Chapter 38 #2
Most likely, Reynauld had been responsible for something that had occurred surrounding the events after the fact. Jade prepared herself to dig through crates of notes until she found what Arabella had been referring to, confident that the military had some record of it.
She heaved the box off the shelf and set it on the floor with a dull thud but stopped before she pulled out her first stack of papers.
What did any of this have to do with Marchand?
He’d purchased firra and morsbane eleven years ago, but how was that connected to the fire?
Jade shook her head. It probably wasn’t.
But, she realized, it was likely related to whatever Reynauld had done.
The distant creak of the hinges on the door to the archives room carried through to where she sat. Someone had come in. Jade hoisted the crate back on the shelf as a voice called out.
“Jade?”
An automatic smile appeared on her face at the recognition of Theo’s voice. “Back here!” she called, winding through the rows of shelves toward the door. She rounded a corner and ran right into Theo. He grabbed her by her waist to steady her as her feet took a couple of reactionary steps backward.
With her hands pressed against his biceps, Jade relaxed. “I was just looking through the archives—” She brought her eyes up, cutting herself off when she noticed the tension in his face. “What is it?”
“Devereaux has called a meeting at the castle. We’ve been requested.” The way his jaw ticked gave away his stress. “For an extended stay.”
Jade shut her mouth and swallowed. When she spoke, her voice was low and gritty. “Well that’s not good.”
Theo shook his head. “No, it’s not.” He released her waist, taking one of her hands and giving it a quick squeeze. “I was sent to retrieve you. I’ve already packed a few things for you and loaded them in the cargo wagon. Come on.”
“Wait, Theo.” Jade tugged him back with the hand he held as he started to walk away. “I’ve been thinking a lot in here, and there’s still some missing pieces I’m trying to fit together.”
“Let’s talk on the way,” he said with a slight smile, cracking his grim expression, and he pulled her after him a couple of steps before dropping her hand.
Jade walked close beside Theo as they left the basement and ascended the stairs in Command. A convoy of carriages waited outside, ready to leave. Theo led Jade to one, greeting the driver before opening the door and allowing Jade to climb in before him.
Once the convoy started moving, Jade recounted what she’d learned.
She filled Theo in on the most recent things she had noticed about Marchand and Reynauld, that whatever they had done was around the same time as the fire that killed the prince and queen.
She insisted there was something still behind all of this that they were missing.
“But does it matter now?” he asked after Jade had said her piece. “We found evidence tying the murders to Marchand, and now he’s dead. There’s not even anyone left to vie for the throne. It’s all over.”
The carriage jostled back and forth as Jade considered his point.
But the more she thought about it, the more her stomach knotted.
She shook her head and stared out the window.
Dark clouds gathered in the distance, filling the sky in the direction they were going.
“Maybe, but I can’t help but feel like we’ve missed something important. ”
Theo chewed on the inside of his cheek for a second, then leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. “Okay. We’ll bring it up with Matherson after the meeting.”
Jade smiled, appreciative of the way Theo always supported her, even if he didn’t necessarily agree with her.
He was right, of course. The conflict was over.
The man behind the murders had been identified and was dead.
There was nothing more to worry about, but Jade would rather leave no stone unturned.
At least she’d be able to move forward easier that way.
But they had never identified the assassin. With his employer dead, there shouldn’t be any more murders, but Jade still wanted to find him and bring him to justice too.
“I took that letter from Arthur to Lady Arabella yesterday.” Theo’s change of subject took Jade by surprise and thoroughly captured her attention.
“You did? Why didn’t you say so sooner?”
Theo shrugged and let out a small chuckle. “We couldn’t do anything about it yet, anyway. Besides,” he said, leaning back against the seat of the carriage again and crossing his arms, a grin playing across his lips, “you essentially bombarded me with your information as soon as you got the chance.”
Jade opened her mouth to argue but immediately slammed it shut. He wasn’t wrong there.
“Well, thank you,” she ended up saying instead. “I don’t know what I hope to accomplish by it now that The Claim has come to an end. I just knew she had to see it. Maybe it will hold some meaning for her.”
Theo nodded in agreement, and the two fell silent, Jade lost to her thoughts.
The mastermind behind the murders was dead.
Arabella herself had made no movement in the conflict, so Prince Reynauld had no further obstacles on his way to the throne.
But still, Jade believed deep down that something had been missed.
She couldn’t shake the sense that she didn’t have all the information, and Arabella might be the one to have answers.