“We could try something else.” Ferdy thought for a moment before he chuckled. “Though I guess it’s not likely you will be able to escape using the withdrawing room excuse.”
Despite the dread growing inside of me, I giggled. “If Lumiere is working with Karl, he’s likely not going to believe me if I use that one.”
“Quiet.” Ferdy held up a hand, and for a moment, I thought he was upset at the mention of his brother. But as we stopped talking, I realized he was paying more attention to the window. The sound of hooves accompanied with the clacking of wheels called to us.
We both pressed our noses to the glass. Through the darkness, I saw there was a grand carriage coming down the narrow lane of the docks. I tried to see if there was a crest on the coach, but there was nothing I could see that would identify its passenger.
A click of keys clattered behind us as the door opened. Ferdy and I turned around just in time to see Alex’s shadow fill the entrance.
“What are you doing here?” Alex stared at me, before a sadistic smile crept on his face. “Well, if it isn’t my favorite little sister. Max told me that you had to be involved in all of this, but I must confess, Eleanora, I didn’t think you had it in you.”
“We’re not family,” I objected, but he ignored me.
His hand reached into his coat and he pulled out a pistol. “You always cause more trouble than you’re worth.”
A renewed sense of fear tingled down through my body.
Ferdy, on the other hand, leaned back and yawned. “I don’t know why you’d even bother with us. We’re not worth any trouble, especially if we’re only going to give you more.”
“My cousin says differently,” Alex said, shifting his attention to Ferdy.
“Is that who just arrived?” Ferdy nudged me with his foot, carefully, waving his arm toward the window to further distract Alex. He wanted me to move.
I did not know his game, but I followed his silent orders. I stepped to the side carefully, making it only seem I was shifting my stance as Alex continued to focus on Ferdy.
“He says you’re the younger prince of Bohemia,” Alex continued, “and if we’re going to secure the throne for our family, we have to kill you.”
“I fail to see why,” Ferdy said. “My own cousin holds the throne. Karl and I have no legitimate claim to it.”
“Not yet,” Alex grumbled. “I’ve come to collect you.”
“I’m not going with you.”
“I didn’t ask,” Alex snapped, and even in the dim room, I could see a flush across his pale cheeks. “I’d hate to kill you first.”
“If you’re going to kill me, you might as well do it now,” Ferdy said. “So go ahead. Shoot.”
I felt the blood drain from my face as Alex raised the gun. Before I could think through it, I stepped in front of Ferdy. “No.”
“Ella, get back,” Ferdy ordered. “He can’t do it. I was calling his bluff. You really don’t know anything about gambling, do you?”
“Apparently, she doesn’t.”
I glanced back to see Alex was watching us, and I could almost see his mind putting the pieces together.
“You’re in love with her,” Alex said, and I knew we were doomed. He turned the gun at me, a new perverseness on his face. “Excellent. If you don’t do what I want, I’ll kill her instead.”
Ferdy’s jaw hardened. Before I could assure Alex that Ferdy meant nothing to me, that such a prince would never fall in love with a former servant girl and current spy, Ferdy held up his hands in defeat.
“I will do as you say,” he said. “But you must guarantee her safety.”
“I swear on my life she will live,” Alex assured him. “Now, come to me, Eleanora, and give me your weapon.”
It was against everything inside of me to put one foot in front of the other and approach Alex. Slowly, I held out my dagger, and he took it from me. His pistol remained pointed firmly at Ferdy as he tossed my dagger to the far side of the room. He grabbed my arm and thrust his gun just under my chin. I silently sent my mother an apology for letting go of her dagger; I had a feeling she would forgive me, knowing it was to protect Ferdy, but I still felt her loss all over again as Alex held his weapon steady.
My nose twitched at the smell of gunpowder mixed with the metallic heat. The barrel jutted into my skin as my heart began to race in terror.
I was further alarmed as Alex locked his arm around my neck and clutched me against his body. “You always were too alluring for your own good, you know,” he hissed, breathing in my scent deeply.
