“Would anyone care for a game of cards?” Carriena asked once the last of the fig pudding had been consumed.
Lotus tipped an imaginary hat in response. “There are some plants that require my attention in the greenhouse. I’m afraid I need to say goodnight.”
“As do I.” Vera rose from her seat with sensual grace. “My lesson plans won’t write themselves.”
Master Yokudran gathered his dishes to place in the service pantry for Chef Peregane to collect. “I should probably check in on Master Gautherd, just to make sure he hasn’t had a relapse of weakness.”
“I will accompany you downstairs to the archives, Master Yokudran.” Ezarath’s hand went to his pocket, where the sealed letters he had received rested. “Perhaps I can persuade him to take it easy before I retire early for the night.”
“Good luck with that, Headmaster. Please, send our best.” Casimeer scooped up both his and Daghir’s dishes and followed Yokudran toward the pantry door.
Jax was reaching for her own platter when Ziri appeared at her side. “Why don’t I handle these? I’ll meet you in the billiard room shortly.”
Jax wrinkled her nose in silent doubt. She hoped Ziri didn’t think it was her duty to clean up after them at the end of every meal, since she’d asked Ziri to stay behind and clean up after their group at lunch.
As Ziri began gathering the remaining dishes on the table, she whispered to Jax. “It has occurred to me that we have not yet spoken with Chef Peregane about his whereabouts during this afternoon’s events. I doubt he had time to sneak down to the archives and commit the deed himself while also tending to our luncheon, but perhaps he saw or heard something that might be of use to us. If anything, I can ask him about Master Lotus’s alibi, since the herbalist mentioned stopping by the kitchen for a cup of tea.”
Jax squeezed the young woman’s arm in appreciation. “I’m glad I have you on my team, dear Ziri,” she murmured.
Ziri shrugged off the compliment, but not before Jax spotted her blush.
Jax stood and smoothed out her skirts. “I should like to join you for a game or two, Lad—Mistress Carriena.” Jax corrected her address after receiving a shooting look from Ezarath. She glided over to Carriena’s side and looped her arm through hers. “Captain Solomon, will you accompany us?”
The three of them stayed quiet as they walked to the billiard room, a place where students and professors alike could relax and enjoy in a bit of fun during the school year. Jax was mindful that Mistress Vera trailed after them, as well as Casimeer and Daghir, so she kept her muddled thoughts to herself.
They paused at the door while Carriena fumbled with her key ring to find the right key. “It seems Lord Ashcroft and the Praesidio have been locking nonessential rooms after they’ve been searched.” She grunted in annoyance as she worked the lock.
Jax stood by, watching Vera slink away into a side stairwell, her Praesidio escort keeping a respectable distance behind her. Casimeer and Daghir appeared to be in deep conversation down the hall, just far enough away for her to be unable to hear. Had they resumed their earlier conversation? Ezarath certainly hadn’t done himself any favors tonight with his brisk treatment of the deputy headmaster when he’d inquired about those letters…
“All right, what will it be? Red Seven or Witch’s Gamble?” Carriena asked rather loudly as the billiard room door clicked open. She ushered George and Jax inside. “Red Seven? Excellent choice, Duchess.” Carriena practically shouted the last words through the crack in the door before snapping it shut.
Jax rubbed at her ears with a comical grin. “Are you growing deaf as well as forgetful, Carriena? You know I hate Red Seven.” The strategy-based card game was one of her least favorites.
“How could I forget?” Carriena rolled her eyes, her voice now at normal, even somewhat hushed volume. “I’m sorry, but there won’t be any gaming tonight. Not right now, at least.”
George rubbed his hands together. “And here I was, looking to part you from your monthly allowance.”
Carriena stuck her tongue out at him. “I’ve learned a few tricks since we last played together, Captain.” She flopped into a chair by the dormant fireplace. “I wanted to ask if either of you got a glimpse at the letters Ezarath received.”
George stationed himself against the fireplace, leaning his shoulders on the mantle. “I wasn’t close enough to see.”
