Stars May Fall (Stars May Burn #2)

25. Sophie

SOPHIE

A maid stopped me as I walked down the corridor to Annabelle’s room. She bobbed a curtsy and said the princess had asked for me to go and listen to her recital.

I understood what she meant at once. Trying to be as subtle as I could with three pretend servants and two guards, I hurried to the room next to the king’s office. I asked Meena and the guards to wait in an empty room nearby so they wouldn’t give us away and entered the gloomy room Annabelle used for eavesdropping without turning on the lights.

Annabelle was hiding in the same position Kasten said he’d found her in the other day, kneeling between two seats so she wasn’t visible from the door. Her eyes were wide as I approached and she kept her voice hushed, reaching out to me. “Lord Lyrason said he’s finished making the elixir of life!”

I blinked, struggling to understand the news. I squeezed between the two chairs and sat on the floor beside her until we were sandwiched together in ruffles of silk. I wished I had chosen a darker, less obvious color than cream to wear today. But her pale green and yellow dress was hardly inconspicuous either.

I leaned in so our faces were inches apart. “He’s finished it? As in he’s perfected taking vitality from halfsouls?”

She held up one finger while she continued to listen. “He says he has an elixir that contains metal which is one pole of kryalcomy. If they inject it into their blood…” She paused to listen again. “They will continue receiving life from Lyrason’s creatures forever. Lyrason says he’s discovered immortality. He’s recommending Father give it to Mother. And says it will be more effective…than the disk Stirling is currently wearing and that Mother…will no longer need to have repeated treatments. He…currently has prisoners being…harvested. But it is ready to be…released into the world and will self-perpetuate.”

I stared at Annabelle in shock. We hadn’t realized Lord Lyrason’s experiments had advanced this far. This was so fast. It was all happening so fast.

Annabelle’s face went pale as she listened. “Father wants to try it on himself first. Then he’s going to summon Mother.” She frowned as she looked up at me. “But Father isn’t even sick. Maybe he’s worried it's harmful?”

“Or maybe he wants to be the first to be immortal,” I whispered.

Annabelle stood suddenly. “I should stop him. I have to stop him. He can’t do this to me. To his people.”

I caught her sleeve. “Stop. You barging in there and simply telling him not to take it isn’t going to stop him, it will only reveal our hand. He’s been part of this for years, Annabelle. He has wanted this for years.”

She grabbed the top of my arms. “What should we do then? We can’t just do nothing!”

I bit my lip, and she froze again, listening. Her grip tightened on my arms as her fingernails dug in. “This was what they were waiting for before challenging Kasten. They were waiting to have access to all this life and strength so they’ll be harder to kill. They want his weapon, Sophie. Lord Lyrason says soldiers are in place to arrest him. They’re everywhere throughout the palace.”

I only hesitated a moment longer. “Interrupt the king and stall. Don’t say you know what’s going on. Pretend you’ve been stung by a bee or something?”

Her agitated expression turned incredulous. “A bee? Inside the palace?”

“Or something. Stall them.”

I ran out of the room without waiting for her reply. I had to warn Kasten. I lifted my hand to my detector and turned the dial back and forth to make a pattern of whines—the pattern for high alert but not rallying. Meena ran up to me as I hurried down the corridor, the other guards only a few steps behind.

“Lord Lyrason is about to use haemalcomy on the king and queen.” I turned to the four new guards. “Go back and subtly guard Princess Annabelle, but don’t go into the king’s office when she does, hide in the neighboring room unless fighting breaks out.”

They nodded and moved off without question. I rounded the corridor and found Kasten striding toward me, one hand on his sword hilt. I took a moment to appreciate how much stronger I felt with him here. If this turned into a coup, he would know what to do. He looked me up and down as he normally did, searching for injury or signs of distress. I grabbed his forearms as he approached, and even though the corridor was currently deserted, I opened a nearby door and pulled him inside. It turned out to be a closet. In a normal situation, it would have been amusing. Right now, I was just glad of the privacy. Meena was left awkwardly alone outside.

Kasten listened intently as I relayed the conversation Annabelle had overheard. He cursed. “If the king and queen take that haemalcomy, I can no longer wait. I will have to end their reign today. I won’t let their plans to arrest me go any further.” He looked at me as if in askance. “This may be the start of a civil war despite our best efforts. I’m sorry you’re going to be at the center of it.”

I pressed his knuckles to my lips. “Don’t be sorry. Never be sorry for doing what is right.”

The corner of his lips turned up. “I love you, Sophie. You are the good in me.” He pressed his forehead to mine then took a step back. “Stay here. Stay with Meena. Keep away from any fighting. I will come back for you.”

Fear tightened my chest. This was really happening. One minute I was holding his hands, then he was gone, and Meena had joined me inside the dark closet.

I had asked Annabelle to stall for us. If Lyrason really did want the crown for himself, I was only just comprehending how much danger she might be in now.