Chapter 19
Snowflakes drifted from the leaden sky to land in white blobs on her hat and eyelashes. Tay blinked and brushed the cold flakes from her face as she walked across the courtyard toward the small crowd of people and horses that were gathered at the other end. A freezing wind whipped across the landscape and drove the snow in faster flurries as she left the relative shelter of the Palace courtyard.
Dressed in a long, dark blue woollen skirt, blouse, light jacket, heavy coat and cloak, Tay barely felt cold as her leather, fur-lined boots stomped over the snow-laden ground.
“You made it.” Amira reached her side and gave her an awkward hug. “Damn it’s cold.” The other girl wore similar clothing, but in dark red. A pair of thick mittens covered her hands, but she still shivered.
Tay felt toasty in her layered garb, much more clothing than she was used to for the ravages of winter. “Are they still going to race?” The wind continued to build as the snow began to fall faster. “It looks like we’re heading for a blizzard.”
“It never gets cancelled.” Tay and Amira turned as Talia walked toward them, resplendent in white wool and fox fur. “Don’t they teach you anything down the Mine?”
Stung, Tay opened her mouth to retaliate but stopped as Amira stepped on her toe. “Is your cousin racing today?” she asked, as Tay looked at her in shock.
“Of course.” Talia almost pushed Tay out of the way as she moved forward to stand next to Amira. “He’s got a shot at the title this year.” With a poisonous smile, she turned to face Tay. “And he’s certainly not going to get beaten by a minor noble from the back end of nowhere.”
As those words echoed through her mind, Tay glanced up to see Darius walking out of the stables toward the waiting sleighs. As her eyes roved over the group of racers, she caught sight of Kail. He was standing by his sledge, watching Darius with an unflinching stare. Memories of Darius’ warning flashed through her mind, and Tay shuddered, visions of being caught racing through her mind. With a sweet smile at the look of fear on Tay’s features, Talia leaned over. “Your brother has no chance whatsoever.” She leant in further and Tay fought the urge to step back as the girl invaded her personal space. “I heard something interesting yesterday.” A light, teasing tone rippled across Tay’s ears and she shuddered at it.
“Did you?” With supreme effort, Tay forced herself to keep looking at Talia’s eyes as she tried to channel calm to her voice. “What was it?”
“I heard that your brother’s betrothal was declared void last year.” A hiss of breath escaped from Amira’s lips, but the other girl did not speak up. “I wonder why that was?” Leering tones rippled through the snowy air. “Did he do something he shouldn’t?” The innuendo could not have been more overt if she had painted it across the Palace wall. “Is that why he’s not pledging this year?” Another step and Talia was almost breathing on her. “Did he disgrace himself?” Hazel eyes pierced hers, and Tay almost stopped breathing at the viciousness she saw in them. “Can’t you speak?” One white-gloved finger prodded her in the chest. “Are you a mute?”
Tay could hear Amira muttering something incoherent behind her, but she paid no attention. Her focus was on Talia and the needling jabs she was throwing her way. She was certain that it was not done for ladies to brawl, or she would have slapped the girl straight across her smug, superior face. The insults were meant for Lyana, yet Tay could not take snide comments about Darius’ character. Despite her lack of trust for him, Tay knew that he was a gentleman. Even given carte blanche to abuse his position, he would not do so. She took a breath and answered Talia with distaste.
“I find your questioning distasteful and crude,” Tay answered, surprised by the chill condescension that fuelled her voice. “Are you an heiress to the Clockwork Temple or a dock worker?” She glanced over at Amira, who gave an encouraging nod. “I believe girls of our standing should not gossip like servants. I’m certain Matron Caline would be devastated to learn that one of your stature is bringing the name of a noble house into disrepute.” A thin smile drifted across her features. “Should we ask her?”
The smirk dropped from Talia’s lips. “No.” She stepped back, affecting submission. “I apologise for my manner.” A would-be apologetic smile creased her features. “I did not sleep well last night, and it has affected my temper.”
