by C. J. Archer
I hurried toward the palace, eyeing the shadows in case any surprises lurked there. Only the guards at the gate stopped me, however, and they let me through without requiring an explanation. They were so used to me in Dane's company that they trusted me. Now.
I headed to the commons but didn't go inside. I had to ask several staff where Ruth could be found, and eventually someone knew where she was. Not wanting to disturb her while she was at work, I decided to wait for her at the commons' courtyard fountain.
It was a busy time of day. No one stood idly at the fountain, chatting or washing. All the servants who crossed the courtyard seemed to be in a hurry, many of them carrying trays, buckets, linen, clothing. A nod for one another was all they could spare, though some smiled at me. I recognized several faces and smiled back, but not always. I did not smile at Seb the footman, nor did he smile at me. His gaze lingered, however, as slick and putrid as the gutters in The Row.
I looked away first and shivered, although the air was still warm. There was no breeze in the internal courtyard and perhaps warmth from the vast basement kitchens had somehow risen up through the ground and surrounding walls. If I listened very carefully, I could just make out the shouted orders of the cook as he managed the massive task of feeding the hundreds of nobles and thousand-strong staff.
As twilight faded to dusk, I moved closer to the commons entrance. There were fewer torches here than near the palace, but I could see the maids' faces well enough as they came and went. Finally, Ruth appeared. She walked with another maid, both holding buckets that must have been empty, going by the ease with which they carried them.
"May I have a word?" I asked her.
She hesitated then nodded and handed the bucket to her companion. Ruth sat alongside me at the fountain edge. It was the closest we'd get to privacy, but we'd have to keep our voices low.
"Did Lord Xavier hurt you?" I asked.
"He just frightened me." She glanced toward the exit, as if she expected him to appear there.
"Did he seem…familiar?" I hazarded. I didn't want to upset her, but I had to be blunt to make myself clear. "Do you think he was the one who attacked you?"
"Lord Xavier! No, Miss Cully, I don't think so. He wouldn't go into the service corridors. That's not what he wanted from me, anyway, so he said."
"Then what did he want?"
"He asked me why you were in my room."
How had he known that? Did everyone have spies? "What did you tell him?"
"That it was a private medical matter and of no concern to him. That's when you arrived, miss. He didn't like my answer. I think…" She sniffed. "I think he might have struck me if you hadn't come."
My heart thundered in my chest. "Did you use the word medical? Or did you say midwifery?"
She lowered her head and clasped her hands in her lap, her knees together. "I…I don't remember. I'm sorry."
I placed my hand over hers. "It's all right, Ruth. It's not important."
How I wished that were so.
I released her in case she felt my hand shake. "You should inform the captain of the incident," I said.
She nodded. "I'll go in search of him now. I should have spoken to him earlier about something else, but I put it off."
"Has something happened?"
She glanced at the entrance again and dropped her voice further. "There's been another rape."
"Oh, Hailia, no. Who is it? Is she all right?"
"She's another maid. She's upset but seems to be coping, and she didn't want to summon you. She came to me because she guessed I'd been affected too after word got around that you'd been to check on me. She swore me to secrecy."
"The captain must be told."
"I know, and I'll tell him now. I'll take her with me. I'm not sure if it will help, since she didn't see his face. He attacked her from behind, like he did me."
Like he had Ingrid, too.
"Do you want me to come?" I asked, my mind reeling with questions.
"No, thank you, miss. She won't want too many to hear what he did. I just hope it ain't too late, leaving it so long, and she hasn't forgotten an important detail."
"When did the attack happen?"
"Three nights ago."
Three nights ago. I remembered that night well. It was the night Dane kissed me.
"She said she heard the village horns in the distance," Ruth said.
"The temple's horns? They carry this far?"
"Only if the wind is blowing the right way."
She gave me a flat smile then went on her way. I watched her go yet hardly saw her. My mind was too focused on recalling that night—the kiss, and witnessing the village meeting through The Anchor's rear courtyard window. Both Ivor Morgrain and Lord Barborough had been at that meeting. It would have been impossible for them to get from Mull to the palace, even with the swiftest horse. Not before the temple's horns announced evening prayers, anyway. Neither man could be the rapist.
"The temple's horns," I muttered, blinking into the empty space where Ruth had sat beside me. Lord Xavier had accosted me on my doorstep that night, and the horns had blasted through the night air during our conversation. So he couldn't be the rapist either.
That left Seb.
I shot to my feet and ran across the courtyard, only to stop when I reached the breezeway outside the commons. The footman had been with the duke of Buxton at the time of Ruth's rape. The duke had confirmed it himself.
Not a single one of our suspects could have committed all three attacks.
There must be someone else we hadn't considered, or perhaps it was Brant after all. I'd believed him when he'd claimed to be looking for the cabinet the night of Ruth's rape, however, and so did Dane. If he hadn't lied to Dane in the first place and asked Zeke to lie for him—
Zeke!
He'd been left to patrol alone while his partner sought the cabinet. There were no witnesses to his whereabouts, but because no one sensed danger in his presence, we'd not suspected him.
