Harrowed Heir

by Sarah E. Burr

  “I’ll have my men take him down to the infirmary for now,” Ashcroft herded them all toward the doorway. “We can decide how to proceed with a proper burial once this madness is resolved.”

  “Will you assign men to search his office?” Jax asked. She hadn’t had as much time as she would have liked to examine the contents of the room and believed there might be more to uncover.

  “In due time, Duchess.” Ashcroft sighed with impatience. “But first, I need to speak with the Praesidio to see if anyone noticed anything out of the ordinary.”

  “We’ll head to the grand study and do the same with the professors as they arrive,” George reassured his longtime friend. “Don’t worry, Ashcroft. We’ll get to the bottom of this.”

  Ashcroft’s usual confidence seemed to have failed him. “I’ll be down with the professors as soon as I can rouse them from their rooms.”

  Jax, Carriena, Ziri, and George watched the Lord Praesidio sulk off down the dimly lit passageway, his footsteps weighted and slow.

  George’s lips pressed together at the sight. “I must say, I feel a bit disillusioned by his response. I would have expected a more fervent and sharp reaction from the Lord Praesidio.”

  Carriena scoffed. “That’s not really fair, George. Ashie hasn’t been desensitized to mayhem and murder like you and Jax have. Ezarath might have been his rival at times, but he was also a dear friend. His death will be a big blow to many here at the Academy.”

  Jax bristled with indignation at her friend’s remark. “We’re not desensitized to death, Carriena. We just know time is of the essence when it comes to catching a killer.”

  “Who’s to say the killer is even here anymore?” Ziri murmured. “If the killer could sneak past the Praesidio within the fortress, it seems possible they could have escaped the property entirely.”

  Something about Ziri’s phrasing tickled Jax’s mind. “If Ezarath has been dead for several hours, he could have been killed shortly after we departed dinner, before anyone else retired to their rooms. They would have no reason to try to slip past the Praesidio if the headmaster was already dead by the time they all went to bed.”

  “What about their escorts?” George raised an eyebrow in challenge. “Ashcroft has had someone shadowing every professor, remember?”

  “That also doesn’t account for the fire,” Carriena chimed in. “It would have been embers if Ezarath was killed right after dinner.”

  Jax resisted the urge to stick her tongue out, as they’d stumped her. “Well, we’ll not get any further standing out here in the hall, theorizing. Let’s go speak with the professors and see for ourselves what they all have to say.”

  They made their way to the grand study in silence. Jax imagined her friends were as preoccupied with their thoughts as she was. To steal old documents was one thing, but to take the life of another…Jax trembled at the memory of Ezarath’s lifeless eyes. Who among them was a killer? She pictured each of the professors in her mind’s eye. Kareem Daghir certainly had a darkness around him and had the most to professionally gain by Ezarath’s demise. While Master Casimeer seemed more easygoing than the others, could he have killed Ezarath to further his husband’s career ambitions?

  Given that she knew very little about Lotus, Nightingale, and Yokudran’s personal connections, Jax had no idea what their motives for stealing the providence documents and killing Ezarath might be. Could one of them somehow be in league with the disgraced Duke Savant?

  She let out a soft sigh as the door to the grand study loomed ahead. If only Master Gautherd had gotten a glimpse at his attacker, none of this would have ever happened…

  “Master Gautherd!” The archivist’s name burst from her lips. “Didn’t Master Yokudran say at dinner that Gautherd planned to hole up in the archives tonight? Do you think Ashcroft remembered to send someone down to escort Gautherd to the study?”

  George glanced down the darkened hallway. “We could nip down quickly to check on him. It will take Ashcroft some time to wake up the other professors, I’m sure. We might even beat them all here.”

  Ziri folded her arms and leaned against the study door. “Why don’t Lady Carriena and I stay here and keep watch over our suspects as they begin to filter into the room?”

  Carriena nodded in agreement. “They might speak more freely and let something slip if you or George are not around, Jax.”

