Chapter 27
Aliya
Aliya slunk up the hallway toward the library. She’d convinced her guards she was going out again to search for Zadé, this time near the stables, then ditched them as soon as they entered the building ahead of her to clear the stalls of potential threats.
Part of her felt guilty for leaving them. After all, they were only trying to protect her. However, she’d be much more likely to get close to where Brooks was keeping the hostages without a retinue of bodyguards following her every move.
She flexed her left hand. It still ached from where she’d sliced it for Roland’s vow, though all that remained was a thin scar.
“Princess!”
Aliya almost cried out in relief as Zadé stepped out from behind a tapestry. “Zadé! Where have you been?”
“Investigatin’ the murder o’ that noble. Mach-whatever.” She gestured to the wall hanging that still rustled from her passage. “Th’ secret tunnel he was stashed in had a passageway that led me here!” She presented a flour bag, painted with black and crimson. Cerel colors. “‘N lookit what I found!”
Aliya blinked as her thoughts screeched to a halt. In all the chaos of this morning, she’d forgotten Lord Macherall had been murdered yesterday and Elessan framed for it. Aliya would bet her right leg Brooks was somehow involved with Macherall’s death. The timing was too perfect.
She raised one eyebrow and nodded at the cloth. “What’s that?”
Zadé displayed it in front of her like a piece of parchment. Two holes were cut out, their position suggestive of eyes. “‘S a mask that was left in th’ passage, might be worn by th’ killer!”
Aliya held back a sigh. They didn’t have time for conjecture and guesswork now.
Grabbing Zadé’s arm, she tugged the other woman to the side so they weren’t standing in the middle of the hallway. “Forget about that for a moment, Zadé. Something’s happened.”
Zadé leaned forward, her eyes round like they were two schoolgirls sharing the latest gossip. “What?” Folding the bag away, she tucked it into one of her pockets.
Aliya shook her head. “Brooks infiltrated the castle! He took a bunch of elves hostage, including Elessan’s mother.
They’re barricaded in the library along with the nobles who are loyal to Malkov.
” She ached to confide in the other woman how Roland had cornered her into marrying him, but she had no doubt that would trigger a Zadé-style lecture, possibly with copious amounts of drinking, and now wasn’t the time.
“Huh.” Zadé chewed on the inside of her cheek for several maddening seconds as she processed the information.
Aliya was about to explode by the time the general spoke.
“Suppose that saves yeh th’ task o’ discoverin’ who the traitors are, yeah?
Yeh just need ta kill all th’ ones in th’ library with ‘im.” Her eyebrows furrowed.
“While somehow not killin’ the hostages. ”
“Maybe,” Aliya hissed, “but you’re missing the point! He has the Whisperers and could use them at any time!”
Zadé crossed her arms. “Which yer obviously worried about, what with yer not wearing ear plugs, ‘n all.”
Aliya rolled her eyes in exasperation. “I’m not using them so I can hear people trying to sneak up on me! It’s a safety issue.”
Zadé pinned her with a scorching glare that was usually employed by teachers scolding a misbehaving pupil. “Princess, yeh should be wearin’ ‘em. If’n you die, the human kingdom falls into a power vacuum.”
By the mages! Why were everyone’s priorities on her when Brooks was what mattered?
Besides, with the new marriage contract, Roland would no doubt find a way to claim the realm if she passed away prior to the wedding day.
Despite the fact that she hadn’t even been formally crowned yet.
“That’s not important right now! We need to figure out how to save Elessan’s mother, and all the other hostages, before Brooks makes his move. ”
Zadé crossed her arms and leaned her weight into one hip. “I’d say he already did, wouldn’t cha? What with the invadin’ the castle, ‘n all.”
“His next move then, whatever.” Aliya glanced down the hall. “I’m trying to get close enough to see if there’s a way we can cause a distraction or something, to get them out.”
A familiar voice by Aliya’s ankle spoke up. “There’s only one way in and out of the library.” Shadow curled around Aliya’s leg, looking for all the world like a typical pet asking for attention.
“Holy houses!” Zadé jumped several paces back as she pointed one finger at the furry interloper. “The cat! It talks!”
Aliya sighed. “Zadé, meet Shadow.” She glanced down to the quicksilver eyes surrounded by soft black fur. “Aunt, Zadé Brightleaf, high general of the elven army.”
“Iz just Zadé, none o’ that ‘General’ crap.” She crouched down, studying Shadow. “So, yer a shapeshifter, too?”
