Secrets In Savannah (Phantom Knights)

by Amalie Vantana

  “I believe that you will be granting me authority, or did not you receive my note?”

  Rose was as calm as ever, even in the face of the man who murdered her parents, forced her into marriage when she was only a child, and was the reason that she had to flee her home country. She showed no sign of fear. “I received your threat, which is the sole reason that I am here now. With you and your followers my prisoners, there is no threat to my friends, and there is nothing left for you to bargain with. Your reign of terror is at an end.”

  “Reign of terror? My dear girl, all I have ever wanted was to restore you to your rightful place. There was no need for you to run.”

  “Lord Adamsen, I would like for this traitor to be locked up with his men,” Rose said, and Leo inclined his head.

  Luther shouted pleas at Rose as Leo forced him from the cabin.

  “What shall you do with him?” Guinevere asked Rose as soon as the cabin door was shut.

  “Give him what he deserves,” Rose said with a sad voice, “as I must with you. You know that you defied the laws of our country by marrying without the permission of your monarch.”

  “Are you banishing me?” Guinevere asked with the same calm that her sister had.

  Rose stood, and when the two were facing each other, I pictured Guinevere without her wig, and saw the resemblance.

  “No, for there is no need. You see, as much as I appreciate all that you have sacrificed for me, I no longer need you.”

  For a moment, I was certain that Rose was still playacting. When her pained expression remained, my heart began to ache for my wife.

  Guinevere stumbled back; her expression horrified. “You do not mean it, you cannot. I have the artifacts.”

  “You have nothing,” Rose said.

  Rose glanced my way, and I knew what she meant. Rose had found and taken the artifacts. She was going to sail home without Guinevere and claim her throne.

  “I sacrificed everything for you! I led you to safety. I took your place on your wedding eve. I have spent my life as a servant so that you could—” Guinevere’s voice broke off. She inhaled a long, shaky breath. As it puffed out, a tear fell from her eye. Brushing it away with the back of her hand, my heart ached for her, for her own was surely tearing in two. “You know that you need me, and you need Edith.”

  Rose laid her hand against Guinevere’s cheek, tears in Rose’s eyes. “Edith is taken care of. She no longer needs you, and neither do I.” Rose lowered her hand, turning toward me. “I must appear an odious person to you, but the bond between twins is nothing when it comes to the bond between a monarch and her country.”

  Twins? How could it be that I never noticed the resemblance? Looking at them now, side by side, I could see it, in more than their faces.

  “You could have trusted me with the truth,” I said to Rose, because over the past months she and I had become friends. She and I had spent hours together during my recovery. She was a master at chess, and I realized it was more than just a game to her. It was a way of life.

  Rose came toward me, placing her hand on my arm, her beautiful face on level with my own.

  Guinevere twisted around, and though her eyes told of her feelings of betrayal, her face remained expressionless.

  Rose missed all of Guinevere’s anguish as she laughed rather contemptuously. “The women in my family do not trust easily, Jack, as I am sure that you understand.”

  Rose released my arm and moved to face Guinevere.

  “You have my eternal gratitude for all that you have done for me, but it is my time to take control of my life. It is time for the rest of the story to play out.” Rose stepped back so she could look at both Guinevere and I. “Whatever you discover in the next few months, know that it was done to keep my sisters and me safe. It was never meant to hurt you and your family.”

  “You cannot expect me to let this go. Luther was much too complacent. He has more guards. You still need me, and I am prepared to fight.” Guinevere’s eyes were filled with tears.

  Rose inhaled sharply and strode to the door, but before going out, she looked over her shoulder. “Jack, do take care of my sister.”

  Rose smiled and walked out of the cabin, the two soldiers following her, leaving Guinevere and me alone.

  As the door shut, Guinevere broke, a sob shattering the silence. Taking her in my arms, I held her as she cried.

  When her tears were spent, she spoke. “This is Harvey’s contriving. He wants to control my sister as he has done me.”

