Stars May Fall (Stars May Burn #2)

17. Kasten

KASTEN

L unch in the throne room hadn’t been tolerable. Everyone’s voices had competed over each other in the wide echoing space. Lord Lyrason hadn’t lasted long either, and I saw his quiet departure after finishing his soup as the perfect chance to also excuse myself.

I admitted myself to one of the small empty side rooms and sat writing up the plans the king had requested for troop maneuverings along with individual orders. I was glad to have the excuse for some peace and quiet and, finally, make good use of my precious time. If I had to be apart from Sophie, I wanted it to be for a good reason, not for some useless drunken lunch in the throne room that was somehow meant to help the various members of the court conduct their business.

I signed off the orders to the first regiment and started on the second. A knock on the door made me glance up with a frown, ready to chase away any intruder. I was surprised to see Lord Venerick standing there alone.

I leaned back in my chair, softening my expression. I didn’t want to push Annabelle away, even if I wasn’t yet sure whether I liked this man or not. “I’m just preparing some paperwork that the king ordered. Can I help you?”

He glanced behind him down the corridor, seeming uncertain of himself. “Forgive my interruption, General. I don’t think anyone was sent to tell you, but I thought you should know.”

I straightened, becoming alert. “What’s happened?”

He clasped his hands together. “Lord Lyrason just returned to the palace with your wife and Callum Tavolyn. He’s taking them straight to the king. I understand they’ve had some sort of altercation.”

His words seemed to slow time as my brain struggled to register them. Sophie and Callum were here with Lord Lyrason, and he was taking them to the king? A trickle of panic threatened to turn into a torrent and drown my lungs. I didn’t want Lyrason anywhere near her.

She was in danger, and I wasn’t with her. I had promised to never let her life be at risk again.

I stood and knocked over the chair in my hurry. I nodded my thanks as I squeezed past Lord Venerick, and ran to the king’s office where he held most of his small personal meetings. The worst scenarios played over and over in my mind. The quiet hum of power in my blood intensified in response to my emotions.

Please let her be all right.

I let out a breath when I found Sophie standing in the corridor, looking at the closed double doors of the office. Some of the tension left my body, but I remained alert, taking in as much of the situation as I could. Sophie’s arms hung loosely at her sides, and she had an unusual stillness about her. Flanking her a step behind were Callum and Meena. All three looked calm and uninjured, though Sophie was wearing a dark blue dress I didn’t recognize and that seemed too long in the sleeves and skirts. She normally preferred pale colors. I would have bet anything that it didn’t belong to her. Her hair was hurriedly knotted at the back of her head instead of worn up in one of her normal, more intricate hairstyles. Royal guards stood on either side of the doorway, and both seemed tense.

What was going on?

I strode up to Sophie and took her hand. Her large eyes looked up, caught by surprise, as I started to speak. “Sophie, are you hurt? What happened? What did he do to you?” I realized my other hand was gripping my sword hilt and removed it before the guards could become concerned.

She smiled up at me in relief, though I saw lines of stress in the corners of her eyes. She squeezed my hands and looked like she wanted to collapse into me but retained her formal pose. “We’re fine.” Her expression hardened. “Lord Lyrason is completely overreacting.”

Callum relaxed, leaning against the wall as if he didn’t have a care in the world. “Hey, what about me? Aren’t you going to ask if I’m hurt too?”

I ignored him and looked up and down the corridor, the tension not leaving my body. “Why are you waiting here? What happened ?”

Sophie nodded toward the closed door. “Lord Lyrason wanted to speak to the king first and without us. No doubt he wants to get his side of the story over to the king. All he did was find us leaving his house.”

My heart stumbled. “What? What were you three doing in his house?”

She squeezed my hands again. She had a soft smile on her face, the one that calmed the deepest parts of me. “I’ll explain later, but we paid Mister Gregane a visit, got what we went for, and found even more information about the halfsouls.”

Callum took half a step closer. “We had a much needed conversation with Mister Gregane, but as Sophie says, it will best be explained later.”

I glanced at the door and licked my lips, my nerves only heightening. I faced both Sophie and Callum and guided them away from the door. I spoke too quietly for the guards to hear. “It’s risky for you to be here. Annabelle said they’re setting a trap, and I’m not sure what it is yet. I don’t want you caught in it with me or to make it easier for them by all of us being together in their clutches.” I looked at the closed double doors. “The king can’t be trusted. Who knows what he and Lord Lyrason are plotting to say to you right now.”

