by Marisa Mills
Why did everything Dorian say have to make sense?
“Somehow this all feels like my fault,” I said. Dorian frowned deeply, leaving lines on his face I hadn’t seen before. He looked like he’d aged quickly in the months since I’d known him. He grabbed a round mirror from a nearby table and held it up so I could see my reflection. I gasped at the vision of my self. A ragged gash cut across my forehead, and my jaw was swollen and uneven. I had a thick, purple circle below my right eye and it was bloodshot. A thin line of sigils shone down one side of my face, and on my collarbone. I realized suddenly I wasn’t wearing the orange dress I’d put on earlier, was it yesterday, or the day before? Someone had replaced it with a white cotton gown. I could feel a large pad of gauze running up my side.
“Wynter, I promise that no crime you’ve ever committed deserves to be punished this way.”
As much as I hate him, he’s right, Lucian said.
“Don’t be so quick to blame yourself,” Dorian said, “And maybe I’ll bring you a sword back from the lake, hm?”
“We have permission?” Francisca asked.
“Not officially,” Dorian replied. “The Council hasn’t finished their investigation yet.”
Francisca climbed to her feet. “Let’s go, then, Your Lordship.”
“Du Lac won’t be happy with you for interfering,” I said.
“Oh, trust me,” Dorian grinned. “I know.”
***
The infirmary door opened, and Frederick entered, his face grave. “Ready for me?” he asked.
“Yes,” Dorian replied. “Thank you.”
Frederick waved a dismissive hand and slid into Francisca’s vacant seat. “You’d do the same for Viv,” he said.
Of course, Dorian would, but Viviane was his niece. I wasn’t anything to anybody here. After Dorian and Francisca left, I lay back against my pillow. I turned my head, wincing as the room spun. “Why aren’t you going with them?” I asked. He’d been so eager to investigate the ballroom.
“The deepest part of the lake is over my head, and I can’t swim. Most mages can’t. So I don’t imagine I’d be much help,” Frederick replied with a laugh.
I furrowed my brow. “But you pulled me out,” I said slowly.
“You were still near the bank,” Frederick said, “but in truth, I didn’t think much about it. I’m just glad Du Lac and I happened to be nearby.”
He was nearby? Lucian asked. I thought he came when he saw the lightning.
“Thank you for saving me,” I said.
An awkward silence fell. I tried to think of something to say, but this man was Viviane’s father and Eleanor’s husband. He was friendlier than most mages I’d met, but did Dorian really trust him, and did I? My breath hitched. I knew Dorian had enemies. Were they coming after me to get to him? Was I the reason these attacks kept happening? If so, it was my fault my friends were getting hurt.
No, it isn’t, it’s the fault of whoever is attacking you, Lucian said.
But if I wasn’t here—
If you weren’t here, I wouldn’t be free, Lucian said, and you have no way of knowing if there would have still been demon attacks anyway.
Frederick was studying my face, and I realized my mouth had been moving while I had my silent conversation. I tried sitting up, groaning as I felt my ribcage shift.
Frederick stuffed another pillow behind my head, then sat down again on the bed across from mine. After a few moments he cleared his throat.
“How is Viv?” he asked.
Didn’t he know?
I remembered everything Viviane had said about her family lately. Maybe she was avoiding them all. “I guess she’s fine,” I said. “Tired.”
Guilt flashed in Frederick’s eyes. “She hasn’t been speaking with me for some weeks,” he admitted nervously. “I’ve been staying nearby, to look out for her, but she’s stubborn, and ambitious, like her mother—” he broke off, looking around suddenly as if he’d said something wrong.
It was hard to focus on what he was saying. Everything was fuzzy.
“Don’t…you have ambition?” I asked, working hard to get the sentence right.
“No,” Frederick replied. “I’m too soft to be ambitious.”
It was hard to imagine any nobleman as being soft.