  “Then we will not allow that to happen,” I assured her. “I have come to the realization that our families have undervalued us.”

  “How foolish of them,” Guinevere replied with a smile that spoke of her understanding. She and I were of the same mind.

  The greatest hunt of our lives was upon us.

  “What say you, my wife? Shall we show them the error of their ways?” I kissed her brow then stepped back and held out my hand.

  She placed her hand in mine. “Indeed we shall.”

  One might ask what a spy and an exiled princess could accomplish against some of the greatest minds of our time.

  To them I would reply, Victory.

  òòò

  Read on for a sneak peek at the next adventure in the Phantom Knight series

  Deceit

  In

  Delaware

  Coming Fall 2014

  CHAPTER 1

  GUINEVERE

  Of all of the times I had run from Jack to return to Harvey, this was the worst. My duplicity tugged on my conscience as I rode toward the temple.

  The last two days had been tense for Jack and me. George was dead, Jack’s brother and his mentor had disappeared with my sister, and on the morrow Bess would sail back to Charleston. As much as I had longed to speak the truth, I could not tell Jack that I had one final task to do to secure my freedom from the Order. He would never understand. For I was about to sacrifice a Phantom.

  When I reached the lane that led to the temple, Harvey was there ahead of me. I left my horse with his carriage, and we made our way through the trees on foot.

  “You are certain that Frederick suspects nothing?” Harvey’s boots crunched leaves and snapped twigs as he marched beside me.

  “Nothing at all. Frederick believes that I am bringing you to him tomorrow. This night is the usual meeting of Levitas. As you requested, I made certain that all of his court will be in attendance.”

  It was a quarter past midnight when we reached the temple, and from all of the horses tied outside, I would say that Harvey would have a captive audience when he stripped Frederick of his position.

  Stepping up to the temple door, I was eager to get this night’s work accomplished. Betraying a Phantom to the Holy Order was not something I relished. It was a necessary evil.

  As I pushed open the door, all attention turned to us. Frederick sat forward on his throne; his startled gaze quickly narrowing as he saw who was with me.

  All along the temple walls, the thrones were filled with the unsuspecting followers of Levitas. Long blue robes covered their suits, or dresses considering that Mrs. Stanton was present, and hoods covered their heads, making them appear in the candlelight like faceless specters.

  As Harvey and I stopped in the center of the room, I spoke. “My lords, it is with the greatest fealty,” what a fudge, “and unworthiness,” uncontrollable dislike, “that I present to you his supreme majesty and high ruler of the Holy Order of Levitas, Lord Harvey.”

  Harvey swept his cape out behind him as he approached the dais, but Frederick’s guards blocked his path, capturing Harvey’s arms to restrain him. When five men rose from thrones and surrounded me, I raised my hands in the air in a sign of surrender. With this many against me, I did not choose to fight, for fighting would give the wrong impression. Frederick would think that Harvey made me bring him this night instead of the morrow.

  My arms were pulled behind my back as I was forced to face the dais.

  Fre
derick rose from his throne, and sauntered with a careless gait toward Harvey. The guards forced Harvey to take a step back so that Frederick could step down.

  “What is the meaning of this insubordination?” Harvey barked.

  “The meaning is that you have been duped, Lucius, and by your own serf.” Frederick looked straight at me and inclined his head once.

  My pent-up breath slowly released as I nodded in return. He thought I was fulfilling my end of our bargain.

  “It is by the order of this court that we find you, Lucius Harvey, guilty of abusing your power, and enacting dangers against the good of the Order.” Frederick’s statement was impressive, but Harvey remained unmoved.

  “You think that you can conquer me, best me? I built this order. I pulled you from the gutters of obscurity, Frederick Nolan, and I can toss you back.” Harvey’s self-proclaimed magnanimity knew no bounds.

  “This I know,” Frederick said as he halted before Harvey, “and that is why I disposed of those who opposed you.” Frederick dropped to one knee. “My liege.”

  No...

