Chapter 9
CHAPTER 9
L ila mounted the stairs to the way station’s upper floors, the scent of the woods still clinging to her clothes and hair. Where there should have been nothing but the tang of moss and cedar, now she caught the faint whiff of acrid decay. Was it real or her imagination? She couldn’t tell. Her nerves were twisted tight, afraid of what those graves meant.
For the last hundred years, the fae had lived in uneasy peace with the other supernatural communities. Humans, for all their weakness, were a challenge that united the others. But that newfound harmony was far from guaranteed. Those graves could ignite a wildfire of enmity and bloodshed between shifters and fae.
Lila could pretend she hadn’t found them, but there was too much at stake to take the easy road. Truth was the only way.
She reached the top of the stairs and started down the corridor, her feet silent on the thick carpet. The house was quiet, no other footfalls disturbing the deep hush. Lila’s gaze searched the shadows, as if her unanswered questions lurked in the doorways. Had her mother’s servants caught the vampire yet? Would there be more wolves coming? What would happen to Rafe ?
The image of the wolf—his generous mouth and sad, intelligent eyes, rose in her mind. An uneasy flutter of guilt quickened her pace. Surely this new information would influence his fate. At the very least, he deserved to know what had happened to his kin.
When she finally heard voices, they came from Ademar’s room. Had a physician come? Had he taken a turn for the worse? With a surge of alarm, she broke into a run, the graves momentarily forgotten. The door stood open.
“Ademar!” She sprang through the door, then barely skittered to a stop before she crashed into the foot of the bed. She finally grabbed the bedpost and stood gaping.
Her brother was propped up on pillows, his pale face even paler against the white linens. But he was awake and talking softly with Galeeta, who sat beside his bed, cradling his hand in hers. He wore a clean nightshirt, and his hair was combed. Clearly Galeeta, in a motherly mood, had tidied her son.
Ademar barely turned his head at Lila’s approach, as if too weak to move much, but a smile lit his eyes. With a sharp stab of relief, Lila bent over the bed, gently embracing her brother. His skin felt hot. A thread of worry tightened in her chest.
“How do you feel?” she asked as she stepped back, holding his gaze with her own. The question was woefully clumsy, barely hiding her anxiety. “Tell the truth.”
Ademar hesitated, his gaze dropping to where his hands rested on the bedcovers. Candlelight glistened on his fever-damp skin, highlighting the sharp elegance of his features. “My leg hurts,” he snapped, voice rasping. “Is that truth enough?”
Lila drew back, a little stung by his impatient tone. “I’m sorry.”
Shaking his head, Ademar sank back onto the pillows. “My apologies. I’m not at my finest.”
Galeeta adjusted the bedcovers. “But you are mending, and that is what counts. ”
“Is there anything I can do?” Lila asked.
“You’re a good sister.” Galeeta stroked Lila’s hair, smoothing it into place.
Such affectionate gestures were rare, and Lila barely stopped herself from leaning into it like a cat. For the briefest moment, she felt safe. It didn’t last.
Lila sensed the servant’s presence before the robed figure appeared in the doorway. It loomed, head bowed and hands hidden by the gray habit. The stance reminded Lila of a medieval monk, except she had glimpsed the horror beneath the cowl. A medieval demon, perhaps, like the kind from a nightmarish painting of Hell.
Without another word, her mother glided from the room to join the creature, closing the door behind her. Lila drew closer to the bed and clasped her brother’s hand. He returned the squeeze, but without much force. Lila opened her mouth to speak, but her thoughts collided. She should have been filled with simple pleasure that Ademar was awake, but the servant’s arrival filled her with foreboding.
Ademar closed his eyes, the pale blue veins in his lids visible in the pool of lamplight. Lines of pain bracketed his mouth.
Lila took a deep breath to ease the heaviness over her heart. “Mother was frantic trying to heal you,” she said, filling the silence. “She barely left your side.”
“I know.”
“I don’t think she can admit how badly scared she was for you.”
“Maybe,” Ademar murmured. “As bad as this is, I am the fortunate one. Unlike Father, I have my freedom.”
Lila knew she should leave and let her brother sleep, but she had to ask just one question. “Did you know about Father?”
Ademar gave a silent nod.
“Do you know why or how he was captured?”
“I was not there when it happened.” He opened his eyes to the merest slits. “From what Mother said, the Royal Guard came one night and took him without warning.”
“What of our servants? Didn’t they defend him?”
“The soldiers came armed to the teeth, and they brought a spellcaster with them. The staff had no chance. Neither did our father.”