“Unlike Eleanor, my family has no long lineage. My grandfather bought my title,” Frederick said. “He was ambitious, and my parents were ambitious. And I never could make myself care that much, which is really too bad. My mother arranged a good marriage for me.”
I was only half-listening. My thoughts had turned again to Jessa, laying somewhere in this infirmary with a fractured spine. I noticed it had become silent, and I looked at Frederick to find him watching me.
“Sorry,” I said. “Did you ask me something?”
Frederick shook his head. “I was just looking. You have remarkably blue eyes.” He reached towards my face and I shrank away from him. What was he doing? Frederick looked like he was going to say something further, but the door to the infirmary burst open. Alexander and Kit walked in, with Viviane trailing. I tried not to stare at Alexander’s face and the dark bruise along his jaw. At least, he was walking, though, unlike Jessa.
Kit whistled between his teeth and grinned. “My, you look a mess!” he exclaimed.
I smiled weakly in return.
“Viv,” Frederick said, “Good evening.”
“Father,” Viviane said coldly. “Why are you here?”
“I’m keeping Wynter company,” he replied cheerily.
Alexander dropped onto the bed beside me, but he wouldn’t meet my eyes. Instead he looked back at Viviane and they shared a moment. My heart raced. I was beginning to think more clearly. They knew far too much about me. I pictured them whispering together in dark corners. Dorian said I shouldn’t trust Alexander; that he’d always be loyal to the crown. He’d been so intent on getting answers in Delacroix’s class, and then so sweet and gentle at the lakeside. Did he kiss me, just so I’d share more secrets? Dorian was no friend of the crown, from what I understood, was this all just a plot against him?
Finally, his gaze met mine and he sighed. There was no deception there, nothing but genuine concern. Maybe he wouldn’t reveal me. Maybe it would be our secret now.
Viviane studied me with a strange expression, before glaring at her father, as if willing him to leave. Maybe she didn’t want to talk with him around.
“Alexander said you called down lightning,” Kit said, edging closer to me. “That’s quite an accomplishment!” He was wearing dress slacks and a satin vest with large buttons, over a white collared shirt.
“We learned it in class,” I replied awkwardly.
“Oh, sure,” Kit said, waving flippantly, “but there’s a difference between doing something in class and doing it in battle. You clearly have good instincts to draw the sigils so quickly and under such pressure.”
“I think I was lucky,” I replied. “And Alexander and Jessa helped, too.”
They weren’t the only ones, Lucian grumbled.
The door opened again. This time King Gregory came in, with Du Lac and Gareth just behind him. He was wearing an even larger crown this time, wreathed with jewels, that curled into his dark gray locks of hair. I supposed I ought to be grateful to Du Lac. He’d helped save me. He’d helped save Jessa and Alexander.
Du Lac is your professor, Lucian muttered. It’s his job to protect you.
Gregory paused at the foot of my bed and furrowed his brow, looking strangely over my shoulder for a second, before meeting my eyes.
“Wynter,” he said, “hello, again.”
“Hello, Your Majesty,” I said, forcing a smile. “I’d bow if I could, but…”
“Yes, let’s not have that,” Gregory replied.
“How do you feel?” Gareth asked.
“Fine,” I said. Trying to sit up, gritting my teeth through the pain.
You shouldn�
�t lie, Lucian muttered. If you feel awful, you ought to tell them. You don’t have to pretend for this bloated sack of sour goats’ milk.
Gregory tilted his head and narrowed his eyes. He studied the edge of my bed, as if it was the most fascinating thing in the world, then looked at me with a sudden intensity, a greedy look like he’d just found a lucky penny.
Maybe he’s like your nobleman and trying to work you into his plans, Lucian said.
Gregory toyed with his brooch—the same sapphire and diamond one he’d worn last time. Maybe that was the object he used to channel his magic. I couldn’t remember if anyone had told me what the king’s magic was.
“It’s unfortunate that we keep meeting under such poor circumstances,” the king said. “Someday, you’ll have to come to the palace and visit, so we can show you that Reverie is more than just dangerous demons.”
