Stars May Fall (Stars May Burn #2)

31. Venerick

VENERICK

I didn’t stop to think about what I was doing. Annabelle needed me to see that justice was upheld. And I had always said I would give my life to justice. This was my chance to make amends for years of turning a blind eye.

And despite my absolute terror at what I was about to do, I had hope that I’d never had before. Annabelle dared to believe in a future without corruption in the justice system. She clearly believed in that passionately. Over the years I’d been told too many times that such a feat was impossible. But now maybe…I could dare to dream again.

It would be a good cause to die for even if this all ended in disaster for me.

I didn’t think about James. I couldn’t, or I would hesitate. I’d known him for years and worked closely with him on many cases. But if he was taking the city for Lyrason and aiding in the murder of the royal family, well, his sentence was clear, his execution just.

The journey took longer than normal since the city guard was setting up blockades in the main streets and we had to avoid patrols. Confused citizens milled around, knowing something was going on, but so far, no news had come from the palace.

Shireena led me to a street where I was startled to be greeted by an excitable, rowdy mob behind a few rows of professional soldiers. There must have been some previous signal for them to assemble. This was not what I had pictured in my vision of fighting for justice. This was a thin veneer of order barely restraining chaos.

Shireena went to an officer I didn’t recognize and gave him a report out of earshot. Before I could announce myself, an arm clamped down on my shoulder.

“Venerick! Nice to have you here! You probably have no idea who I am, but I am always after new friends.”

I turned to be greeted by a large grin, a mop of curls and a ridiculous scarlet tricorn hat with an ostrich plume in it. “Callum Tavolyn.” I gave him a polite incline of my head.

Callum’s grin widened. “Ah, so you do know. My reputation precedes me. Are you here to stab Duke James in the back?”

My chest tightened, and I raised a finger. “That isn’t quite how I would put…”

He released his grip and clapped his hands together. “Excellent, excellent. He’s in his mansion. Can you get us in?”

I opened my mouth, and then decided there was little point prolonging this conversation. I nodded. I’d already had the last thirty minutes to think this through.

Callum put his arm back around my shoulders. “Ah, we are indeed going to be the best of friends.” He shoved a large leather bag into my arms.

I took it on instinct. “What’s this?”

He grinned. “Enough explosives to blow up half of Adenburg. Don’t drop them. They’re to blow up Duke James’s house, not you.”

My palms became sweaty. What had I gotten myself in to?

“You’ll also need a sword. That dagger is pathetic. Let’s not be too insulting to dear old James. Here, take this one.” He waved for a soldier who was distributing weapons and selected a rapier for me. I took it feeling numb.

Two officers came and bowed sharply to me, introducing themselves as Sir Philip, head of Kasten’s household guard, and Sir Luke, commander of the Kasomere troops in Adenburg. The first was middle-aged and appeared confident. The second man was blond and appeared much younger than I was expecting.

I tried to appear more confident than I was feeling. “I can get a group of ten unmarked men through the back gate. They’ll need to be good fighters. If they can deal with any guards once inside, we can let the”—I paused to look at the mob and find the right words—“less inconspicuous people through by taking down the wall.”

Sir Luke turned and started issuing orders, getting ten Kasomere soldiers out of uniform.

Callum gestured to the street ahead. “It sounds like we have no time to waste.”

“Right, right.” I straightened my own jacket, fastened the heavy leather bag across my chest and hoped this plan would work.

Callum bounced along beside me, a constant distraction I couldn’t quite believe was real. He seemed to be enjoying himself far too much, his approach jarring with the nausea-inducing nerves in my stomach. He barely stopped talking as he looked around the streets we passed. “I have many lifetime ambitions I wish to fulfill. Dreams full of glory, heroism, and inventions of pure genius. But being able to lead a mob to destroy Duke James is topping them all.” He clapped his hands together. “Now this is what it truly feels like to be alive.”

Sir Luke was leading his group of unmarked soldiers to one side. They were completely silent, each of them light on their feet and focused. Kasten’s troops were famous for being the best after all. Thank the kingdoms he was siding with Annabelle. He had every reason to disown his family for how they’d treated him, but that man had honor I’d never anticipated. It appeared that Annabelle was a good judge of character.

Sir Philip walked a step behind us, his serious face set in determination, and the men behind him remained smart in Kasomere uniform. He frowned at Callum. “Are you sure you don’t want to stay back from the fighting…Mister Tavolyn?” I didn’t miss the hesitation over Callum’s title. I’d seen it before at parties, the constant awkwardness that surrounded somebody with royal blood being untitled.

