From Moonlight to Mayhem (Swords, Secrets, and Scandals Book 1)

by Jess Schira

  A tiny spark of hope ignited in Saika’s chest. She bit her lip, not daring to speak lest Kathleen changed her mind.

  “We came to the conclusion we need to London. Your father spoke of traveling further this time. Maybe to Boston or New York City. He like the idea of starting over in a brand new country and he’s sure there must be many people there in need of his services. We had considered leaving next year, but with all that has happened to you, I feel it would be best to hasten our plans and sail as soon as we can secure passage on a ship.”

  For the first time since the ordeal began, the knot between Saika’s shoulder blades loosened. With an entire ocean between themselves and London, surely they would be safe.”

  And perhaps if she asked nicely, she could convince Sebastian to help her a little bit more and find a fast ship that was ready to leave port and make sure her family and their possessions were on it before it set sail.

  Saika stood and hurried to Kathleen where she dropped to her knees and hugged the older woman. “I think it’s the best option for everyone at the moment.”

  From Moonlight to Mayhem

  Chapter Seventeen

  Queen’s Lodge loomed in front of Saika. Fear and pride tangled together inside of her. She swallowed and forced her feet to carry her towards the entrance, though it was the last place in the world she wanted to go.

  As she walked, she took in the surroundings. Despite the fact it was winter and the plants had long since gone dormant, the grounds still managed to remain the most beautiful she’d ever seen. It almost seemed like ugliness feared to touch the area.

  Since she made her decision, Saika had started to take the time to notice little things, like the way the frost clung to the bare rosebushes. Everything seemed so much more vibrant, the wind felt sharper against her cheek, colors were brighter, and London’s peculiar scent stronger than ever before.

  The experience was a bit overwhelming.

  She laced her fingers together and pressed them to her silk covered stomach. Her reason for coming to the Queen’s Lodge was just one of the reason’s she felt strange. Another reason was her choice of attire. After a great deal of deliberation, she had snuck into the Donavon home and retrieved her grandfather’s kimono and her sewing kit. With just a little needle work, she’d altered the traditional kimono to fit her. She was pleased with the way she looked, though the kimono did feel different from the dresses she had worn her entire life.

  Still, if ever there was a time to flaunt her Japanese blood, it was today.

  A man stepped out of a long shadow near the door and moved in a diagonal line towards her. He met Saika’s eyes.

  She stopped and folded her hands in front of herself. She brushed the pad of her thumb against the hard hilt of the knife tucked into her pocket.

  “Miss Saika Donavon?” He stumbled over the unusual pronunciation of her first name and eyed her. He looked wary which was understandable. If he knew her identity it was likely he also knew about what had happened at Newgate Prison and the Tower of London. He should be afraid. Even without the long katana sword she carried, Saika was a deadly opponent.

  A handful of days ago, she’d taken pride in her strength and skills, it was something she was proud of, but now, a deep dark part of her with a small voice whispered she would give it up if there was a way to go back in time and make a different choice.

  She turned to the guard and the corners of her mouth lifted in a small smile, hoping to put him at ease. “Yes?”

  He nodded and gestured towards the entrance. “Please come with me.” His tone and words were polite, but his body language indicated he expected her to accompany him, whatever her own opinion on the matter might be. “The King and Queen have been anticipating your arrival and are eager to make your acquaintance.”

  ********

  Saika was led to a large door at the end of a long hall. Her companion reached out and pulled the door open. He gestured for her to enter.

  Nerves fluttered low in Saika’s stomach. She squared her shoulders, tilted her chin upwards, and stepped across the threshold.

  She expected the room to be grand and full of elaborate furnishing. Instead she found herself in a medium sized room that was clean but contained only a sparse amount of furniture. Her eyes were drawn to the far side of the room, where King George and Queen Charlotte sat side by side, their expressions passive while they waited for her to enter the room. A tall, lean man with kind, but tired eyes sat on the King’s left. He looked up from the papers he was reading and smiled at Saika.

  Saika scarcely noted the stranger, her own gaze was drawn to Sebastian, who sat on Queen Charlotte’s right side. Her stomach twisted and a rush of unexpected emotion arrowed through her.

  Fear pushed the initial burst of delight aside. He shouldn’t be here. Didn’t he understand how dangerous the next few moments could be for him?

  She’d spent the last several days working to make sure her family was safe and deciding how to handle the matter of her future. She’d managed to create a story that not only managed to be truthful but also exonerated Sebastian.

  But what if he said or did something to upset things and make the others think he was as guilty of plotting to assassinate the king as herself. In the time she’d known Sebastian, he’d established he was as forthright and honest as herself. Dangerous traits given their current situation.

  His future hinged on her ability to handle the next few minutes with grace, tact, and intelligence.

  She hoped she was up to the task.

  Her pulse hammered against the side of her neck as Saika walked to the middle of the room, stopping several feet short of the table. She didn’t know what she was supposed to do next. What was the social protocol when going before a man she’d intended to assassinate just a few short days ago. Should she throw herself on the ground? Fall to her knees? Bow her head and beg for mercy?

  She folded her hands against her waist and stared at the floor.