“Jax? You were next to him. Did you see?” Carriena’s lilac eyes contained a twinkling glimmer.
Jax chewed on her lower lip as she perched on the edge of the billiard table. “Well, I cannot be one hundred percent certain, for I only caught a glimpse, but I could have sworn one of them bore Vyanti’s seal.”
Carriena clapped with glee. “I thought so, too, but I couldn’t be sure.”
“And why are you so elated by that?” George’s eyebrows knitted together.
Carriena gave him a smug smile. “Am I really about to best the Duchess of Saphire and her Captain when it comes to solving a puzzle?”
Jax searched her scattered thoughts. What was Carriena was hinting at? What did a letter from Vyanti, her court physician, have to do with the missing documents…?
“Oh my!” Jax’s hand flew to her mouth, stifling a gasp. Why had it taken so long for it to all click? Was she losing her touch? “Ezarath must have sent word this afternoon to those who recommended his new staff.” She recalled Chef Peregane saying the headmaster had been busy writing letters earlier. He could very well have been writing to Vyanti, who had recommended Master Yokudran for an open posting. She had been planning to do the same thing herself, but had gotten sidetracked.
Carriena’s expression morphed into a pout. “Oh, Virtues, you figured it out. Well, let it be known that the idea came to me as soon as I spied Vyanti’s seal.”
“Did you see who the other letter was from?” George tapped his foot impatiently.
“No.” Carriena’s shoulders sagged. “But don’t you see what this means? Ashie must have gotten under Ezarath’s skin earlier when he asked to read through the professors’ personnel files.”
Jax felt a rush of excitement as the pieces fell into place. “It seems Ezarath didn’t feel as confident in his hiring choices as he made it appear.”
George’s brow furrowed. “I think I’d better report your suspicions to Ashcroft. He might remember who the other letter was from if he got a good look at the seal.” George moved toward the doorway. “Stay in here, will you? And lock the door.”
Carriena waved a hand. “Please, the Praesidio Ashie assigned to me for the evening is right outside. We won’t get into any trouble while you’re gone.”
George looked like he might protest as he opened the door, but the sight of Carriena’s escort standing at attention in the doorway silenced him.
Jax whistled under her breath. The Praesidio were certainly good at keeping to the shadows. She’d hardly known Carriena had been trailed on their way from the dining hall.
George nodded to the sentry before turning back to the two of them. “All right. Ziri should be along soon, so I suppose you two can be left to your own devices for a few minutes.” In spite of his words, he looked unconvinced as he shut the door behind him.
Carriena chuckled. “How is it that I’ve had to nearly break my back to get someone in the realm to commit to me, while you have the undying devotion of at least two men, right at your fingertips?”
Startled by the change in conversation, Jax felt her cheeks burn at Carriena’s implication.
“Oh, I know it’s not fair for me to tease you about things beyond your control.” Carriena’s expression turned sympathetic. “I do wish poor George would move on with his life.”
Jax felt as if she were being choked by her own throat. “Me too.” She willed herself to mean it.
Carriena’s lilac gaze examined her a moment. “Perhaps, once things are settled a bit in the realm…you could send him away?”
“What?” Jax stiffened.
C
arriena shrugged her slender shoulders. “Give him an assignment that takes him from your side for a time. Perhaps visiting all your holdings and ensuring the military garrisons are up to snuff?”
As much as Jax hated the thought of sending her best friend away, Carriena had presented an ideal, if strategic, solution. She toyed with the notion as she flopped into an armchair next to Carriena. “I can’t believe I didn’t think of that sooner. I could even send my new spymaster along with him, so she can get the lay of the land.”
It was Carriena’s turn to look slightly confused. “Ziri?”
“I sensed an attraction between them during the War Council.” Jax twiddled her thumbs as she stared at her lap. “While I value her services, Ziri’s skill with a blade was not the only reason why I asked her to join my court.”
Carriena reached out and took Jax’s hand in her own. “My dear Jax. I am worried about you. What happened to your skillful ability to read the truth in others?”
Jax scowled. “What do you mean?”