I hurried toward the palace but didn't enter through the service door. The dark corridors would be unsafe, and I didn't want to come across Zeke alone.
Chapter 16
Just thinking of him as the rapist felt odd. I sensed no danger when near him. He didn't repulse me or make me want to flee. Yet who else could it be? He couldn't be accounted for.
Even as I thought it, I realized how many other servants probably couldn't be accounted for either. I'd never felt threatened by Zeke, yet he was now a suspect. Shouldn't every other male in the palace also be a suspect if they couldn't account for their whereabouts on the nights of the three rapes?
I continued north, crossing the inner forecourt near the palace's main entrance. I was focusing on the puzzle at hand rather than my way and almost barreled into a lady stepping off the stairs.
"Josie!" Kitty cried. "Be careful or you'll crush my gown, and there's nothing worse than crushed silk. It's simply the worst." She smoothed down her skirts, even though I'd not touched her.
"My humblest apologies, your grace," I said, curtseying.
"How many times do I have to ask you to call me Kitty?" She hooked her arm with mine, proving that she didn't care about her silk after all—or that she might be seen with me. "It's a little late for riding."
"Pardon?"
"That is why you're here, isn't it? To take me up on my offer of riding lessons?"
She'd be upset to learn my first solo ride had taken place without her a mere hour earlier, so I decided not to tell her. "I'm on my way to speak to the captain," I said, eyeing the direction I had to take. I shouldn't linger, but how to extricate myself without seeming rude?
"The captain again?" she said slyly. "Can we expect an announcement soon?"
I choked, half laughing, half protesting, earning me a scowl from Kitty. "It's not like that between us. It's… Never mind. Shouldn't you be on the other side of the palace or dining with the king?"
An ensemble of stringed instruments had struck up a gen
tle tune while we talked. I was reminded of the last time I'd heard music at the palace, on the night of the ball. The musicians had not been visible from any of the gardens or paths, and their music seemed to fall from the stars themselves. Balthazar had told me the musicians had simply been hidden well, but in a place such as this, it seemed magic must have played a part.
"Actually, I'm meeting Miranda here," Kitty whispered as she steered me toward the fountain on the large forecourt. There were only two guards on patrol and a handful of nobles strolling in pairs, but it was quite open and not a good place to have a secret rendezvous. A quiet chat with a friend, however, wouldn't raise attention. "I have something to tell her."
"Palace gossip?" I asked, glancing back over my shoulder in the direction I should be heading. Movement in the shadows at the far end of the northern pavilion caught my eye, but whoever was there wasn't close enough to hear us.
"Oh, all right, I'll tell you too," Kitty said.
I pressed my lips together to suppress both my smile and a protest that I hadn't asked her to share the gossip with me. I was beginning to think that Kitty liked company—any company, even mine. What must her life be like at home, living with an aging husband who'd been in love with another for much of his life? Kitty may have an easy life, but I didn't envy her.
"You see, it's a little dull here for ladies like us," she began.
"Ladies like you?"
"Who aren't interested in the king. We have nothing better to do than play cards or stroll around the garden. We aren't really supposed to ride off alone, but as long as the king doesn't mind, and my husband doesn't find out, we can. Of course, the parties are fun but one can't indulge too often or one will grow fat. So we've taken up a hobby."
"Do you mean riding in the forest?"
"No, silly. Magic."
I stared at her. "Magic has become your hobby?"
"Not performing it." She laughed, a girlish giggle that she hid behind her gloved hand. "We want to find out if the palace was made by magic. You know the rumors, of course."
"I do."
"We thought we'd try to find evidence of it. Isn't that fun?"
"It might be dangerous," I said carefully.
Before I could explain, she said, "Nonsense. All we do is ride around, looking for signs of magic."
"What sort of signs?"
Her brow creased in thought. "That's the problem. We don't know what we're looking for. So far we haven't found anything. Well, there was a shiny object in the bushes, but on closer inspection, it turned out to be a ring someone had lost. Anyway, we've had such fun looking. I do adore riding through the forest, although Miranda does go too fast sometimes. You must learn to ride too so you can come with us, Josie. We'll have such a laugh investigating together."
I nodded and smiled, torn between warning her and letting her go on her innocent way, thinking there was nothing dangerous in searching for the truth about the palace's origins.
She tried to draw even closer to me, but it was impossible with her broad skirts and voluminous sleeve. She was dressed in yellow tonight, with a diamond pattern embroidered in gold thread across the bodice and at the hem. With a large yellow pendant dangling from a gold chain nestled on the swell of her breasts, and gold armbands above her glove and more yellow gems dangling from her ears, she was a beacon in the night. She wasn't dressed for clandestine investigating.
She gave up trying to get closer and instead tilted her head and whispered, "I came across something quite by chance. That's why I sent a message to Miranda to meet me here. I think it might be important."
"What is it?"
"Promise not to tell. Not even your captain of the guards."
I ignored the implication that he was mine and said, "As long as it's not necessary to tell him, I won't."
Her brow momentarily creased again then I felt her shrug, even though her shoulders didn't seem to move. Despite her empty-headedness, she was graceful to her bones. "I overheard my husband and the duke of Buxton talking about the Vytill man."