There are dangerous mages, too! Lucian declared gleefully.
“That’s an excellent idea,” Kit replied. “I can tell you all about Alex’s many vices! And all the embarrassing stories about his childhood. You know—in case you need to extort him.”
“How gracious of you,” Alexander deadpanned.
“What are brothers for?” Kit asked, throwing an arm around Alexander’s shoulders.
“You could go, too, Viv,” Frederick said. “I think it’d do you girls some good to have some time away from the Academy, after everything that’s happened.”
Viviane looked appalled. She was probably furious that I’d receive a formal invitation from the royal family, while her father had to squeeze her into my invitation.
“I don’t think—” Alexander began.
“Wonderful!” Kit exclaimed. “I promise, Wynter, there’s nothing like the royal family’s hospitality. When do you want to come?”
How about never. Why would the king invite me to the palace? What’s he really want from me? There was an eager gleam in his eyes that made me recoil.
“I think,” Gregory said, “we should let Wynter rest, for now. You can always finalize plans later.”
Kit laughed. “True,” he said. “I think my enthusiasm is getting the best of me.”
“Where is Dorian?” Du Lac asked suddenly.
“He left to find you,” Frederick replied. “You must’ve missed one another.”
Du Lac narrowed his eyes, clearly suspecting some deception. Frederick gave me a sly wink. I knew Dorian was probably already underwater, reclaiming my sword for me. I hoped he could find it. Lucian wasn’t bound to the sword any longer, but he still used it to rest sometimes, and I’d gotten used to having it by my side.
“I do hope you’ll come see us, Wynter,” Gregory said. “Until then, I hope you get some rest. I promise this won’t happen again.”
What an empty promise, Lucian said.
“We’ll increase our vigilance,” the king continued, “to ensure that the Academy is a safe place for you and your classmates.”
“And we’re going to resume investigating the lake as soon as possible,” Gareth said. “We’ll drain it and hopefully be able to resolve this mystery.”
“Assuming Dorian hasn’t already ruined it for us,” Du Lac muttered.
“Considering your lack of success—” Frederick began.
“It’s going to be more difficult to figure out what’s happening if I have inexperienced people tromping through the sites of these demon attacks,” Du Lac said, “and making my work harder. If the Council hasn’t had success, I can assure you Dorian isn’t going to have any either.”
“I think the more angles we look at this from, the greater the chance that we will discover something useful,” Frederick said.
“You can’t simply approach the site of a demon attack however you want,” Du Lac said. “There are procedures, and we—”
“And that’s easy to say when it isn’t your child being hurt!” Frederick snapped.
“It’s a magical matter,” Du Lac argued. “Contrary to what you might feel, the Council is the most qualified to investigate this issue. You need to return to your estate and—”
“That’s enough!” Gareth cut in. “We aren’t accomplishing anything by fighting one another.”
Du Lac stomped towards the exit, muttering about overreach of the nobles on school grounds and ‘procedural authority.’
Hm…a pity you can’t follow along and watch that confrontation, Lucian said. Which of them do you think would win in a fight? Your professor probably has more experience—
Why did Lucian have to sound so excited by the prospect of people fighting over me?
“I wonder if that isn’t the plan,” Gregory said quietly, stroking his coiled beard, “to have us so distracted with in-fighting that we overlook something important.”
I glanced uneasily at Alexander, but his attention remained fixed on his father.
“We’ll leave you for now, Wynter,” Gareth said. “His Majesty is right. You must be exhausted after your ordeal.”
My heart lodged in my throat. Everyone was being far too nice to me.
Don’t be absurd, Lucian muttered. Most mages can’t feel real compassion.
Slowly, people began filing out. Alexander offered an awkward smile as he turned away. I glanced at Frederick, who remained seated. Evidently, he was taking his duty to watch me very seriously. It seemed strange for him to be so insistent, but maybe Dorian asked him to. After a moment’s hesitation, Viviane sat on the bed across from me, as physically far away from her father as she could get.
