For Want of a Fiend (19 page)

She grabbed his free hand and wadded her shirtfront in his fist. He hung on confusedly. She took his beer hand and moved it toward his shoulder, as if he were reaching back to hit her.

The drunken man’s face screwed up farther, but he didn’t resist, even when she shouted, “Brutal!” and clutched the mug as if holding the drunk at bay.

Dawnmother caught Starbride’s shirt and made sure the drunk hung on. Starbride had just enough time to shout, “Brutal!” again before a slight vibration in the floorboards heralded his charge.

Brutal caught the drunken man’s wrists. Starbride and Dawnmother let go and staggered back. The crowd gave way in a circle, probably as much for Brutal’s red robe as for the fight. Brutal flung the drunk as if he were a doll and sent him crashing to the ground beside the bar. Someone shouted for the door guards, and several muscular people waded in from the balcony.

When the guards moved toward Brutal, a voice out of the crowd cried, “No, he was just defending that woman there.”

“We’ll leave,” Starbride shouted. Adrenaline pounded through her, and she used it to summon tears to her eyes. “We never wanted trouble.”

“Get going, then.”

Starbride caught Brutal’s arm in an unarguable grip and brought him with her. Dawnmother followed just behind, no doubt ready to push if she had to.

When they were out in the night air, Brutal asked, “Are you all right? Did he hurt you?”

“No.”

He tilted her face up toward a nearby lamp. “Then why are there tears in your eyes?”

“It’s the stress,” Starbride said, hating the lie when he only wanted to be kind.

“And the beer.” Dawnmother took Starbride’s arm and got them going again.

Brutal fell in behind them. “Next time, I’ll just come in with you. Pennynail was probably a heartbeat away from making an appearance.”

Starbride felt like falling down laughing. It must have been later than she thought. Or Dawnmother was right; it was the beer.

Brom’s father returned her without comment. The agreement to let her marry again seemed more than enough incentive. Katya could believe it. If Brom had to stay at her father’s estate forever, people would know she was still out of favor, but the fact that she could marry again suggested that she and Reinholt had just proved incompatible. With all of Reinholt’s dishonors, the public might begin to think that any problems between him and his wife had been his fault from the start.

Brom entered the royal apartments with a bowed head. She hadn’t changed from the simple clothing she’d worn when she’d left Marienne. She looked even paler, and her cheeks and eyes had sunk. If she was eating, it wasn’t much.

After seeing just how difficult Reinholt could be, Katya allowed herself to feel some pity. What did Brom think would happen if Roland won the day? Did she see herself fleeing with her children and returning home to her old life? Roland had probably promised her that, and like a fool, she had grabbed on to it. Katya felt her pity evaporating.

Starbride’s touch on her arm calmed her, even though she was still upset by the note a few nights before that had told her Starbride was venturing out again. When Katya had found out Starbride had relied almost solely on Dawnmother for protection, Katya had wanted to yell until the top of her head blew off.

To her credit, Starbride had taken the display of temper in stride, even cringing a bit as if she knew she deserved it. Toward the end of the argument, she’d shot back a little, citing what she’d found out, that the Umbriels now knew the populace hadn’t forgiven them despite the free drinks. She’d also added that Pennynail had been watching, ready to aid them. In the face of everything that hadn’t happened, Katya had to admit that Starbride had done a good job. When she recalled that Katya often used notes to escape confrontation, Katya even felt a bit cowed.

“Brom,” Ma said, breaking Katya’s reverie. “Thank you for coming back.”

“Please let me see my children.” Her voice was so small, Katya had to lean forward. “I’ll do whatever you want, go wherever you want, if you let me see them once.”

Katya’s parents glanced at each other. They’d expected this, and really, for what they were asking, it was a fair trade. Da nodded to Katya.

Katya knocked on the door to her parents’ private sitting room. After a heartbeat, Lord Vincent stepped out with the two children. Tears sprang to Brom’s eyes, and she dropped to her knees. Vierdrin and Bastian ran for her. She threw her arms around them, though none of them spoke. Vincent stayed on the children’s heels, and when Brom glanced up, there was only gratitude in her eyes. So, she’d seen how Vincent was with them. Katya had to wonder if she knew of the affection he’d provided Reinholt as well.

After a few moments, Brom stood. Vincent pulled the children back to his side. “Thank you,” Brom whispered.