Callum shook his head. “No, no, no. I wouldn’t miss this for the world. If I die, it will still be worth it for the entertainment. Oh look, comes our next band of rogues.” He grinned as more citizens brandishing weapons filtered out of a house that had to be some sort of rallying point. I recognized some of the people who had gathered outside Lyrason’s house when Kasten had decided to storm it by himself. I never forgot a face, and I had taken in as many of their features as possible in case the king asked me to round them up with the city guard afterward. Yet here I was, joining them. The world was a strange place. They were filled with a frenzied excitement. Callum opened his arms as they approached. “Welcome, welcome, my friends.”

That man was completely mad.

We had to be about two hundred strong, and only forty were Kasten’s household guard. I looked toward Sir Luke. “Discipline is going to be difficult once the fighting starts.”

Callum shrugged. “They can pillage and loot as much of Duke James’s house as they wish, for all I care.”

I frowned. “Well, they shouldn’t. We need to make sure no bystanders or servants get hurt.”

Sir Philip walked closer from one side. The man spoke with the air of somebody with experience. “Don’t worry, Lord Venerick. We’ll keep things under control. While I would prefer not using a mob, it is better when we’re the ones directing their fervor. When word gets out that the king is dead and the traitor Lyrason is trying to secure the crown, these people will riot if not given purpose.”

Sir Luke gave a firm nod, though he didn’t have the presence of the older man. “Once we’re in the grounds, our plan is for the citizens to make enough disorganized noise and destruction to distract the guards inside while Kasten’s personal guard sneak to the front and back to take the gates and stop anyone important from leaving. Sir Philip and two other men will track down and finish Duke James.”

I nodded, my nausea growing. I prayed he was right. I wouldn’t think about James. This wasn’t personal; this was justice. He’d always been open about the fact that he had many things in his life he couldn’t tell me. And he had been right to keep it from me. Actions had to have consequences.

I could do this for Annabelle and her dream of a better country.

I looked back at the excitable rabble. Two hundred men. It wouldn’t be long before the city guard intercepted us.

We neared the smarter areas of Adenburg, and my nerves only grew. James had the second largest estate in Adenburg with extensive lands that required long stretches of wall to separate them from the common folk. I knew from many of my previous visits to his house that he only guarded the front and back gates, assuming the rest of the walls were secure. And the guards at the back didn’t always receive prompt communication from the rest of the house.

I led our group to a fountain, one side of the estate wall behind me. We were equidistant from the front and back gates here, which is why I had chosen this spot. A street boy sat on the side, and Callum grinned at him. “Is he still at home, Ned?”

He nodded. “He ain’t left. We been watchin’ all mornin’.”

Callum tossed him a gold coin, and he scampered off.

I blew out a breath and spoke to Callum and Sir Philip. “Wait here and do nothing until I signal to you.” I turned to Sir Luke and his men. “Let’s go.”

I led them at a run to the back gates, three streets away. As I approached the gates, I noted James had stationed men in front of them as well as behind—no doubt he had heard about the mob. There were even archers on temporary platforms on the inside of the wall.

I met the eyes of a guard I recognized and smiled, though guilt was already plaguing me. I hoped as few people as possible would be hurt in this. But we were at war now. “Sir Killian! There’s an angry mob in the street. I must meet with Duke James at once.”

The guard bowed. “Lord Venerick, you shouldn't be out here.” He looked over my shoulder. “Are these your men?”

I nodded. “I heard there was unrest, so I brought them with me. But I don’t fancy letting them face the mob. I can’t get to the front gates. Let us in here and we’ll walk through the gardens to the house.”

For a few heartbeats Sir Killian remained motionless, and I worried that the years of working together would count for nothing. Then he nodded and ordered the doors to open. “We would be glad of the extra manpower. Duke James is currently in residence.”

I smiled my thanks and hurried inside before he could change his mind. Sir Luke met my eyes as we passed more guards on the inside, but I shook my head. Not yet. These people were merely following James’s orders. I hoped some of them survived. It would be such a waste of talent if we lost most of the city guard tonight just to stop Lyrason from using them.

We started up the meandering drive through the gardens, the house still a good ten-minute walk away. I spotted the familiar groundskeeper's hut and used it to orient myself.

I pointed. “Our soldiers should be positioned on the other side of the wall just there. We need to get the explosives down the side of this wall behind the hut.”

Sir Luke nodded, and I silently handed out the strange bundles wrapped in wax paper from inside the leather bag. I frowned. “How do we detonate them?”

Sir Luke sighed. “They’re kryalcomy and Callum wouldn’t give anyone else the detonator.”

Ah.

I couldn’t believe I was doing this. I was blowing up a building. Acting like a criminal. In league with a mob and a mad man.

But laws changed during war time. I had to save Annabelle. And she was now the acting monarch. I would follow the commands she gave me.

We placed the explosives alongside the wall and backed away. I climbed a large oak tree I had once spent the afternoon reading underneath and waved over the wall to Callum.

Thankfully, the man was paying attention and waved back. He flicked his ostrich plume and stood on the wall of the fountain smiling at the eager faces looking up at him, their spirits high with the promise of revolution and vengeance.

