Stars May Fall (Stars May Burn #2)

2. Annabelle

ANNABELLE

I banged on the gate of Lyrason’s manor house as hard as I could. Behind me, unseen dogs barked at the noise, and owners yelled for them to be quiet. The sky was draining from inky night to a dull grey as the sun dared to peek above the horizon.

“Open up, open up,” I muttered, looking behind me yet again, nerves making me startle at every noise. There was no sign of General Kasten or invading armies. No soulless either. “Open up!” I hit the door so hard, my hands grazed against the wood. This was ridiculous. If I couldn’t reach Lyrason soon, the whole city could be lost in a bloodbath.

A guard opened an eye hatch and frowned. “Why are you making all this racket, miss? Don’t you know whose house this is?”

I pulled down the scarf that covered the lower half of my face and pushed back my hood to reveal my golden hair. “I am Princess Annabelle. Let me in at once and summon Lord Lyrason.”

The guard hesitated and squinted at me. I cursed internally. I must look a mess, but I really didn’t have time for this.

I put on my haughtiest voice. “Do you dare treat your princess like this? Open the door at once and summon your lord.”

The guard licked his lips then made his decision. He bowed his head, slid the hatch closed, and unclicked the latch on the door. It opened just wide enough to let me in. I pushed through at once.

He stood there awkwardly instead of escorting me up the drive. “Excuse me, Your Highness, but if you’re the princess, where are your guards and servants?”

I narrowed my eyes at him, trying to suppress my frustration. “Back at the palace. There was no time to assemble an escort. Lord Lyrason’s life is in danger. If you won’t summon him, take me to him at once.”

The guard bowed his head again, then he started walking cautiously toward the house, looking around as if hoping somebody else would take over. Maybe I should have found help before going to Lyrason’s house. But who could I trust with this? Who would keep the secret of my night time outings? A few servants helped me sneak in and out of the castle, but they didn’t have the clout to help in this situation. And Venerick was a huge unknown who was associated with Lyrason’s close friends, so he could potentially be involved with the halfsouls. Besides, I had been trained in negotiations. It would simply have to be me.

The white pebble drive was long with one sharp corner rounding a large pond, and bordered by lime trees, their leaves lightened to a bright acidic yellow by autumn. The trunks seemed almost black in contrast, and as we passed bright tree after tree, my anxiety grew. The servant’s pace infuriated me, and I could only tolerate it for so long. I took off running, glad I was still wearing trousers beneath my long coat, and didn’t look back to see if he tried to catch up.

I leapt up the pale steps and crashed through the front door, ignoring the footmen. I skidded to a stop on the marble floor of the main hallway. It was surrounded by a square staircase that crossed the walls and ascended four stories. High above, a skylight showed dawn becoming brighter.

We were running out of time.

Servants assembled in the hall at what the commotion, while others craned their heads over the banisters above. A few widened their eyes when they recognized me.

“I am here to see Lord Lyrason and request his presence immediately.” I spoke to nobody in particular. Several people hurried off.

A maid tried to guide me to a chair and offer me tea, but I was too agitated, adrenaline making my heart pound, and my limbs refused to stay still. I could see why the guards and servants doubted I was the princess. I was also glad I’d had the foresight to hide my crossbow before coming here where there were so many eyes. I didn’t want my father finding out that I had been sneaking from the palace at night to kill monsters and track the man he had explicitly told me to stay away from. But it might be too late for that.

I started to pace. Lyrason was probably asleep. He would have to be woken, get washed and dressed, and by then it would be…

“Princess.” The voice was calm, soft, and masculine.

My attention snapped back to the staircase, and I was relieved to see Lyrason walking down the stairs, straightening the cuffs of his black jacket. His grey hair was neat and oiled, and his cheeks appeared freshly shaven. It looked like he had already been awake for hours.

My shoulders sagged a little. “Lyrason. You’re here.”

Uncertainty lurched in my stomach for a moment as he analyzed me through his rectangular glasses with a calm gaze. Was I sure I knew what I was doing? My governess had said many times my overconfidence would be my downfall.

