by L Ward
“Sorry, Mum.”
“Like what?” Ian asked with all the eagerness of a fourteen-year-old boy.
“I don’t think Mum’ll let me tell you.”
“Come on!”
He glanced at her; she was smiling but eyeing him closely. They were a pretty open family and he knew she’d be okay with most topics. “They think because I married Nath they’ve got a right to ask me whatever they like. Sex questions are one of their favourites. I’ve lost count the number of times someone’s asked if I’m cut; I said no, and asking fifteen thousand times more won’t change that!”
Ian doubled up laughing and yanking disgusted faces.
“Ev!”
“Sorry, Mum.”
“They wanna know everything about me, my family, Nath, lycanthropy, life at the palace and just about everything else. The public and the media beg for answers,” he continued quickly. “It’s heckling.”
“Journalists have started recognising us and asking for interviews or comments,” his Dad chimed in.
“Please don’t give them any information.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it, Ev. Your own dad won’t sell you down the river,” he laughed. “We were briefed about journalists a while back and told to remain tight-lipped, especially about Nathaniel.”
“It’s not a disrespect thing, you know, it’s just ‘cause people run riot with the slightest thing and Nath’s got enough speculation about him already,” said Evan. “I’ve never seen a public figure get so much grief.”
“As much as we all care about Nath, I’m more worried about how you deal with it,” Alexander said again, brows knitted together across his forehead. Evan noticed the lines had deepened as of late and he couldn’t help but worry he was to blame. “You’ve never been the sort who liked much attention, you didn’t even like going out.”
Evan shrugged. “I don’t but it’s part of my duty and as long as I don’t accidentally start a conspiracy theory it’s fine. Broadcasting is the worst, though, but at the moment it’s not a big concern.”
“I’m proud of you,” his father wrapped him in a bear hug and kissed his temple. He pulled back and held Evan at arm’s length examining him, his face, his clothes. “So much has changed but you still look like the boy who worked in our shop.”
“I don’t think the royal tailors would like hearing that,” said Evan smiled.
“Not your clothes, Ev, you. You’re still the same and I’m proud of that. This much power and wealth usually affects people.”
Evan laughed. “I didn’t marry Nath for his money.”
“Yeah, we figured that when you told a journalist you married him for—”
“Kalani!” Evan hissed, smiling at the sister who’d just appeared in the doorway laughing.
“You’re the one who said it!”
“I said it when I lost my temper and now I’m being called on every time I have an interview!” said Evan. He loved the banter with his family, the normality of it all and for a while there he forgot the impending mission, the background horrors and the looming threat of some little rat trying to undermine the entire operation.
∞∞∞
One day to go.
Tomorrow.
Evan’s insides were a bucket of jam as he huddled in his office watching the rain sheet against the window. The gardens were blanketed in a dense silver haze and the sky was a squashed black cherry. Everything smelled of springtime and misery. Mentally he felt drained, he needed a break from the hours spent poring over documents and helping the Privy Council sign off on public orders and requests. Half of the things put through he had no idea about, there’d been an imposed ban on the tethering of riding beasts in town centers after a drunken lunatic snatched a miniature griffin and unfortunately impaled it on one of the Tower of London’s spires. It’d been a bloody and awful clean up and not the first this year. Evan hadn’t, however, signed the ban. He’d judged it to be an act of foolery on not only the drunkard’s part, but the owner who could have prevented it if he’d only secured his alleged beloved companion. Needless to say, there were now security guards inspecting tethered beasts like parking tickets.
A summons took Evan by surprise and swept him along the glittering black corridors that reminded him of deep space on a winter’s night and dreams winking behind barely closed lids.
“I’ve spoken to Will about our plans for tomorrow night,” said Nath the moment the door was shut and the barrier raised.
Evan moved over to his desk and perched on the edge.
