The Empty Throne

  Tom’s eyes narrowed, but I cut him off, not about to let him pursue that path. If he put two and two together, Shea’s life might once again be in jeopardy.

  “And just who did you contact? And when?”

  She wrung her hands, looking suitably miserable. “I ran an errand early one morning—you assumed I’d just gone to the market—and went to the nearest Constabulary station. I’d seen it when we were out walking. The head of the station house made the deal, put it in writing for me, official seal and all. Later on, when everything was over, I went back to the Constabulary station. Two of their officers escorted me to Tairmor, where I met with Luka Ivanova. He had papers signed by the Governor releasing my father’s debt. Because the reward was more than I needed, he made arrangements to secure our old house for us and to set up a store for my father. And he had some of his men accompany me to the Balsam Forest to bring my family back to the city.”

  “How marvelously simple,” I seethed, gut wrenching at the thought she had returned to Aunt Roxy’s after her initial visit to the station house as though nothing were amiss. What a good actor she had turned out to be. “Why did you bother to come back at all?”

  “I still wanted to help, and I didn’t want you to get hurt. I’m sorry, Anya, I truly am. I just couldn’t see any other way.”

  Turning to Tom, I asked, “Did you know about any of this? About the arrangements Luka made?”

  “No, I didn’t. All I knew was that Pyrite had been arrested, although even that information was carefully guarded.”

  I could tell he again wanted to raise questions of his own, but I forestalled him with a warning. “Remember, you’re supposed to sit there and be quiet. Otherwise, we’ll just end this little reunion of ours.”

  He grabbed his newspaper and repositioned himself in his chair, for he was learning a lot just by listening in to our conversation.

  “Go on, Shea,” I said through gritted teeth. “You said Spex intended to exchange the dagger he had for his family’s freedom.”

  “That was the ploy he had in mind. What he was really proposing was a chance to climb the chain of command, so to speak. You see, he’d come to agree with Pyrite’s assessment that justice was eventually going to be meted out to his family and was willing to try to help us—I mean you.”

  Shea blushed, clearly flustered by her slipup. But I could see in her eyes the longing she felt to once more be my friend, to be part of “us.” I wasn’t sure I was ready for that.

  “Spex and I talked to my father to see if he could give us any help—you know that piece already. It was a place to start, and we followed the lead to the extent we could.” She leaned closer and gripped my hand, her eyes suddenly bright with fear. “Anya, this organization is much more complex than we ever dreamed—layers and layers of command, with many different operational facets. It’s like the whole thing is set up so no one person will know everything that’s going on.”

  “There has to be at least one person who knows everything—that’s the person we have to ferret out. So what did you learn?”

  “Well, Spex never brought the item with us to any of the resulting meetings, but he would describe it in detail, and he kept insisting he wouldn’t negotiate with any lackeys. We thought we’d blown the whole thing until we received a message that told us where to meet the person with the power to make the deal.” An involuntary shudder passed through her body. “Only we had to meet him down in the tunnels.”

  I sat back, chilled to the bone. The tunnels beneath the city would certainly be a private and secretive place to meet, but also a very dangerous one.

  “And did you? Meet the man with the power to make the deal with you?”

  “Yes, I was horribly afraid, but we both wanted to help you. And I felt I owed it to you...to try to make amends.”

  Shea plucked at her leggings, then glanced at Tom, clearly nervous about what conclusions he might be reaching.

  “Spex hid the item,” she continued, “afraid we’d never make it out alive if we took it with us. And he was right to do so because the man we met with is terrifying. It was dark, and he wore a cloak, a mask covering his face. He was like the voice of the shadows themselves.”

  Shea trembled, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Tom’s head jerk up—something in particular had attracted his interest.

  “He was angry, Anya, very angry, when he realized we hadn’t brought what he wanted, but Spex said he needed a show of good faith. He said he’d turn over the knife only if his sister was released. That’s when things went wrong.”