“I completely understand,” Tay replied, relishing the look of panic that she saw in her eyes. “I’m sure I’ll forget the whole thing when you’re gone.”
Talia took the hint and backed off, almost slipping in the rapidly deepening snow. As the girl moved out of earshot, Tay gave a sigh of relief and turned to face Amira.
“Well done,” the other girl grinned, blinking as a large snowflake landed on her lashes. “Though don’t think you’ve won. She’s Clockwork Temple. They’re unfailingly nasty, and her cousin…” She stopped speaking as one of the servants stepped up and handed each of them a tin cup of steaming liquid. “Oh thank heaven,” she uttered, as she lifted her cup to her lips and downed the contents. “Drink up,” she urged, as Tay sniffed at the strong-smelling beverage. “It’ll warm you.”
The drink was warming as she downed the fruity, but undoubtedly alcoholic drink. It was a little more than a swallow or two of liquid, but it burned slightly as it slid down her throat. A warming sensation began to spread through her body, staving off the incipient chill. Following Amira’s example, she downed the rest of the cup and handed it back to the servant.
“Nice?” Amira asked as she returned her gloved hands to her pockets.
“What was it?” she asked, licking her lips to capture the remnants of the drink.
“Warmed sloe gin.”
“It was very nice,” Tay noted, the warmth still spreading through her body. “So”－with the lingering taste on her tongue, she returned to their earlier conversation－“what were you saying about her cousin?”
Amira cast a quick glance around the courtyard before she moved in closer. “I heard he managed to stop a betrothal last year.” At the blank expression on Tay’s face, she clarified, “There are only two ways to end a betrothal.” Her voice dropped even lower, as though she were afraid of being overheard. “Either the family can instigate a block, or the family is accused of a transgression. Her cousin supposedly got the Carson family demoted because they rejected his proposal.” She downed the last sip of her gin. “I pity the girl who gets betrothed to him.”
“He’s at the ball?” Tay squeaked, wondering if Darius knew about his attendance.
“Hey.” Amira’s answer was lost as Annetta and the rest of the group reached them, little cups of warmed sloe gin in hand.
“We thought you weren’t coming.” Amira smiled, as they approached, the conspiratorial nature of their conversation disappearing as the others joined them.
“You left us alone with Talia,” Tay chuckled, feeling a strange mixture of relief and kinship as the group of girls reached them.
“I bet that was fun,” Annetta noted, with a smile before she downed her sloe gin in one swallow. “Are we late?”
“No, they’re still getting ready.” Tay nodded at the racers. The horses had been hitched to the sleighs and were now pawing at the snowy ground. Darius had already climbed into his fragile-looking vehicle, ready to begin. “Though you’ve only just made it.” She stopped talking as Kail walked toward Darius’ sledge. The snow filling the air swirled between them, and Tay blinked, unable to see the scene with any clarity. They spoke for several moments, the wind and distance preventing any chance of eavesdropping.
“He’s another one to watch,” Annetta noted softly, nodding at Kail. “He’s high up in the guard, no noble status, but apparently he’s in the lists this year.”
“Which I didn’t think was allowed,” Cara muttered, her words almost swallowed by the mouth of the cup. “I thought the guard were separate.”
I don’t think we should stand here.” Amira’s voice broke into their conversation, with overly bright e
nthusiasm. “It’s cold, and I can barely see.”
“Over here,” Cara suggested, as she led the small group into the lee of the large stone wall that surrounded the courtyard. “Out of the wind, the temperature increased slightly, but the snow still covered their clothing in ever increasing patches of white.
“They should really put up a shelter for spectators.” Tay turned as Linnett joined them, her dark plaits hidden by a deep, cowled hood.
“It’s been suggested,” Cara noted, with a wry grin, “but as it’s not really a spectator sport…”
“They’re about to set off.” Amira interrupted the conversation with a note of excitement in her voice.