  Jax looked at George for his assessment.

  “It’s a good idea,” he said without hesitation. “Ziri is more than capable of keeping an eye on them all, which I know Ashcroft will appreciate.”

  Ziri straightened with obvious pride.

  “Very well. But for Virtues’ sake, be careful.” Jax bit her lower lip as she glanced over her shoulder, relieved to find they were still alone.

  Gathering her skirts, she wished her friends good luck and took off down the hallway with George at her heels.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Jax skillfully navigated the dimly lit passageway, George right beside her. By now, the torches in the lower levels of the Academy had begun to die out and wouldn’t be relit until morning.

  Within minutes, Jax and George came upon a lone guardsman standing at attention in front of the intricately carved door to the archives.

  “Is Master Gautherd inside?” Jax asked, slightly out of breath.

  The freckle-faced Praesidio knight cocked his head in obvious confusion. “Yes, Your Grace. He hasn’t left since returning from the infirmary. Is something the matter?”

  Jax could only sigh. Clearly, the poor lad had been left in the dark, both figuratively and literally.

  “I’m afraid there’s been another attack,” George reported with sobering finality. “We need to alert Master Gautherd and bring him upstairs for his own safety.”

  The guard stiffened. “Yes, Captain.” He saluted before unlocking the door.

  As Jax and George crossed the threshold, the knight cleared his throat. “Should I remain posted here, or report to the Lord Praesidio?”

  George appeared to debate his response, but for only a moment. “Remain down here and keep watch, if you would. The Duchess and I will escort the archivist upstairs once he’s had time to gather his things.”

  With another salute, the sentry closed the door, shutting them inside.

  “Do you think the archives are at risk of being ransacked again?” Jax questioned, wondering what George was thinking behind those dark eyes.

  He led the way through the towering stacks. “I’m beginning to suspect that our culprit is still searching for something.”

  Jax scanned the shelves for any sign of Master Gautherd puttering around. “Why?”

  “Well, think about it. The providence documents have been stolen, yet no one has attempted to leave the Academy.” George gave her a knowing look. “If the purpose of their mission was to steal the documents, why not try to make a break for it once they’ve been obtained? The Praesidio might be decorated knights, but they cannot be everywhere along the ramparts at once. While the barrier is impossible to climb from outside, someone with great skill might be able to scale the wall from inside the keep. Not that they would get very far without being spotted.”

  Jax recalled the massive stone barrier that had loomed before them when her party arrived at the Academy on horseback. Given that it reached at least sixty feet into the sky, without siege equipment, no one could ascend the smooth, glossy barrier from the outside without being spotted. Yet, once on the inside of the fortress…

  “I see what you mean.” She sighed. “So, given the fact no one has tried to escape, we can assume stealing the providence documents was only part of their intended goal…”

  George nodded. “And if the culprit found out Ezarath was beginning to get close to unmasking their true identity—”

  “They silenced him to give them more time to complete their task,” Jax finished. She searched the darkened archives. “Perhaps we should have Lord Ashcroft send more men down here to guard th
e stacks.”

  George’s hand found hers and gave it a squeeze. “Let’s find Gautherd first, and get you away from here.”

  A glowing light in the back of the archives revealed the shadow of a figure moving about the processing room.

  George held a cautious arm out in front of her as they approached, his right hand going to the hilt of his sword. “Stay back,” he hissed under his breath, his features sharpening with fierce determination.

  George gripped the door handle and pushed into the room.

  Jax followed, despite his insistence she remain in the main hall.

  The old archivist jumped back from his worktable, a hand flying to his chest. “Virtues! What is the meaning of this? Can I not be left to work in peace?” Fumbling with his glasses, he suddenly realized who he was speaking to. “Duchess? What are you doing down here at this late hour? It’s nearly midnight.”

  “Master Gautherd.” Jax rushed to his side, wanting to offer support while he regained his composure. “We’re sorry to startle you. We feared you might be in danger.”