Then, it was just the three of us. I curled my fingers in my blankets.
“Where is my uncle really?” Viviane asked.
“I believe he and Fran went for a swim,” Frederick said.
“I’m surprised, considering how strange Uncle is about water,” Viviane replied.
I’d forgotten that.
Maybe he’s part-cat, Lucian joked.
“Perhaps, his plan is to shout encouragement from the riverbank, while Francisca looks,” Frederick said. “That’s what I would do.”
Viviane pulled her knees up to her chest, looking uncharacteristically subdued. I wasn’t sure if it was the mention of her uncle or if she was remembering everything that had happened to her.
Frederick cleared his throat. “You girls really should go to the palace. Just spend a weekend there. You could leave after classes Friday. Maybe miss a couple of lessons on Monday as well.”
“Summer and I will talk about it later,” Viviane said.
“Summer?” Frederick asked.
“It’s a joke,” Viviane replied quickly.
“Oh. Of course,” Frederick said.
Poor Frederick really didn’t seem to realize what was going on in Viviane’s life. That trip to the palace was never going to happen. Not in a million years.
Thirteen
I MUST HAVE DOZED OFF, because suddenly it was dark. Viviane was gone, but the bulky shape on a chair in the corner let me know Frederick was still here. For a second, my heart raced; it looked like he was staring at me, watching me sleep. But then my eyes adjusted to the dim light, the soft glow of candles and the moon shimmering across the tile floor, and I could see that his eyes were closed. By the gentle rise and fall of his chest, he was sleeping.
What’s he even still doing here? Where was Dorian?
He’s probably guarding you, Lucian said.
But why – I’m not even a mage.
They don’t know that, Lucian said. As far as anyone at the Academy is concerned, you’re a magic student, not better or worse than any other here. It would be stranger if they weren’t worried about you.
Even though everything still hurt and I just wanted to sleep, I couldn’t slow my racing mind. Every time I closed my eyes, I pictured Jessa, floating in the pond. Eventually I decided I wouldn’t be able to rest until I checked on her. I tentatively put a foot on the cold, tile floor, while holding the side of the mattress in a death grip. Pain
spread across my chest. I winced and wobbled a bit, but I was standing.
This is a bad idea, Lucian said.
The air was cool against my ankles as I stepped forward with one foot. Slowly, I released my grip on the bed and stood there, swaying a little. My head and my ribs were injured, but my legs should still work. Logically, there was nothing physically preventing me from walking around a little.
Just that you’re in pain, Lucian muttered.
That wasn’t going to stop me. I could handle pain.
Lucian sighed. I caught sight of him shifting in my shadow and projecting his silhouette against the silver wallpaper as I slowly crossed the floor in my thin nightgown, holding onto bed railings for support. I moved quietly so I wouldn’t disturb Frederick. Halfway across the room, my lungs ached and my chest tightened. I paused, trying to draw in enough ragged breaths of air to keep going. Movement caught my eye, and I realized a pair of royal guards were stationed at the other side of the doorway, their faces partially obscured by metal helmets. Their dark uniforms were marred by a slash of red fabric, cutting from their shoulders to their abdomen. According to Alexander, it was meant to represent their willingness to die for their king.
Maybe you should abandon this venture.
I padded through the infirmary until I found Jessa’s bed, hidden behind a hanging curtain. Gingerly, I lowered myself onto the empty bed beside her. Jessa was pale like alabaster; if it hadn’t been for the steady rise and fall of her chest, I might’ve assumed I was looking at her corpse. I realized suddenly that Jessa’s parents had yet to make an appearance, but if they lived in Aubade, it would take time for them to get here. Somehow, that made it worse. Jessa was here all alone, without anyone to look over her.
You’re here, Lucian pointed out.
I didn’t count. I couldn’t actually do anything.
Jessa slept soundly, oblivious of me watching. I wondered what her parents would be like. They’d surely be worried and come right away. That’s what most parents would’ve done, right?
