In the Wake of the Wicked (Veridian Empire #1)

30. Rose

30

Rose

M y first course of action was to find that hallway at the northern end of the palace that I’d followed Gayl down. I’d been so positive during the meeting with the Sentinels that I knew which corridor it was, but in reality, I hadn’t been paying much attention. It was entirely possible I’d misremembered, as Leo had pointed out. I just didn’t want to admit that to him .

My thoughts had swayed to him more than once since I left him on the outskirts of the palace grounds. The time to myself had allowed me a fresh perspective on things. Maybe I’d been harsh on him, using my fury at his father for a shield against what rested beneath, and then letting that twist every word he said, every scowl he made. I could still see his onyx eyes narrowed in disapproval, the dark stubble shadowing a clenched, strong jaw, veined hands running through his hair in irritation.

I tried to push him from my head. Tried not to contrast that version of him with the fleeting stranger in the alcove, whose brows had furrowed in concern as warm hands steadied me. How ironic it was that he’d been the one who calmed my panic. With his body shoved into mine, the friction of my spine against the rough stone wall, the weighted anticipation of someone finding us…it had been the distraction I needed.

But now I needed to focus. And trying to unweave these contradicting ideas of the prideful, protective, handsome rebel wasn’t helping.

The north end where I’d found Gayl was down two flights of stairs and through a maze of hallways. I took my time retracing my steps, paying attention to the hand drawn maps and noting anything of interest. I quickly discovered the palace was full of passageways and entries cloaked in shadow, secret staircases and servant’s shortcuts hardly visible to the untrained eye. If one passed by too quickly or wasn’t intentionally looking for things out of the ordinary, they were easily missed. My mind turned it into a game, seeing how many secrets I could uncover, how many puzzles I could solve.

I marked them all on my map, promising to come investigate later. My goal now was to find that dark hallway Gayl had disappeared in three days ago. But as I turned down corridor after corridor, nothing sparked my memory. They all looked the same: long, stone hallways with arched wooden doors and guards stationed at the entrances. The same gilded portraits with some landscape or another, the same green rugs beneath my feet, the same decorative clocks and mirrors and chandeliers.

I spent the entire day hunting for that ominous door at the end of every corridor, but each time I thought I’d found the right one, it was a dead end. There were no hidden doors leading to that cold, darkened hall. No sign of Gayl anywhere in this wing, in fact.

Maybe I was in the wrong area. Maybe it had been the west side I’d mistakenly traveled down, too lost in the maps of the city to notice.

The next day was much the same. Staying away from suspicious glances as I pretended to tour the massive palace, scrawling my notes and even being bold enough to follow a few guards under an invisibility spell to see where they went. There were a handful of times I had to shield myself or scurry into a shadowed alcove when I heard the familiar voices of other challengers passing by. Dealing with Callum or Alaric while my ego was still bruised wasn’t going to help matters.

By the end of the third day, my patience was wearing thin. Not that it was my strong suit to begin with. I’d been searching for that hallway for three days and had nothing to show for it besides some semi-legible notes and a list of questionable hiding places.

With frustration mounting, I decided to head back to the north entrance and get some fresh air out in the gardens. I hadn’t been outside since leaving Leo and Nightshade, spending all of my time combing the palace or eating meals with my aunt and cousin in the infirmary or one of our rooms. I figured the night sky and open grounds would do wonders for my anxiety.

As I wound my way through the halls to the north entrance, something snagged the back of my mind. Something that felt familiar, like I’d followed this exact path before.

I circled back, my senses on high alert. I’d examined all these halls in the last few days, but maybe I’d missed something.

My feet stopped at a particularly quiet archway, my body somehow sure in its resolve even when my mind told me I’d already ruled this one out. There were a handful of guards positioned as they were last time, the same tension and intensity making my heart pound and my stomach flutter.

Moving out of sight, I shoved an amaranth stem and a heaping pinch of hellebore root in my mouth before casting the invisibility spell, strengthening it with several drops of bergamot—an oil that doubled the power of a charm. I wasn’t taking any chances of being discovered again.

Anticipation grew as I glided silently down the hall, the guards not so much as blinking in my direction. But when I approached the end, my exhilaration was cut short.

A solid wall stared back at me.

