Chapter 34
Astrid
That’s the last time I let someone knock me out.
I groan, fighting through the throbbing pain as I slowly regain control of my thoughts.
I don’t know what Helena’s man hit me with—I was busy fighting the other one and saw him coming at me too late—but he hit me hard.
My head is spinning, and I’m having a hard time getting my eyes to open so I can figure out where I am and how long I’ve been out.
More annoying, my mind starts repeating things Virek said to me on the phone when I called him.
“There’s an order to this, Storme.”
“We only deal in evidence, Storme.”
“You’ve crossed the line.”
“Get back to headquarters immediately.”
“You’re done.”
He might be right with that last one.
Finally forcing my eyes open, I take in the dimly lit room from my spot on the floor.
It looks like some sort of closet, with shelves of cleaning supplies lining the wall in front of me and a grubby mop leaning against one corner.
I slowly tilt my head up to look in the other direction, wincing as my head pounds with the movement.
In that direction is the man I was fighting before his buddy knocked me out.
He’s sitting in a chair in front of the door and flipping through a magazine.
“Nice shiner,” I grunt, smiling despite myself as I take in the deep purple bruising below his eye. He’d already had a split lip from Sander when I started fighting him to get to Helena, and the black eye I gave him really rounds out his face.
The man’s angry gaze jumps to me. “You’re awake.”
“Obviously.” Grimacing, I push up to a sitting position with no small effort.
I must look pretty pathetic because my captor doesn’t even flinch as he watches me.
Leaning against the nearest shelf, I slide my hand to my pocket, unsurprised to find it empty.
I can still feel my earbud in my ear, which is better than nothing.
Even if it’s useless without my phone. “Any chance you’ll tell me what time it is?
” Without any windows, I can’t even guess.
He glances at his watch. “Quarter to six.”
A curse slips off my tongue. It’s practically dawn, which means the only part of the plan I managed to accomplish was telling Fennor about the strike.
Virek wouldn’t listen to me, and I didn’t get anywhere close to Helena.
Unless Sander somehow managed to stop the strike from happening in the first place, it’s too late.
It’s over.
Clenching my hands into fists on my lap, I look at my guard and wonder how much he knows about the woman he’s working for. What side is he on? “You know what her plan is, right?”
He grunts.
“She’s not an anti-royalist. Never has been. She’s going to take your strike and turn it into a tragedy. If you thought things were bad for us before, they’ll be so much worse when she’s in charge.”
“Vardane has been giving money to the cause,” the man says gruffly. “Anyone participating in the strike will have their paychecks covered for the day thanks to her.”
That explains why we couldn’t figure out where the money went.
“That wasn’t Helena’s idea,” I say, judging the man’s reaction. “It was Rowen’s.”
The muscles in his jaw flex.
“Of course, I’m sure the great Lady Vardane has the people’s best interest at heart regardless,” I say with a shrug.
“Why else would she work so hard to be a part of this if not to ensure all of Candora is on equal footing? She’s probably out on the streets with everyone else, ready to demand change, isn’t she? ”
His gaze drops to the floor as his shoulders round forward the slightest bit.
I sit up straighter. “She’s still here.” I don’t need him to respond because of course she is.
Invem isn’t known for its skyscrapers, and this building is four stories high, which means it’s one of the tallest buildings in the city and right in the center of everything.
Perfect for watching her plan unfold around her. “She’s up on the roof.”
Though he doesn’t say anything, he looks at me again with a subtle tilt of his head.
Struggling to my feet, I hold my hands in the air to prove that I’m not going to fight him again. With the way my head is still pounding, he would win in a heartbeat. “Look, I’m sure Helena wants what’s best for the people, and she’s up there to see that no one gets hurt.”
I need to get up to the roof. The only way to ensure Helena can’t dethrone Freya is to get proof that she’s dirty, which means I need to connect to my phone again and get her talking. Hopefully it’s with Helena, or I’ll have to come up with a different plan.
The man narrows his eyes, but there’s enough doubt in his expression that I know I’ve hit a pressure point.
I tilt my head to the side. “Helena hired you because she trusts you, right? She doesn’t trust people easily.”
“So?”
“So why are you down here with me?” I look around the supply closet and frown. “You’re missing a moment that has been in the works for months because she told you to guard a woman with a concussion.”
He grunts, glancing at the door with an almost longing look. “Someone had to watch you.”
“You could have tied me up and locked me to a radiator. But no, she told you to stay with me.” I tilt my head.
“Or stay away from her.” I step forward, and when he doesn’t react, I step again.
“Whatever she’s doing up on that roof, she isn’t taking the risks like everyone else, and she doesn’t want witnesses. ”
With a scoff, he folds his arms and stands to match me, blocking the door. “I’m not going to fall for your tricks.”
“What tricks?” I hold my hands out. “You’re stronger than me, and if I’m talking nonsense, then you have nothing to worry about.
” When he glances at the door again, lingering there longer than before, I take my chances and push harder.
I’ve wasted too much time already. “If you think I’m lying, prove me wrong. ”
His eyes snap back to me. “What?”
“Lock me in here and go see for yourself that Helena is doing what she promised. What do you have to lose?”