The windows were bright and grey, misted and blurred with rain; the fire crackled merrily and smelled of sweet burning forest. Nath studied him judging his reactions and smiled with more warm than the hearth. “You look surprised.”
“I’m not surprised about Will,” he chuckled. “It’s the summons. You caught me skiving off. I couldn’t face another pile of stuff for review without a break.”
Now it was Nath’s turn to laugh. “I’ve heard you’ve worked through tea breaks more often than not.”
“I’ve had to or the work would never end.”
“I know the feeling but you’re more than entitled to take a break without guilt. Take a walk, have a smoke and go back to work calm and level-headed. Those are words my father said to me,” said Nath.
Evan moved around the desk and ran his fingers through Nath’s hair. “Even the part with the smoke?”
“I might’ve added that one in for you. He actually told me to drink something with a bite and take a nap.”
“Or I’ve got a better idea,” he smacked his lips and Nath sat back looking smug.
“What might that be?”
Evan dropped down in front of him and grinned. Nath understood immediately what was happening and his eyes lit up.
And that’s how Evan ended up on his knees beneath Nath’s desk having a slight panic attack while several members of the Privy Council brought updates from the messengers about the situation in London.
“Your forces are gaining control of the London parliament but they’re in need of backup,” Sir Alvarez said quickly.
The news was positive so Evan went back to business at hand and held back a laugh when Nath’s legs jolted beneath the table and he cleared his throat on top.
“We’ll spare some soldiers,” said Nath. “Contact the new defence secretary and ask him for a possible immediate dispatch.”
“Will this delay the mission?” Gerard asked quickly.
“No,” said Nath. He tried to nudge Evan again but he only worsened the predicament. “Is that everything?”
There was a pause.
Evan could tell Gerard wasn’t pleased.
“No, Your Majesty,” he said.
“Undermouth is considering your proposed wait,” said Officer Jacobs. “I’ll have word to the armoury immediately.” He bowed from the room leaving Gerard, Sir Everett Florges and Sir Alvarez presumably staring at the King.
Evan could feel how much Nath was enjoying himself. Now his only worry was ensuring silence.
“If that’s everything—”
“Of course, Your Majesty,” said Gerard. “Forgive us for the interruption.”
When the door clicked shut, Nath slid back his chair and stared at Evan in red-face shock. “Do you know how close you came to getting caught?”
“No?”
“They kept looking at the table; Sir Alvarez was peering over the sofa. You’re lucky they didn’t ask me to go somewhere with them,” his dimples winked and Evan burst into fits of laughter.
“The only face I wanted to see was yours.”
Nath, still grinning, ran his fingers through the back of Evan’s hair. “You’ll get to see it now when you finish off what you started.”
∞∞∞
Later that evening Evan strolled the King’s courtyard beneath the slip of a moon and millions of stars flashing behind dust-coloured clouds. The weather was fairing, at least by British standards, but the nights were still cold as January.
He carried a small fire in a jar which toasted his hands like a perfectly warm mug. Rest was evasive and Nath was still on duty wrapping up the last of the reports. Amazing didn’t cover it. His words had single-handedly held off rebel attacks, drained the warlocks of their access to resources, and held his throne with a moonlit fist. Regardless of what the fools thought, the warlocks knew better than to attack the palace for they’d be met with forces of unimaginable power despite their relatively small numbers. The public, in his opinion, had much to be thankful for. They were able to go about their daily lives for the most part. Granted, the London Council was under warlock control but not for much longer, and Edinburgh was lost, at least for now.
He sighed and rounded the corner. Up ahead a dark figure loomed twisting the torchlight and gazing up at the moon with peach-tinted cheeks. Will. Evan stopped and didn’t move watching him lean against a stone pillar, hair dancing on the breeze and smiling peacefully. This was weird and the intense feeling that he shouldn’t be here snatched at his ankles and made him turn, but before he did footsteps across the courtyard stole his attention.
Gerard and Sir Florges were laughing, heads together over some courtly misfortune that Evan, quite frankly, didn’t give a shit about.
