From The Ashes (Ministry of Curiosities Book 6)

by C. J. Archer

  Damn him. Damn him for making me feel this way, for giving me everything my heart desired then ripping it away from me. I'd removed my engagement ring before reaching the school to avoid awkward questions, but I longed to fling it back in his face. If I ever saw him again, I'd—

  Stop! Stop considering the future.

  I mustn't think too far ahead, and certainly mustn't allow myself to hope that I would go home again. There was only here and now, the darkness, the loneliness and the scurrying rats. I had to get out of the dungeon first, and then turn my attention to breaking free from the school in the spring. What came after that…I would just have to wait and see.

  The scratching suddenly sounded very close. I sprang off the slab, pushing myself up with my hands. Pain sliced across my palm where Mrs. Denk's cane had seared my flesh. I swore at the top of my lungs, and shook out my hand, but it didn't help. It hadn't hurt this much before.

  Think of something else. Think of escaping in the spring.

  I heard scurrying again, and kicked out, but didn't connect with any living creature. If only my imp could remove the creatures for me, or, even better, get me out of the dungeon. But the cat-like creature living inside the amber sphere hanging around my neck only obeyed me when saving my life. Perhaps I could convince it that rats were a direct threat to my person.

  I leaned against the column with a sigh, not wanting to sit down and risk something burrowing into the folds of my skirts. My stomach growled. I'd not eaten since breakfast and I must have been in the dungeon several hours already. I needed to use the privy too. A horrible thought struck me. What if Mrs. Denk decided to leave me down here? Who would stop her? No one dared cross her, not even the other teachers. I could starve to death. Or die from boredom.

  My imagination conjured up all the ways in which I could die, and calculated how long it would take. It wasn't the happiest way to pass the time, but at least it meant I was no longer thinking about Lincoln.

  More time passed, but I couldn't fathom the length. More than a day? Two? I had to squat in the corner to relieve myself, holding my skirts high to keep them clean. I pictured rats sniffing at my hind quarters, and quickly finished and returned to my column in the center of the dungeon. I found my way by feel, my good hand skimming over slimy stones as cold as ice. I shivered as the freezing air seeped through my clothing and skin to my bones. Forget starvation. I would die from the cold before lack of food.

  My legs grew too weary to hold me up so I squatted, and finally sat. I don't know when I gave up worrying about rats, but I found I no longer cared if they ventured closer to inspect me. I was sure I felt their tiny claws over my hands, their twitchy noses near my ear. The only thing that roused me from the slab of stone was the sensation of something crawling through my hair.

  I scampered away, only to smack into another column. I'm ashamed to admit that I squealed. Pathetic. The old Charlie would have fallen about laughing if one of the lads in the gang had screamed when a rat ran through his hair. This Charlie was so much weaker. At that moment, I hated her.

  I stood. The old Charlie and the new must make her own luck. I felt my way to the stairs, and tripped up the first step, landing hard on my hands and knees. I grunted as pain spiked through my palm, but managed to suppress it enough to continue up to the top. I banged on the door with my fist then waited.

  No answer.

  "Anyone? Is there someone there?"

  Nothing.

  I banged again and shouted as loud as I could but there was no response. I felt utterly removed, as if the nearest person was miles away. If the teachers and students abandoned the castle, I would never know.

  I leaned back against the door and closed my eyes. Tears leaked from beneath my lashes. I was thirsty, hungry and helpless. Damn Mrs. Denk to hell, and damn Lincoln too.

  The tinkling of metal had me opening my eyes again. How long had they been shut? I couldn't see a thing, not even the wispy ghost whose chain mail made the sound.

  "Is anyone there?" I asked the darkness.

  The tinkling ceased. Had he stopped or simply floated through to another part of the castle?

  "I can see you, Mr. Ghost," I ventured. "Well, not now, it's too dark, but I've seen you wandering the halls of the school."

  "School?" The rough masculine voice was closer than I thought.

  I grinned. So he could hear me. Thank goodness he wasn't completely mad and unaware of my presence.

  "'Tis not a school," he went on, with equal parts pride and arrogance lacing his tone. "'Tis Inglemere. My home."

