A Kiss of Flame & Fury, page 19
Thin-lipped, she swept her gaze around the courtyard. “Carry on.”
Her attention returned to me. “Apprentice Jacinthe, tell Mage-Healer Armand I expect a full report on today’s casualties.” She looked around again, visibly annoyed. “Where’s the Master-at-Arms? I need a report from him, too.”
“Master Guisbald is in the infirmary. He was badly injured in the attack,” I explained. “I will convey your request to him, Lady Margitts.”
“You do that, Apprentice,” she snapped, and turned on her heel to leave.
∞∞∞
The infirmary ward overflowed with the severely wounded.
My heart clenched at the groans and cries, and I knew that Mage Armand would probably ask me to power the many healing spells needed over the next few hours and days.
Antoni Guisbald lay propped up on pillows, his face drawn but alert.
To my surprise, Mage-Instructor Bevitrice sat next to his bed, holding his hand. Her usually neat bun was falling loose, tendrils of silver hair framing her worried face.
Surprise made me blink. Bevitrice and Guisbald are lovers?
“How are you feeling, Master Guisbald?” I asked.
“Fine,” he said. “Thanks to Avelina here…” He cast Bevitrice a fond glance. “And those friends of yours. The Dragon and the merman.”
“Yes, Antoni will make a clean recovery,” Bevitrice said briskly. “I’ve already completed the bone-setting spell.” She patted his hand. “Now, I’m waiting to speak with Niccolò and to offer him my help in this time of crisis.”
Guisbald looked around the busy ward. No one was paying us any attention.
He said in a low voice, “Apprentice Jacinthe, I need to tell you something. Lord Roderigo and Lady Erzabetta have it in for you and your friends. They’re the ones who spread the rumors that you, the Dragon, and the merman are the ones killing students.”
As I absorbed this revelation, my heart clenched with a mixture of anger and disbelief. I’d long suspected the rumors blaming me for the murders had been no accident. But to hear it confirmed…
“But what about those false Dragons just now?” I asked with hushed indignation. “That’s powerful and very advanced spell-work. And it isn’t the first time someone’s conjured up murderous constructs on the island.”
I told them about the monkey-demons, and how something had torn apart poor Lord Bernardo of Espola.
“I’m aware you and Lord Ilhan have been asking questions about the many attacks and killings here,” Bevitrice responded, her voice as soft as Guisbald’s. “I’ve also been investigating them since they began last winter. None of my mage colleagues can channel enough Earth magic to create two Dragon-sized constructs.”
She paused for a moment, allowing us to digest the information. “In fact, there’s only one mage on the island powerful enough to perform that kind of magic,” she continued.
“Lady Erzabetta de Norhas?” I whispered. “Or is it Lord Roderigo?”
Guisbald’s eyes widened. “How did you know it was one of them?”
“I’ve been wondering for a while,” I confessed. “They both wear mage badges, but no one’s ever seen them perform any spells.”
“Lady Erzabetta is the most powerful Earth mage I’ve ever met,” Bevitrice said. “She boasted to me she discovered how to draw energy from the island’s volcanic forces.”
I remembered how it felt to touch the immense energy locked in that restless lake of molten rock, and shuddered.
If Lady Erzabetta had discovered a way to channel that much power without burning herself alive, then she could perform feats of magic beyond the reach of ordinary mages.
“But why do all this?” I asked, hoping for confirmation of our theories. “Why attack their own castle and people? Why kill the imperial hostages under their care?”
Guisbald’s eyes blazed. “It’s a distraction. They want to disguise their true purpose.”
Seeing how Bevitrice and Guisbald were confiding in me, I wanted to ask more questions. Dangerous questions. But could I really trust them?
On the other hand, could I afford to pass up this opportunity to confirm Ilhan’s theories?
“Does this have something to do with their uncle, the Duke de Norhas?” I ventured. “I heard he escaped from prison.”
“My goodness, Apprentice!” Bevitrice sounded surprised. “Where did you hear that?”
Guisbald inclined his head. “It’s true. Lord Roderigo and Lady Erzabetta received word a few months ago that the duke escaped imperial custody.”
Bevitrice looked shocked. “The duke is free? Oh, no!”
“And the attacks on aristocratic students and imperial hostages…?” I ventured. “What if they’re part of the duke’s plan to undermine the Domina-Regent’s power?”
Both Guisbald and Bevitrice stared at me.
I let out a shaking breath. Ilhan was right about everything!
“If you value your life, girl, don’t ever say that again where anyone can hear you!” Guisbald snarled in a whisper.
Then I told them my news. “Right before the constructs attacked, someone activated Mage-Instructor Quinson’s collar and killed him with it.”
“Ajee’s dead?” The color drained from Bevitrice’s face.
I nodded. “He died right in front of me, just a few moments before the false Dragons appeared.”
“They used that pervert to carry out some of the attacks, I’m sure of it,” Guisbald said. “And when he’d done all he could for them, they silenced him. Mark my words, serving as a scapegoat for today’s attack will be his final service to Lord Roderigo and Lady Erzabetta.”