Lyrason and I had talked often over the last few years and had been on first name terms since I became an adolescent. He had wanted to marry me before Father had declared my engagement to Lord Venerick, and nobody seemed to understand the reason for Father’s change of heart, including Lyrason himself. Even if Lyrason was behind the haemalcomy, he wouldn’t harm me, would he? He had never been anything but respectful toward me.

I pulled in a deep breath. No matter the risk, I still had to do something. I couldn’t sit around and watch this disaster unfold.

I moved with purposeful steps to the bottom of the stairs and straightened my back. “Do you know how to heal somebody bitten by a soulless? One in Adenburg not Kollenstar.” I hesitated, searching for the word Kasten’s scouts had called them. “A halfsoul?”

Lyrason tilted his head in a puzzled expression, his thin lips tilting up in amusement. “What on earth are you referring to, my dear?”

I clenched my fists in frustration. I hated when nobles insisted on playing games when the matter was urgent. “Listen, if you don’t have a cure quickly available, you are going to be killed, and I fear there will be civil war.”

Lyrason’s smile dropped though he remained infuriatingly calm. He stepped closer and studied me for a moment, readjusting his glasses. “Come into my office, princess, and tell me this story from the beginning.”

I shook my head and spread my hands. “We don’t have time. Lady Sophie Batton has been bitten by one of those halfsoul monsters. Anyone they bite becomes like them: ferocious, animalistic, and sickly. There is no known cure, and most die within a night or two. General Kasten thinks you’re their creator. He’s…out of control. He’s said he is coming here to force you to heal her. If you can’t, well, I fear for what he will do, but he is beyond angry already.”

I remembered the agony twisting his face as he had cradled Sophie, the utter devastation in his expression. It had winded me just to see the horror of it. Then a terrifying, purposeful calm had descended over him. He had risen to his feet, his eyes filled with cold rage, barking orders at Meena and completely ignoring me. He’d said he was coming for Lyrason, and there had been promised violence in his every step, but I had no idea where he had gone first or why. I shivered.

Lyrason cocked his head. “I have nothing to do with any soulless, nor have I heard the term halfsoul before.” Emotion flickered behind his calm fa?ade, and the tendons in his neck tensed. “How do you know all this, Annabelle?”

I lowered my voice, daring him to divert the conversation. “I witnessed it. But that’s not important. Whether you are behind those monsters or not is irrelevant right now as the general is convinced you are. Do you have a cure for Lady Batton or not?”

Lyrason looked to one side and pressed a finger to his lips, considering. “Where is he now?”

“He rode out of the city on horseback, but he was moving fast. I fear he will come for you any moment with whatever he was going to collect.”

The lord raised his eyes back to mine. “His army? It will take two days to collect his regiment from Kasomere.”

I shook my head in exasperation. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s closer? Maybe he has allies? He technically commands our entire army. But he also mentioned some sort of weapon to one of his guards. All I know is if he returns with soldiers and weapons here and you don’t have what he wants, I suspect he will burn this place to the ground. And then I don’t think he will stop. Not if he loses his wife. He could destroy the whole of Adenburg.”

Lyrason considered for a moment, and I noticed a tremble in his lips as if he were only just understanding the true danger of his predicament. However, his calm was quick to return. “Don’t concern yourself with this. If he turns up here with his regiment without permission, the king will send the other regiments to stop him. I have enough soldiers to keep him out of my house until his rebellion is quashed. He will be arrested and executed for treason.” He sounded like he was trying to convince himself that he had no flaws in his existing plan.

I stepped so close to him that it was hard for him to look anywhere but my face. “It would be civil war first. Adenburg would be torn apart. Can’t we stop this if you just give him the cure and save his wife?”

He held my eyes for a moment, his face hardening at my forcefulness. “Go back to the palace where it’s safe, Annabelle. Thank you for your warning. I’ll deal with this. Tell the king to prepare his men. I’ll contact Duke James so he can position the city guard in the area.”

I shook my head, taking a step back, but letting the full force of my determination seep into my voice. “I’m staying to negotiate between you and General Kasten. If I can stop this from becoming violent, I will.”

He raised his eyebrows in surprise, almost as if he were humoring a child. Then he frowned, disapproval creasing the corners of his eyes. “When did you become closely acquainted enough with the general to be able to negotiate with him?”