Callum placed a hand over his heart. “My friends! My people! Long have we known of the wicked deeds done by the traitors Lyrason and Duke James. And now they have killed the king himself! General Kasten, the most noble and devoted of men, has tasked us with extracting the terrible poison that heads the city guard so that once again our streets can be safe! Will you join us?” He thrust his fist in the air, ignoring the fact that Sir Philip had folded his arms and was rolling his eyes.

The crowd roared and shook their weapons in the air. The air was becoming thick with promised blood and destruction.

Callum waved his sword in the air. “Death to injustice. Death to corruption. Death to Duke James!”

He turned back to me and gestured that I get further back with a flick of his hand. I climbed down the tree and backed further away. Just how powerful were these explosives that I hadn’t been safe at fifty feet and up a tall tree?

The crowd cheered loudly enough to be heard at the house. Now, Callum. Do it now or Duke James will react first.

An explosion happened behind me, its force knocking me from my feet even as I walked away. A second. A third. Something hard hit my back. I looked behind me. A section of wall had completely collapsed for the entire length of the street. The groundkeeper’s hut was leaning to one side. Half the trees lining the wall, including my oak tree, were on fire. Kingdoms, what had Callum put in those things?

Callum still stood on the fountain, now clearly visible from the garden. Its side was cracked, water pouring onto the cobbled street. He pointed his sword through the gap. “Kill the guards unless they surrender. Arrest the servants, but do not harm them unless you can’t subdue them. Death to Duke James. Onward!”

The mob surged toward me, shouting. From the other side, members of the city guard were emerging to meet them. Sir Luke fell back at a run to take the back gate where Sir Killian was shouting orders at the archers. Another group in Kasomere colors ran toward the front. I drew my sword, wishing it didn’t feel so foreign in my hands.

The mob started streaming past me on either side. Callum sauntered up to stand beside me, his sword resting casually on his shoulder. “The fire will start soon.”

I blinked at him, still trying to take in the chaos surrounding us. “Fire?”

“Yes. It was hard but we have a helper inside Duke James’s house, a maid who has been loyal to us for over five years, sending information our way. She wouldn’t have been able to smuggle in explosives, like you did just now, or let in our troops, but her handiwork should be evident any minute now. Today, while cleaning, she removed the yadum, which turns kryalcomy off, from all the lamps and heaters in the house and replaced them all with small lumps of high grade jadum, an amplifier of kryalcomy. All she has to do is switch all of the devices ‘off’ before leaving the house and getting herself to safety. It will take half an hour for them to overheat enough for at least a dozen of them to catch on fire.” He shook his head and tutted. “The knowledge an average person has of kryalcomy is shockingly poor. I guarantee you they will not realize what is happening and will keep all the devices switched ‘off’.” He twirled his sword around. “Oh, it is such a good day. Kasten will be jealous to miss all this.”

We walked toward the house, and I tried to numb myself to my role in what was occurring around me. The organized groups of Kasomere soldiers had now all disappeared, leaving the mob running wild through the garden toward the house and the outhouses. Some started throwing flowerpots at the house wall. In the corners, the fighting intensified.

Callum grabbed my coat jacket and pointed ahead. “Look. I told you they wouldn’t figure it out.”

Bright flames shone in one of the windows of the large mansion. The wind carried the smell of smoke, covering the acidic smell of the explosives. Even as we watched, another window smashed, and bright flames licked out.

People started to stream out of the house to the gardens, where the Kasomere troops would be waiting to catch anyone important.

A blow struck me from behind without warning, and I flew to the ground, the breath knocked from my lungs as I skidded in the dirt. At once, I rolled over, raising my sword to protect me from the attack, but the second blow failed to come. I staggered to my feet and found a group of three men dressed in black with concealed faces. They knocked Callum unconscious with a blow to the back of his head. One knelt on his back while another started to tie his hands.

Adrenaline gave me a surge of strength. I raised my sword and ran at them, a strangled cry leaving my lips without my instruction. The one who had attacked me squared his feet in a defensive position. Then he moved faster than any man was naturally capable of. My insides froze. He had illegal kryalcomy.

The moment his sword struck mine, I knew I was a dead man. I was no soldier and only an average fencer who was years out of practice. This man outmatched me in every way. I staggered backward under his onslaught, barely catching his blows to deflect them, many not well enough. Steel cut into my shoulder, my forearm, my thigh. I barely acknowledged the blows, every part of my concentration taken up from meeting his attacks.

At least Annabelle would survive. She would make this world a better place than I had ever managed.

A bone jarring blow sent my rapier from my grasp, and I found myself on my back, looking up at the man who was about to kill me. He raised his sword and…

An arrow bloomed from the center of his chest, cutting straight through his black leather armor. I barely managed to roll out of the way before he crumpled to the floor.

