Stars May Fall (Stars May Burn #2)

4. Annabelle

ANNABELLE

W ith Sophie safe, there was no need for me to linger any further at Highfair. I suspected Kasten would want us all gone from his house as soon as possible. And that meant I was now in for an awkward carriage ride.

Lyrason had clearly had the same thought and was gone from the house with Gregane before anyone had the chance to stop him. Duke James lingered in the corner, apparently waiting to see me leave safely with Venerick before he departed.

I couldn’t believe Father had sent Venerick of all people to Kasten’s house. Things had been going smoothly and simply between me and Venerick, and this was sure to hinder the impression I had worked hard to present: that I was sweet, easy to be around, and uncomplicated. I didn’t want him to start asking questions about what I had been up to tonight. So far, the easy, civil relationship that kept most of our lives private was exactly what I had wanted. And since he was the Lord High Chancellor, he was a busy man and had asked few prying questions. Maybe this was exactly why Father had sent him here, to remind me that my misbehaving would have an impact on my relationships and ease of life. Now, Venerick was sure to be suspicious of what I was up to, and I didn’t want anyone to get in the way of me doing what needed to be done. Father was sure to make my life harder from now on, anyway.

I sighed in frustration. I had just prevented a blood bath. Potentially saved all of Fenland from civil war. But instead of celebrating and collapsing into my bed in an exhausted heap, I now had to smooth things over with Venerick and assure him I was still the suitable bride he thought I was. At least he was unlikely to lecture me, unlike Father.

I let him take my hand and lead me toward the carriage. The front garden of Kasten’s house was small, mostly consisting of high shrubbery to shield the house from the road. There was no drive, merely a path to where the carriages and horses waited on the street. But even the short walk to the carriage felt like a trial. Now the threat had passed and my adrenaline had withdrawn, exhaustion weighed down my limbs, and my mind was sluggish.

“Princess, wait!”

I turned in surprise to see the fashion disaster that was Callum Tavolyn running down the narrow marble steps, one arm outstretched. He caught up with us and grinned, shoving his hands in his pockets as if he had just sauntered up with all the time in the world. “Excuse me. Kasten wanted to give you something.” He held out a velvet pouch.

I hesitated. “What is it?”

He shrugged. “Don’t know, but he half muttered something like an apology for not returning…” He flicked his eyes to Venerick who was radiating awkwardness. “Something.”

I took the pouch. “I owe him nothing. He owes me nothing. Our future business is our own.”

He gave me a strange look as if he didn’t understand me at all. “I will pass that on to him. Well, whenever he’s ready to acknowledge the existence of any people outside of Sophie.” He sighed. “Anyway, farewell.”

He bowed to me and Venerick, a far shallower bow than I would have expected. But then I supposed we were related. I couldn’t remember which cousin of Father’s was his father since he had never been acknowledged and shared his mother’s surname.

But I had much bigger things to worry about than Callum Tavolyn.

Venerick seemed uncertain of himself, even after Callum had disappeared, and we continued down the path in silence. The outer garden gate screeched as Venerick fumbled to open it. I was glad our carriage was parked on the street immediately in front, and there was no sign of disturbances or rabble here. Venerick opened the carriage door and helped me in without meeting my eyes, before climbing up himself. There was no way I could retrieve my hidden crossbow now. I’d have to get it another night.

My betrothed took a deep breath as he sat down opposite me and leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. “Are you sure you’re all right, Annabelle?” His expression was always so earnest, his voice disarming and slightly clumsy when he was nervous. I wasn’t sure how he survived the intricacies of court and kept his seat as Lord High Chancellor. Surely there had to be others after his title. Was it an act? If so, it was a very good one.

I nodded with a sweet smile. “Thank you for coming to escort me home. As soon as I saw what was happening with Lord Lyrason and General Kasten, I knew I had to intervene. I hope you understand. I’m very tired now.”