I lifted my chin. There was no way I was going to admit to him that I’d thought it was a good idea to track Kasten with the kryalcomy device Lyrason himself had given me months ago. Not to mention I had then challenged the general directly, thinking he was behind the halfsouls, only to discover he was trying to stop them. Lyrason and probably every other noble in the palace would be mortified. “That’s not important. Do you have the cure or not?”

Again, he seemed to consider. Faint cracks were appearing in his calm demeanor. I wanted to shake him until reality hit him. At last, he sighed with a faint grimace, his voice becoming low and soft, meant only for my ears. “As far as I know, there is no cure.”

My heart sank. Kingdoms, this was bad and not just for poor Sophie. I firmed my lips. I wouldn’t give up on this. Not when so much was at stake. “Well, you need to come up with one fast.”

He took a deep breath and straightened his jacket, once again seeming completely collected and in control as he met my eyes. “I doubt you need to be so concerned, my dear. If the general turns up here with an army, he will have signed his own death warrant. He’ll likely be stopped outside of Adenburg before he gets close to my door.”

I turned away and started to pace, wavering about what was best to do. I’d warned Lyrason who would now send word to the king. But if he informed Father that Kasten was coming with an army, and then Father raised his own troops, surely that would escalate matters and make war even more likely. And I doubted Kasten was going to waste any time in saving his wife. After what I had seen the last few nights, he liked to do things efficiently and personally.

I met Lyrason’s calculating eyes, trying to mimic his calm despite the fact my anxiety had just been on full display. “I will stay here for now. As I said, if Kasten arrives, I may be able to calm things down. You should find a cure and prepare it.”

Lyrason tilted his head and gave me the humoring smile once more, backtracking from his brief moment of honesty. “My dear, I know the creatures you speak of, but they are not my doing. How would I know what cures them?”

I gave him a hard look and folded my arms. “Kasten believes it’s your doing, so he will believe you are the only one who can cure his wife. Nobody is going to change his mind now. Trying to convince me is useless.” I dragged in a calming breath and looked away. “I will take breakfast while we wait, and I will write a letter to my father.” I didn’t give him the chance to disagree.

I sat in the garden room listening to birds singing to the morning sun from Lyrason’s lavish grounds. Everything seemed too peaceful for my racing heart. What was Kasten up to? He wouldn’t waste a second when it came to saving Sophie, and five hours had passed since she was bitten. So what was delaying him? My trepidation grew until it felt like ants were crawling under my skin.

Lyrason stood looking out the window, his hands clasped neatly behind his back. Every now and again he would try to engage me in trivial conversation. I suspected he was more nervous than he appeared or why would he stay with me rather than going about his normal business? He had given orders for all of his personal guard to be ready, just in case, and now and again, alert patrols crossed past the windows.

A servant walked in with a letter on the tray. I recognized my father’s seal. Lyrason cracked open the wax and frowned as he read. Tension appeared in his jaw. I stood silently and walked behind him before he could notice, craning to see the words, which were few.

‘Deal with it. Don’t involve me. Send Annabelle back to the palace.’

He hadn’t even signed it. I frowned. Why hadn’t Father replied to me instead of Lyrason? And why was he so curt? Was Kasten right to be suspicious that Father was involved somehow? But he would never allow halfsouls to be made from his civilians.

I moved before it was clear I had read the letter and pretended to look out at the gardens. Lyrason turned to me, crumpling the paper in his fists, the action not matching his polite tone. “Your father says you must return to the palace at once. Let me send some men to escort you.”

I shook my head, clenching my jaw in frustration that neither Lyrason nor Father seemed to be listening to my warning. “I will delay a little longer. I…”

The door crashed open, and a guard ran in. Lyrason straightened. “What is the meaning of this?”

The guard gave a hurried bow. “General Kasten is here, my lord.”

My heart rate shot up. Lyrason remained composed. “How many men has he brought to our gates?”

The man shook his head wildly. “None, my lord, it’s just him. And he’s already through the gates.”

Lyrason took half a step forward, his eyes widening. “What do you mean he’s through the gates ? Who let him in?”

The guard bowed his head again, and his hands were shaking. “Nobody, my lord. He destroyed the gates. They’re mostly rubble. The guards posted there are all dead.”