  “Your Majesties.” Her voice fluttered with anxiety.

  “Miss Donovan.” King George’s voice was hale and hearty, which surprised Saika. She’d expected the illness that had afflicted him a few years ago to have left him frail. “I wondered how much time would pass before I finally had the pleasure of making your acquaintance. Mister Harper has spent a considerable amount of time filling us in on what has transpired over the past few days. You already know Mister Harper. And this other fine gentleman who agreed to sit in on this meeting is Prime Minster Pitt.”

  Saika's stomach twisted and her eyes moved from King George to Sebastian. What had he said?

  His gaze dropped to her side and Saika realized her hand had shifted to her pocket and pressed the ritualistic knife she carried against her hip. He knew she carried a weapon, but there wasn’t any way he could predict how it would be used.

  “Miss Donavon,” George steepled his fingers and rested his elbows on the table top. His expression, as he studied her, seemed more curious than anything else. “Mister Harper was just speaking of you. He holds you in very high regard.”

  Saika unstuck her tongue from the roof of her mouth and forced herself to speak. “Mister Harper is most kind.”

  “Oh?” The king’s brows lifted and his eyes rounded in surprise. “Kind isn’t a word I generally hear when conversations turn towards Sebastian.” His gaze swung to his wife who had remained silent thus far and Saika could swear they shared a silent conversation. Queen Charlotte nodded and a small smile lifted the sides of her thin mouth.

  “Your majesty.” George’s head swung back in Saika’s direction. “I must confess something. There’s been some… intrigue over the past few days that directly involves you, though you didn’t have any knowledge of it at the time.”

  “Ah yes.” King George waved an impatient hand and Prime Minister Pitt passed him a piece of paper. “I have a letter here that provides a rather hasty explanation. If it’s to be believed, it appears you aspired to murder me.” His eyes sparkled. �
��I must say, you’re the most fetching assassin I’ve ever encountered.”

  Saika stared at him. Her entire plan had revolved around her confessing her sins, she hadn’t anticipated he’d already have knowledge of them.

  King George read the piece of paper and laid it aside. “Tell me, dear, is killing me still on the list of things you wish to accomplish?”

  Saika shook her head and twisted her hands together. “No, your majesty. I do not.”

  King George leaned back in his chair with a satisfied expression, almost as if he considered the matter settled. He nudged his queen with his elbow. “I told you she was harmless and there was nothing for to worry over.”

  Saika felt like the world had been turned upside down. King George’s behavior made no sense. He should call the guards and order her arrest. Instead he behaved as if he dealt with an assassination attempt on a daily basis. Maybe it was.

  Prime Minister Pitt sighed. “With all due respect, the matter is not settled and should not be considered such. It is reasonable to believe your life is in danger. Steps must be taken to minimize the risk. Than we must determine who is behind this attempt to remove you from the throne.”

  Everyone seated at the table turned their attention to Prime Minster Pitt and lowered their voices to discuss the matter.

  Saika looked about the room and decided now was the best time to put her plan in action.

  Everyone was so lost in their hushed conversation, no one paid any heed of her as she sank to her knees. She took a moment and tucked her kimono under her knees until it tightened against the back of her neck, before she withdrew her

  She was ready.

  Her fingers were stiff, as if the joints were frozen, as she removed her kaiken from the pocket sewn inot the sleeve of her kimono. She gripped the kaiken’s tsuka and turned the yaiba so it pointed to her breastbone. The memory of her grandfather’s low, serious tones as he described the Seppuku ritual replaced the buzz of the four people seated at the table. When she as little, his stories about comrades who had been forced to perform the ritual in order to preserve their honor fascinated her, she’d always considered them some of the most romantic stories she’d ever heard and had begged him to repeat them over and over again.

  She never dreamt a day would come when she’d be on her knees with a kaiken in her hand, about to perform the same act.

  Funny, when she’d listened to her grandfather, she’d never considered how the men performing the ceremony must have felt. She hadn’t wondered if, as they slowly brought the kaiken closer and closer to its final destination, they’re insides turned liquid and the blood pounded in their ears.

  It took all her will power to keep her expression serene and regulate her breathing. She tore her gaze from the blade, focusing instead on Sebastian who tapped the table with impatient fingers while he listened to the Queen argue some point. He must have felt the weight of his stare, for his own turned to her and his eyes widened in shock.

  He opened his mouth, but before any sound erupted, the tip of Saika’s yaiba found its mark, and she plunged it into her belly, just below her rib cage and drew it downward in one smooth diagonal line.

  From Moonlight to Mayhem

  Chapter Eighteen

  For a moment Saika felt nothing and wondered if she hadn’t pressed hard enough to split the skin.

  She looked down at herself just as a brilliant scarlet stained bloomed on the front of her kimono.

  A second later, the pain threatened to burn her.

  Saika wasn’t naive. She’d known seppuku would be painful, yet even so, she hadn’t imagined the intense nature of the pain. It was as if entering her body had cause the blade of the knife to ignite into flames so it now scorched her body from the inside out.

  Tears stung her eyes.

  She clamped her teeth onto her lower lip in a desperate attempt to stifle the scream tearing at her throat and marshalled all of her strength and wrenched the kaiken yaiba from the wound.