  "You owned this castle?"

  "Aye, but I'd wager it was some time ago. Time has no meaning now. I am dead," he added, as if it would be news to me. "Are you the one they are all a-twitter about upstairs?"

  "I suspect so. Charlie Holloway, at your service."

  "Sir Geoffrey Falstead. A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mistress Holloway. It is not often that I meet a seer of spirits. You are only the second."

  "We're a rare breed."

  "It is a comfort to talk to someone again. I miss company. I miss laughter and serious discussion alike. I miss music. These walls used to echo with it," he murmured. "No longer. Ever since that woman arrived, the air here has grown stale."

  "Mrs. Denk has that effect on air. If you miss company so much, why do you stay? Why not cross over?"

  "I swore to protect Inglemere. The day the siege began, I promised the folk that I would watch over it, even from my grave, if that became necessary. It did, as it happened. I died that day."

  "I'm sorry," I said quietly. "Truly I am. But the siege was a long time ago, Sir Geoffrey, and your contemporaries have all passed. You can go now."

  "It's my duty to protect the castle." He sounded offended. "I do not shy away from my duties, Mistress Holloway."

  "No, of course not." I would not press him on the point. Some ghosts wanted to remain in this realm, and it was their choice to do so. Usually they wished to resolve an issue before moving on, like get revenge on their killer, or wait to see if a loved one found happiness again. Very few remained indefinitely. "How much do you see on your wanderings?" I asked him.

  "Everything. I see all the comings and goings. That woman bought the castle after my line died out, sadly, but there was little I could do except haunt it. I slammed doors, moved furniture, and flung objects about, but nothing I did frightened her. She remained. One of her students was the first medium I encountered. She acted as an intermediary and the leader and I came to an agreement. I could stay here, quietly, and she would not alter the castle according to the plans she'd drawn up. I agreed." He sighed. "What more could I do? I had no power to stop her, only frighten her students. I will not leave. Ever."

  "You're very noble, Sir Geoffrey, and very loyal to Inglemere. I admire you for it."

  "Thank you, Mistress Holloway. The dungeon is rarely occupied, hence I have few reasons to venture down here, but I heard them speak of you in hushed tones, holed up in this place forsaken by God and your mistress." He sighed. "It's no better down here now than it was in my time. Are you cold?"

  "Extremely." Here was a hope. If I could only get him to do something. "You came down here to check on me? That's very kind of you."

  "It is my duty," he said rather stiffly. I wished I could see him, as I suspected he could see me in the dark. "I came after hearing a maiden beg that woman to release you."

  "Alice?"

  "I believe that is her name."

  "Good for her. I knew she was the bravest person here. What did Mrs. Denk say?"

  "She sent Alice to her room without food."

  "Oh." I drew up my knees and rested my forehead against them. "Poor Alice. When was that?"

  "Time has little meaning for me. Dawn is making an appearance now."

  Some time ago, then. Mrs. Denk truly didn't care for my welfare. Perhaps she really would leave me in here to die. "Sir Geoffrey, will you do something for me?"

  "That's why I came. No gentle woman
should be imprisoned down here. It's fit only for traitors and Frenchman. How can I help?"

  "Is there another escape route? A secret tunnel perhaps?"

  "No. One entry and exit, via the stairs."

  "Damn." I could force him to enter a dead body from the church graveyard I'd spotted beyond the trees, and then frighten Mrs. Denk into handing over the key, but that would require a wait. Besides, there was another way. Perhaps. "Can you give a message to the medium?"

  "There's another medium here aside from yourself?"

  I didn't tell him I was a necromancer, and that there was a difference. "Her name is Meredith. She's about my height and her hair is dark with tight curls. She likes to wear pink. You'll find her in the third bedchamber from the old kitchen."

  "The servants quarters," he said absently. "I will fetch her, but she may not be a medium. She does not acknowledge me."

  "She will if you talk to her directly. Tell her she must get the key from Mrs. Denk somehow and slip it under the door."

  "And if she will not do it?"