Lila’s head swam. “But why? What did Father do? And why did nobody tell me?”
“That was Mother’s choice. She wanted to keep you and Sala safe. She loves you, you know.”
The door opened again before Ademar could say more. Galeeta swept in, tension surrounding her like a cloak.
“The vampire is still loose in the woods.” Their mother’s chill tone couldn’t hide the swirl of fear and anger beneath it. “But she won’t escape. She can’t. Not until we are through with this place.”
“What do you propose?” Ademar asked.
“It’s time we reduce our liabilities.”
Lila’s breath caught as her mother stepped aside and the second servant dragged Rafe into the room. He was gagged with a strip of leather, and a heavy chain hobbled his feet and wrists and wound around his waist. But the real bonds were the plain, almost elegant cuffs around his wrists. Silver was painful to shifters and sapped away strength and magic. The color had drained from Rafe’s skin, leaving him pasty beneath his tan. His gaze crossed Lila’s for a moment. The frozen hatred in it almost made her fall back.
Prisoner and guard stopped at the foot of Ademar’s bed. With a brutal shove, the servant forced Rafe to his knees. The wolf tried to twist away, but the servant grabbed his shaggy hair, wrenching his head up to face his captors.
Ademar pushed himself up to sit forward. “Why is this creature here?”
“The beast escaped his cell, and then helped the vampire escape,” Galeeta said, her voice cold. “He has squandered whatever dim chance for clemency he had. He is here to beg your forgiveness before I decide his end.”
“Forgiveness?” Ademar’s features twisted. “This thief trespassed against the fae and maimed me when I forbade him.”
The heat of her brother’s words jolted Lila, clearing her head. “Wait a minute.”
Silence fell over the room, brutal in its absolute quality. Lila’s pulse thundered in her ears.
“What?” her brother finally demanded.
Lila widened her stance, as if bracing for a blow. “Whatever else happened, Rafe isn’t a thief. He was telling the truth about looking for his kin.”
“Why would you possibly believe that?” Galeeta asked, sounding weary.
“I found the graves in the woods a few minutes ago.”
Rafe jerked, making a strangled sound around the gag. The servant wrenched his bonds, silencing him. Even so, Lila heard his soft moan.
“Graves?” Galeeta said softly. “Graves of other wolves?”
“Yes.” Lila steadied her thundering heart and pressed on. “He told me he came looking for other wolves, and apparently that was true. Someone killed them and wove a thicket around their graves. I found them when I was looking for the vampire. Whoever buried them invested a lot of magic to keep the place secret.”
“Are you saying a fae is responsible?” her mother asked. Where she’d been haughty before, now there was apprehension.
Lila looked from Galeeta to Ademar, considering the shock on their faces. In a deep corner of her soul, she felt relief. Not that she’d suspected them of the crime—not really, but ever since arriving at the way station, it was hard to know what to believe.
“A fae spell hid the graves,” she answered, sticking to the facts. “Their families deserve to know they’ve been found.”
She glanced Rafe’s way, but his head was bowed, features hidden. She looked away. It seemed wrong not to allow even a beast his private grief.
“Not so fast,” her mother said. “A crime like this deserves justice, but our own authorities must be informed first. There is protocol for a crime between our communities.”
“Very well,” Lila said. She distrusted delays but wasn’t going to spoil the fact that her mother was actually listening. “But let’s not lose sight of the fact that the wolf told the truth about his missing pack.”
Her brother frowned. “Then as little as I like it, we owe him some leniency.” The words were grudging, anger still thick in his tone.
“His life for that of the victims.” Galeeta replied slowly. “But only that. He attacked us. And, if he came here in search of his missing packmates, it is unlikely he knows anything of value to us. By the same token, he knows too much to be set free.”
Lila winced. “Then what will we do with him?”
Galeeta flicked a hand. “Since you pleaded his innocence, he can serve you.”
Lila balked. “I don’t need a servant, especially not a wolf. It’s plain that fae and wolves don’t mix well.”
“Don’t be hasty,” Galeeta said, circling Rafe and the servant as if inspecting them for purchase. Her eyes were still troubled, as if pondering problems Lila could barely see. “Lord Farras will be here soon, and he must be received as befits a noble of royal blood. He is leaving his estates and joining the king in Gilden Wood. He will be stopping at this way station and has commanded that there be a feast here to initiate the journey. You will see to the arrangements.”
Lila gaped. “Me?”
“Of course you,” her mother said in a way that left no doubt. “I raised you properly. You know what to do, and you will need a servant’s help.”