The feline sent Zadé a glare of condescending boredom before turning her focus back to Aliya. “The library is sealed. The only way in is through the front door, which is under heavy guard.”
“Do you know how many soldiers and nobles are on his side?” Aliya asked.
The animal nodded, the too-human gesture disconcerting. “Most of your council, I’m afraid. I didn’t see Alinac, though judging from the fate of Lord Macherall, I don’t know if I would consider that fortunate for him or us.”
Aliya pressed her lips into a thin line. Her aunt was feeling the same way about Macherall’s murder as she was. “And the guards?"
Shadow shrugged. “Twenty or thirty. That’s a lot for the three of us to overpower, but if we could figure out a way to knock them all out or draw them away, we may be able to get past the nobles and free the hostages.”
“And the number of prisoners?” Zadé asked, her eyes bright with the challenge of a daring rescue.
“Ten,” Shadow said. “Most of them are rumpled, like Brooks’ people dragged them from their beds, but no one’s been harmed.” She paused. “Yet.”
If Aliya had her way, they’d remain undamaged.
Zadé turned her attention to Aliya. “Where’s Elsan? I’d ‘a thought he’d not letcha go anywhere alone, what with the castle under siege ‘n all?”
Aliya shook her head. “He stayed behind to convince Roland to help us free the hostages.” That had been several hours ago, and she hadn’t seen Elessan since.
Zadé barked a laugh. “Roland wanted ta turn tail ‘n run, did he?”
Clenching her jaw, Aliya nodded. “The bastard is a coward.” One who would soon be her husband and king consort. She bit back a sigh. The nobles would no doubt love that when they made the announcement.
“Well, yeah,” Zadé said, oblivious to where her thoughts had wandered, “but he’s prioritizing th’ safety o’ his guards n’ fightin’ men. Brooks has th’ Whisperers ‘n could release ‘em at any time. And there’s no sayin’ what modifications he’s been able ta make to ‘em since he stole ‘em.”
Aliya sighed. It had only been two days. But that time, with the help of a Master Artificer, was more than enough time to make them even deadlier.
“You think ear plugs won’t work anymore?”
Zadé shrugged. “Dunno. Maybe. He also could’a changed ‘em ta only affect elves, or mages, or both. Difficult ta say until we find out th’ hard way.”
Shadow huffed. “We have two shapeshifters.” She eyed Aliya. “Between the two of us, I would bet we can get into the library and figure out a way to free the hostages… before Brooks sets off another Whisperer.”
At this point, Aliya had no clue how many of the blasted things Brooks had, or what he was waiting for.
“Great idea,” Zadé said, nodding her head. “You two sneak in, look around, and come back out and report, so we can come up with a way to get everyone out.”
Aliya bit her lip and studied Shadow. “Do we have any speaking stones we can plant near the prisoners?”
Less than half an hour later, Aliya and Shadow, dressed in borrowed guard uniforms and shifted to resemble two nondescript humans, marched up to the library. The speaking stone Aliya procured from Malkov’s alchemist lab sat heavy in her pocket.
Lifting her fist, she banged on the door.
The echoes reverberated down the hall.
Footsteps approached from inside. “Who’s there?”
“Is this where we report if we think the imposter queen needs to be tossed off the throne?” Shadow asked.
The door cracked open and the watchman thrust a spear tip toward Aliya until it settled beneath her throat. “Who told ya that?”
“Heard it through the grape vine in Lord Havenhash’s household.” Shadow stepped forward, apparently not concerned by the blade hovering dangerously close to Aliya’s skin. “Did we hear wrong?”
The man eyed Shadow up and down, taking in the uniform, the medium brown hair cropped short in typical military fashion, and the muscular male form Shadow had chosen. “You seem like you’re decent in a fight,” he said.
Shadow dipped her chin. “Name’s Mikhail.” She pointed to Aliya. “And this here’s Jessup. Can we come in?”
The sentry chewed his cheek. “Never heard of you.”
Aliya raised her eyebrow, trying to look bored. She crossed her arms. “You know every one of Lord Havenhash’s guards, do you? Because I don’t know you, either.”
The human eyed them once more before glancing over his shoulder. He nodded at someone Aliya couldn’t see, then backed away and ushered them inside.
The library overflowed with books, complete with a rolling ladder on each wall to help with reaching the upper shelves. It was also jam packed with people.
Shadow had been correct—the entirety of Aliya’s council, except for Alinac and the now-deceased Macherall, sat at the imposing table that was the centerpiece of the room. Brooks lounged at its head. The sentries milled around the room’s edges, casting suspicious glances their way.