He frowned in puzzlement but nodded. “I can always respect actions that seek to resolve disagreements peacefully. And it seems there will be no riots today. I’ll make sure you get back to your rooms safely and tell everyone you’re not to be disturbed. Do you want me to ask the servants to bring you food?”

I shook my head. “No, thank you. I just need to rest.”

He looked as if he were about to say something more but looked out of the carriage window instead. I examined him for a moment. He wore a boring brown jacket and trousers, but they were smart and well made. His wavy hair never seemed to lie flat in the middle which destroyed his attempts at neatness. I forced myself to push through the exhaustion and rested a hand on his knee. My touch made him jump. “Mother told me yesterday that the date for the wedding has been set for three months’ time.”

His brown eyes returned to my face with an intent expression as if he were trying to read me. “Yes. I hope you’re happy with that date, my dear?”

I widened my smile, hoping it looked excited. “It is wonderful news.”

He leaned toward me once more. “I thought that afterward, maybe…perhaps…we could take a tour of the countryside for a month. I’m sure we could ask for our duties to be put on hold for that long.”

I inclined my head. “I would like that.”

My exhaustion was becoming thicker, making my smile harder to maintain. I pinched my forehead. “Forgive me, I have a headache coming on.”

“Oh.” Lord Venerick opened a compartment beneath his seat and handed me a leather water bottle. “Here. You might be dehydrated.”

I drank, wishing to be back at the palace as soon as possible. My mind went back to Kasten and Sophie. I hoped she would wake up as her old self. I still feared what Kasten might do if she didn’t. I ran the events of last night over in my mind one more time and wondered what could help resolve the remaining loose ends to soothe the relationship between Kasten and the Crown. None of them were within my direct areas of influence. I winced. I hated asking for help, but I needed to lie low for a few weeks. I would already be in so much trouble with Father.

I turned to Venerick and hesitated. What would be the cost of asking for his help? Would it be too much to be in his debt? I preferred to do things alone or with people I could easily reward to reciprocate the favor. But this was something small that required me to give him little information. And he was my betrothed. Maybe it would help our relationship progress more positively after what he had seen today. “There is a matter I was wondering if you could help me with, since you understand the legal matters of court.”

He blinked in surprise. He must have realized that I had never asked for his help before. “I would be happy to be of assistance, my dear.”

Father would deal with Lord Lyrason. He had to after this morning’s spectacle. The whole palace would be sure to know about the halfsouls by this evening, but others needed to be dealt with swiftly to keep the peace.

When Kasten had ridden off without explanation straight after his wife had been bitten, he had left Sophie with me and her personal guard, Meena, in his house in Highfair. I had helped settle her before going to warn Lord Lyrason. Meena explained what had happened to Sophie at the hands of her father, Sir Halfield. The thought that my own father asking Sir Halfield to spy on Kasten had led him to torture his own daughter for information, made me deeply uncomfortable. But I knew that wasn’t what my father had intended. Many in the court used their target’s family members to gain information from other households, though it sounded like my father had put unrealistic expectations on Sir Halfield to spy on Kasten, leading to his desperate, despicable act. Father had never liked Sir Halfield. It was clear he was a social climbing snake who was never content, and I wondered if Father had set him a deliberately difficult task with high stakes as an excuse to get rid of him if he didn’t prove useful.

Still, what had happened to Sophie should never have taken place, even before the halfsouls.

“Venerick, Lady Sophie Batton was kidnapped by her father yesterday and held in a cellar where he tortured her in attempts to get information from her and force her to betray her husband.”

My betrothed’s eyes widened. “Are you sure of this? Do you have proof?”

I shrugged weakly, knowing I would have to admit something I had preferred to keep hidden. “I was there, outside the building, when Kasten rescued her. Dame Meena, one of Sophie’s guards, was there too. And other soldiers, although they were killed by halfsouls. The kidnapping happened at Sir Halfield’s house where there are sure to be other witnesses who are possibly more neutral.”

He looked at me with that uncertain look I was becoming familiar with, but thankfully, asked no questions. “And what exactly would you like my help with?”