  My nerves now felt taut enough to snap, and I no longer cared what Tom was hearing or the conclusions he might be drawing. Shea swallowed hard, then continued her story.

  “The man said I had to stay with him for collateral, and that we’d meet again the next night—he’d bring Spex’s sister and Spex would bring the dagger.”

  “Nature, Shea, you must have been scared to death!”

  “I was.” She gulped for air, the color draining from her cheeks. “The man, referred to as the Wretch by those who had arranged the meeting, left me in the tunnels that night and all the next day, locked in a cage down in the cavern where we found the colony of Sepulchres. It was cold and damp, and the creatures would approach the cage to touch me with their long, spindly fingers. I kept worrying that Spex wouldn’t return, that I’d just...die down there, and my family would never know what happened to me.

  “But Spex did return. And the Wretch had his sister with him. So even though he didn’t want to do it, he thought he had no choice but to turn the dagger over.” Family first, Anya, always, echoed in my head—Zabriel’s words, haunting me. “But this man, he doesn’t negotiate or play fair.”

  Shea’s voice choked, and tears welled in her eyes.

  “What happened, Shea?” I exhorted, her distress tearing at my heart.

  “The man released me, then Spex stepped forward to hand over the dagger in exchange for his sister. But once the Wretch had the knife in his hands, he...he...”

  “What, Shea, what did he do?”

  “He slit the sister’s throat, didn’t he?” It was Tom who had spoken. He had left his chair and was now striding forward to join us.

  Shea nodded and looked down at her hands, and a teardrop splattered upon them. “There was blood everywhere, and Spex... It was too late, the man had disappeared into the shadows, leaving him screaming and bawling.” Shea met my eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks. “And then he picked up his sister...he couldn’t leave her behind...and carried her out of the tunnels and back into the city. That’s the last I saw of him, Anya. I have no idea what may have become of him.”

  All my anger, any residue of hatred I still harbored for Shea, left me in that moment, and I took her into my arms. As Zabriel had said, we all did what we had to do. But this was something she and Spex had done for me, and the horror of it humbled me.

  “Damnation, you two, what have you gotten yourselves mixed up in?” Tom demanded, probably more aware of what such a man was capable of doing than were either of us. When we didn’t reply, he put a hand on Shea’s shoulder, drawing her away from me so he could examine her face. “Shea, what did you say this man looked like?”

  There was urgency in Tom’s voice—almost a fear—that I didn’t understand, and it alarmed me anew.

  “What’s the matter, Tom?” I demanded, my palms sweating.

  He ignored me, repeating the question he had put to Shea. “What did this man look like? It’s important.”

  “It was dark, and he wore a cloak and a mask—a complete mask—over his face.”

  “Height?”

  “Tall, but shorter than my father.”

  “Build?”

  “Hard to tell, but not overweight.”

  “And the mask. Can you describe the mask?”

/>   “It was white with holes for the eyes. Only it was painted, more like shaded, to look like there were bones. His face looked like a skull.”

  Tom moved to the wall, leaning against it for support.

  “You’re scaring me, Tom,” I blurted. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

  “I’ve seen him, Anya. I’ve seen the man Shea is describing, the man she calls the Wretch.”

  “What? Where?”

  “Outside The River’s End pub near the Fae-mily Home. I was making my rounds, and I saw him standing in the shadows, just for a moment. Then he disappeared.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “He has a rather distinctive look. Bizarre enough that I actually thought I was imagining things—like maybe I’d inhaled a little too much smoke.”

  “How long ago was this?”

  “I’m not sure, but it’s since you returned.”

  It fell deathly quiet in the room—there wasn’t even the sound of breathing. Then Tom straightened, his jaw clenched.

  “I think we’d better bring Luka into this. The Wretch is a dangerous sort. Who knows what trouble might trace back to him.”

  I stared at him, my mind working furiously, for I didn’t want to bring anyone else into this, let alone the Lieutenant Governor. I didn’t yet know who could be trusted. Hoping it would help to steady my voice, I took a deep breath.