  “Danger?” The lines on his face doubled as he frowned. “From what? The blasted thief already got away with what they came for.”

  Jax patted Gautherd’s thin arm. “We’re not entirely sure that’s the case anymore. There’s been an awful development, sir. Please, sit down.” She half dragged the man to a nearby rocking chair.

  “What’s this all about?” he clucked, glancing from George back to Jax.

  “Headmaster Ezarath was murdered earlier in the night,” she began. “We believe the same person who attacked you and stole the providence documents killed him.”

  Gautherd’s jaw dropped. “Ezarath is d-dead?” he finally stammered.

  Jax placed a palm on his shoulder. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Virtues, Ezarath is gone? I can’t believe it. I just spoke with him a few hours ago.”

  Jax and George shared a promising look. Ezarath had mentioned his plan to check in on Master Gautherd after dinner. Perhaps he had shared something with the old man that might aid their search.

  “What about? And what time was it, do you remember?” Jax was eager to have a more finite timeline of the headmaster’s death.

  “He and Yokudran came down here after dinner had concluded, to see how I was faring. Must have been seven-thirty or so.” Master Gautherd stroked his long beard, his glassy-eyed gaze trailing off in thought. “Once Yokudran departed, satisfied with my quick recovery, Ezarath began to apologize, saying the whole mess was his fault. If he hadn’t been so secretive about the existence of the providence documents, perhaps the Lord Praesidio would have demanded greater security measures.” Gautherd shook his head with sadness. “I told him there was nothing to be sorry for. He was only doing what he thought best for the school. There was nothing he cared for in life more than protecting this place.”

  Jax prompted the archivist to continue his tale. “Did you two speak about anything else?”

  Gautherd’s wrinkles multiplied once again. “Well, yes, as a matter of fact. He asked to view a book of old essays, written by a former student of his back when Ezarath was just a young teacher.”

  Old essays? She hadn’t expected that. Why would Ezarath be concerned with a bunch of old essays at a time like this?

  “Could you retrieve those essays for us, Master Gautherd?” George sheathed his sword.

  Master Gautherd’s head bobbed up and down. “If you think it would be helpful.” He pushed his feeble form out of the rocking chair and ambled toward the door. “I’ll just be a few minutes.”

  Once they were alone, Jax turned to her Captain. “Do you think these essays can provide a clue?”

  George shrugged. “Actually, I really just wanted some time to examine this room again. We didn’t get to spend much time in here after the initial robbery.”

  Indeed, Perry’s unexpected arrival had diverted their plan to search for any clues in the processing room that might have been overlooked by the Praesidio. Jax’s heart tightened at the stricken image of her husband, pale and feverish, clasping his abdomen for dear life. She prayed he’d awaken in the morning feeling refreshed and recovered. Perhaps, after he’d had time to properly heal and grieve Ivan’s death, she could broach the subject of her vision for a united realm. Once Perry understood her intentions, that she was doing it for the good and security of all people, maybe he’d agree that the ducal reigns needed to come to an end. She needed his support in this endeavor. She needed him, strong, standing by her side. Besides, if she failed to unearth the plot going on here at the Academy, who knew what other troubles they would be in for?

  As if he sensed she was at war with her inner thoughts, George moved to stand beside her and gave her forearm a tender squeeze. “Come on. We don’t have long before Gautherd returns, and I’d rather not get my head bitten off for messing with his uncatalogued collection.”

  Jax chuckled, as she’d been scolded countless times by Gautherd in the past. “Yes, there has been enough bloodshed already tonight.” She choked back the last words, shocked she could be so blasé about the poor headmaster’s murder.

  George’s hand once again gave her a reassuring squeeze. “We all deal with grief in our own way.”

  “You don’t think me cruel, then?” Jax asked. “Carriena certainly seems to think we’re a coldhearted bunch.”

  “If you fell to pieces every time we encountered death,” George snorted, “then you’d never get anything done.”