“It’s clear that a deep respect exists between the two of them, yes, but nothing more.” Carriena bit her lower lip. “I do not think your plan to play matchmaker between the two of them has proven successful. I may not have known Ziri for very long, but even I can see she is too strong-willed and self-assured to ever settle for a man who’s in love with someone else.”
Jax swallowed the stinging lump in her throat.
Carriena’s lilac gaze bore deep into her soul. “You and George…you both need to be free of each other. Please, consider sending him away, at least for a time. You both deserve to be happy, and I’m not sure that will ever be possible until you release your hold over one another.”
Jax dropped her gaze to her lap, unable to meet her friend’s knowing stare. Carriena was right, of course. If anything, Jax owed it to George to allow him a chance of happiness. Yet, she didn’t see how her own future could possibly be a happy one without him by her side.
“Now, before our chaperones descend on us once more…” A mischievous twinkle returned to Carriena’s eyes as she deftly changed the subject. “What happens when Ashie doesn’t recall or recognize the seal on Ezarath’s second letter?”
“How are you so certain he won’t recognize it?” Jax narrowed her gaze, glad to return to the more pressing issue at hand.
“Because I didn’t.”
Jax’s mouth dropped open. “You told George you didn’t catch a look at the second letter.”
Carriena waved her hand, batting away Jax’s indignation. “I didn’t recognize the seal on the second letter, so I figured while the good captain is following his own diligent trail, we could take a more direct path to answer the mystery surrounding these letters.”
Jax had an uneasy feeling she knew where Carriena was going. “What do you have in mind, dearest?”
“Well…” Carriena gave her an innocent shrug. “A simple nighttime stroll to the headmaster’s office would help clarify their contents.”
Jax rolled her eyes. “I might have known you’d suggest something of the sort. It wouldn’t be the first time we’ve invaded Ezarath’s privacy.” Many a time during their studies at the Academy, Carriena and Jax had sneaked into the headmaster’s private rooms and sampled the contents of his locked liquor cabinet. Jax’s knack for lockpicking had been honed because of such adventures.
Carriena’s eyes shimmered. “What do you say, for old time’s sake? Once everyone has gone off to bed, we can use the secret stairwell at the end of your dormitory hall.”
“What about you? You’re bunking on the professors’ floor. How will you get to my wing unseen?” Jax asked.
Carriena tapped her chin in thought. “Why don’t I stay with you tonight, to keep you company? I’m sure no one will bat an eye at two old friends catching up. Especially since your visit has devolved into something significantly less enjoyable.”
“Oh, I don’t know.” Jax grinned. “You know me. I love a good mystery.”
Carriena scoffed. “Well, yes, but when the fate of the world hangs in the balance?”
Jax smirked. When does it not?
Chapter Thirteen
A staccato rap on the door interrupted their conversation, announcing the arrival of Ziri.
The lithe warrior sauntered across the room and perched on the edge of the billiard table, the same spot Jax had vacated a short time ago.
“Did you learn anything useful?” Jax straightened eagerly in her chair.
A look of triumph danced on Ziri’s face. “Chef Peregane ended up being a fountain of information.”
Carriena snorted. “Well, out with it. What did you learn?”
“According to the chef, tensions between Deputy Daghir and Headmaster Ezarath have been high for quite some time, even before Ezarath made the decision to close the Academy in the fall.”
Jax looked to Carriena for confirmation. “Was their rift noticeable to the teachers?”
Carriena frowned. “I suppose we were all a bit on edge around each other, given the discord and riots that broke out among the students and staff.”
Ziri resumed speaking. “Are either of you familiar with the term ‘Freedom Seekers’?”
Jax nodded, remembering the news Carriena had shared when they’d been reunited at Galensmore last autumn. Academy scholars who supported Jax’s vision for a more just world had banded together, calling themselves Freedom Seekers. With their democratic ideals, they quickly found themselves at odds with the hierarchical traditionalists living at the Academy. Ezarath had made the decision to close the institution when violence eventually usurped academic discourse, putting students and teachers at risk.