  “No, it’s too soon. We don’t know enough about what’s going on. Until we do, there’s no need to involve Luka.”

  Tom’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. “Anya, this Wretch, whoever he is, was outside a pub that is a major distribution point for Cysur. And we suspect some of the Cysur is bad—too strong, or laced with some other substance, and causing deaths. He could be part of that. If for no other reason, I think we need to talk to Luka. People’s lives are at stake.”

  “No!”

  I threw my covers aside and leaped to my feet, almost shooting straight up in the air, wanting to shout that Fae lives were at stake, and not just due to Cysur. Shea pulled away from me so violently she almost tipped over in her chair, alarm radiating from her. Tom stared at me, his gray eyes murky, the tendons in his neck so tight they stood out like thick ropes.

  “It’s too soon,” I pled, trying to temper my outburst. “We don’t know who might be behind these things. We could end up warning those involved rather than stopping them.”

  “Do you suspect Luka?” Tom ground out.

  “I suspect everyone, but, no, not Luka especially.” I bit my lip, then sat on the edge of the bed, ready to take a gamble on Officer Matlock. “I suspect Constable Farrier.”

  He stiffened, and for a moment, it appeared he had turned to stone. I had clearly delivered a blow, and I fretfully waited, unsure what his reaction would be. He stared, taking several deep breaths, as though he had just sprinted to a finish line, but his voice was steady when he spoke.

  “It’s time you explain what’s really going on, Anya. And I need to know all of it.”

  “I will. But, Shea, you should leave now. You’ve given me more information than I could have hoped for. It’s time for you to go home and take care of your family.”

  She nodded, then leaned toward me to exchange one last hug. Casting a slightly skeptical glance at Tom, she departed, and he moved to take her place in the armchair beside the bed, eyes fixed on me.

  With a measure of relief and trepidation, I told Tom the story of my journey from Chrior to Sheness, including everything I had learned along the way and ending with our discoveries on Evernook Island. The only information I omitted was that Shea knew I was searching for Zabriel, not Illumina, and that she therefore knew of my cousin’s dual identity. After all she had gone through, I wasn’t about to let one of Luka’s men put a bullet in her brain.

  When I was finished, Tom sat quietly for a very long time, the shock on his face gradually giving way to resolve.

  “I need to talk to Zabriel. I think the three of us need a plan of action to sort everything out and ultimately bring this plot against the Fae to a grinding halt.”

  “You won’t say anything to Luka?”

  “I won’t discuss this with anyone other than you and Zabriel. Until we know who we can trust, I think the same should be true for the two of you.”

  “It is, Tom. I haven’t even told my father, much less the Queen, the Ambassadors, or anyone else. Other than Zabriel and me, the only other Fae who has some knowledge of the situation is Illumina.”

  “Your cousin who went back to Chrior?”

  “That’s right.”

  “But what might she have told the Queen and your father?”

  “As far as I know, she told them about the loss of my wings and how we found Zabriel. And she said he was arrested by a bounty hunter. But she didn’t say anything about Evernook Island. I’m certain of that because my father and aunt would have told me.”

  Tom frowned. “Why would she have kept that secret?”

  I chewed on the inside of my cheek, for he had raised an issue I hadn’t considered. Trying to unravel Illumina’s motivations was akin to trying to find a way through a complex maze. There were far more wrong turns than right ones.

  “I’m not sure,” I ultimately confessed. “But she doesn’t know everything Zabriel and I do about what’s happening to Fae. Maybe she didn’t want to raise an alarm without more information. Maybe the only thing she cared about was sending the Queen after her son. All I know is she could have stirred up the human-haters in Chrior but didn’t. And for that I’m thankful.”

  “All right. But, Anya, we have to put all of this aside for a day or two.” He came to his feet and glanced out the window. “I know that won’t be easy for you, but in truth, there isn’t time to deal with this right now. In a few hours, the parade honoring the Queen and Zabriel will start, followed by the Governor’s Ball.”

