Vyndheim, she had been calm and collected in the gravest of dangers. Yet now, her cool confidence and bravado seemed to be fading. Despite everything, her palpable concern warmed his heart, knowing Jax had gained another lifelong friend.
“She’s resting now. I’m sure she’ll be in top form for dinner.”
“I wish the same could be said about Duke Pettraud.” Ziri sauntered over to him, her bronze gaze lingering on Perry’s closed door.
George’s expression hardened. “Please refrain from speaking like that around Jax.”
Ziri halted. “Of course, Captain.” She dipped her chin in her usual deferential manner, but George wondered if he was being mocked.
He sighed. The last thing he wanted to do was get into a tiff with Ziri. He was supposed to be wooing her, after all…wasn’t he? “I need to send a message using the crowned falcon we brought along,” he said. “Would you like to accompany me out to the bunkhouse? Take in a bit of fresh air?” He couldn’t remember the last time he had actually tried to court someone, and it showed. His invitation felt stiff on his tongue.
Ziri’s smile, however, was genuine. “Lead the way.”
As they walked together through the fortress, George kept note of the Praesidio they encountered along the way. He knew there to be little less than eighty knights amongst their ranks, but with most of them posted outside, along the barrier wall, he was not surprised to spot barely a handful of sentries along their route to the main entrance hall. At least Ashcroft had been able to spare the men to shadow the inhabitants of the Academy. Having eyes and ears on the enemy at all times would certainly help things along.
The enemy? Their suspects consisted of a bunch of pompous scholars. He reached for the back of his neck, the pressure building. He prayed Ashcroft’s men would discover something useful so they could be on their way back to Lamartre to prepare for the greater challenges ahead.
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