As the daughter of a noble house, Lila knew what wine to serve and who to seat next to whom and in what order they ought to be greeted. That didn’t mean she enjoyed any of it.
Her mother watched her, reading her silence for the resistance it was. “I’ll repeat what I said before. Lord Farras is our greatest supporter. If he chooses, he will intercede with the king to get your father released. We need the lord’s favor.”
Lila cursed silently. “Very well. I’ll make a comfortable bed and cook a good meal if that will help Father, but that’s all. I don’t like Lord Farras. You know that.”
Her mother’s smile was brief. “Of course. Thank you for doing your part.”
Lila looked from her mother to Ademar, whose eyes were closed again. A wave of uneasiness swept over her. Too much was happening at once. “We should let him rest.”
“For now, yes,” Galeeta replied. “You’re a good sister.”
Lila wavered a moment. “The graves in the forest—who do you think killed the wolves? Could it have been the Magician?”
Her mother shook her head. “I don’t know, but I will find out. There is a risk to our own security when such a crime is committed on our doorstep.”
Lila turned to go, but the servant and Rafe blocked her path. With a heave, the hooded figure dragged Rafe to his feet and shoved him toward the door. Her stomach a cold ball of dread, Lila followed the two into the corridor.
Galeeta shut the bedroom door behind them, leaving Lila to face her future servant and his guard. The hooded figure still held Rafe’s chains in its grip, keeping the wolf all but motionless. For a moment, the only sign of life was the rise and fall of Rafe’s chest. He’d closed his eyes, as if willing himself anywhere else.
Lila had a decision to make. She could feel the gargoyle’s hidden gaze fall upon her like a physical weight.
“Give me the key to his cuffs,” she said, putting a touch of iron into her words.
The creature produced a key that look ridiculously small in its claws. After it dropped the key into her palm, she hung it on her neck chain and tucked it beneath her shirt. She’d long ago developed the habit of keeping keys and amulets with her at all times—first as a girl with four older siblings and a diary full of childhood secrets. Nothing in adulthood had convinced her to change the practice—not where the fae were concerned.
She tried to look the hideous creature in the eye and failed. “Now take off his chains and that gag. If he attacks, you have my permission to put him down.”
After a moment’s pause, the servant complied with swift, economical movements. The gag came off first, then the chains slithered away with a rattle. The hooded guard gathered them up and stepped aside, clearly waiting to see what would happen next.
Rafe barely moved except to wipe away the feel of the gag. He regarded her with narrowed eyes. “You spoke up for me.”
“I just told the truth.”
“Even for a beast?”
He might have been gagged and bound, but he’d been listening. Lila frowned, thinking of the graves and that strangled cry he’d made. Grief was still there like a radiant heat, challenging the icy reserve of his expression. She didn’t blame him for keeping it private.
“Everyone deserves honesty,” she replied. “Even hungry wolves.”
“And now I am your servant.” He swept a bow as graceful as that of any fae courtier. As he straightened, he seemed to grow taller, as if even partial freedom had unleashed a dangerous power. “What is your command, my lady?”
The oh-so-polite words were sharp with barely leashed mockery. Lila pressed her lips together, locking his gaze with her own.
“Walk with me,” she said. There was a lot to do if she was going to play hostess .
He raised a brow. “Shall I stay five paces behind you? Isn’t that what a servant does?”
“I said walk, not stalk. I’m not a fool.”
They went a few steps in silence. Rage vibrated behind the wolf’s nonchalance. Rage and sorrow and a touch of fear, burning with unbearable intensity. Lila could feel that fury like the first rumble of a quake, ready to rip through his civil mask.
“You don’t want me,” he said, the words edged in frost. “Like you said, fae and wolves don’t mix well.”
The chill in his tone was more explosive than a shout. He was challenging her, proving he still had a will of his own.
She knew better than to take that bait. “I intend to get out of here alive and unbitten.”
“Yet you’re forced to take me on.” He gave her a steady, cool look that couldn’t quite hide what he was feeling. “Understand this—I want answers, and this way station is where I will find them.”
She stopped walking and turned to face him. “Is that meant to be reassuring?”
“There is a spell in the forest that won’t let me leave,” he said. “Your brother will try to kill me as soon as he can walk. You, of all the fae here, are willing to listen to reason, making you my best chance of survival.”
“Meaning?”
He gave the slightest of shrugs. “I’m motivated to keep you alive.”
“Even if I am your enemy?” she asked.
A ghost of a smile flickered over his face and was gone. “That keeps things interesting, don’t you think?”