Ziri lowered her voice as if sharing a guarded secret. “Chef Peregane suggested that Deputy Daghir organized the traditionalists to antagonize the Freedom Seekers, provoking the violent squabbles. The headmaster didn’t have proof of Daghir’s meddling, and hoped that by closing down the Academy, Daghir would flee home to Duchess Kwatalar’s court and serve at her side during the turmoil to come.”
“Ezarath did not wish for Daghir to return upon reopening the school,” Ziri explained. “Once the War Council was only a week away, the headmaster decided to send word he was reopening the institution, as Ezarath figured Deputy Daghir would be too busy advising and preparing his Duchess for the summit. He never expected the man to return. Yet, Daghir sauntered through the gates, with Casimeer in tow, not three days after professors were summoned back to the Academy,” Ziri finished, adding, “Much to Ezarath’s dismay.”
Jax considered this information with great care. “If it wasn’t clear to us before, it’s certainly clear now that Deputy Daghir is not an ally of Saphire’s ideals. Do we know why he and Casimeer returned to the Academy? Why did they not stay at Kwatalarian court?”
Ziri folded her sinewy arms. “Daghir gave no finite reason, other than his Duchess claimed he would be of more use to Kwatalar here at the Academy.”
“If she told him this before the events of the War Council, then Duchess Amyra would have already pledged her allegiance to the Coalition of Right,” Jax mused. “She must have thought having a Coalition spy at the Academy would benefit them.”
“She wasn’t wrong,” Ziri pointed out, “given the contents of the Troissaint Collection.”
“But Daghir cannot possibly be Master Gautherd’s attacker,” Carriena said. “He and Casimeer were together during the time of the assault, and I can confirm they both arrived at the lounge on time for the staff meeting.”
Jax shook her head. “Master Gautherd said he remembered looking at the clock and the time being twelve-fifteen. Daghir and Casimeer were enjoying tea outside when a rain shower interrupted them, and they returned to their rooms to change. Daghir said he changed quickly and nipped down to the library to grab a book before reuniting with Casimeer.”
Carriena’s eyes widened when she realized what Jax was implying. “There’s a hidden stairwell off the library that leads down to the corridor outside
the archives.”
Jax nodded. “Built to allow the Academy librarian easy access to archive materials, should the need arise.”
“I am not familiar with these passages,” Ziri said. “Is it feasible that Deputy Daghir parted ways with his husband, entered the library, traveled down to the archives, attacked the archivist, then returned to meet up with Casimeer in time to attend the staff meeting together?”
Jax and Carriena glanced at each other.
“It’s not impossible,” Carriena admitted, although she didn’t sound entirely convinced by her own words.
Jax’s spirits deflated. Daghir, as a Coalition supporter, had the motive to abscond with the providence documents and hand them over to Savant. Yet, his alibi left little room for opportunity…unless he and his husband were both lying.
Ziri continued with her report. “Chef Peregane also confirmed that Master Lotus paid him a visit for a cup of tea just before the staff meeting. Peregane remembered it well because the herbalist was covered in dirt and soiled the floors of his kitchen, just after he’d finished cleaning up the mess he made while preparing our luncheon.”
“Did Peregane remember what time this was?” Jax asked. “According to Lotus’s own account, Vera left the conservatory around twelve, meaning both were alone and unaccounted for until Lotus made his appearance in the kitchen.”
Ziri shook her head. “Not the exact time, no. I don’t know if this helps, Duquessa, but Peregane hadn’t yet taken the refreshments for the staff meeting up to the lounge when Master Lotus stopped by.”
Carriena brightened. “It does help, actually. Hot tea and cookies had already been laid out when I arrived just before one.”
“Interesting.” Jax tapped her chin in thought. “Then we can assume Chef Peregane left the kitchen sometime after twelve forty-five to deliver the staff a hot pot of tea by that time.”
“It also begs the question of what Lotus was up to that made him late for the staff meeting?” Ziri pointed out.
“He must have been changing.” Carriena’s nose wrinkled. “I don’t recall him being covered in dirt when he showed up to the meeting.”
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