“But what can we do?” I asked in despair. “How can we stop the attacks and the killings? We’re trapped on this island. Lord Roderigo and Lady Erzabetta control everything here. No one comes or leaves without their knowledge. We can’t tell anyone on the Continent what they’re doing because they open and read everyone’s letters.”
“Indeed,” Bevitrice agreed, her brow furrowing as she mulled over the problem. “And Erzabetta keeps a sharp eye on the mages here. They have effectively isolated us from the outside world, ensuring that whatever happens here remains hidden.”
“Those two have gone too far,” Guisbald declared, his eyes gleaming with determination. “I’m convinced they’re the ones who put compulsions on poor Emmon Machry and Polls Neander to force them to act as assassins.”
“That’s black magic,” Bevitrice said flatly. “If we can only prove they did it…”
“We’ll get the evidence,” Guisbald said, eyes flashing. “I’ll tear this castle apart stone by stone if I have to.”
Bevitrice squeezed his hand. “Subtlety may serve us better than brute force, Antoni,” she suggested gently.
“Now more of my men are injured, and their morale is shit. I’m worried they’ll mutiny.” Guisbald shook his head. “It seems Lord Roderigo and Lady Erzabetta will sacrifice everyone and everything for their ends.”
“Which means,” Bevitrice added, “that we must be equally committed to stopping them. We cannot allow their evil to go unchecked.”
“Can you find a way to communicate magically with someone trustworthy on the mainland?” I asked, thinking of my soul-bonds.
“It’s possible in theory,” Bevitrice said thoughtfully. “But I’ll need time to research and prepare a spell, and I’ll have to do that without alerting Lady Erzabetta. She reviews the lists of all books borrowed from the academy’s library, you know.”
I hadn’t known. I thought of all the research Gwydion and Ilhan had done on my behalf while building my restrictor, and I felt sick. How much did Lady Erzabetta know about me? What had she guessed from reviewing the lists of borrowed books?
“Time is something we may not have much of,” I murmured, my heart heavy with worry. “But please try.”
I saw Mage-Healer Armand approaching us and quickly changed the subject. “Lady Margitts asked me to pass on a message to you, Master Guisbald.”
His face twisted in disgust. “What does that vinegar-faced hag want now?”
“Your incident report,” I replied.
Guisbald snorted. “Right. She wants to know who to blame.”
∞∞∞
Letter to Lord Roderigo de Norhas, written in code and sent by bird-construct:
From Beltràn, Duke de Norhas, to his esteemed nephew, Lord Roderigo de Norhas, Castellan of Darkstone Castle, greetings.
I trust this missive finds you and your sister Erzabetta in good health and spirits, and that Darkstone Academy remains ever the bastion of education and discipline under your governance.
It brings me immense satisfaction to report that my endeavors since escaping the Domina-Regent’s custody have borne significant fruit.
By the grace of the Divine Mother, the long-missing Princess-Royal Jonquil is now safely in my custody. Unbelievably, my agents chanced upon her ship while raiding the shipping lanes last winter. They discovered Jonquil returning from the capital in the guise of a humble villager. We later discovered that she had discreetly conveyed her three younger daughters to the Imperial Academy for the Magical Arts in Neapolis Capitola. The young princesses Talisa, Juno, and Mira remain under constant surveillance by academy staff loyal to our cause.
However, our good fortune does not end here. The academy recently received correspondence from Jonquil’s eldest daughter to her half-sisters. Would you believe that, thanks to the Dominion Bureau of Apprentices, the eldest princess was sent to Darkstone Island as an indentured apprentice? The girl’s stepfather no doubt hoped this ruse would keep her hidden from prying eyes.
Princess Jacinthe is described as a tall maiden of eighteen summers, adorned with fiery red tresses and skin reminiscent of the sun-kissed Djinn.
Nephew, I beseech you to act promptly upon this revelation. Secure the princess with utmost discretion and ensure she is placed aboard the forthcoming supply ship. Your cousin, my heir Fernan, awaits her in Baleares. It is paramount our family secure our claim to the throne through speedy marriages to the heiress and the second in line to the throne. I intend to wed the now-widowed Jonquil as soon as she is brought to me.
I needn’t expound upon the magnitude of our good fortune. Our family stands on the cusp of realizing our ambitions, and by joining our house to the royal family, our aspirations are poised to materialize beyond even our most audacious hopes.
Endeavor with diligence and discretion, for the future of our house and indeed, the entirety of the Dominion, rests heavily upon your capable shoulders.
In utmost faith and anticipation,
Your uncle
Chapter 19
Jacinthe
Day of Remembrance
Candlelight cast a warm glow on the solemn faces of those gathered within the castle’s chapel of the Twelve Gods. The scent of incense and beeswax filled the air as I stood in a line that stretched from the niche containing the statue of the Divine Mother, down the chapel’s main aisle, and out the door.