Sophie squeezed my hands again. She looked so small, yet so bright. “We’re all right, Kasten. And I have a plan to handle this.”

I looked at her, bewildered. Sophie had changed so much since being imprisoned by her father and bitten by the halfsoul.

“I’ll come in with you, even though I don’t understand what happened. I can help us make a quick getaway if things go badly.”

She shook her head, freeing one of her hands and placing it on my chest. “It will be easier if you wait outside.”

I almost gaped at her, but she was no longer watching my face.

She looked back down the corridor. “Get Annabelle. I heard a faint noise on my detector coming from the room next door. That could be her, couldn’t it? Using the listening device you gave her?”

I cursed and lifted my hand to above my right ear, twisting the dial to turn it to sensitive. “I’ve had my detector turned to low while I’ve been at the palace to save the kryalcomy. I didn’t even consider using it to track her.” Since I knew no halfsouls would be in the palace, I had dismissed its use.

But why would Sophie want Annabelle? The two had never met. Not while Sophie was conscious, anyway. But I had explained what Annabelle was like and our conversations in detail, knowing Sophie often noticed things I missed. The plan was for Sophie to befriend her at the evening gatherings, but we had missed the one last night.

The king’s voice sounded through the wood. “Lady Sophie and Mister Tavolyn, you may enter.”

She squeezed my hand one last time before releasing it, her fingers sliding out from between mine. “Ask Annabelle to walk into the office as if by accident.”

I shifted, still uneasy. “All right. I’ll be right here. I can get us out if need be. Just sound an alarm on your detector.”

She nodded and rose on tiptoes to kiss my cheek. She was so sweet, so innocent. Why had I dragged her into this infuriating and dangerous game? She winked at me as Callum opened the door. She turned and walked in with her head held high despite not being dressed as well as the average noble lady who was meeting the king. I could see she was nervous, though, no matter what she said. She always gripped her skirts when she was nervous.

Once the door closed, I strode to the room beside the king’s, following the faintest whine on my detector. Sure enough, Annabelle was sitting, crammed between two chairs in a crumple of skirts. She startled and let out a strangled squeak when she saw me.

I knelt down before her. “Are you listening to the king and Lord Lyrason?”

She glanced at the closed door behind me before standing up and smoothing down her skirts as if I had never caught her on the floor. “Yes. My maid told me as soon as they entered the palace. Sophie, Callum, and Meena have just gone into Father’s office.” She lifted her eyes to mine with caution. “Lord Lyrason is angry, but I don’t think he’s very prepared. He acted on impulse and anger. My father sounds amused and impatient so he should dismiss this, but I know they’re conspiring to remove you…”

I nodded. “I have a favor to ask. Sophie asked for you to walk into the room as if by accident.”

Her eyebrows raised. “Me? Whatever for?” She placed her hands on her hips. “I may be the king’s daughter, but I don’t normally barge in unannounced. Also I am yet to make Sophie’s acquaintance. As I’m sure you can remember, she was unconscious when I helped Dame Meena get her to your house in Highfair.”

Nerves and stress made my words clipped and hard. “Please, Annabelle. She asked for this before going in. Please.”

She narrowed her eyes at me. “Ah, fine. But you will owe me a favor in return. A big one. Father and I are already not on our usual good terms.”

I bowed in thanks. “I will grant you a favor. I will grant you several. Thank you.”

She pressed her lips together in a thoughtful but long-suffering expression that made me wonder how exactly she saw me. It was almost the expression a teacher would give a naughty but bright student who was causing mischief.

A sudden light dawned in her eyes. “The first way you can repay me is by finding out what happened to Regan Jones. He’s a sixteen year old who was watching Lord Lyrason’s house. His father is a leatherworker near the docks. He disappeared this morning, I think.”

I raised my eyebrows in alarm. “You had a child spying on Lord Lyrason?”

She hunched her shoulders. “I have an information network. They simply ask the people who loiter around these places what they have seen or heard.”

I scoffed. “You think the son of a leatherworker would naturally be loitering around in…never mind. I’ll do what I can to find him. Now please, go and help Sophie.”

I would bet anything that Regan Jones was dead or had been turned into a halfsoul if he was a nobody and Lord Lyrason had caught him. The thought only made me more anxious about what was about to happen to Sophie and Callum.

Annabelle turned to go, and I raised my hand. “Let me borrow the earpiece. I’ll give it back after. I need to know what’s going on, in case I need to rescue her…and you, I suppose.”