“Get away from her!” Ferdy yelled as he stepped forward, angered by Alex’s attention to me.
“I said I wouldn’t kill her, but I never said I would keep myself from her.” Alex laughed, drawing me even closer to him. I began to resist, but the gun barrel dug further into my neck. I struggled to breathe at the pressure.
“You’re here for me,” Ferdy reminded him.
“Then let’s get going, shall we?” Alex twisted his fingers into the ends of my curls, clearly enjoying his time incensing Ferdy as much as he was pleased to have me beside him. “It would be a pity to shoot such a pretty lady at such a close range.”
Ferdy glared at him, his eyes never leaving Alex’s as he walked toward us. I silently pleaded with him to do something, but I knew Ferdy would not risk me.
It is up to me, I thought. I scrambled to think of something, anything at all. I was not sure if any of the fighting techniques I knew would work.
And then a new idea struck me. I did not have to fight Alex. All I had to do was get him to think he had lost his advantage.
I gasped for air one last time, loudly, before I closed my eyes and allowed my body to go completely limp. Alex buckled under the sudden pressure of supporting me, and I felt the gun slide away from my skin.
“Hey!” Alex wrestled with the sudden extra weight, and Ferdy did not fail me. I heard his quick steps and a strange crunch as something flew through the air and hit Alex.
When I opened my eyes a second later, I saw a coconut rolling on the floor in front of me. I pushed out of Alex’s grip and used the momentum to slam my fist into his nose. Ferdy came up beside me to further force Alex onto the ground.
I hurried over to where Alex had thrown my dagger. I’d just picked it up when the gun went off, and I heard Ferdy’s cry of pain.
“No,” I yelled, watching in horror as Ferdy fell back. My heart stalled at the thought of losing him. When I saw him grip his arm, gritting his teeth and struggling not to cry out in pain, I knew we had to finish this battle.
I gripped my dagger and used the hilt to bludgeon back of Alex’s head. I did not feel any remorse as the dagger hit him, nor did I feel any sadness as I felt the shock of bones cracking and blood vessels breaking.
“Damn you.” Alex’s voice was slurred as he struggled to remain conscious, only to collapse onto the floor a second later. His breath came in uneven stints, but I was too concerned with Ferdy to care.
“Ferdy.” I knelt beside him and carefully put my hands on his arm where the ruby red of his blood was leaking through his shirtsleeve.
“It’s not bad,” Ferdy insisted. “It was a graze, that’s all.”
“Let me look at it.” I gently peeled his fingers away before tearing at the sleeve. A large gash, from the middle of his arm to the edge of his shoulder, glowered up at me. From what I could deduce, I agreed with Ferdy; it was a surface wound, though it looked like it had burrowed several little chunks of skin off from his arm.
“We need to get this cleaned,” I said slowly.
“Just tie it up for now,” Ferdy said. Sweat ran down his face as he gritted his teeth, determined to keep me from knowing how much pain he was in. “Tear some strips from my shirt. Once we get out of here, we can take care of it.”
“I don’t want you to be hurt.”
“It’s too late for that.” He tried to give me a smile but was too pained for me to say anything.
I hurried to bind up the wou
nd as he instructed, praying every step of the way he would be fine until we managed to get back to the Cabal, or even the manor. Amir will be able to take care of this, surely.
“Don’t cry.”
“Huh?”
“I can see the tears in your eyes, Ella,” Ferdy said. His smile was much less pained this time. “Don’t cry. You did well, especially handling that beast of a stepbrother you have.”
We both glanced back at Alex’s body. He was still breathing, but there was some blood coming out of his head.
“I’m glad he’ll be in pain for a while,” I said slowly. I did not admit the terrible truth, that I did not actually want him to die.
Well, that was not true. I did not care if he died, but I did not want to be the one who killed him.
Ferdy squeezed my hand tightly. “You can’t trust someone like him to keep his word. He was going to kill you after he was finished with me.”
He carefully stood up, and immediately I ran my hands down his back, clutching him. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t think he would shoot you, I swear.”
