“It’s never easy to find out that your parents don’t have all the answers,” Father said, quietly. “You’ll understand, when you’re a father yourself.”
I admired the ring for a long moment, then looked at him. “What about Isabella?”
“I don’t know.” Father sighed. “She is old enough to be declared an adult, now. I had always intended to declare her an adult after she finished school. Now ... I don’t know. I don’t think she can have a Season, not now. And even if she did, who would want to dance with her? Or marry her? It wouldn’t be easy to find someone suitable.”
“Yes, Father.” I found it hard to imagine anyone from High Society wanting to marry my sister, after what she’d done. Perhaps Isabella would be better off staying well away from Shallot. She’d be shunned if she came home, even if she was officially forgiven. “But it just doesn’t seem fair.”
“Like I told you,” Father said patiently, “the world is not fair.”
He shrugged. “There’s a lot I have to tell you, secrets passed down from fathers to sons ... we’ll have that discussion later, when you come home for the holidays. And then ... we’ll plan your wedding.”
“Not yet, Father.” I met his eyes. “Let me graduate first.”
“Of course,” Father said. “But your mother would love a summer wedding.”
“Cat might not,” I pointed out. It would be too early. “She might want a Season.”
“Strange.” Father shrugged. “Who can she dance with, but you?”
“She might want it,” I said. “And it isn’t as if she could marry everyone she danced with.”
“No,” Father agreed. “But how many girls are actually betrothed before they reach adulthood?”
He stood. “We’ll discuss it later,” he said. “There are a lot of things we have to discuss. Until then ... you’d better get back to school.”
I glanced at the clock. It was nearly nine. Where had the time gone?
“Yes, Father.” I stood too. “And thank you.”
“Thank you,” Father said. He cocked his head, communing with the wards. “I’ll have the carriage brought ‘round for you.”
He held out his hand. I shook it, awkwardly, then turned and made my way out of the office and down the stairs. The housekeeper gave me a worried look as I passed, but said nothing. I knew she’d be reporting to Mother ... I shrugged, inwardly, as I hurried down the steps and clambered into the carriage. My bones ached as I sat down, the carriage rattling to life a moment later. It had been a very long day.
I lay back and closed my eyes, trying to focus my mind. I needed a shower - no, I needed a bath. And then ... I wondered, absently, how many classes I was going to miss. The Castellan had made it clear that the Challenge could go on for days. I’d missed one day, at least, and I’d probably miss another day tomorrow ... I dismissed the thought, resisting the urge to let the carriage’s gentle motions rock me to sleep. I had to get back to my room and shower before I even thought about going to bed. If I tried to sleep in my clothes ...
The carriage rattled to a halt. I glanced up as the coachman opened the door, half-convinced I’d been dozing. I honestly wasn’t sure if I’d fallen asleep or not. I put the thought to one side and stumbled out, almost falling to the ground as I picked my way down the steps. The school entrance looked warm and welcoming. I drew on my magic, just enough to keep me awake as I made my way into the entrance hall.
The scent of rotten eggs greeted me. I stared. Penny was trapped within the stocks, her uniform stained with food, drink and a handful of potions. A nasty mark on her face suggested that some of her tormenters had been hurling something a little harder than rotting eggs.
She glared at me. “Come to gloat?”
I felt a stab of pity, despite everything. Penny’s life was about to be turned upside down ... again. She might never see her father again. Her mother ... I wondered, grimly, what Aunt Petal really thought of her daughter. Uncle Malachi had claimed that Aunt Petal had practically disowned the girl. Given how little time she spent in the mansion, I was inclined to believe it.
“No,” I said. Penny deserved punishment, but this ... this was public humiliation. It was too much. I eyed the piles of rotting food in disgust, wondering just how many enemies Penny had actually made. The stocks were charmed, I’d been told. Anyone unlucky enough to be put in them wouldn’t be able to see who was throwing things at them. And that was just encouraging people to bully the bully. “I ...”
I muttered a handful of charms, drawing on the last of my magic to clear up the mess. It wasn’t much, but it would have to do. Besides, it was nearly ten. Penny would be sent to bed soon enough, with the rest of the fourth years. She was going to hate it. She’d never be a real upperclassman, not again. Her former friends and dormmates wouldn’t hesitate to rub the point in as often as they could.
Penny gave me an odd look. “What are you doing?”
“Francis is dead,” I said, as I sat next to her. “He died out there, on the field.”
“No.” Penny sounded shocked. “He can’t be dead.”
“I saw him die,” I told her. It was hard, so hard, to keep the horror out of my voice. “They’ll be burying him, soon enough.”
Penny started to cry, great heaving sobs that shook me to the core. I’d never realised she was that close to Francis ... they’d been friends, I’d thought, but there had been two years between them. They certainly couldn’t have associated at school. People would have talked. But ... she was crying. I patted her head, awkwardly, and stood, muttering a charm to get rid of the smell. Penny deserved punishment, but putting her in the stocks was wrong. I’d have to do something about that, when I became Patriarch. There would be time for a little political wrangling then ...