The sledges were now in a line, facing the gently sloping ground of the gardens. A lone man clad in yellow walked in front of the pawing horses and stood on a box almost within touching distance of the racers. Words spilt from his lips, but the wind tore them unheard to the sky. In his hands, a large yellow flag fluttered, eager to be free. Tay felt the excitement of the group grip her, as the man held the flag aloft, the bright material whipping in the frigid air. Anticipation gripped the crowd, each member staring intently. A few heartbeats passed, as the watching audience collectively held its breath, snow forgotten as they waited impatiently for the race to start. Tay fixed her eyes on Darius’ sleigh, nerves wrapping around her throat like a scarf. The man’s arm moved, the flag becoming a yellow blur against the snowy landscape. The race had begun.
As soon as the flag dropped, the horses moved, dragging the sledges across the snowy ground as each driver vied to be the first to leave the start. Darius touched the whip to the back of his horses just the once, and they were off, their hooves striding through the snow with only minimal slippage. As they picked up speed, the sleigh runners cut through the snow, taking Darius smoothly into the lead.
“Is that your brother?” Cara asked, as cheers erupted from the crowd around them.
“Yes.” Tay clenched her hands into fists, the slightly sick, nervous sensation increasing as she watched the racers chase across the snow.
They approached the first turn, Darius still in the lead, with Kail in second place. Darius slowed to take the bend, but the right runner still left the ground. Tay bit her lip as the sledge landed heavily in the snow. The horses floundered slightly, the shifting weight putting them off balance. Kail’s horses seemed better trained, as he took the corner in his stride. As Darius’ horses struggled, Kail drew level, and then pulled ahead. The snow was descending faster now, the thick white flakes obscuring her vision. Despite the almost blizzard-like conditions, Darius managed to draw level as they reached the second turn. This time, luck was on Darius’ side, and his team of horses smoothly navigated the bend with barely a hitch. Once more he pushed into the lead. Excitement thrummed in Tay’s veins, and she cheered, her voice mingling with the other screams for victory. Almost neck and neck, Darius and Kail reached the smoothed, earthen slipway that led down to the lake. To Tay’s horror, they turned into the slipway and headed down onto the surface of the lake.
“They’re on the lake?” Tay turned to Amira, her fingers almost white with the pressure of squeezing them into fists. “Isn’t that dangerous?” Visions of Darius disappearing beneath the ice began to play within her head.
“It’s fine,” Amira reassured her, as the horses’ strides lengthened, and they began to gallop. “They test the thickness.”
Six more sleighs joined them on the ice, and the race began in earnest. Out in front, Darius began to pull away from Kail, his team speeding like a train across the flat surface. Tay felt herself leaning forward, watching with her heart in her mouth, as they raced toward the far bank and the next checkpoint. There was a groan of disappointment from the crowd behind her as one of the other teams pulled to the side of the lake and retired, one of the horses limping as they drew to a stop. Darius reached the opposite bank first, and the horses pulled the sleigh to the top, their flanks steaming in the cold air. Behind him and to his left, Kail’s sledge reached the slipway. Several applications of the whip drove his team of horses up the slipway, and they plunged forward after Darius. Tay could barely see the racers, the falling snow so thick that it turned the racing teams into a grey blur. Neck and neck, the two leading sleighs reached the checkpoint. Darius’ team effortlessly managed the tight turn. Kail was falling behind, with Darius poised to take the trophy, when it happened.
The first horse pitched forward, stumbling into some unseen hole, and it landed on its knees with an agonised whinny. As the first horse fell, the second horse shied and bucked, dragging the sleigh erratically to the side, as it tried to free itself. Darius flew forward, his body somersaulting over the front of the sledge to land in the churned-up snow with a sickening crack. The cheers stopped instantly, and an eerie silence fell over the spectators. One shocked moment passed as Tay stared at the wreckage of the sleigh that had been racing only moments ago. A scream rent the unnatural stillness and people began to run forward, Tay among them.
One of the other racers reached it first and took hold of the thrashing horse, releasing it from the chassis, and it plunged away from the tangled wreck with prancing, agitated steps. Tay raced forward, her legs carrying her through the snow as though it were nothing and her heart pounded painfully in her chest.