Will ducked so fast he became a blur. Crouching beneath the stone walls, Will pressed into the shadows and cocked his head listening.
But Gerard and Sir Florges weren’t paying any attention until Evan moved and his flame caught their eye.
“Your Majesty,” Gerard and Sir Florges inclined their bows. “I hope you’re well this evening.”
Will turned and glared at Evan so viciously he was struck still a moment.
“I- well, thanks. Lovely night for a walk, eh?” He nodded at the sky.
Will continued to stare at him, lips pursed, eyes glinting like cut onyx.
Gerard shot him an odd look; he knew it was because the man still saw him as a weird commoner that he shouldn’t have to bow to. “That it is, Your Grace.” He stared at Evan a moment longer and both men bowed and disappeared.
Evan watched as Will waited a good thirty seconds before rising, staring at him. “Skiving or just pissed your dad off?”
Will’s eyes flashed and for a second Evan thought he was going to start another fight, but he didn’t. “Neither.”
They stared at each other. Will’s gaze dropped to the flame in the jar and instinctively Evan coated his hands in magic witnessing the golden light beneath his skin. “You still think I’m gonna hurt you.”
“I’m not interested in fighting you, Will, and you’re not gonna win anyway,” he said calmly.
Will’s iris’s turned a dazzling autumn bloodbath and he straightened up looking as though he was trying hard to control his temper. “I’m neither stupid nor pissed off with Your Grace.”
“As long as whatever’s going on doesn’t affect Nath then it’s none of my business.”
Will stared and his expression flickered. “I have plenty of things in my life that don’t involve Nath.”
The wind whistled high in the towers and the torches bobbed casting great streaks of orange up the wall. Both boys stood staring at one another, shielding their secrets and sussing each other out.
“I’m going to bed unless there’s anything Your Grace wants me to do,” Will said calmly.
“Goodnight, Will.”
“Night, Your Grace.”
He watched Will turn and walk away stiffly down the stone corridor, torches burning like they had for hundreds of years. Something was niggling at the back of his mind about this but he couldn’t put his finger on it. A few nights ago Nath brought Will’s weirdness up and he likely knew him better than anyone, but what was he hiding?
∞∞∞
Quite some time later he lay in their enormous bed restless, tired and anxious. Nath returned close to midnight still in his work clothes looking exhausted. He washed and collapsed into the bed, jumping when he realised Evan was there.
Evan laughed. “You’re back late.”
“Meetings ran late, I had to meet the new ministers of defence. Two have been hired and one arrived from a trip to Nepal with news.”
Evan held his breath and the room felt as though it was being sucked in.
“They’ve captured a large number of enemy warlocks, dark creatures and spies along their borders but unfortunately they lost a great many of their military in the fight, forces have grown but allies in India fought back and subdued the threat for now,” Nath said in a bittersweet tone.
“What does this mean for us?”
“It means the pressure is coming off. The rebels are hungry for power but they’re lacking resources. My dalliance is causing friction, but it’s good friction, it’s keeping them at bay. Other sources claim there have been retreats and several villages and towns have driven rebel forces out.”
“Our nation fights back,” Evan grinned, excitement rising like the dawning sun.
“Yes and Mum is conversing with the Nepalese government. We’re trying to ensure Ambassador Raj’s safe release into our custody until the threat has passed and he may return to Nepal,” the worry in Nath’s eyes was evident and it made Evan’s heart stop.
“But?”
“I can’t shake the feeling that it’s a losing battle. The ambassador himself is a warlock but he works on the side of righteousness. Our world is vast, Evan, much larger than the Otherworld, and without our chaos and monsters and they’re about to be eradicated like vermin to make room for all of Artemis’s mistakes.”
“Hopefully tomorrow we’ll stop them producing more monsters,” said Evan. The weight of his words sank his stomach.