Perhaps, I told myself. And perhaps, when I reach that age, I will have other concerns.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” I promised. I wasn’t sure why I said that, but I did. Penny had had a shock. Perhaps I could reach out to her now, to help her to get better. It wouldn’t be easy, but ... I didn’t want Uncle Malachi to claim another wasted life. “And Penny ...”
Penny looked up. “What?”
“You’re one of the family,” I said, gently. “Don’t forget it.”
She gave me an odd look. She didn’t understand. I couldn’t tell her, not then. Father would have to tell her something, when the time came. And then ... who knew what would happen?
“Don’t forget it,” I repeated. I met and held her eyes, trying to make her understand that I was sincere. “Goodnight.”
I nodded to her, then headed off to my room.
Chapter Forty
The awards ceremony was a subdued affair.
Alana and I sat on stage as the Castellan gave a long speech, then stood long enough to be jointly crowned Wizard Regnant. It felt meaningless to me, even though the entire school cheered as we held the talisman in the air. I understood, at that moment, why Francis had been so enamoured of the sporting life. It felt good to be cheered, to hear the school celebrate and know that it was celebrating you, but ... Francis was dead. He’d ruined his own life - before losing it - just because he’d wanted to win. Sooner or later, I knew, the cheers would have stopped. And what would he have done then, in a desperate bid to win the adulation of the crowds?
The Castellan said nothing about that as he spoke a few short words for Francis, neatly glossing over everything he’d done and giving the very distinct impression - without ever quite saying it - that Francis’s death had been a tragic accident. It had been an accident, of course, but ... the Castellan never mentioned his treachery. Or Uncle Malachi. I had no idea what was happening, back home. Father had told me, the one time I’d asked after returning to school, to stay there and wait. It was better that I wasn’t directly involved.
So I can’t be blamed, if things go wrong, I thought. He’s only looking out for me.
I sighed, inwardly, as the ceremony finally came to an end. I stood and headed back t
o my room, ignoring Alana’s hint that I should join the post-ceremony party. I didn’t feel like partying, not after everything that had happened. Besides, I had letters to write. Isabella had replied to my earlier message, telling me not to worry about the destroyed spellbreaker. That had puzzled me. Reading between the lines, I had the oddest sense that she was relieved the spellbreaker had been destroyed. She’d been quite insistent that I didn’t ask Cat for a replacement.
The school felt empty as I walked up the stairs, although I knew it was an illusion. Classes had been cancelled, just for the day. The lowerclassmen would be running wild, while the upperclassmen celebrated the victory. I wondered, absently, what the teachers were doing ... apart from putting a cover story firmly in place. The Castellan had definitely covered everything up, as neatly as possible. In a year, very few people at the school would know the truth.
And no one wants to admit it, I thought, as I stepped into my office and closed the door behind me. The whole story will be buried in the archives.
I sat at my desk and looked down at the letter, without ever quite seeing the words. My mind was elsewhere. Francis had betrayed me, but he’d been manipulated ... Uncle Malachi must have found it easy, after practicing on Francis’s father and uncle. And ... I wished, bitterly, that I’d never heard of the Challenge, let alone accepted it. The family ring felt heavy, as if my hand were weighed down with responsibility. It was a responsibility, I understood now. I didn’t really want it. I wasn’t sure why Uncle Malachi had.
There was a knock on the door. I looked up, surprised. Who would come to see me now, of all times? “Come!”
The door opened. Louise stepped into the room.
I stood. “How are you feeling?”
“I’ve been better.” Louise’s hand was shaking as she pushed the door closed. “The healers said it would take some time before I recovered.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” I said, as I pointed her towards the sofa. “I didn’t realise that he’d ...”
“No, you didn’t.” Louise’s voice was hard. She clasped her hands together, seemingly reluctant to take the seat I offered her. “But you knew he wasn’t a good person, didn’t you?”
I swallowed, hard. “I knew he wasn’t perfect ...”
Louise snorted. “It’s been a week,” she said. “A week, and I still have nightmares about what he made me do. About what he could have made me do. He ... he enslaved me.”
“I understand.” I hadn’t been allowed to see the medical reports, but I had a fair idea of what charms Francis had used to control the girls. The longer they remained in place, the harder it was to shake off the after-effects. “And I ...”
“No, you don’t.” Louise met my eyes. “You kicked him off the team. You should have kept him off the team, even though you thought you needed him. He was an arrogant bully with wandering hands and ... and you left him alone, because he was family. Because he was an aristocrat. And it never crossed your mind that he might betray you.”
“I wish it had.” I was too tired to take offense at her words. Besides, she was right. If Francis hadn’t been my cousin, I wouldn’t have taken him back. “I’m sorry.”