“Lyana.” Amira ran with her, her long legs quickly covering the distance from the wall to the lake. “Wait.” Her hand caught hold of Tay’s arm and pulled her to a stop. “Let them handle it.”
“But…” The blood pounded painfully in her ears as she tried to calm down. All she could see was him falling. “It’s Darius…” Confusion burned through her as she sought to analyse her reaction. It hadn’t been a calculated move or an effort to project sisterly concern; she genuinely was afraid. “I’ve got to…” She pushed away from Amira and staggered onto the smooth, slick surface of the lake. Several paces in, she skidded forward and fell. Her knees slammed painfully into the cold ice of the lake, and she gasped in pain. Gritting her teeth, she pulled herself upright and kept going, slipping and sliding over the frozen surface as she staggered toward Darius and the wreckage of his sleigh.
“Darius.” She reached the bank and pulled herself up, before beginning to run. Her feet sank into the snow, and she staggered through the deep drifts until she reached the tracks made by the sleigh runners. Placing her feet into the furrows she began to run, aiming for the crash with a single-mindedness that she could not quite understand. Flakes of feathery, soft snow melted against her cheeks until they felt like tears running down her face. Several of the racers reached the mangled mess of metal and wood and began to fashion a stretcher.
“Darius?” She pushed through the crowd and stopped, frozen by the sight of his pale, unmoving form. A bright bloom of red spattered the snow, and she gasped, heart pounding painfully at the sight. “Darius?” She made herself keep going, to push through the crowd and kneel at his side. His face was ashen, blood trickling from a wound to his head, and his arm was bent at an odd angle. She could see the bone sticking through the skin and bile rose in her throat.
“Is he…?” She couldn’t finish the sentence, her fears rising to choke her. “He’s so still…” The whisper passed her lips, and one of the men in front turned to look at her.
“He’s unconscious but breathing,” he answered, as more people arrived; called from the Palace to assist. “Back away now.” An arm pushed her to one side as they gathered around Darius’ still form and lifted him from the churned-up snow. Tay stepped back as the group pushed him onto the stretcher and began to move away. Brushing away the tears that she told herself were melting snowflakes, Tay followed the crowd toward the Palace and the warmth of the infirmary.
“Will he be alright?” She started at the sound of Kail’s voice and turned to face him.
“I don’t know,” she answered honestly, as they walked through the main doors and turned left. “It looks like he broke his arm.”
“And his head,” Kail clarif
ied, in his cool, emotionless voice. “Will you be alright?” His voice was mild, and despite the words, she could detect no matching sentiment. The question sounded formulaic, spoken by one who maintained the forms of society but did not truly feel. Her thoughts flashed back to that morning and Darius’ insistence that Kail was investigating him. Part of her wondered if this were some elaborate ruse, but she could not for the life of her determine what that could be.
“I’ll be fine,” she answered, as she followed Darius’ still body through a set of double doors and into a small infirmary. It was unlike any hospital that she had ever seen. The scent of antiseptic still laced the air, but the décor and furnishings were far more luxurious. They placed Darius’ body onto one of the beds, and several doctors moved in to attend him. Tay was gently pushed out of the way as they began to cut away at the clothes that covered his body. One of the nurses pushed her backward and told her to sit on the chair near the door. As the rest of the crowd moved back through the large doors, Tay sat on one of the comfortable chairs and waited, gnawing at a hangnail as the doctors worked on Darius.
“Lyana.” She turned at the sound of her phony name and watched as Amira and the other girls walked through the infirmary. “Is your brother alright?” They reached her side, and Amira gave her a brief hug. Tay glanced back toward the working physicians and shrugged.
“They haven’t told me anything,” she said, aware of the anguish in her voice as she spoke. “He’s broken his arm and hit his head. That’s all I know.”
Cara sat down in one of the chairs and gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. Annetta and Amira moved to sit opposite, and she could see Linnett still standing behind them.
Amber Sky (C.O.I.L.S Of Copper and Brass Book 1) Page 18