  "Tell her to fetch Alice. Alice has more courage. She'll do it." It begged the question, however—why hadn't she already tried to get the key and freed me? Or had she tried, and failed? "Thank you, Sir Geoffrey. I appreciate you coming here to help a damsel in distress." If a little flattery insured he did his best, then so be it.

  "I can't spend much time convincing her," he warned me. "I must continue on my rounds. The perimeter must be secured, the battlements made ready. The French army lie in wait just beyond the trees and may attack today."

  Oh dear. So he was mad after all. I supposed it was unlikely that a spirit could reside here for so long, alone, and not have lost part of his mind.

  Chain mail rattled and then suddenly ceased. He'd vanished. I waited. And waited. It felt like hours. To take my mind off my hollow stomach and icy bones, I sang every song my adoptive mother had taught me as a child, and when I finished those, I began again, and again, getting louder each time.

  "Cease this infernal noise!" shouted Sir Geoffrey finally.

  "You're back!" I didn't tell him I'd almost given up. The hint of madness hadn't instilled much confidence in me. "Do you have news?"

  "The French draw near."

  "I meant news about my escape. Did you speak with Meredith?"

  "I did. After she calmed and rallied her wits, I followed her to see the other maiden, Alice. Alas, Alice is asleep and cannot be woken."

  "Asleep!" That explained why she hadn't come to assist me. "Did Meredith shake her?"

  "She did, and shouted at her, and poured water over her feet." He sounded agitated, his concentration not on the conversation.

  "Why her feet?"

  "She didn't want to ruin the maiden's hair."

  I rolled my eyes. "And then what happened?"

  "Nothing. She slumbered on."

  Poor Alice was in one of her deep sleeps again, tortured by dreams of the queen chasing her, I suspected.

  The chain mail rattled, moving further away, then drew close again. He must be standing right in front of me. "Forgive me, Mistress Holloway, I must leave now. This is the safest place for you at present anyway."

  "What are you talking about, Sir Geoffrey? What's happening?"

  "The French will unlikely negotiate."

  I clicked my tongue. If I could grab hold of a ghost, I would have strangled him. I was so close to freedom, and yet so far away. I needed his help. Without him or Meredith or Alice…

  "Can you speak to Meredith again on my behalf," I said. "Urge her to come down here on her own. Tell her Mrs. Denk hasn't fed me in over a day."

  "The head woman is busy. I don't like her, but she has more than your wellbeing on her mind at present."

  "What could possibly be more important than my life?" I shouted.

  "The French."

  I groaned. It was hopeless.

  "They're setting up siege equipment," he went on. Once again, the rattle of the chain mail grew distant. "It may be a long, drawn-out battle. The castle isn't well defended anymore, and I doubt a gaggle of schoolgirls will be of much use to me. But I must try. Inglemere will not fall! Not as long as I haunt its corridors." His voice faded and the chain mail stopped rattling.

  "Sir Geoffrey?"

  No response.

  I felt my way around the walls, and stumbled from column to column. "Sir Geoffrey, are you there?"

  No answer. He was gone.

  I crumpled to the floor and burst into tears, but they didn't last long. Crying would not get me out, although it made me feel a little better. All I could do now was wait, either for Mrs. Denk to come to her senses or for Alice to waken. She couldn't sleep forever, and surely Mrs. Denk wouldn't abandon me altogether. She was cruel, but not a murderess.

  I tucked my arms against my chest and drew my knees up. It did nothing to warm me and I shivered uncontrollably. My teeth chattered and it felt like ice slid along my veins. If I remained in the dungeon much longer, I would surely die from the freezing damp.

  Would my imp consider that life threatening? I closed my fist around the amber. "I release you." When nothing happened, I repeated the instruction in French, as my mother had told me to do. "Je libère toi."

  Again, nothing. I sighed. Perhaps it was a positive thing that my imp didn't consider me to be in imminent danger.

  A light tap on the door had me spinning toward the staircase. Had I imagined it?

  There it was again, louder. No, not a tap. It was the clank of solid iron on wood. A key? I scrambled across the floor on hands and knees so as not to trip up the bottom step in the dark. My sore palm stung, but I didn't care. "Mrs. Denk?" I would promise to be good from this point on. Well, until my escape from the school. And I would keep that promise too. I didn't want her keen eye on me, watching my every move while I planned my exit.

