Chapter 25 Secret Meetings
Secret Meetings
It was midmorning when she arrived in Veridas.
A little sweaty, but feeling rather pleased with herself, she handed the reins to a stableboy and stuffed the contents of her saddlebags in her pockets.
She made her way to the main square of the city, where a large clock tower stood. The clock tower was made of dark stone and had long, spindly hands on the clock face.
She checked the time—she was still early.
Since she had time, she visited the jewellers’ district. Pretending to examine their wares, she waited until the jeweller finished with a customer and eyed her with interest.
“Back again, miss! Buying or selling today?”
She smiled, withdrew the velvet cloth from her pocket, and opened it to reveal another gem from her collection. This one was a necklace with a large sapphire pendant surrounded by crystals.
“May I?”
The jeweller picked up the sapphire pendant and examined it, letting out a low whistle.
Elizabeth almost cringed as she recalled how much money the stone had cost. How much she had spent on so many frivolous things. A past life. Now, more practical things mattered.
“Yes, I think we could take this off your hands.”
“Excellent.”
She parted with the sapphire pendant, and the jeweller passed her a small sack, laden with gold nobles, and she forced herself not to look relieved.
“Pleasure doing business with you, sir.” When the jeweller returned her smile, she ventured, “By the way, if you ever wanted to turn it into a set, I bought the sapphire separately. The setting I had was custom-made. I could inquire if they could ship me a few others, if there was interest.”
The jeweller surveyed her over his spectacles. “If they are the same cut and clarity as this, I would not mind getting that contact.”
She smiled.
After the jewellers, she stopped at the bank.
To her surprise, the master of the bank didn’t bat an eye when she asked to create an account and deposit gold under a fake name. Luckily, it seemed some commoners had no established family name and no formal documents to prove who they were.
She deposited the sack of gold from the jewellers and several other small black velvet bags on the counter, each filled with a handful of gold and silver nobles.
Caspian might think her spoiled, but she had hardly spent a penny. Every sack of gold that had arrived on her writing desk—an allowance to buy herself frivolous things—she had kept.
She left the bank feeling lighter. One thing at least, she had accomplished.
She walked back to the city square and checked the clock tower.
Elizabeth counted the blocks after the clock tower and found a restaurant she’d seen the last time she was here. She had chosen it for the ample space between tables and the pretty ivy that covered the dark brick walls.
Scanning the tables, she made her way over to a table by the window, stopping before a woman wearing an emerald travelling cloak.
“Well, well, well. I’m surprised you dragged yourself out of bed this early,” Elizabeth drawled.
Charlotte turned to her, eyebrows raised. She paused for dramatics, then they both burst out laughing.
“Lizzy, good gods, tell me what’s going on. Do you have any idea how difficult it was to convince my maid to venture ‘with Connall’s family’ on a trip to Arboras?” Charlotte made quotations in the air.
“Pretty simple, since you’re so clever and have the whole world wrapped around your little finger,” Elizabeth said with a grin, sliding into the opposite seat.
They both chuckled.
A waiter wandered by. “Good afternoon. Tea?”
“Yes, please, two,” Charlotte said, smiling charmingly. “And I’ll have the bread and the soup. Thank you.”
The waiter glanced at her expectantly, and Elizabeth said, “The same for me, thanks.”
“Of course.” The waiter inclined his head and swiftly returned with two cups, a teapot, and a tray with cream and sugar.
Charlotte fixed her tea and took a sip. “So, Lizzy, is he truly a demon?”
Elizabeth took her time, adding cream and swirling her tea with a spoon. When she looked up, she nodded firmly once. “He is. I also met a witch and saw many things I would have never believed.”
Charlotte paled and leaned forward in her seat.
“Lizzy, listen to me. Demons are not people. Everything I know about them says they only avoid glutting themselves on blood if they have a damn good reason. It’s not possible that a demon offered you a houseroom because he was feeling charitable.
” She paused. “There’s something else he wants from you, and you need to be really, really careful. ”
Taking Elizabeth’s hand between hers, Charlotte looked at her with dread in her eyes. “Demons don’t befriend humans. They kill them for sport.”
Her grip tightened and didn’t let go. Charlotte looked like she wanted to say something else, but she restrained herself.
Drily, Elizabeth said, “Charlotte, I just told you, I’m slowly selling my belongings and trying to make it out of this mess.
I hadn’t realized it would put me in so much danger, but I agreed to stay the course of three months.