He actually grabs the door handle before he stops himself, shaking his head and glaring at me. But he doesn’t let go. I hold my breath, waiting. “Vitte,” he swears, then stomps forward and grabs hold of my arm. “You’re coming with me, love. Don’t try anything stupid.”
I wouldn’t dream of it, especially after he pulls a gun from his belt as we exit the closet.
We head for the stairwell and go straight to the top, pushing through the “Roof Access” door and stepping out onto a wide, empty stretch that covers the breadth of the co-op building.
There’s a blue haze in the sky as dawn approaches far more quickly than I’d like. Whether there’s a specific time Rowen planned to put his people in motion, it’ll happen soon. Too soon.
As I expected, Helena is alone on the far end of the gravel-covered roof, standing at a short wall that borders the building’s edge. In a long, dark overcoat and her pale hair blowing in the wind, she looks like a dastardly villain overlooking the city she’s about to bend to her will.
My friend’s grip tightens on my arm. He doesn’t move forward, choosing instead to glare at Helena from our place by the door. That’s not going to help me much. I’m still too far for my earbud to connect to my phone.
“What would you have done if there was rain in the forecast this morning?” I call out, then wince when my guard’s grip turns painful.
Helena’s head whips around, taking me in with wide eyes before she turns her glare to the man. “What are you doing? I told you to keep her locked up.”
“She’s not going anywhere,” he argues and gives me a little shake. “I don’t want to miss the strike.”
“Put her back in that closet before she escapes and ruins everything!”
My guard takes a step, bringing me forward with him. “She can’t do anything.” Another step, then another, our feet crunching in the gravel as we approach the lone woman. “You said she was dangerous, but she’s nothing but talk.”
While I don’t appreciate the diminution, I use it to my advantage. “Yes, why am I dangerous, Lady Vardane?” I ask as sweet as treacle. “I’m just a security guard from Hatton Road, and I didn’t even get invited into the anti-royalists until last night.”
Helena scoffs. “You know too much.”
“About what?” the man asks. He tugs me to a stop only a few meters from Helena, close enough for us to look out over the dark and quiet city. “The strike? What does it matter?”
“Yeah,” I agree. “What do you have to hide?”
“Nothing, of course,” Helena says with a sniff. “This strike is inevitable. Rowen gave the signal an hour ago, just as I planned.”
“Just as he planned,” I correct.
She stiffens. “What?”
“Because Rowen is the people’s leader and has been planning this since long before you came into the picture.”
As her careful expression falters, she glances at my guard. “Of course.”
“You wouldn’t be smart enough to coordinate all this,” I continue and wave my free arm over the city. The sky is lavender now and dotted with gray clouds, but the city is still quiet. It’s almost too quiet. Usually Invem has started to wake up by now.
I shift my focus back to Helena instead of wondering if Sander was successful or if this is just the calm before the storm.
“The details and protocols and contingencies. Not to mention you’d need a natural way with people and a persuasive charm to rally a whole city to the cause.
It makes perfect sense why you would stick to providing the funds to ensure everyone out there has peace of mind when it comes to their lost wages due to the strike. ”
Helena fully turns around now, scowling at me without hiding the worry behind the anger. “What are you talking about?”
I tilt my head. “Didn’t you know? Thanks to you, no one is losing money by being part of the strike. It’s fantastic.”
“Fantastic,” she parrots, her wrinkled nose saying otherwise. Then her eyes jump to something behind me with a flash of anger.
Alaric Blackmere ambles toward us from the rooftop door, his hands in his pockets and a cool expression on his face. “Lovely morning up here on the roof, isn’t it?” he asks, glancing among the three of us without a care. As if the very obvious gun pointed at me is nothing to worry about.
I thought he would have gone home hours ago and washed his hands of this mess, and I can’t decide if I’m relieved to see him or if his presence is an omen. If he’s still here, where is Sander?
“You don’t belong here, coward,” Helena snaps. “You made it clear you want no part in this.”
He shrugs as he comes to a stop a few feet from where I’m standing. “Then why did I spend all night convincing Rowen that I’m on his side?”
“What are you saying?” Helena asks, narrowing her eyes.
As a golden glow starts to build behind the eastern hills, Blackmere looks Helena right in the eyes and smiles, almost gleefully.
“You’ve set the stage, and now I’m here to watch the show.
” His gaze turns to me, and he takes me in with a long perusal.
“You’re a hard woman to find, Storme. The prince sends his regards. ”
Relief floods through me. Sander is okay. Or he was the last time Blackmere saw him, whenever that might have been.
“The prince?” Helena scoffs. “He abandoned her hours ago.”
“He didn’t abandon me,” I say brightly, and a thrill runs through me when that comment knocks the sneer off her face. “No, he’s busy dismantling your ridiculous plan at its foundation.”
Helena’s eye twitches. “I don’t believe you,” she says, lifting her chin. She didn’t deny that she does, in fact, have a plan, something my captor must have noticed because his grip on my arm loosens. “Rowen pulled the trigger prematurely, but that can only work in my favor.”
“How so?” I know what her plan is, but I need her to say it. I need her to prove her own guilt.
Instead of answering my question, she turns to face the city again and lifts her chin high. Invem is still, as it often is, but usually the buses have started their routes by now, and on a regular day there would be a few motorcycles out and about. But it’s all so quiet.
A little too quiet.
If Rowen signaled the strike an hour ago, something should be happening by now.