Chapter 7 #2
“That’s because they don’t know about the window.
” Gallmau, having grown up at the palace, was intimately familiar with its grounds, especially the maze.
An over-the-top botanical monstrosity of tall hedges, fountains with water spilling from the mouths of fanciful beasts, and gates leading to nowhere, the garden had been both a fascinating place to play when he was a child and a convenient location to have a tryst or two when he was older.
“At the far end, there’s an exit to the Queen’s zoological garden with two of her personal guards stationed there.
That’s where the Secrétaire thinks I’m headed. ”
Meri glanced at the imposing walls of green around them. “I’m not sure if pretending to get lost in here will save from us from an expected appointment with Queen Xiaolian.”
“It might provide a cover story when we show up late—with Zhang Jue.” Gallmau weaved his way through the paths of the maze at a rapid pace.
While Meri kept up, she was breathing heavily.
That damn poison had drained her. She should be resting, but Gallmau wanted more than the Sorcier du Roi’s support when he faced the queen.
Zhang Jue had to help them put an end to Meri’s curse.
Time was running out, and he’d have to deal with the consequences of his actions later.
A few minutes of twists and turns later, he led Meri into a cul-de-sac of greenery.
It was one of the many dead ends in the maze, most of which held a whimsical statue or a mirrored orb as consolation.
This one contained only a design marked out on the ground in different colored gravel—an open hand on the right, and two fingers spread into a V-shape on the left—the Sign of the Saints.
Gallmau walked over to one of the four foliage walls and brushed aside branches to reveal a locked gate about half his height.
He lifted up a large rock next to the gate and was happy to spot the keys resting exactly where the gardening staff always put them.
After unlocking the gate, he ducked under the low opening and walked through, motioning Meri to join him.
Inside was a small clearing dominated by a multi-tiered fountain spraying water into the air.
Great detail had been given to its central statue, an ominous hooded figure brandishing a book as one might hold a weapon.
Arrayed around the base like an attacking force were beasts that represented the first four saints—a lion for Saint Elesbaan, a stag for Saint Attilio, a falcon for Saint Kreztina, and an owl for Saint Thaschus, patron saint of witches.
The Fountain of the Malandanti—whose official title included a fancy word for Bone Lords—was better known as the Fountain of Letha.
The last necromancer to sit on the Noviodunam Synod, Letha had been burnt alive by her fellow witches and her seat in their meeting room destroyed.
She was said to have cursed quite a few things on her way out, including the fountain.
That reputation kept most people out of this section of the maze, which was why Gallmau liked it.
He pointed to some thinning plants up against the walls of the palace. “There’s a pantry off the kitchen in this spot, with a window that’s easy to open from the outside.”
Meri laughed for the first time since their run-in with the necromancers. “Something tells me you needed to sneak back into the palace often during the wild days of your youth.”
Gallmau grinned back at her as he went over to brush the foliage away to expose the stone and plaster side of the building.
The window was high up on the wall, but he could reach the latch on the outside by standing on his toes.
After opening it, he bent down and extended his hand.
Meri stepped on it, and he lifted her with one arm up to the window.
Sometimes his strength was an advantage even when he wasn’t fighting.
Despite her fatigue, she clambered into the building with little difficulty, and he followed suit by pulling himself over the windowsill so he could crawl in.
Gallmau’s strength made getting up to the sill and over the top easy, but his size made going through the opening awkward. That, and the length of time since he had used this unusual entrance to the palace, caused his entry to be slow and far from graceful.
Too slow, in fact, to realize someone had been waiting for his arrival and was pointing a large kitchen ladle in Meri’s direction.
She was short and slender, with chestnut hair falling in ringlets that framed her heart-shaped face.
Her day dress was practical and far too modest for typical Court attire, yet somehow exuded more style than the cleavage-baring fashions favored by women courtiers.
Saints, Valentina should not be here.
“What are you doing?” Gallmau reached to grab the woman’s arm, thankful Meri hadn’t sliced and diced his sister’s best friend before he had come in.
Threatening Meri without a damn good back-up plan—like Naghwe’s poison and Sinan’s shadow magic—was near suicidal.
An oversized spoon wasn’t going to cut it.
Valentina tried to shake her right hand free, then used her left hand to slap him across the face. “Waiting for you, you oaf. Let go of me.”
Meri stood facing the two of them, her arms crossed over her chest and murder in her eyes. “If you don’t like Gallmau’s hand around that pretty little wrist of yours, I promise you’ll like my hands around your neck even less.”
“This is the Royal Palace of Soissons, not a dirty arena full of unwashed rabble who grovel at your feet.” Valentina yanked her hand away as Gallmau confiscated the ladle, then squared her shoulders and glared back at Meri.
Apparently, she knew exactly who the Lioness was and already didn’t like her.
“What’s wrong with you?” Gallmau had always been on good terms with Valentina, even if she made him feel like a particularly dim-witted student who hadn’t finished his lessons. “I’ve been away for two years, and this is the welcome I get—a slap across the wrong cheeks.”
“You shouldn’t have returned like this.” Valentina was too upset to even scold Gallmau for his suggestive comment, which was unlike her. “Coming back without warning, with a mage-killer by your side, and then sneaking into the palace is beyond foolish. Madame is waiting for you.”
Gallmau often forgot Valentina was a witch—a medica—as well as a physician.
The medici taught and studied at the Noviodunam and used magic when treating their patients, but no one thought of them in the same way as incensori , for example.
Speaking of fire witches, Gallmau would be willing to bet a round of cider that Jacques Collin de Plancy was the one to blame for Valentina’s hostile reaction to Meri.
The aristocratic incensor had been engaged to the medica before breaking it off so he could court Gallmau’s sister Rixende.
Yet another reason why he hated Jacques. Besides, they didn’t need a witch in the family, even one from the de Plancy line.
“I have to talk to the Sorcier du Roi first.” Gallmau gave up trying to charm his way out of the situation and resorted to the truth out of desperation. “Help me find Zhang Jue, and I’ll present myself to Madame.”
“He isn’t here.” Valentina snapped the words back, but her lower lip trembled, as if what she was telling him frightened her.
“As usual, you have no idea what you’ve blundered into.
Please. Go to Madame. I knew you would try to sneak through this window, like you always do when you don’t want to get caught.
I came here to stop you from making even more of a mess than you’ve already done. ”
“Let me talk to Rixende, then.” Gallmau didn’t want to face the Queen by himself, and he needed to ask Zhang Jue if he could help Meri. “She could get me in to see the Sorcier du Roi.”
Valentina pulled back from him, and the anger faded from her eyes, replaced by tears. “Your sister isn’t in the palace either. You need to talk to the Queen. Now.”