I signed a contract I can’t back out of now.
” She gently squeezed Charlotte’s hand, patting it with her other. “It will be alright.”
Charlotte pursed her lips. “And before we catch up, I will first tell you that you’re an absolute idiot for making a deal with a demon when you have friends who care about you.”
Elizabeth grinned. “Oh Charlotte, I have so missed your way with words.”
“I’m serious! He could have killed you. You don’t want to know what they do to humans.”
Elizabeth shuddered, the meat locker flashing behind her eyes. “I can assume well enough.”
Charlotte looked at her for a long moment. “Why did you leave?”
Elizabeth stilled. “He—” She swallowed and forced herself to say, “The very worst rumours we heard about Duke Howard were true. He tried to—” She paused and wrinkled her nose. “I’d quite literally rather die than become his wife.”
Charlotte’s face fell. “You’re not serious? Don’t tell me he tried something? You’re not even married yet.” She blustered, “Duke Howard wouldn’t dare.”
“Well, he did dare, and if it wasn’t for the demon—” Elizabeth let her statement hang in the air, her expression frank. “He saved me, Charlotte. Friends and family did not protect me that day. The demon did.”
Charlotte’s brows knit. “And you’re not coming back? Not ever? Surely if your parents knew—”
Elizabeth lifted her chin. “Until my father releases me from my engagement to Duke Howard, I won’t set foot in Rhodea again.”
The waiter brought two bowls laden with soup and a plate of crusty bread. The aroma of fresh bread wafted up from the basket. She inhaled deeply and tried a piece—it was still warm from the oven.
“Anything else for you, dears?” The waiter asked kindly.
Charlotte’s eyes crinkled in amusement. “That’s everything, thanks.
” As soon as the waiter stepped out of earshot, she whirled on her and said hurriedly, as if the words leapt off her tongue, “So, what are you going to do now? Stay with the demon forever?” Charlotte leaned forward.
“It’s far too dangerous. You should leave as soon as you can. ”
Elizabeth bit her lip. “I don’t have a choice. I’m trying to do what I can to make sure I’ll have enough gold to leave and find accommodations for myself after the three months are over. Other than that—” She shrugged. “It’s no more dangerous than anything else would be right now.”
Elizabeth blew on a spoonful of soup and tasted it. The hot broth felt comforting, like a warm hug. She took strength in it and took another sip to steady herself.
Charlotte tore off a crust of bread and looked at her with a pitying expression.
“I think Caspian is a high-level demon, and I think you need to be careful.” At her raised brows, Charlotte explained, “I know a little about them. My mother … thought it best for me to know enough to have my wits about me in this world.”
Charlotte paused and bit her lip. “I don’t know much, mind you, just a hair more about witches and demons than our governesses told us.
My mother’s doing. She didn’t want me to get hoodwinked by a witch or demon because I was ignorant of what they were capable of.
” Charlotte’s eyes widened, and she said seriously, “Promise you won’t tell anyone?
She made me swear to keep it all a secret. ”
At the revelation that Lady Harrison knew anything about demons, Elizabeth could only stare.
“Of course, but how—how much do you know about them?” She gave Charlotte a wry smile.
“I’ve been hunting through old books to try to find out everything I can.
All I remember from the lessons with my governess was that demons are creatures of unspeakable evil who live in the Seven Hells.
Most of her teachings were on how the gods came to be, and on legends and stories where angels came to Asteria to help a human in need.
We didn’t talk much about demons at all.
” Elizabeth chuckled. “I think my governess was more focused on instilling modesty and piety in me than on instructing me in demon lore.”
Charlotte snorted. “Lizzy. I’ve never seen you pray to the gods, except on the high holidays.”
“I said she tried to instruct me, I didn’t say she was successful.”
Charlotte laughed, then quickly sobered and shook her head. “I wish I knew more to help you, but I only know stories—just enough to warn me off ever tangling with them.”
“But you said—Caspian’s a high-level demon. How do you figure that?”
Charlotte pursed her lips and took a moment to answer.
“I’ve never heard of a Caspian, but I have heard of Asmodeus, the other demon you mentioned in your letter.
Asmodeus is supposed to be one of the Demon Princes, and a really nasty piece of work.
If Caspian has him in his service—I would bet Caspian is a high-level demon too. ”
“Where did you hear of Asmodeus?” Elizabeth looked at her blankly.