No heavy wooden door leading to the cold, dark passageway. Not even the outline of an entrance or a tapestry to hide its whereabouts. It was completely gone, as if it had never been there. The only thing gracing the wall were two sconces on either end and a decorative painting of a fountain.

I reached out a hand to the stone and moved the portrait to see if something was behind it, feeling along the hard plane for a break in the wall, a hidden button, anything .

Disappointment rose. How was this possible? I knew this was the right hall. It had to be. How could an entire wing of the palace have disappeared?

I held in a groan, leaning against the wall as I contemplated my next course of action.

Suddenly, I smelled smoke.

Looking up, a fluttering piece of torn parchment appeared in the air, its edges burning with soft orange and yellow embers. I blinked several times as it landed on the ground before me. The guards lining the hall didn’t seem to notice; they stayed still, eyes straight ahead, hands either fixed on their weapons or hanging at their sides.

I swallowed and knelt to the floor. When I saw my name at the top of the paper in unfamiliar cursive, I held my breath. A message about the second trial, perhaps?

Rose Wolff,

Such a clever, curious young Alchemist. I’m unsurprised it did not take long for you to wander back to these halls. Your father was the same. If my threats cannot keep you away, then perhaps the truth will. Meet me in the west tower at ten o’clock tonight.

-T.G

T.G.

Theodore Gayl.

“You’re out of your mind if you think you’re going to that tower,” a low voice said in my ear. Before I could cry out, a hand pressed into my mouth, pulling me flush against a hard body. The familiar scent of sandalwood and vanilla surrounded me.

“We’ve got to stop meeting like this,” Leo murmured while I struggled to rein in my thrashing heart. “If I let you go, will you be quiet?”

I nodded, but right as he removed his hand, I bit down hard on his finger. Whirling around, I mimicked his actions and shoved my hand against his lips to stifle his grunt, pulling out my dagger and holding the tip to his neck.

“What do you think you’re doing, Aris?” I hissed. “You’re going to get us caught.”

He turned his head to free his mouth, and my hand fell back to my side, curling into a fist. “And here I thought we were becoming friends.” When I rolled my eyes, he nodded to a nearby guard and added, “Don’t worry, they can’t see us. I noticed your spell fading, so I cast another over both you and me.”

I bristled. “It wasn’t fading . I was…distracted.”

He eyed the blade still at his throat. “If you’re going to stab me, you might want to do it when my spell isn’t what’s keeping you safe.”

“I wasn’t going to stab you,” I grumbled, putting the dagger away. “Just thinking about it.”

Truthfully, I hadn’t meant to react so rashly, but after everything that had happened with the Shifters in the forest and then Callum, I was constantly on high alert.

Not to mention the memory of that tail wrapped around my neck.

For some reason, heat raced to my cheeks. I shoved the thought away and sprinkled blackthorn ash across our hiding space, whispering the spell for silence. “How did you know I was here, anyway? Are you following me?” I asked.

“Horace seems to think you’re going to get yourself in trouble, and since he has obligations with the Guard and can’t always keep an eye out, he asked me to check on you tonight.”

I let out an irritated scoff. “I don’t need the two of you trailing me like mother hens. I can do this. Besides, isn’t it dangerous for you to be here? I seem to remember your sister being fairly unhappy with you for sneaking around the other day.”

When he crossed his arms over his chest, his cloak fell back and my traitorous eyes were instantly drawn to the flexed forearms and faint outline of that beautiful tattoo beneath thin, white sleeves. I tilted my head up as I shifted my feet.

“Rissa may not know how I’ve chosen to spend my evening,” he said simply, as if daring me to press him.

My eyebrow lifted. “I’m surprised Horace asked you to disobey her.”

“Yes, well, I think he’s taken his responsibility over you a bit personally.” That admission made my fondness for the guard grow. “He knows this is important and that you need to be protected. As do I. Which is why this”—his stare flicked to the parchment still on the ground at our side—“is a bad idea.”

I crossed my arms, mocking his stance. “Afraid of taking chances, Aris?”

“Ones that could wind up with members of this mission dead, yes,” he growled, letting his arms fall to his side and stepping closer. My eyes traveled up his collar, his neck, his jaw, until I met his gaze. Those black pools glittered back at me like angry jewels. “You need to get back to your chambers, Rose.”