I licked my dry lips. I had vaguely assumed Kasten would sneak in and corner Lyrason once he was inside the house, only taking out a few guards. If I stuck close to Lyrason, I could negotiate between them when he entered. I hadn’t expected…this.

Lyrason had gone very still. “He destroyed the gates and killed the guards by himself? ”

“Yes, my lord. He’s using some sort of strange kryalcomy. At least I assume that is what it is. Nobody can get near him. And I barely outpaced him on a horse to reach you. He will be here any minute…”

Lyrason gave me a panicked look as he smoothed back his hair. “What sort of kryalcomy is this?”

I shook my head. “I have no idea.” I dragged in a deep breath. This was what I had come here for. I could do this. I could do anything I set my mind to. But a little voice asked what would be the cost if I failed? “I will stand at the doorway and try to talk with him. You must find a cure.”

Lyrason had gone very pale and leaned against the wall. “Curse the king! Why isn’t he here to help?”

I pretended I hadn’t heard the words and hurried to the atrium wishing I still had my crossbow. Not that it would be of any use. But just holding it made me feel safer, stronger. Annabelle the secretive and deadly vigilante felt very different from Annabelle the inexperienced and sheltered princess.

A tremble ran up my arms as guards with bows and arrows appeared and stationed themselves at the windows. Swordsmen crowded the stairs. Lyrason had a lot of guards for a noble based within the safety of Adenburg. But then, if Kasten was right and he was behind the halfsouls, he had a lot to hide.

Did I really know enough about negotiation to stand between two of the most powerful men in Fenland and keep the peace?

The little voice reminded me that I didn’t know everything going on between these two.

I walked through the front door and descended halfway down the marble steps, keenly aware of all the soldiers under cover around me. Compared to them, I was very exposed to the oncoming threat.

I remembered the dark look in Kasten’s eyes. The rage and anguish. Pain enough to destroy a man. I swallowed. I doubted he had many limits right now if anything stood between him and Sophie. Yes, I was really starting to regret hiding my crossbow.

The drive stretched empty before me, the leaves of the lime trees creating a speckled pattern in the sunlight. More of Lyrason’s guards arrived, hiding behind the trees, waiting with swords and bows.

We didn’t need to wait for long.

Kasten’s figure appeared around the corner striding down the drive away. His back was straight and his walk was confident and purposeful, almost elegant in its relentlessness. His long black coat flapped sideways in the wind. He walked faster than I’d anticipated, his expression making a cold shiver run up my spine. In one hand his sword was drawn and held out. Some trick of the light was making its blade glint pale blue with a strange circular aura.

As he passed a pair of trees, four guards leapt out at him. He didn’t slow. He swiped his sword almost carelessly, and the four men were propelled back by a silent flash of light that burned my eyes. I gaped, transfixed as another group of guards waiting in ambush met the same fate. Thrown as easily as rag dolls, their bodies thudded into trees or were tossed down the road. The guards around me started to shift their feet, and a few edged back.

What in all the kingdoms did Kasten possess?

He plowed forward, his face completely expressionless. He was terrifying.

Around me, guards shot arrows. He knocked them effortlessly from the air with a flick of his sword. Two more guards were thrown through the air, the arc of silver light creating black blotches across my vision.

“Stop!” I shouted, my voice less steady than I had hoped. “Everyone, stop.”

Kasten’s eyes focused on me as he swaggered to the bottom of the steps. The guards around me all took a step back.

The general sneered. “So you’re working for him after all.” It was hard not to cower under the intensity of his gaze. His eyes were deep set, wide, and shadowed, consisting of all sharp lines. Cruel eyes.

I shook my head. “I am not. I’m just here to prevent civil war.”

He started up the steps until his face was level with mine, his feet on the step below. “Get out of my way, Annabelle. I will destroy anything that comes between me and saving Sophie. That doesn’t exclude you.”

True fear made my throat clench as I stared into eyes full of ice cold rage. I softened my voice to an empathetic tone, trying to deescalate the situation and leaning on my years of training. “Listen to me, Kasten. I’m here to help you. You need the cure for your wife. Let me speak between you and Lord Lyrason. He will listen to me and be more likely to comply. There is no need for any more lives to be lost.” I nodded my head toward Lyrason’s guards. “If you charge in here killing everyone, my father will react. The city guard will react. You could cause a civil war.”