  Something buzzed in her ears, high pitched panicked screams that sounded like they were coming from someplace a million miles away. For a moment, she worried she was the source and felt shame. The seppuku ceremony was meant to be a solemn event, the means of keeping her honor intact. As a warrior she must remain silent and unemotional, not showing any signs of pain or fear, until her soul fled her earthly body.

  Screaming, whether in pain or fear, was not honorable.

  Something pounded on the ground, the sound growing louder as it came closer and closer. Saika forced her eyes open and relief flooded her. She wasn’t the source of the screaming, Queen Charlotte was. And the pounding was the sound of running feet as three men hurried towards her.

  There wasn’t time to waste.

  Drops of blood fell from the tip of the kaiken’s yaiba as she brought it to a point parallel with the starting point of the wound she’d already made.

  Sebastian shouted and lunged for her.

  She shoved her knife hand forward, shuddering as she drove the point home, splitting skin and muscle.

  Sebastian lunged for her. His fingers closing around her wrist, stopping her before she managed to slide the sharp edge of the blade downward and create second slice to match the first one.

  “What the hell are you doing?” The sound of his bellow filled the room. He wrenched the handle from her, tugged the blade free, and tossed it across the room. It struck the floor with a clatter and skidded towards a corner, leaving a trail of blood in its wake.

  Saika stared at the blood. It was over. The Seppuku ritual had been her last chance to retain some element of control over her life, of not bringing dishonor upon herself and her family name, and now, even that had been wrested from her.

  The fury she’d been holding at bay for so long swept over her, overriding her training and the waves of crippling pain and she turned on Sebastian.

  ********

  Saika fought like a woman possessed.

  She was even stronger than Sebastian suspected. It took all his strength just to hold onto her wrist, and he didn’t dare let it go. God only knew what she might do if he freed it long enough for him to change his grip. Nothing she’d done in the last minute made sense. Until just a moment ago, he would have thought it impossible for a woman, for anyone, to use a knife and slit their own belly open, but the blood seeping through the front of Saika’s torn kimono told a different tale. Not only was it possible, but she’d done it.

  He should have had her checked for weapons, but when she arrived without her katana sword he’d assumed she’d come to turn herself in and it hadn’t occurred to him she’d bring a weapon when she intended to surrender. Doing so was foolish and though she was too reckless for his taste, he never considered Saika foolish.

  He’d been wrong.

  As he struggled to restrain Saika before she opened her wounds further, the Prime Minister ran for the door where he told the young guard standing on the other side to fetch the closest physician. Pitt than hurried Saika and knelt at her side, across from Sebastian.

  Instead of reaching for stomach, he reached for her head and began to pour some of his ever present Port down her throat.

  “This should calm her,” he explained.

  “Keep pouring it down her until she falls into a drunken stupor,” Sebastian ground out from between clenched teeth. He would never have guessed that holding a wounded woman could be exhausting.

  Saika choked and spluttered but after a few moments before her struggles began to slow. Queen Charlotte, her face ghost white and her hands shaking, knelt beside Sebastian and reached out and pressed her hands to Saika’s wounds.

  “I have heard of terrible things, things that defied my wildest imagination, but I never imagined a woman would do something like this, not in front of me.” Her gaze locked with Sebastian’s, her eyes brimmed with confusion. “Why did she do this to herself?”

  “I don’t know,” Sebastian ground out, his voice harsh with fear, “but after the surgeon gets throu
gh with her, I intend to find out.”

  Queen Charlotte looked down at her hands. Saika’s blood pushed up between her fingers, staining her skin. “If she lives.”

  “She will.” Sebastian refused to consider any other possibility. “If for no other reason than so I can throttle her for her stupidity.”

  From Moonlight to Mayhem

  Chapter Nineteen

  Saika thought stones had been placed over her eyes.

  It took all her strength to pry them open.

  When she did, she found herself staring straight into Queen Charlotte’s worried eyes. “You’re awake. Until this moment I wasn’t sure you would ever open your eyes again. I don’t often say this, but on this occasion, I am glad I am wrong. “

  Saika licked her lips and tried to swallow. It felt like a hot poker had been shoved down her throat.

  “I should be dead. I performed the Seppuka, I set my soul free.” Saika didn’t recognize the sound of her voice.

  The Queen’s brow furrowed. “Killing oneself is not freeing. It is a sin. You should be grateful the doctor saved your life.”

  “It’s preferable to the alternative. My grandfather explained that the worse fate that can befall a soul is being branded a traitor. I had every intention of committing regicide the highest crime in the country. Performing the Seppuka ceremony before I was officially declared guilty of the crime was my only chance to save my soul.”

  Saika looked around the room and frowned. It was nice, nicer than any room she’d ever stayed in before. Not at all like the cell she should be in.

  She started to sit up.

  “No.” Queen Charlotte hurried to her side and placed a restraining hand on Saika’s shoulder, forcing her back against the bed. “You mustn’t move. My doctor put a great deal of effort into stitching the wounds you inflicted on yourself. I’d hate to see his efforts be for naught.”