  The guards released Harvey, and he held out his hand. Frederick kissed the ruby ring on Harvey’s long finger.

  No!

  “Rise, my lord Frederick, for you have done well,” Harvey said magnanimously.

  Frederick rose and stepped back as Harvey moved onto the dais, taking Frederick’s throne.

  “Take your place, as one of the twelve,” Harvey said, and Frederick, after tossing me a smug grin, sat upon one of the empty thrones.

  The twelve? Slowly, I began to glance around me. Eight of the twelve leaders of Levitas were seated in the temple, and all hope fled from me faster than a pair of spooked horses.

  What a fool I have been! Duped by Frederick Nolan. How stupid of me not to have seen it!

  Frederick did not want me to draw Harvey here so that we could destroy him. He wanted me to bring Harvey so that he could prove his allegiance to the Order and gain a seat on the council by betraying me as the traitor.

  “Well, Guinevere? What have you to say?” Harvey asked, his enjoyment at my expense shamelessly radiating from him.

  “Nothing.” For once in all of my time serving the Holy Order, I could not predict what was before me, I could not see a suitable escape. They had caught me, and they had done it well.

  “Well, being that you are speechless, allow me to astonish you further,” Harvey said with a look that had me wanting to take a step back. He was happy. Harvey was never happy.

  Harvey gave a nod and one by one those seated around the room removed their hoods.

  Sucking in a gasp, the room was spinning, or at least it was in my mind. When every hood was removed, so was my hope for a life away from the Holy Order. My knees went weak, shaking as I recognized all of their faces. With Frederick being a lord, eight out of twelve were present, and eight out of twelve had a connection in some way to the Phantoms.

  This was without a doubt Harvey’s greatest feat, and my greatest nightmare.

  At least I knew three of the lords to be on my side. Pierre, Arnaud, and Martha were faithful to me, not to Harvey.

  Mrs. Stanton smiled reassurance at me, but it did nothing to put me at ease.

  “I see that eight of you were able to join me,” Harvey announced.

  Frederick cast me a smile that said it was I who was not only duped, but caught and trapped.

  “Forgive my duplicity, Guinevere, but it was necessary. You would not have come otherwise,” Frederick said.

  “What of the oath? I thought Phantoms were family,” I questioned, trying to delay the inevitable. The moment when Harvey gave me a choice. Go home to Lutania, which Rose had made impossible, a life of servitude, or a life in a cell. He had been threatening me with all of them for four years.

  “I consider myself to be the black sheep of that family,” Frederick said with a satisfied grin.

  “I have called you all here to discuss the naming of our new member,” Harvey announced, taking back control of the meeting. “As you all have been informed, George Crawford died a few days past. He will be sorely missed,” Harvey said, and I felt my world tilt a bit more.

  George had been a head of the Holy Order and the Phantoms? How was that possible? Jack and Bess should have known if that were so. It was not as if George was the most guarded man. He puffed off his consequence most readily to anyone who would lend him an ear.

  “As directed, you each have cast the name of the person you consider deserving of the twelfth and final seat. It is with great satisfaction that I offer that seat to you, Guinevere.”

  For an entire astonished moment, I did nothing but stare at Harvey. Blinking did nothing to clear my astonishment. I had been chosen? They wanted me? Why? For four years, I had done my best to undermine and disobey Harvey.

  “You have lost your senses,” I said.

  Harvey’s bushy brows rose. “I am to take that as a refusal?”

  The man was a fool. Brilliant, but undoubtedly a fool. “Oh, I accept, but I wanted you to know what I think of you.” Smiling, satisfaction filled me to the brim. After four years of bartering, this seat was finally mine. Walking to the empty throne between Frederick and Martha, it was my turn to cast him a smug grin.

  As I sat, Martha reached over to pat my arm, well pleased with the role she played in acquiring me this seat. It had been a topic of conversation between us many times over the years.

  She knew what this seat meant to me. It was my way home, and Rose could do nothing to keep me away.