She hesitated and took it out of her ear before laying it in my palm. She didn’t release it. “If you come in to rescue her, don’t hurt my father. Our Father. And there is no situation where I’d need rescuing.”

Frustration bubbled, but I nodded.

I fitted the earpiece as she left the room. For a moment the sounds were jarring and discordant. Then I made out the king’s voice and managed to orient myself.

“What were you doing at Lord Lyrason’s manor without his knowledge and while you knew he was absent?”

I pressed my hand over my ear, even though it made no difference to the quality. Sophie’s bright voice was clear and animated. Her confidence made me smile, despite the seriousness of the situation.

“Your Majesty, I am so sorry to have caused you trouble. And you too, Lord Lyrason.” There was a pause, and I really hoped she wasn’t bowing to them. “As you know, I was bitten by one of Lord Lyrason’s creatures and very ill not so long ago. We thought I was completely healed, but then found traces of a strange metal in my blood. Naturally, we went straight to Mister Gregane to see if he knew how to remove it. I was startled and unnerved by the discovery, so we went in a hurry. We didn’t think to call ahead and had no idea Lord Lyrason would be so offended by a visit to his house. He’d previously told General Kasten that he would do everything needed for my healing.”

I ran my fingers around the hilt of my sword at the resulting silence. Sophie presented as the most innocent person I had ever met, and she now played that card well.

The king’s voice sounded tired. “Did you find the answer to your problem?”

“Oh, Mister Gregane was very helpful. We don’t know how to remove it yet, but he helped assure us that I’m no longer infectious and told us some of the qualities of the metal, although I didn’t really understand it.”

I groaned. I understood why she was doing this, but I hated it when she hid her brilliant brain.

Lord Lyrason’s voice followed quickly. “I don’t think that this…”

He was broken off by the sound of the door opening. Annabelle sounded surprised. “Oh, I am so sorry. I was under the impression my father was alone.” A pause. “How lovely to see you, Sophie.”

I made out the sound of movement and the sharp whisper of silk skirts brushing against something hard. “Annabelle! I had so hoped to bump into you here. It is good to see you.” From her tone of voice, you would have thought them the closest of friends.

Was this all part of Sophie’s plan to befriend Annabelle and gain her trust? If so, it seemed very bold, especially for Sophie. But so was the fact she’d been found in Lord Lyrason’s house.

The king’s voice became more engaged, with an edge of wariness. “I was not aware you two were closely acquainted.”

Annabelle replied first. “Oh, we have only become friends recently, after the horrific incident where she was bitten. It was lovely she could come to Adenburg with the general. She has been giving me ideas about how to host the Nibawae ambassadors.”

I blew out a breath. Annabelle was brilliant at this, playing along without missing a beat. I was in her debt.

Again, the skirts rustled. “I was just telling the king that even though we thought I was better, I still have traces of a strange metal in my blood. We only found out today. We went straight to Mister Gregane to ask him to remove it, since he was the one treating me, and it has all turned into a terrible misunderstanding. Lord Lyrason thinks we were snooping when we were with Mister Gregane the entire time. There were even guards in the room with us.”

I heard a gasp, and Annabelle’s voice became worried. “Oh, Lyrason, you need to help her. I understand that things between you and General Kasten aren’t good, but this is Sophie. She is a saint. You will give her everything she needs to make a full recovery, won’t you? I’m still upset at how badly she was hurt, though I understand it was an accident.”

Another silence. I could hear my heart thumping. Was Annabelle laying this on a little too thick? Callum was, thankfully, remaining silent.

Lord Lyrason sounded resigned. He knew he had lost. “Of course, sweet Annabelle. It has not been my intention to withhold anything Lady Sophie needs to get better. I just hope she calls ahead next time so I could also be there.”

The king gave a sharp sigh. “Why on earth has this matter been brought to me? I don’t need to be contacted about somebody not calling ahead when they make a visit. There was no break in. Nothing was stolen. Stop wasting my time, Lord Lyrason. Lady Sophie, you and your companions may go. Annabelle, you are dismissed as well. And do remember to knock next time. Your behavior has been increasingly disappointing recently. Lord Lyrason, stay.”

I exhaled as I heard footsteps, and then the door opened and closed. They had done it. I itched to run to Sophie and kiss her forehead and tell her she had been fantastic and ask what on earth they had been up to, but instead I listened on through the earpiece.

The king spoke first, his voice a mixture of fury and distaste. “What was that, Lyrason?”