“The labs will be dangerous, but if Mr Daniel’s intelligence is correct it isn’t heavily guarded due to its secrecy and obvious prominent dangers,” said Nath. “With so few of us we should be undetectable, there are humans enslaved working in the pits and I’m a werewolf. I leave a different trace.”
“You’re saying if we took a troop we’d probably be dead before we got in.”
“Exactly. They won’t notice a couple of humans, but a team would be a disaster,” he sighed and buried his face in Evan’s neck. “I’m so tired.”
Evan went to say something but Nath was already asleep.
Chapter 28
Will
The day seemed normal as any other and nobody suspected a thing. They were leaving tonight on the secret mission with potential for death and here he was mentally and physically preparing himself. The hardest aspect of this whole thing was disappearing on Dante for a few days, maybe longer.
After lunch he went back to his rooms to freshen up for his Spanish lesson. Someone rapped loudly on his door but before he could go to see who it was his father barged in past the guards with a wicked glare and flames kissing his knuckles.
“Very sorry for the interruption, Sir,” the younger of the two, Jalen, said breathlessly to Will. He appeared flustered as though he’d been arguing with Gerard outside.
Gerard glared. “I don’t see why I’m not allowed to come and talk to me own son without being restricted!”
“My apologies, Sir, it’s a matter of privacy and protocol-”
“No more excuses, away with you!” He waved a hand glittering with gold and the guard bowed and disappeared shooting Will a look of apology. “The Privy Council are meeting later this afternoon to discuss the situation at hand: Artemis. The warlocks are on the move; more are pouring in with conventional travel and a band have been spotted rioting their way to the south coast burning houses, slaughtering livestock and creating magical storms.”
Will’s eyes widened, was it bad that he felt more uncomfortable around his father than in the face of rebellion? He sighed. “What’s Nath doing?”
“He’s dispatched the soldiers to fight in London and a few trackers to follow the warlock movements for now. They’re the threat level of an amped up pub crawl and nobody’s been harmed yet.”
“There’s not much more he can
do, I suppose,” said Will.
“Old Felwell is kicking up a fuss about putting out a summons to all able-bodied young adults come into military service for immediate training,” Gerard continued, eyes flashing dangerously. “Nathaniel wouldn’t allow it, said it was cruelty and treating humans like disposable weapons- bah! What would he know truly about being human?”
Will’s blood ran cold. He stared at his father unable to comprehend the treason.
But Gerard laughed. “You need to lighten up, kid. Half the council are pandering to Nathaniel hoping for favours. He’s gaining support now and could purge them if he felt like it,” a glimmer of concern flickered in his pupils and his dark brows slashed a frown. “As it is we’re in limbo until the mission, hopefully it’ll change things. Change is essential.”
If only you knew, he thought miserably.
Gerard’s eyes wandered to the stack of language books by the fire, then he looked his son up and down. “Don’t know what’s come over you wanting to learn Spanish all of a sudden.”
Will hesitated. “I’ve asked to learn before.”
“It’s not necessary when you live here, who you gonna talk to out there? I’m not sending you to the Spanish Court.”
“I don’t want to go to the Spanish Court. I’m learning for fun, Dad.”
“I suppose it’ll do you some good. Who’s your teacher?”
“Sir Alvarez’s son.”
Gerard’s eyes grew distant as he placed face to name. “You might learn something from him, he’s better mannered than you are. You can write to your grandparents in Spanish and see what they make of it.”
“They don’t see us enough so they’ll probably be happy to hear from someone other than Mum.”
“They’re not a couple of oldies living in a cottage, they’ve got estates with tenants to run and businesses to tend to,” said Gerard, searching his son’s face. “I wanna hear back from them that you’re actually learning something with all this time you spend with Dante Alvarez.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“And you just remember to keep your bedtime perversions to yourself. I don’t want his father coming to me complaining you’ve had your hands on him or something,” Gerard’s voice was venomous and chills ran down Will’s back.