As I waited for my turn to kneel in front of the Divine Mother and say a prayer for Mama’s soul, I clutched an unlit candle and looked around.
Today was the most solemn day on the calendar, set aside for commemorating loved ones lost during the previous year. The harvest wreaths and colorful wall-hangings were gone, replaced by solemn decorations in ash-gray and black.
Everyone in the chapel was wearing their best clothes in somber shades. I wore my new dark green velvet gown emblazoned with Boreas’ aerie mark on gold thread on my bodice, over my heart.
As I waited, I recognized a couple of my fellow mage-students in line ahead of me. A sauce cook from my time as a kitchen apprentice placed her candle in the tiered votive candle stand before the Mother’s statue, her eyes downcast and red-rimmed. Three castle guards kneeled next to the cook. Their heads were bowed as they murmured prayers.
A lump rose in my throat as I contemplated how strange this semi-tropical winter was, with its palm trees and vibrant flowers. On Remembrance Day, snow should blanket the ground and frost turn the morning dew into sparkling diamonds. All the rooms of my house should be filled with the scents of mulled wine and spiced memento mori hazelnut cakes baking, ready to offer the dead.
Instead, a cool, fresh breeze drifted through the open windows, carrying the scent of flowers, rain, and the sea.
“Divine Mother, keep Isabeau of Bernswick in your loving embrace,” I murmured when my turn came to approach the statue of the great goddess.
I gazed up at her benevolent features. The statue’s inlaid marble and lapis eyes seemed to glow with sympathy. Her carved arms reached out as if offering a comforting embrace to the bereaved.
I lit my candle with trembling fingers and placed it on the votive stand, its flame joining the dozens of others already burning there.
Then I went down on my knees for the traditional prayer to the dead. “Mama,” I whispered at the end of the invocation. My voice cracked with emotion. “I miss you so much.”
The memories of her gentle smile, her patient tutelage, and her boundless love washed over me like a bittersweet wave.
“Help me, please,” I prayed to Mama’s soul. “Guide me in making the right decisions. Watch over those I love.”
As I rose from my knees, I felt a flicker of warmth within me, as if the goddess herself had heard my prayer.
∞∞∞
I left the chapel and ran back to my room, my waterproof cloak wrapped tightly around me, and chilly rain stinging my face.
My thoughts turned to Tama’s assertion about the shipwreck that had supposedly claimed my mother’s life. He had been adamant that no human ships had sunk during the timeframe of Mama’s death.
But if that were true, then what had happened to her?
The more I contemplated it, the more I felt the familiar, gnawing emptiness in my heart.
It’s useless to dwell on this, I told myself. Mama is gone, and nothing can change that.
I longed for the time when I could brew a pot of tea, tell Mama all my troubles, and ask for her kind but practical advice.
Would she have understood my feelings for my four extraordinary soul-bonded? Or would my current situation have horrified her?
Thoughts of Mama brought Talisa, Juno, and Mira to mind.
I wondered if my sisters had received my letter yet, and whether any of them would write back. I desperately wanted to know how they were faring in the bustling imperial capital, how they were adjusting to their new lives as mage-students far from home. The past year couldn’t have been easy for them, either.
My heart ached with the distance between us. I hoped that somehow, amidst all the current chaos and uncertainty, we could somehow find our way back together someday and share Remembrance Day.
As long as Baldwin and Narcissa aren’t there, I thought with a pang of revulsion.
With everything that had happened since my arrival at Darkstone Castle nearly six months ago, I had spared few thoughts for my cruel stepfather and the equally cruel woman he’d married after Mama’s death.
Tama was waiting for me outside the infirmary, leaning against the wall under a hanging lamp. The raindrops beading his silver hair shone in the soft light, and his large eyes reflected its glow.
“I came because you need me,” he said. “You feel sad and very lonely.”
Tears stung my eyes. “Every time I think I’m finished mourning my mother, something makes me think of her. And all the pain ambushes me.”
“Ah.” Tama nodded, understanding as he always did. “I will stay with you and ease your pain, if I can.”
“Thank you. I don’t want to sleep alone tonight.” I took his cool hand in mine and led him upstairs to my room.
∞∞∞
Roderigo de Norhas
“Roderigo, we must come up with a new plan, and quickly,” my sister said, taking a delicate sip from her china cup. “Uncle Beltrán won’t be pleased to hear that we failed so spectacularly. We need to send him good news when the next supply ship arrives.” She scowled. “You swore those magical constructs would do the job!”
We sat in Erzabetta’s richly furnished sitting room, taking tea together, as was our custom every afternoon. The plush velvet of her armchair embraced me like a lover’s arms. The delicate scents of bergamot and rose petals wafted from my teacup. And disaster hung like a dark storm cloud over our heads.
“It should have worked!” I insisted, angrily swirling the dregs in my cup.
Even after a month, the memory of how those two hostages had ruined my brilliant plan sent rage shooting through me. How in the name of the Seven Sacred Disciples had they escaped their quarters in the gatehouse?