  I nodded, my neck feeling stiff, as though it needed to be oiled. Concern washed over his face, and he pulled me into his arms, holding me tightly, the steady rhythm of his heart offering me comfort.

  “I’ll take you back to the mansion now so you can prepare for the events,” he murmured, brushing my hair with his fingers. “The doctor says you’re doing well, and he’s yielded to your father’s desire to have you discharged. Tomorrow, I’ll figure out a way for the three of us to meet.”

  I raised my head to look into his eyes, lips slightly parted in invitation. He kissed me, his hands running over my body, the warmth of his touch radiating through my thin nightgown. I melted against him, but he put his hands on my waist and shifted me away. I nonetheless caught the momentary flit of his eyes to the bed, and the blush that, for once, rose in his cheeks.

  “I’ll be waiting in the corridor,” he said, voice low and husky.

  He left me flustered and trembling in the room, and I quickly changed into my regular clothes. I gathered my hair into a ponytail at the nape of my neck, feeling a surge of hope. Despite everything I had learned, Zabriel and I had a new ally, a human ally, and he would be a good one at that.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  REUNIONS

  The ballroom in the Governor’s mansion was opulence defined. The floor was marble, the walls a rich mahogany, the chandeliers a lavish display of gold, silver, and crystal. Gilt angel statues, a favorite motif of the Ivanova family, watched over the proceedings from recessed nooks in the walls, spaced among rich woolen tapestries and ornately framed portraits. The cut crystal bowls, plates, and goblets on the refreshment tables glimmered in the candlelight cast by silver-and-gold candelabras. The air was saturated with the aroma of food and drink, along with the heady scents of perfume. Though the Governor’s Ball was officially held in honor of Queen Ubiqua’s return to the human realm, its real purpose was to introduce the Governor’s grandson, the Prince of the Fae, to the upper class of the
Warckum Territory.

  A parade through the streets of Tairmor in horse-drawn carriages had immediately preceded this event, offering a glimpse of Fae royalty to the general populace and granting a brief moment for me to assure my aunt of my return to health. The well-behaved throngs who lined the route had enthusiastically cheered the Queen and the Prince, while those who might have been disruptive were no doubt dissuaded by the presence of a large number of crimson-uniformed Constabularies. All in all, the Governor’s plan to banish Pyrite into obscurity and claim Zabriel as an heir was going extremely well.

  Although the Queen was resplendent in a celebration gown in deep greens and vivid blues, reflective of the burgeoning spring season, her gracious smile seemed more tired than usual, perhaps due to the worry my collapse had generated. People were announced upon their entrance into the ballroom, then were individually introduced to her by the Governor. Ubiqua stood between Wolfram Ivanova and Zabriel, with Luka the bookend on her son’s other side, though I was sure this arrangement was not to my cousin’s liking. Next came my father and me, followed by Ambassadors Aster and Oersted. The Queen’s Blades stood behind us, along with members of the Governor’s personal guard, the disgruntled expressions worn by the Constabularies suggesting they thought the additional Fae security was unnecessary. My eyes met Zabriel’s, and he tugged on his black tailcoat with a determined nod, once more wearing a custom-made suit provided by the Governor instead of the traditional Fae garments available to him. I sighed internally, knowing I would have to wade into the war between mother and son in the morning, for I had pledged to Ubiqua that I would talk to Zabriel about recanting his decision to stay in the Warckum Territory. I didn’t fool myself that this would be an easy task—his burgeoning relationship with Luka had no doubt hit a wall with Fane’s death, but that didn’t erase his problems with the Queen. Given a choice between what he would now view as two evils, I was certain Zabriel would take his chances with Luka.

  I squirmed restlessly, for the pomp and circumstance favored by the humans was in sharp contrast to the more relaxed celebrations held within the Faerie Realm. I wanted to break away, to circulate among the politely milling guests in search of Tom and a more satisfying conversation. My mood improved, however, with the announcement of an intriguing guest.