“But it would be so rude of me to decline an invitation from our dear emperor,” I said, giving him a sweet smile. I flushed when he narrowed his eyes at me.

“Is this a game to you?” He was dangerously close now, the slightest inhale making his chest brush against mine.

“That depends. Am I winning?”

His jaw fluttered, our breaths mingling and warming the space between us. This was a challenge, and I refused to be the first to back down.

Several heartbeats passed. His gaze flitted to my lips before returning to my eyes.

I smiled.

“Go back to your chambers, Rose,” he repeated as he swallowed. “There’s nothing to gain from meeting him tonight. He’s either going to torture you for information, trick you into betraying us, or kill you?—”

“Well, none of those sound good, do they?”

“—and we can’t afford another mistake.”

I recoiled, my cheekiness fading with my next exhale. He always had to go and say something like that, ruining the tentative peace we seemed to be edging toward. “Not everything I do is a mistake , Aris. You obviously read the note; how can you not be curious?” I picked the paper up and thrust it in his face. “I could try and get something helpful out of him. He may slip up, especially if he thinks I’m?—”

He grabbed my outstretched wrist. “It’s not worth the risk. The plan was for you to stay out of sight and away from suspicion until you can find the Grimoire. He’s already caught you once, what do you think?—”

“Of course, Rissa told you about that,” I said, cheeks flaming. Another reason for him to think I was incapable. “No wonder you and Horace want to follow me around like I’m a child.”

“I don’t think you’re a child.” He let go of my wrist as his voice lowered. “I think you’re brave and quick on your feet. But you’re also reckless . I think you can do this, but you’re going to get yourself killed if you’re not careful.”

I blinked at him, wetting my lips. I wasn’t expecting that.

“I’m on your side, Rose. When are you going to realize that?”

I sighed. “Look, this opportunity is too good to pass up. If we’re all on the same side, you can’t stand here and tell me your sister wouldn’t want me to take it.”

“I’ll go with you, then. I’ll stay hidden under the invisibility spell and make sure he doesn’t?—”

“That’s a terrible idea, and you know it. Invisibility charms don’t fool him; you’d be caught in an instant. What would happen to you or your sister if he found you? Rissa was adamant that you can’t be seen in the palace. ”

“Fine, I won’t go, but my original statement stands. Neither are you.”

I groaned, thankful the guards couldn’t hear our argument. “You’re unbelievable . Why can’t you see this is a good idea?”

“Because this could ruin everything, Rose!” he exploded, his hands coming out to clutch my upper arms. His eyes blazed as his nostrils flared. This wasn’t just anger. There was something more. Some innate fear in him that I couldn’t put my finger on, but that paralyzed me all the same. “You can’t go running straight into the arms of the most powerful, most dangerous man in our empire. He could get into your mind and force you to spill our secrets. He can kill you in a single breath .” His grip tightened, automatically pulling me closer. “If he hurts you?—”

I ripped myself from his hold, only for his hands to land on my waist instead. “Then I’m sure you’ll be ready and waiting to take my spot.”

He went silent for a moment, his features annoyingly unreadable. I was suddenly very aware of his rough hands on my waist, the material of my shirt doing little to keep out his touch.

He was trying to keep this mission safe. I understood that. And perhaps I was being impulsive. Reckless, as he called me.

But Theodore Gayl had said the one thing that took precedence for me. The one thing that would ensure I moved mountains to meet with him.

Your father was the same .

The emperor knew exactly how to force my hand. That thought should have scared me, should have made me heed Leo’s warnings. Instead, it only solidified my resolve. I had to know what he meant about my father.

“I could make you stay, you know.” Leo’s dark eyes bore into mine, commanding me to listen. A man who wasn’t used to being defied. His thumb dragged across the fabric, and I let out a small breath when his skin met mine.

“You could try,” I said, holding his stare.

He kept me there, challenge and resentment and tension rolling and swelling thickly. My fingers edged toward my pouch, wondering if I’d have to curse him in order to get away, when his arms fell to his side. He didn’t speak, but he took another step back, his silent way of letting me go.

I crushed Gayl’s note in my fist and wrenched my gaze from his as I darted down the corridor.