"Lord Barborough?"
"The very same. And hear this, Josie, you will be amazed." She lowered her voice to a whisper. "Apparently, he's an expert on magic." She paused, nodding earnestly. "What do you think of that?"
"I think it interesting."
"It is, isn't it? He has written a book and even been to Zemaya." She made it sound as if it were a different world when it wasn't uncommon for Fist folk to travel to Zemaya. My father, for one, had visited in his youth. "That's not all—and this is the most shocking part—Buxton says the only reason Barborough's here as the official representative of Vytill is because he killed the man who was supposed to come."
"Are you sure?"
"Buxton sounded sure. I heard him myself."
"Does he know you were listening in?"
"Hailia, no. Nor does my husband. Neither were aware I was napping in the next room, and do not tell them, Josie."
"I don't intend to. How does the duke of Buxton know that Barborough killed the man who was supposed to represent King Phillip's interests?"
"He has spies in Vytill, of course. Everyone does, and Dreen and Freedland too, and all of those countries will have spies here." She hugged my arm and giggled again. "You village girls are so naive. It's rather quaint."
I was about to make a snippy retort, but she was right. Until I'd become embroiled in palace politics, I'd never given such things a second thought. I had been ignorant of the ways of kings and nobles, their plots and manipulations. For someone who prided herself on knowledge, of all kinds, I didn't wish for that ignorance again, even though my life had been simpler.
"Why is the duke of Buxton sharing the information with your husband?" I asked, all innocence. "Don't they dislike one another?"
"It's true they don't get along, but they meet from time to time, in either our apartments or his."
It would be so easy for me to ask her to eavesdrop on more of their conversations, then pass any information onto the Deerhorns. But I would not. For one thing, I wouldn't help the Deerhorns with anything, and more importantly, if Kitty was discovered, her husband might mistreat her. I'd caught him hurting Lady Claypool, and he'd claimed to love her. What would he do to his young, foolish wife?
So it was true, just as Dane, Balthazar and Theodore suspected. The dukes had joined forces to prove King Leon shouldn't be on the throne because he'd used magic to get it. It seemed the dukes also suspected that Vytill had the same aim. I wondered if they were aware that Barborough had a second task while here—stirring up trouble in Mull.
"So what do you think of that, Josie?" Kitty asked. "Isn't it a good piece of information?"
"It is," I said. "But you must be careful not to be caught listening in to conversations."
She didn't seem to be listening to me. She'd caught sight of Miranda, coming down the palace steps, and waved at her.
Miranda joined us, all smiles. "Am I missing the party?" She was dressed all in blue with her hair unbound to declare her unmarried status. Unlike Kitty, she wore very little jewelry, just one golden band on her finger and small earrings.
"The party doesn't begin until you're here, dearest Miranda," Kitty said, taking her friend's hand. "Do come and listen to what I've just told Josie. It's most interesting."
She repeated her information about Lord Barborough. Miranda was quite speechless by the end. Clearly she hadn't known about Barborough's interest in magic and was appalled at the suggestion that he'd killed another to win the position of representative. She didn't seem surprised to hear the dukes were collaborating, however. Like Kitty, she was more worldly than me, and she must have known they had joined forces. Perhaps she even discussed it with her parents.
"So what shall we do with this information?" Kitty asked.
"Nothing," both Miranda and I said together. She looked at me and I could see she had realized the danger Kitty had stumbled into.
Kitty pouted. "Why not? We could spy on Lord Barborough—"
"But this is such a good opportunity to learn more."
Miranda clasped Kitty's arms and met her gaze. "If he killed his rival, he is not a nice man. He's ruthless. What do you think he'd do if he learned two Glancia ladies are inquiring about magic?"
Kitty looked as if she was about to cry, so stern was Miranda. "I don't know."
"Nor do I, but I do know we can't trust him."
"He might use you to find out more," I said. Kitty blinked big, watery eyes at me, and Miranda's pinched at the corners as she studied me. "He might use you to spy on the king for him." As soon as I said it, I was quite sure it was precisely what Barborough would do.
"We wouldn't do that," Kitty said.
"You might, if he threatened to tell the king that you were investigating his link to magic."
Miranda pressed her fingers to her lips and her other hand to her stomach. "She's right," she said to Kitty. "Think about what the king would do if he heard we were looking for that link, what it would mean for his claim to the throne if we found a link."
Kitty gasped. "Oh! Yes, I see now. You're right. If we discovered the throne was gained with the aid of magic, he shouldn't be king." She glanced around then put her hand over her heart to swear an oath. "I promise the god and goddess not to breathe a word about this to anyone. Swear it, Miranda."
Miranda repeated the oath then both women turned grim faces to me. I swore the oath too.
"Now, I must go," I said. "I shouldn't have lingered so long."
"You're not going home?" Miranda asked, as she and Kitty fell into step with me.
"Not yet. I need to speak to the captain about something."
Kitty nudged Miranda with her elbow. "Of course you do, Josie. I'm sure it's very important."