“I know you often work closely with the city guard. Could you get some men to retrieve Sir Halfield? I remember the location. Dame Meena said Kasten left him tied up there after rescuing Sophie from the cellar. Then I was wondering if you could bring him straight to the king and get him sentenced for his crimes as soon as possible. I know it will smooth matters over with General Kasten and his wife if Sir Halfield is out of the picture quickly. We can’t afford for the general to be provoked any further. Besides, Lady Sophie is going through enough already. It would be easier if her father met swift justice.”

Venerick’s eyes narrowed in thought, and I could see the plans forming rapidly behind them. “I will sort this out today. Can you write the address down, and I will speak to the guard. I will also question Sir Halfield’s household.”

I leaned back in the seat, some of the worry easing from my mind. Lord Venerick wasn’t the most articulate, but he was efficient and good at his job. “Thank you.”

He patted my knee. “Just rest now, Annabelle. It sounds like you’ve had quite the night.”

I forced a smile and ignored all the unanswered questions in his eyes. I could tell he was intrigued, which made me nervous.

My hand strayed into my satchel and found the small velvet pouch that Callum Tavolyn had passed to me. I could feel a round solid weight inside, about the size of a marble, and something that crinkled like paper. A note. Despite myself, I burned with curiosity. What could Kasten want to give me? I doubted it would be a thank you. Knowing him, it was probably something he wanted from me. But with Venerick in the carriage, it would have to wait until I was alone.

I rested my head against the wooden side and closed my eyes.

Venerick escorted me to my rooms and bowed before leaving, ever polite. I entered to find my personal maid, Hetty, flustered and my lunch long cold on the fireside table. How was it the afternoon already? Then again, it felt like days since yesterday evening when Kasten’s soldier had asked me to sneak out with Lord Lyrason’s tracking device.

I ignored Hetty’s barrage of questions as she drew me a bath, washed a surprising amount of filth from my skin and hair, and retired to bed. Only when she was gone and my rooms were silent did I finally retrieve the velvet pouch that Kasten had sent me.

A silvery metal ball rolled out onto my palm, slightly asymmetrical in shape. It was unmarked but almost certainly kryalcomy. Following it was a flat disk, similar in size and shape to a small coin, with a clip on one side so you could attach it to another object.

I set them carefully on the bedside table and freed the note from the pouch. The writing appeared to have been done in haste, the ink smudged, and the paper was crinkled.

‘Annabelle,

I know I asked to borrow Lord Lyrason’s tracking device from you. It helped me find Sophie, and for that I thank you. However, I find myself not wanting to return it. In exchange, I offer you another of Lord Lyrason’s illegal devices, and one I hope you will find more useful than tracking me. It was stolen from Lord Lyrason by the Red Men, and I in turn confiscated it from them.

It is a listening device. Attach one pole to the place you want to eavesdrop and place the ball in your ear. I regret that it only works at short range. According to our experiments, it fails after ten or so paces. However, the kryalcomy works through walls and significant obstacles.

I trust you will find it useful.

Kasten’

I reread the note before collapsing back on the pillows. It annoyed me that he wouldn’t return the tracking device since it had been an honest gift from Lyrason, but I understood. I had been using it to track Kasten without his permission, after all, and I could grudgingly admit he had a right to be annoyed. In compensation he had given me the listening device.

I was no fool. He had made it seem like a simple peacekeeping gift. A simple trade. But it was clear what he was really after: he wanted me to be his spy.

I’d helped Kasten because I wanted to stop the halfsouls murdering people. I hadn’t intended for this to go further. And worse, I knew who he wanted me to spy on: my father. Kasten was wrong if he thought our brief interaction made me more loyal to him than my family and the crown. Father was a good man.

I could deal with all of this on my own, without the influence of anyone else’s goals.

Still, I placed the two ends back into their velvet pouch and let ideas of how useful it could be niggle away at me as I fell asleep.