To her left, a fire crackled in the hearth, adding to the heat from the compressed bodies that the tiny windows high in the walls did little to dispel. There was no sign of the hostages.
The red gem in Brooks’ forehead flashed. Aliya tensed. It must be in response to her proximity to him, but over the next several heartbeats, the Arcane Inquisitor didn’t react. Aliya relaxed, her shoulders dropping.
“Come on.” Their guide waved them over. “Let’s get you added to the rolls.”
Aliya nodded. If they could get their hands on a copy of that list, they’d have the identity of every traitorous guard and noble in the castle. Then, they needed eyes on the hostages, and somewhere surreptitious to hide the speaking stone.
The stench of sweat tickled her nose as she followed their escort past several bookcases into another space.
One of Aliya’s own lieutenants sat in a chair behind a tall desk as he gave them both a once-over. She committed his face to memory. “New recruits?” he asked.
The sentry nodded. “Mikhail and Jessup, from Havenhash’s house.”
The lieutenant eyed them, his bored expression unimpressed. “As soon as the council’s done with their conference, we’ll have the lord come vouch for you. But in the meantime, please make your marks here.” He held out a lined sheet and a quill.
Aliya met Shadow’s eyes as she took the feather. They had to leave before Brooks’ meeting ended, or Havenhash would out them. Scanning the names on the paper, she scribbled Jessup Devonshire in the next empty line, then handed the plume to Shadow.
After she returned the items to the lieutenant, Shadow pierced the man with her sharp gaze. “So, what’s the plan? When do we make our move?”
The edges of the man’s lips tightened. “You’ll be informed along with everyone else, once the council finishes hammering out the details.”
Aliya nodded. She hadn’t expected them to reveal anything to newcomers, but it had been worth a try.
“Come on,” the sentry said, gesturing to them. “Let’s quit wasting the lieutenant’s time. I’ll give you a quick tour.”
He led them through the library showing them the dumb waiter they used for access to the kitchens, where rows of blankets lay for people to sleep in shifts, and then, finally, the back room where the elven prisoners clustered.
Aliya scanned the faces until she met the eyes of the single mountain elf. She fought back the urge to smile or nod in reassurance to Sorisana. All the woman would see was another guard, another kidnapper. So instead, she made her a silent vow. I will come back. We’ll get you out.
The sentry was still talking, so Aliya allowed herself to be led away.
After a complete tour of the library, which revealed no other obvious entry points, Aliya and Shadow clustered around the dumbwaiter under the pretense of getting something to eat.
The tables on either side were overflowing with bread and cheese.
Aliya frowned—Brooks had at least one ally, possibly multiple people, in the kitchens.
The face of the kind store owner who had given her shelter and food when she’d first arrived back in Lions Grove and was now head royal cook flashed through her mind—she hoped Patrick was safe and evacuated with the rest of the staff.
Anyone still down there would probably be on Brooks’ payroll.
“We can’t get people up here quick enough to be any good through the dumbwaiter,” she muttered to her aunt, taking a moment to kick the speaking stone beneath the table.
Since she couldn’t get it into the lord’s meeting, at least it could pick up gossip as the guards ate.
Shadow studied her face, likely following her train of thought. “But we could use it to escape, and figure out the traitors who are keeping this group fed.”
Aliya nodded. Without food, an army wouldn’t be effective, but neither could they free the hostages. “I have an idea,” she said, “but we can’t discuss it here.”
“Then it’s time for you to go,” Shadow said. “I’ll stay and see if I can learn anything else from the captives.”
A quick glance over her shoulder revealed that, for the moment, they were alone. Aliya opened her mouth to protest, but her aunt was already disappearing in a pile of empty clothing.
“I thought you didn’t like the elves?” Aliya hissed.
“I don’t,” was the muffled reply. “But I do like what’s best for our kingdom, and letting the Arcane Inquisitor win is not it.” Stepping free from the guard uniform, the black cat stepped out, its fur twitching as though someone had rubbed it the wrong way.
Rolling her eyes and biting back an exasperated sigh, Aliya kicked the discarded outfit beneath the table and scrambled into the dumbwaiter. At this point, she’d accept any info Shadow could uncover, even if her aunt’s motives weren’t pure. “Be safe,” she said.
Her aunt glanced back over her shoulder. “Why are you still here, child? Go!”
With a quick push of a button, Aliya sent the platform down onto the next level.