“Yeah. I know.” Louise didn’t look away. “You know what they say about lying down with dogs? You get fleas. And you lay down with a dog ... you let him walk all over you, because he was your cousin and you thought you needed him. You ignored the warning signs ...”
“I know.” I felt a hot flash of anger. “Is there anything you can say to me that I haven’t already said to myself?”
Louise rested her hands on her hips. “Just this,” she said. “Your system is corrupt and evil and ultimately destructive to everyone, including you. You” - she bit off a word she might have gotten in real trouble for saying - “aristocrats are either monsters, like your cousin, or enablers. Like you. You let him get away with far too much, because he was your cousin and an aristocrat and ...”
She glared. “You made me a promise. Are you going to keep it?”
It was on the tip of my tongue to say no. But I couldn’t. I didn’t want to break my word, not even to her. I didn’t want to be known as an oathbreaker. It was one step towards becoming a warlock.
“Yes.” I looked back at her, as evenly as I could. “I’ll teach you how to blend into High Society.”
“Good,” Louise said. “Because I’m going to use that knowledge to tear it down.”
I resisted the urge to laugh, barely. “You won’t find that easy.”
“No.” Louise didn’t sound like she was joking. “But it has to be done.”
She relaxed, slightly. “What are you going to do about Saline? And her uncle?”
“I promised her my help,” I said. “And I will ... if she wants it. She may want to deal with him herself.”
“Another evil monster,” Louise said. “How many are there?”
More than you know, I thought. I wasn’t going to discuss Uncle Malachi with her. Every family has its own monster.
She looked down at the floor, her expression sobering. “I’m sorry for slapping you,” she said. “I mean ... I’m not sorry. You deserved it. But ... Saline pointed out that I shouldn’t have done it.”
“Yeah.” I shrugged, expressively. I probably had deserved it, although not for the reasons she thought. “Right now, it’s a very minor matter.”
“Hah.” Louise let out an odd little giggle. “I will reform the system, Akin. Or bring it crashing down.”
She turned and walked away before I could say a word. I watched her opening the door, my thoughts churning. She couldn’t do any real damage, could she? I doubted it. Shallot had survived for nearly a thousand years. A few more decades and the city would have lasted longer than the Thousand-Year Empire itself. Louise couldn’t do any real harm. Who knew? Perhaps she might even push us into making a few needed reforms.
Kate was standing outside the door, looking nervous. She flushed as soon as she saw me, seemingly torn between entering my office and running for her life. I was surprised she’d even come to my office, knowing that any passing upperclassman could give her lines for walking through upperclassmen territory. And she knew, better than most, just how many upperclassmen could abuse their power.
“Come in,” I called. “Please.”
“Thank you,” Kate mumbled. “I just wanted to ...”
“Come on in and close the door,” I said. “Please.”
Kate entered, her face reddening. “Sir,” she said, as she closed the door. “I just wanted to say thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” I said, dryly. “It was my duty.”
“I ...” Kate swallowed hard, then started again. “I wanted to ask, though. Why did you help her? I mean ...”
I kept my face impassive, somehow. Someone must have seen me help Penny. Someone ... or maybe she’d told her escorts, when they arrived to take her to her new dorm. Penny shouldn’t have been able to work magic, not while she’d been in the stocks. She would have had to tell them something. Besides, it wasn’t as if anyone else would have helped her. Any friends she had would have deserted her, as soon as they realised she’d fallen from grace. Isabella’s friends had done the same. None of them had stood by her.
“Penny deserves punishment.” I wasn’t sure why I was answering the question. I could have told her not to be cheeky and sent her away with a flea in her ear - and lines to write - but instead, I was trying to answer. “But there are limits. Letting everyone throw rotten food at her is ... it’s wrong. It just turns people into bullies.”
I wondered, suddenly, if Kate had been throwing rotting eggs herself. She certainly had better cause than most. But ... I didn’t want to know. Who knew what she might say, if I asked?
“What’s going to happen to her now?” Kate leaned forward. “I mean ... will she be reinstated?”
“No.” I was sure of that, if nothing else. “You won’t have to put up with her again. No one will. And no one can blame you for snitching.”
I nodded in understanding. “Kate ...”
“Yes, sir?”
“Penny wasn’t very good to you,” I said. It was the understatement of the century. “And I feel a certain obligation, because she is a member of my family, to make it up to you. If you need a favour, at some point in your life, you can ask. I’ll do what I can.”
Kate reddened. “What can you give me?”
“Patronage, perhaps.” I frowned. Kate was a little young for a formal offer of patronage, but ... at least she’d know the offer was on the table. “If you want an apprenticeship in later life, you can ask and I’ll see what I can arrange. Or ... there are plenty of possibilities. I suggest you wait and think, carefully, about what you want. It is a very rare coin indeed.”
(The Zero Enigma Book 6) The Family Pride Page 40