He nodded and carried the crying children back into the private sitting room.

“Thank you for not making them Waltz,” Brom said.

Katya mashed her lips together to keep in a snarl. They’d have to Waltz someday. All that had happened and Brom still didn’t understand. The Umbriels bore Yanchasa’s Aspect so the populace wouldn’t suffer Yanchasa’s wrath. Brom still thought everyone could go to hell as long as her children weren’t marred by the Aspect, even though they still carried Fiends. She’d never understand that if Yanchasa got loose, everyone, including her children, would die a horrible death.

Katya didn’t have the energy to remind her. “Is everyone ready?” She didn’t include Brom in her look.

Ma and Da nodded. Everyone else was already down in the cavern. Katya saw no reason to waste time. The sooner Brom Waltzed, the sooner she could recover, meet her father at the front of the palace, and be on her way.

Katya and Starbride led the way through the secret passages and down to the cavern beneath the palace, where the pyramid that contained Yanchasa waited.

Katya had dreaded her first visit below the palace. The cavern had reminded her of a toothy maw, all jagged rocks except for the large pyramid in the center, itself merely a crystal capstone for a huge, underground pyramid. No matter how her family had tried to reassure her, it had taken everything she had to let Crowe fit the shackles around her ankles, to lean forward and touch the smooth pyramid’s sides.

Crowe stood near it now, next to Hugo. He smiled nervously, and Katya spoke the words Crowe had comforted her with. “You’ll do fine,” she said. “You won’t even remember.”

“But then I’ll have to wear the necklace so my Aspect can’t emerge when I’m very angry. Mr. Crowe explained it.”

Katya almost laughed. Mr. Crowe sounded like something a child would name a pet bird. “Don’t take it off and you’ll be fine.”

“I’ve never seen you very angry, Hugo,” Starbride said.

He rubbed the back of his neck. “I guess I’m lucky to be pretty cheerful.”

“Are you up for this?” Katya asked Crowe. She gestured at the large pyramid he held, though it was dwarfed by the enormous capstone.

“Whether I’m up to it or not, it has to be done. The essence you…returned to Yanchasa must be distributed to the others.” He hefted his pyramid. “This is the best way.” When Katya frowned, Crowe frowned back at her. “Starbride will be assisting me. Not to worry. This old relic has some skill left.”

“You’re the most skilled relic I know.”

Katya left him to his preparations. Brutal and Pennynail had done a sweep of the cavern and all the surrounding passages, even though Crowe had put up defensive pyramids to repel Roland or his henchman, Darren. Still, as Crowe readied everyone, Katya took a quick walk around, just to make sure no enemies lurked in the shadows.

Brom wandered toward the central pyramid and then stepped to the side as if she couldn’t bear to come too close to it. She’d have to soon enough. But she began to back away, as if she’d changed her mind about the Waltz. Katya stepped between her and the exit.

With a frown, Crowe set his pyramid down and stalked toward Brom. She gasped and turned. The fear on her face made the hairs on Katya’s neck stand up. Brom touched her chest as if there was something hidden under her dress, but that couldn’t be. She’d been searched.

“Get back!” Katya shouted. She drew her rapier.

Crowe grabbed Brom’s arm. “What are you—”

Brom punched herself in the stomach. A sphere as black as night blossomed around her and Crowe. It engulfed them in darkness and a deep, throbbing pulse. Katya’s ears throbbed at the sound.

Her hand went numb, and her rapier clattered to the ground. The sphere winked out of existence. A perfectly round divot in the rock, like a bowl in the cavern floor, was all that was left.

“What the deuce was that?” Da shouted. “What—”

“It was a sphere,” Starbride said, “a disintegrating sphere. He…he never taught me that pyramid.”

Katya’s mouth worked for a moment. All she could do was point at the divot. Finally, she shouted, “How did she sneak that in here? How in the spirits’ names did she sneak that in here?”

“She must have swallowed it,” Starbride said. “Oh, Katya.” Her voice grew heavy with tears.

Katya whipped her head back and forth. “No.”

“It…it just sent him somewhere, right?” Hugo asked. “And we can get him back?”

“No,” Starbride said, and the word echoed around them. “They’re both dead.”

Katya’s legs went watery, and she sank to the floor. Cimerion Crowe, her mentor, her confidante, blinked from existence as if he never lived.