He barked a humorless laugh. “Do you think I care if this turns to war? You think I care about our grand country right now?” He took another step toward me, so I was forced to step awkwardly up the next step. Kingdoms, he was tall.

I frowned and added more force to my words. “You should care, because if this escalates to fighting, the last thing Lord Lyrason is going to be doing is finding a cure. You need to persuade him if you have any chance of saving your wife. I can help make this work by keeping both of you focused.”

His posture relaxed slightly, but his eyes narrowed even further. “If Sophie dies, I will kill him, Annabelle. I don’t care how many others will die. I will kill him and anyone else involved.”

My breath shook. “I know. I know. But we’re here to save Sophie, right?”

He scowled. “You have five minutes to talk with him. But don’t try anything.”

I nodded, the motion quick and jerky. Kasten sheathed his sword before crossing his arms in the most intimidating posture I had ever seen. I turned and walked back into the house, willing myself not to look worriedly over my shoulder.

Lyrason was pacing back and forth. “What was that? None of my reports speak of him having a weapon like that.” I had never seen him lose his sense of calm before.

I lingered in the doorway, leaning against it for support. “You must be able to think up a cure.”

He kept pacing, throwing his arms up into the air. “This has nothing to do with me. Why would I have a cure?”

I stepped forward and grabbed his arm, hoping to emphasize my words by making him focus on me fully. “Either you have a cure or you’re dead. You, your household, and probably half our army.”

Lyrason stared at me for a moment and then swore loudly. “There may be a way. But I need some time. It’s not a cure, as such, but we could transfer back to her what has been taken.”

I tilted my chin up. Kasten had been right. It was Lyrason after all. His pretense had finally dropped. “Do it. Now.”

He scratched the back of his neck. “She might not survive long enough. We’ve not transferred the emotions back before. It might not work. Or there might be unexpected side effects.” He shook his head, his eyes darting back and forth as if a better solution would appear if he could only see it.

I gritted my teeth. “We have to try. Get everything ready. I will tell him to bring Lady Sophie.”

I turned to the door as another guard rushed in. “My lord, my lord, soldiers are appearing in front of our ruined gate. ”

“The king?” Lyrason asked.

“No. They seem to be an unorganized mixture of armed civilians and actual military. They say they support the general and whatever action he takes.”

The lord cursed and ruffled his hair. The stakes were getting higher by the minute. We couldn’t let this go any further.

“The cure,” I reminded him. “Now.”

I hurried back to Kasten. He stood completely still on the steps staring at the door as if he could see Lyrason through the walls. I tried not to show how unnerved he was making me.

“Lord Lyrason thinks he knows a way to cure Sophie. You should send away your army.”

Kasten tilted his head to one side in a dangerous gesture. “I didn’t summon an army. If people have come here of their own accord, that’s their wish.”

I licked my lips, tired of repeating myself to make people see sense. “Don’t be a fool. You need to tell them to disperse. If there’s an army gathering in Adenburg, the king could respond with his own. Things will quickly escalate, and it will make it harder for us to concentrate on Sophie.”

He narrowed his eyes on me. “Believe me, I won’t be distracted. Where’s the cure?”

Why did he have to be so difficult? Couldn’t he see I was trying to help him? “Do you really want to bring Sophie into a battlefield? You should disperse them and bring her here.”

He scoffed. “I have no intention of bringing Sophie here. Lord Lyrason will come to her. Now. With whatever he needs to cure her. If she dies, I will kill him.”

I looked down. Lyrason wasn’t going to like this. “Where is Sophie now? Where does he need to go?”

Kasten’s face tightened. “She’s still where you left her in my house in Highfair.”

I nodded. “Dispel the army, Kasten, and go home. I will ensure Lord Lyrason comes as quickly as possible and that no trickery is planned. Go and wait by her side. You have my word. I will do as I say.”

Kasten hesitated, then lifted his chin, looking up and down the house. “He has one hour. If he hasn’t appeared and healed Sophie by then, I will come back and burn this house to the ground.”