I stood up panting, every wound on my skin suddenly burning. I looked around for Callum and the other two men in black, but they had vanished. The scarlet tricorn hat lay discarded in the mud, its large feather bent. Where had they taken him? What did they want with him? It had clearly been a specific mission to capture him alive.

There was only one reason Lyrason would want him, and that was to threaten him in front of Kasten to turn him against Annabelle.

I yelled in frustration. Lyrason had just gained a strong weapon against her. I might be helping to take the city, but what good would that be if she lost the palace?

A hand patted my back. “Are you all right?”

I turned to see Sir Luke, a bow and arrow held loosely in his hand. He might be young, but he was certainly a good shot. I nodded in thanks; the man had saved my life. “They have Callum.”

He scowled. “I’m aware. Serves him right for wearing such an attention seeking hat.” He nodded to where it now lay crumpled and crushed. “Kasomere soldiers have gone after him, but those men in black were kryalcomy users. I suspect they were Lyrason’s personal guard.”

I blew out a breath to calm my heart rate. “Thank you for shooting him. I thought I was a dead man.”

He patted my back again. “Not today, Lord Venerick. Not today.”

We both took a moment to survey the chaos. “Stay under cover near those trees. I need to direct the mob. Sir Philip should be able to kill Duke James soon. He may need you to verify the body afterward so keep alert for his return.”

I licked my lips and nodded. I turned for the treeline where I would be more sheltered from archers. Sir Luke jogged back toward the house, shouting orders as he went.

I pressed my back against a tree and winced as my multiple wounds finally started to sting and ache. The pain was escalating at an alarming rate. I reached into my belt pouch for the scissors I always carried and cut some strips off my shirt to bind the wounds that were still bleeding. I wasn’t sure I was doing it right, but at least it was something.

Rusty metal squealed behind me. I whipped around, raising my sword and squinting through the shadows. Movement caught my eye. In the gloom of the trees, a large trap door was opening on the ground, sending soil, sticks, and autumn leaves scattering all around. Was it some sort of storage area or refuge? Or maybe a passage out of the house for emergency situations. It would be very, very like Duke James to have a secret escape route. That man liked to be thorough.

I looked around but none of the Kasomere soldiers were close. I gripped my sword and for a moment wished I was anywhere but here. Preferably in my room, writing simple, logical legal documents.

But I wasn’t, and the world was a far messier place than what ended up written on paper.

This time I wouldn’t turn a blind eye, even though there was nobody here to witness my decision. I ran to the trapdoor as a man in a black cloak climbed out. I knew, the dread deep in my bones, who it would be.

“Stop there!” I ordered.

The man turned, and his eyes widened in surprise. I felt sick. It was Duke James. “Venerick?” He looked around us, taking in our surroundings then barked a disbelieving laugh. “What in the kingdoms are you doing here?”

I grimaced, a tremor running up my sword arm. Annabelle needed me to do this. The kingdom needed me to do this. I drew in a shaking breath and leveled my sword at him. “Annabelle has ordered me to secure the city. I’m arresting you on suspicion of treason. Drop your weapons and follow me. I can guarantee you a fair trial.”

The duke straightened and dusted down his cloak. “I’m sorry, my friend, but I don’t think I can do that.” He held up his hands. “Things are already in motion that you can’t stop, Venerick. If you leave now, I’ll never tell Lyrason you were here, for old time’s sake. I’ll even defend you to him, see if I can get him to spare you. Why don’t you lay low outside the city until then? He only wants you dead because you’re betrothed to Annabelle. Once he marries her and is crowned king, he’ll no longer see you as a threat. Give it a week or two, and leave it to me.”

Rage, guilt, and sorrow mixed in my stomach, and I struggled to keep myself together. “James, I am sorry, but you’ve committed treason. I have no choice but to arrest you.”

James gave a half laugh, shaking his head, and looked down at his toes. “I’m sorry too, old friend.” Then he lunged, a rapier with a black blade suddenly in his hand.

I dodged on instinct and lashed out with a clumsy blow of my own. It should have missed him completely, but James’s foot hooked on a root, sending him falling forward hard. My blade sank into his stomach. Horror made me gasp. I dropped the hilt in alarm as warm blood coated my hand. He crumpled to the floor.

Every part of me started to shake.

Duke James’s lips curled as the color leached from his face. His words were faint. “See, Venerick. I was right. You have to be realistic. Not everything can be resolved peacefully.” He grimaced. “Make sure my son is safe. Please. For old time’s sake. He’s a good boy. He’s all I have. He’s the reason Lyrason and I…I…”

I sank to my knees as a sob ripped free of my throat. As his eyes glazed over, it felt like part of me died with him. And it was agony. His blood stuck to my fingers like an unshakable curse.

This wasn’t me. This really wasn’t me. I had never wanted to be a killer.