“It’s fine, as long as you’re safe.” Ferdy wrapped his good arm around me, while his other bled freely. I felt him flinch and I knew he was trying to hold back his complaints as he held me. Another layer of guilt pressed into me, and I struggled not to cry at his pain. I leaned up and kissed him. I had no words that would suffice for an apology that could be accepted, but I wanted Ferdy to know I would be there to comfort him.
“I thought you said we didn’t have time for this,” he murmured against my mouth.
“I will never have enough time to love you properly,” I whispered back. “Especially with people like Alex trying to kill us, it seems.”
“Ella.” His breath tickled my ear as I burrowed into his chest, losing myself in him.
When the castle walls had collapsed, I embraced him then, too. My kingdom of illusions and innocence had fallen, and I was crushed by its destruction. This time, as Ferdy held onto me and I clutched at him, I no longer felt the same sadness. My world before had been beautiful, but with very little to offer in the way of reality. Now, having been through the darkness and having seen the meanness of this world, I knew what true beauty and virtue meant. With Ferdy beside me, we could rebuild what had been burned down, and together with the others I loved, we could strengthen every good thing for the future.
A future where we are together.
“Well, what a lovely and touching scene this is.”
Ferdy and I looked over at the door simultaneously. Lumiere stood there, lounging in the doorway. I pulled out my dagger, and Ferdy balled up his fists, while Lumiere only laughed.
“There’s no need to jump the gun,” Lumiere said. He nudged Alex’s fallen body with his toe. “I trust my associate here did not give you too much trouble?”
“I’m going to kill him after I kill you,” I promised bitingly.
Lumiere shook his head and tiptoed around Alex, picking up the gun Alex had dropped during our scuffle. “Tsk, tsk, Lady Ella. There’s no need to be so hostile. I understand you are my guest, and you have been upset with your treatment while you have been here. But please, allow me the chance to properly rectify this situation before you rob me of all ability.”
Before I could ask what he meant, he held up Alex’s gun and fired.
My body reacted to the movement before my mind did. Ferdy and I both grabbed onto each other, the two of us trying to shield each other. I told Ferdy before that we were both determined creatures, and it seemed we were both determined to stay in this world or leave it together.
I prayed for deliverance and squeezed my eyes shut as the shot crackled like lightning and thunder, the smack of its force whipping past us.
But when the echo of the gunshot faded, Ferdy and I were both still standing.
We had not been shot.
“What did you do?” I asked Lumiere, before I saw my answer.
Down in front of us, Alex’s body was no longer twitching. It was deathly still, as a puddle of blood began to bubble up on his back and pool out from underneath him.
Beside me, Ferdy gripped onto me even more tightly. I welcomed his strange comfort as a reminder that I had to stay composed, even at the gruesome sight.
“There,” Lumiere said, tossing the derringer aside once more. “I’ve taken care of the situation. I can assure you, chérie, such a grave offense to your person will never happen again from this pathetic creature. Now, I must insist that you both come with me. And, if you do not want to end up like this vile mess, you will be silent.”
He paused for a moment, before looking to me. The green of his eyes seemed to glow as he gave me his cocky grin. “I suppose I do not have to warn you. I know if you truly are Naděžda’s daughter, your curiosity will keep you quiet.”
I gripped my dagger in my hand, ready to tell him that my mother would be upset at his treatment of me, and I refused to believe that she would be friends with him, either. But then he nodded toward my weapon, waving his gun around in a dismissive movement. “I would also tuck that away. You will not need it to get the answers you seek.”
*23*
◊
I was telling Ferdy the truth when I said I had never been on a ship before. Ever since Máma had been lost at sea, I did not like the thought of traveling by boat. It always loomed inside my mind like a shadow, and I did not think I would ever be comfortable sailing.
As we made our way through the small hallways of Lumiere’s ship, I was further convinced my earlier instincts were right. The deck beneath my feet tipped slowly from the right to the left, and then back to the right. My legs felt the strange pressure, almost as if walking onboard was an exercise Harshad would prescribe.