  The temple door flew open.

  Jerking against my throne, I pulled out a knife from my belt, my heart jumping around in my chest. Everyone in the throne room either jumped or raised a weapon, but no one advanced toward the intruder for he carried two pistols.

  As he stepped into the candlelight, I shrank back under his fiery stare, and knew that he had followed me.

  Samuel Mason took in the room in one swooping glance before his intense gaze settled on Harvey. There was murder in Sam’s expression as he stomped directly to Harvey. Two of the guards moved forward, but Frederick raised his hand to halt them.

  Harvey was smiling as he pushed to his feet. “Samuel Mason. To what do we owe this—”

  Sam’s fist flew forward and struck Harvey’s face, knocking Harvey back into his chair. “That is for my wife, you despicable tripe.”

  Sam spun toward me, his face like stone. He hopped off the dais and marched for me.

  Straightening my back and shoulders, I began to rise, but Sam clamped his hands on the arms of the chair, forcing me to lean back. The fire in his gaze could melt ice.

  “Sam, this is not at all what it appears to be,” I reasoned, praying that he believed me.

  Sam would be a dangerous foe if he chose to go against me, and he had Jack’s ear. If Sam informed against me, Jack would shut me out of his heart, and his home.

  “Indeed? It appears that you have not left the Holy Order as you claimed. It appears that you are holding a meeting of the twelve lords of Levitas. Do you have any notion of what you are doing?”

  “Sam, I—”

  “You are sitting in my seat.” Sam’s lips twisted into a wicked grin as he stepped back, holding out his hand for me to remove myself.

  No! No, no, no. This was not supposed to be happening. Staid, intense, devoted Sam could not be a lord of Levitas! How could he do that to Bess? Harvey had tried to kill her on more than one occasion. Oh, how Bess’s heart would break when she discovered the truth ... and how she would blame me. As would Jack, but what I was doing had to be done. It was my way back to Lutania. What reason could Sam have?

  With a painful lump in my stomach, I felt as if I were in a horrible dream. Once seated on the opposite side of Martha, I leaned forward to watch Sam, hoping, praying that he was simply an impostor.

  Sam sat himself upon his throne and swept out his hand. “Do proceed.”

  “Now that all who could come are present, let us proceed,” Har
vey announced, smiling fondly at Sam. “The first order of business is directed to you, Guinevere. I require the artifacts.”

  “You are too late, Harvey. Rose took them.”

  “Rose took most, but not all. There are two missing, and I believe you know where they are to be found,” he said. “Unless there is a reason that you would wish to keep them secret.”

  “None whatsoever,” I lied.

  “I wonder if you would be so evasive if your sister were brought in to take your place,” Harvey mused, seeing through my lie. “It is what she has always wanted, to be like her dear sister.”

  He did not refer to my place on the council. He was threatening my sister’s existence, her future, her safety. “Do you hate me so much that you would use my own sister as a threat against me?” I asked, but knew the truth. Harvey neither hated me nor cared for me. I was a tool, and if I failed to do my job, he would find a replacement.

  “I do not hate you, Guinevere. All that I have done has been for you, to train you for your future.” A future of servitude? Even my sister, whom I was not close with, would not demand such from me. Harvey’s vast ideas were a far cry from the truth, which he would soon discover when he joined my sister in Lutania. If he thought he would be the one pulling the strings, he had never come upon Rose when she was angry.

  Harvey went on with his disparaging of my character. “Serving a monarch requires strength, unwavering devotion, and an ability to follow rules. All things that you have shown yourself lacking, until this day. Do not destroy my faith before it is firmly set.”

  “Your beliefs on what a monarch is differs significantly from my sister’s, of that you may be certain,” I said with conviction. Once Rose discovered what a problem Harvey was, it would not take her long to have him removed. If I allowed him to get that far.

  My sister may have said she did not need me, but that did not mean that I would stop protecting her interests. Harvey was proving himself to be a threat, one which I had created. It was my duty to remove him.