  Jax grinned. He always knew how to cheer her up. “All right.” She rubbed her palms together. “What should we be looking for?”

  “Anything the Praesidio might have missed during their examination of the scene. Ashcroft reported to me earlier that nothing else in the area appeared to be disturbed. No torn bits of clothing to identify the culprit, no blood drops or other signs they had been wounded during the attack.”

  Jax surveyed the processing room, the bright light of the oil lamps from the walls illuminating the space well. She sighed. “I wish we had been able to look at the providence documents before they vanished.”

  George folded his arms as he inspected a cluster of old maps pinned to the wall. “What I want to know is how the thief so easily determined which papers they were after. I doubt Gautherd had a huge label on them declaring, ‘these are Hestian providence documents’.”

  She chuckled at his sarcasm. Indeed, the processing room was a sea of parchment, and an untrained eye would have a difficult time sifting through all the material. “Given that they were authentic, the documents would have borne both the Hestian and Savantian seals,” Jax stated with confidence underscored by her experience in the political arena. “If our thief came here with the intention to steal the providence documents, they would have known the papers would be identifiable by those seals.”

  George moved over to the far side of the worktable Gautherd had been using when he was attacked.

  Jax’s heart skipped as an inquisitive frown etched into his face. “What is it? Did you find something?” She raced quickly to where he stood.

  George held out an arm to stop her, keeping a good three feet between them. “Watch your step. Take a look at this, would you?” He pointed to the sandstone floor.

  Jax followed the trail of his finger, only to find a thin layer of dirt covering the floor right by the table. “Odd. The rest of the place is so clean.”

  George knelt closer. “Odd, indeed.” He sighed. “I had hoped for a footprint or something, but it’s just a clump of dirt.”

  “Likely dragged in by the Praesidio while they were stomping around in here.” She scowled at the obvious incompetence on display. Every minute that passed by had her more and more grateful that her duchy’s security was in the hands of the Ducal Guard, and not the likes of the Praesidio. They might be renowned warriors, but when it came to investigation protocol, they were sorely lacking.

  Jax backed away from the scuffed-up floor, discouragement slowing her racing heart
beat, and began wandering along the back wall.

  A large object covered by a sheet caught her eye, tucked away in the far corner. It was much bigger than anything else in the collection. Intrigued, she strode over and pulled off the sheet, revealing a stunning portrait of an elegant woman. Her orchid gaze and refined bearing signified her royal bloodline.

  “Who’s this?” George asked, coming to stand beside her.

  “If I’m not mistaken, this is Isabella Marianetta Cortez.” Jax appraised the oil painting with a trained eye. “She was the fifth Duchess of Savant.”

  George cocked an eyebrow. “The one who authored the providence documents with the Hestian High Courtier?”

  “The very same.” Jax ran a finger along the stunning gold frame. She recalled that Master Gautherd had found the providence documents in a secret compartment hidden in a painting from the Troissaint collection. Her instincts told her they had been found inside this very portrait.

  “Can you carry this over to the worktable? I want to examine it.”

  While Jax set about clearing away the worktable as quickly as possible without making a mess of Master Gautherd’s cataloging system, George lifted the painting from its stand and carried it over, placing it face down on the table.

  She studied the back of the frame. “Look here.” Her keen gaze located a small latch toward the center edge of the frame. She hooked her fingernail underneath and pulled. A sharp click startled her before a thin panel popped open.

  “This must be where Master Gautherd found the providence documents!” Jax marveled at the ingenuity. It was quite a brilliant hiding place if one didn’t know what they were looking for. The latch Jax had pulled could very well have been mistaken for a hanging hook. Something the Troissaint family had likely been doing for generations.

  The corners of George’s lips twitched. “All well and good, but how does that help us now?”

  Jax’s elation over the discovery deflated. He was right. Knowing where the documents had been hidden did nothing to help them figure out their current whereabouts.