Da’s face was ashen as he approached the divot. “Stay back,” Ma whispered. “Is it safe?”

Starbride knelt at Katya’s side, weeping, but she choked out the words. “It…only has…one charge.”

“He’s dead.” Katya suddenly remembered being awakened by sobbing the night Roland had died. When she’d gone to bed, she’d had an uncle, and in the morning, she didn’t. Now here was Crowe, gone in the blink of an eye. No farewells, no apologies from her for any wrong words, no shouts of warning, just gone.

A pit opened up in Katya’s chest, anger and hurt and so many things. It was the place the Fiend had once lived. Now all that looked back was her. She grabbed Starbride’s arm; her throat tightened, and tears flowed down her cheeks as if summoned by that empty place.

“Crowe,” she said, but that was all she could get out. She sucked in a deep draught of air, but instead of letting out a sob, she held it until it choked her.

She heard more weeping, and all the voices she knew. They were a ball of grief, but she sensed someone missing, someone who’d suffer for this more than she ever could.

Pennynail was on his knees near the bowl, and his shoulders shook as if he sobbed inside his mask. Crowe was the only one among them who knew Pennynail’s identity, maybe the only one in the world. He was all alone inside that mask with no one to report to, to confide in, like an orphan, like Maia.

Katya shrugged off the embraces. She stepped past everyone to fall at Pennynail’s side. His masked face swung toward her, and she threw her arms around him and pressed him close, feeling his long arms go around her, too. The buckles of his leather outfit dug into her body, but she didn’t care. The side of his mask was cool against her face. Inside it, she knew his skin had to be as hot and tight as hers. He was the only one who understood how much Crowe meant to her, to the Order.

Katya’s mind calculated without her. Brom must have thought Crowe had sensed the pyramid she’d smuggled in. Perhaps she’d wanted to destroy the family or maybe the grand capstone. But when she thought she’d been caught, she’d sprung her trap. If she’d hit the capstone, would Yanchasa have escaped?

As she wept on Pennynail’s shoulder, Katya said, “She didn’t understand what she was doing, but Roland would have.”

Pennynail pushed her back to stare at her. The mask’s manic grin suddenly seemed the most obscene thing in the world, and Katya couldn’t look at it. “Where else could she have gotten a pyramid that powerful?” Katya asked.

“Roland,” Starbride said from behind her.

Katya’s mind raced, and she wiped her cheeks. Hatred for her uncle welled up in her, taking the place of tears. She helped Pennynail stand. “Now we know he’s close. And if he’s close, we can reach him.”

As one, they looked at the central pyramid. They still had a job to do whether they had Brom or not.

“My mother will be here in a few days,” Da said quietly.

Katya glanced at him. He wiped tears away, as upset as Katya had seen him since Roland had died. It seemed everyone was thinking the same thing and trying to pull themselves together. Only Hugo really stood apart. He held Starbride’s elbow, but his face was dry, unlike hers. Starbride hadn’t known Crowe as long as the rest of them, but she was attached to him as her teacher, as her mentor. She’d have to get help from the academy now. She couldn’t stop her training just because…Katya took a deep breath. Crowe wouldn’t want her to stop.

As they climbed back up into the palace, no one mentioned Reinholt or how he’d feel about his wife’s death. Maybe if he’d elected to stay with them, he’d have been given some peace. As for the children, they’d be told their mother had left the palace again. Maybe when they grew up, they could know the truth.

There were so many people to comfort; Starbride couldn’t think about herself. Maybe the comforting would keep the grief away.

She leaned on Hugo’s supporting arm. His sympathetic face said she had a shoulder to cry on should she wish, but there were people who needed it more, people who’d known Crowe all their lives: Katya or her parents.

Or Pennynail. When he peeled off from the group inside the secret passageways, Starbride whispered in Brutal’s ear, “Tell Katya I’ll catch up with her.”

“You’re not going outside, are you?” Brutal asked.

Starbride shook her head. “Crowe…” She took a deep breath and tried to push down tears. “There are some things he’d want taken care of…by someone…” She fumbled for the words, not wanting to lie.

“By another pyradisté, you mean.”

“I’ll catch up with Katya as soon as I can.” She wanted to throw her arms around Katya while they both wept, but Katya had her parents and Brutal to look after. When the group had gone ahead, Starbride hurried after Pennynail and followed him to his tower.