37. Leah #2
“I thought this evening was about building up friendly relations with the Assembly,” I say as Syrus kisses his way up my neck, even if my dazed tone undermines my point a little.
“What do you mean?” he says. “I’m engaging in some friendly relations right now, aren’t I?”
He kisses me so thoroughly that the noise of the party fades away.
“All right,” he says a few blissful minutes later, his voice ragged as he rests his forehead on my brow. “Now I really should go and make some alliances. I just needed to do that before I lost my mind.”
I laugh and give him a playful shove, then straighten my skirts and rumpled hair.
“Maybe I should let you mingle while I get us some drinks,” I say. “That way you’ll get some time when you’re not so distracted.”
I wink as he grins and saunters away. On my way to the drinks table, however, I run into Strickland. I saw him milling around earlier, but predictably, he was swamped by various Stratans wanting his attention.
“I see you’ve managed to escape your horde of admirers for a moment,” I say with a smile.
He grimaces. “I’m not sure many of them are admirers. It’s more like a lot of people who want a lot of things from me. But that is, as they say, part of the job.”
His words make me think about Syrus, the collateral, and Hathwell’s fortune. I thought maybe I would stop being pulled in so many directions after I left Aradis, but I’m not sure things are much simpler now.
“Will we begin work on the collateral soon?” I ask.
Even though I’m keeping my voice low, Strickland glances around, conscious we might be heard.
“Would you step out with me for a moment?” he asks.
He takes me out into the corridor, a little way down from the rooms where the party is being held.
“I’m sorry I’ve been so busy. I really would like us to start working on the collateral as soon as possible,” he says when he seems confident we won’t be overheard.
I nod. “I’ve been thinking about it. I’m not sure how the Dawnheart will react when I touch it, but that would be a start. Maybe then I can try imbuing it with some of my lightning? If it’s losing power, then that might help. I’m afraid I don’t know what else we could try.”
“That’s fine. More than fine,” Strickland says, waving a hand. “Just having someone with the powers we need will be a great starting point. And once you’ve taken—”
“Thadeus!” a clear, bell-like voice cuts through the corridor, and I turn to see our host, Lady Roseingrave, sweeping down the hallway toward us. “I wondered who had squirreled away this lovely young woman here.” She tuts playfully at Strickland. “If you don’t mind, I would like a word.”
I’m about to step back until I realize she’s smiling in my direction.
“Wait, you want to talk to me?” I ask stupidly.
Lady Roseingrave glances at Strickland and laughs as if I’m being charming instead of obtuse. “Yes, of course. Just a little chat, woman to woman.”
Strickland raises an eyebrow, but nods. “Who am I to keep you from one of your schemes, Orealia? Just be careful with her.” Then he winks at me and returns to the party.
I study Lady Roseingrave cautiously. The last time I encountered her, she didn’t even glance in my direction, and now she’s desperate to talk to me?
I privately promise to restrain myself if this has anything to do with her flirtation with Syrus.
We’re supposed to be building bridges here, after all.
She starts moving down the corridor, away from the party, forcing me to follow. “Things are much cozier in my parlor, and I suspect you might appreciate the privacy,” she says. “That is a gorgeous dress by the way. Is it a Mistress Mavenier’s?”
I suppress a scoff, considering the idea of me wearing a dress by Strata’s most coveted seamstress.
“No, it’s from Infernum,” I say.
“Ah,” she looks disappointed as she opens a door into what is, she’s right, a very cozy parlor. “A shame. It’s so hard to get anything imported from Infernum. Perhaps you have a contact I could use?”
“I’ll er…ask the woman who organized it for me,” I say, looking around as I settle onto a couch and Roseingrave drifts over to a drinks trolley.
“I should probably cut to the chase, my dear. I’m sure the sudden change in your circumstances must feel like a difficult transition, and I just thought you might benefit from a little advice.”
I stiffen, mind racing as she pours wine into a couple of glasses.
“What circumstances?” I ask, the tension easily audible in my voice. Is she talking about me being nephilim? Or maybe learning how to combine my powers on the plains?
Lady Roseingrave turns, drinks in hand. Her expression is sympathetic. “It’s nothing to worry about, sweet girl, but I know who you are.”
“You do?” I croak.
“Yes.” She crosses to me, handing me the drink.
“Leah Reed, the young woman who married Hathwell Reed and then went missing. Imagine my surprise when I heard that you’d resurfaced, and more, that you were the same woman who was staying at the Assembly with the demon lord.
” She smiles, raising an eyebrow and her glass.
“That certainly explains the disappearance.”
“How?” I ask as she sips her wine, casually arranging her skirts. “How do you know who I am?”
“Oh, my girl, I make it my business to know all the good gossip in this city. How do you think I’ve survived this long as an unmarried, wealthy woman—and a member of the Assembly to boot?
I couldn’t have done it without knowledge on my side.
In this case, it was through Hathwell’s solicitors.
They do some business for me too. And this is all why I wanted to speak with you. ”
It makes sense now. I was easy to ignore when I was some anonymous demon.
But now that I am, apparently, someone of means, I’m worth cultivating.
I relax a little. I’m not sure whether I want to be cultivated, but I’m open to hearing her offer.
It’s certainly better than watching her flirt with Syrus.
She crosses her legs and leans back across the chaise on one arm, the picture of casual refinement. I wait, ready for her to start her pitch.
“I just want to make sure you look out for yourself,” she says. “You are a woman with a fortune now, and that gives you a unique position in society. People will see you as a resource to exploit. They will try to control your power. You mustn’t let them.”
“Oh,” I say and take a sip of my wine to buy some time to absorb this. It all sounds like decent advice so far.
“You must be especially wary of fortune hunters,” she continues.
“There will be many nice young men who bat their eyelashes at you and think you’re too stupid to notice that they’re pilfering from your pockets all the while.
Honestly, Mrs. Reed, you don’t seem the type to fall for that, but it’s worth giving you a warning anyway. ”
“You’re speaking from personal experience?” I ask.
“Yes.” She sighs, taking another swig of wine and looking into the distance for a moment.
“It happened to me too many times before I worked it out, but at least I never married any of them. I never married anyone, because I realized that only while I was unwed could I maintain my independence and influence.”
I nod. The movement is slow, as I think vaguely that there’s something wrong with what she’s saying, until I realize what it is.
“I didn’t want to marry Hathwell,” I say, and the words seem weirdly hard to say, like they’re getting stuck in my throat.
Lady Roseingrave looks sympathetic. “Of course not. Your hand was forced. And to think, he nearly ruined it by confusing you with your sister.” She tsks. “Such a stupid blunder.”
I frown, except I can’t really feel the muscles in my face anymore, and when I speak, the word comes out slurred. My tongue is refusing to cooperate.
“W-what?”
Lady Roseingrave is standing up now. She’s set her wine aside and pulled out a long, thin cylinder from a pocket in her skirts. It’s metal and has runes carved all along it. She points it at me.
“I can’t believe it took me so long to recognize you.” She tilts her head, eyes gleaming. “But then maybe everyone looks different laid out on an altar.”