Ferdy walked behind me, and Lumiere behind him. My dagger curled into my side, further tucked into the small leather skirt of my habit.
When we immerged from the bowels of the ship and onto the upper deck, I saw there were torch lights glowing as workers hurried around, cleaning the deck and preparing to set sail. The workers were all clothed in masks, but I recognized the blond curls of a short figure as we headed toward the bow.
Betsy!
As if she heard my silent call, her eyes widened as they saw me, filling with hope and then fear. Before I could say anything, Lumiere cleared his throat behind me, and I had to refrain from action—for now.
But I knew, in seeing Betsy, what had happened.
Tulia and Lumiere had coordinated with each other, stealing away the household workers from my father’s manor. They were now working on Lumiere’s ship, which was kept far enough away from the dock that they risked drowning if they attempted escape. Lumiere kept them from leaving, and Alex worked for Lord Maximillian.
Did that mean Cecilia and Priscilla were also onboard? I wondered if that was possible, given Prissy’s high standards and Cecilia’s arrogance. My stepsister would not be willing to stay on a boat because of the lack of luxury, and Cecilia would be reluctant to do so without commandeering the captain’s authority.
I glanced back at Lumiere for a quick second, and he continued to stare straight ahead. He did not seem like someone who would let another person hold power over him, no matter what Ferdy said about his card game.
“Ella.”
Ferdy whispered my name and grabbed my hand. I was worried that Lumiere would not allow me to keep a hold on him, but when I looked forward again, I suddenly realized that Ferdy was the one who was worried.
Karl, Lord Maximillian, and a dozen of their bodyguards and runners stood in front of us. Karl saw me, and I blushed as he scowled. There was no hiding myself from him anymore.
“Gentlemen,” Lumiere cooed. “I must apologize for the delay.”
“What is going on? Where is Alexander?” Lord Maximillian’s voice was harsh against the darkness. The rustling river below harmonized with it, adding an eerie quality to the atmosphere.
“Unfortunately, there was a bit of a scuffle, and I am remiss to have t
o announce he has passed from this world,” Lumiere said. “Next time you’re going to send someone after a member of the Order, you might want to consider sending someone more experienced. Or at least someone who wouldn’t get shot by his own gun.”
I noticed Lumiere did not tell Lord Maximillian who it was that shot the gun in question.
“I see. Yes, that is unfortunate.” There was nothing in his voice to suggest that he was upset at Alex’s loss, other than a minor inconvenience. “Such a shame, too. He had promise.”
“As what? A mercenary?” I snapped, and Lumiere nudged his gun into my shoulder. I knew he was unhappy at my outburst.
Lord Maximillian’s heavy brows furrowed as he looked at me. “So, the rumors are true. Lady Wellington is a spy, and she has trained her granddaughter in the art. I must confess, I did not think you were capable of pulling off such an elaborate ruse.”
I blushed at his cutting remarks. Ferdy squeezed my hand more tightly, likely pleading with me to abstain from commenting back.
Lumiere stepped forward. “She has her charms. And that helps blind us to her, shall we say, more egregious faults, perhaps? Isn’t that right, Prince Karl?”
It was Karl’s turn to turn red. He opened his mouth to say something, but Lumiere cut him off.
“Maybe I should have phrased it differently. I meant to say, ‘Wasn’t I right when I told you that your beloved Ella was secretly in love with your own brother?’”
Karl straightened, tightening his cravat around his neck. “You have made your point, Lumiere. You have my trust.”
“I should think so, and I am appalled that you should have questioned it in the first place after all we have been through,” Lumiere snapped, and I saw that he was genuinely upset at having to prove himself. He ran his hand through his hair, irritated, and then smiled brightly. “But, considering it is Ella, I am more understanding. I can see why you would want to marry her.”
“Yes.” Karl frowned. His eyes moved away from mine, following their way down to my hand in Ferdy’s, before he focused on his brother. “What a pity it is, that she does not seem to share the same opinion on that matter.”
Prince of Secrets and Shadows Page 28