  The door opened a crack, letting in a sliver of light. "It's me," came a girl's voice. "Meredith. Charlie?"

  "Meredith!" Thank God. She'd plucked up the courage to rescue me after all.

  The door widened and her face appeared in shadow. She held up a candle and squinted into the dimness. "I've come to get you out. We need you." She glanced behind her and beckoned me to come.

  I climbed the stairs and took her offered hand. "Thank you. I was beginning to think I'd die in there."

  Her rosy pink lips flattened. "Sir Geoffrey told me Mrs. Denk hasn't fed you. My God, Charlie, that's awful." She stepped away and studied me. Her pert nose wrinkled. "You look terrible."

  My dress was dirty, particularly at the knees and hem, and my hands filthy. No doubt evidence of my tears still marked my face too, and I hated to think what my hair looked like. "It's been an ordeal. Thank you for rescuing me. Now, I must face Mrs. Denk. Or escape the castle altogether." I bit my lip, unsure how to proceed.

  Her eyes widened, and she glanced anxiously behind her again. "You can't do either, I'm afraid."

  A thunderous bang boomed above us, followed by crashing that seemed to go on and on. High pitched screaming followed, only to be drowned out by Meredith's wail.

  She flattened herself to the floor and threw her arms over her head. Her candle went out, and she began to cry.

  "What was that?" I asked, joining her on the floor.

  "They're attacking!" she cried. "Sir Geoffrey said they would. I thought him mad, but I should have listened to him. I should have warned Mrs. Denk not to go out there, and now she's gone too, possibly dead! And we have only a ghost to help us and a few girls and teachers with no military experience. We're going to die, Charlie!"

  The entire world had gone mad in one solitary evening. Or had I fallen through a portal to an alternate realm? "Meredith, what are you talking about?"

  Someone screamed again. It was quickly followed by several more screams, including Meredith's. Another booming crash brought an eerie silence over the castle, however. My stomach plunged. I preferred the screams.

  "Meredith!" I shouted, shaking her. "What's ha
ppening?"

  "The French army is attacking the castle! We're under siege!"

  I sat back on my haunches and stared at her. Either she was mad, or I was. There was only one way to find out. I got to my feet, hauling her up as I did so. She sobbed loudly. "Tell me everything that has transpired overnight." I took her hand and dragged her with me.

  She planted her feet and pulled back. "I'm not leaving. If the castle falls down, it's safest down there in the dungeon."

  "Not if the entrance is blocked by rubble. Trust me, Meredith, the safest place is far away from here. Where are Mrs. Denk and the others?"

  "Mrs. Denk left early this morning to negotiate with the army." Her face crumpled. "She didn't return."

  "So…it really is the French army, or are you simply repeating what Sir Geoffrey said?"

  She hugged her body. "I don't know if they're French or not," she cried. "All I do know is, there are hundreds, if not thousands of soldiers surrounding the castle. Some are mounted, most are on foot. One holds a banner with a red heart on it."

  "That is not the French flag."

  She swiped at her tears. "An emissary asked for Alice."

  "Alice! What has she got to do with any of this?"

  "I don't know," she wailed. "But Mrs. Denk refused to hand her over. She demanded to know the meaning of their presence, and the emissary simply stated that Alice was wanted for treason against their queen and country."

  "Which country?"

  "I didn't hear."

  "What did Mrs. Denk do then?"

  "She claimed the entire thing was ridiculous. She thought the locals were having a lark, or a mock battle on school grounds. She was furious, and marched out to confront them and demand they leave. Sir Geoffrey warned her not to, but she couldn't hear him, of course. Only I could and…" She burst into a fresh round of tears. "…and I didn't pass on his warning and now she's dead!"

  I took her in my arms and patted her back. "We don't know that," I said half-heartedly. My mind reeled with all sorts of scenarios, but one thing became clear. Alice was the key. She'd dreamed about a queen chasing her, and here was the army of a queen on our doorstep, demanding her return.