The footsteps sounded agitated. “They were up to something. You don’t believe Lady Sophie gave you the whole picture, do you? The general put her up to something. I thought if we brought them here, it would give us a good opportunity to investigate them further. You could have ordered their house searched. Or their persons. I would bet anything, they have illegal kryalcomy on them right now. The more we discredit them and keep them on the back foot, the easier it will be to arrest them all and find Kasten’s weapon. He’s too powerful to arrest directly, but arrest his friends, and he will tell you what you want to hear.”

A hand slapped wood. “Gah! You acted in spontaneous anger with no thought or evidence. We have no idea of the limits of what Kasten wields. We need to be careful and only act when we’re certain we have the upper hand. Anyway, it seems Annabelle is friends with Sophie. We’re limited in what we can do in front of her.”

“Hmm. I didn’t know that. She acts friendly with General Kasten as well, so I suppose it makes sense that they’ve met. You should have better control over your daughter.”

A heavy sigh. “Annabelle already knows more than I wished her to. I’ve told her to stay away from Kasten, but I didn’t mention Sophie. By all reports, Lady Sophie is submissive and sweet. She has high etiquette and has been trained not to interfere. Annabelle has few friends. Sir Halfield’s methods to get information on Kasten from her were blunt and clumsy. You never know, Sophie may spill valuable information to Annabelle if they become better friends. And when Kasten is finally gone, it could be useful to keep her around. She may help you run Kasomere.”

I winced. I wished I knew Annabelle better so I could better assess how much of a risk it was to work together.

Lord Lyrason almost growled. “Your softness toward your daughter is clouding your judgment.”

“Hmm. Perhaps.”

His admission didn’t seem to appease Lord Lyrason. “It would have been better to exploit today as much as possible, Your Majesty.”

“You don’t need to repeat yourself, Lyrason. I got your point. But the palace is my area. Now keep subtly recruiting to your guard and ensure they’re all adequately trained. As for your…experiments, make sure they stay undetected. We’re so close now to everything we’ve dreamed of. I’ll be the king who conquered Kollenstar. Happiness is so close. We shouldn’t let Kasten distract us any more than necessary. We’re not ready to challenge him yet. Not until it is finished.”

“As you say, Your Majesty.” Lyrason’s voice was clipped.

The door shut with a little more force than necessary.

Well, that sounded ominous. I removed the earpiece. Sophie was safe. For now. But this had been too close.

At least, Annabelle would have to spend time with Sophie now or be seen as a liar by her father. That had been a smart move on Sophie’s part and would speed things up considerably since we wouldn’t have to rely on gentle introductions at the evening parties. Sophie could determine whether Annabelle would work with us or not. Together, we could stop Lord Lyrason and the king and their twisted experiments faster and ensure a smooth succession. Annabelle could stop a civil war before it even began.

Sophie had been incredibly proactive these past two days while I had merely been doing damage control for the next campaign. I didn’t deserve her.

I walked back to the room where I’d been writing the campaign orders and intended to finish them as quickly as possible so I could return home and talk to Sophie and Callum. If I rushed to Sophie and Annabelle now as if there had been an emergency, it might destroy the veneer Sophie had created, not to mention this opportunity for them to forge a friendship.

As I settled back down, I remembered Venerick’s helpful message. I was in his debt too.

It took me an hour before I walked back toward the king’s office to deliver the orders. On the way I heard a faint keening on my detector. It was so quiet, I would have missed it if I hadn’t been concentrating. It sounded exactly like the faint sound I’d heard in the king’s office at his party. The king, Stirling, and Annabelle had all been present. Which of them had been using kryalcomy? Had it been linked to the object on his desk?

I followed the faint sound to an unmarked, closed door and opened it softly, hoping I wasn't about to bump into Lord Lyrason. The room was brightly lit and full of bubbling laughter. A group of young nobles lounged on sofas drinking around Stirling. He saw me approach and startled before standing up. The sound was definitely coming from him.

What kryalcomy was he using? And why was it so faint as to be easily drowned out and ignored?

Questions pressed against my mind, but Stirling’s frown warned me to concentrate on them later. He strode up to me. “What is it?”

I thought quickly and gestured to the papers. “I’m about to hand my orders to the king for our advance into Kollenstar. I wondered if you’d want to accompany me and look them over with us. I know you want to be more involved, and it might help you take over from him one day.”

Stirling was clearly taken aback. His expression softened, though it wasn’t entirely trusting. “Em, fine. Yes, I’ll come.”

He held up a hand to his friends before accompanying me to the office. The whole time, the small drone on my detector stayed steady.