Part 43 (1/2)
”Then let's agree to complete our plans when you reach Swanholm.”
And he was gone before she could ask any more questions, leaving her holding the letter of safe pa.s.sage.
Suddenly she felt so faint that she had to sit down. ”Look at me, Faie, I'm shaking!” She touched the smooth waxen sheen of the imperial seal. How ironic that Eugene should be the one to offer them a safe haven.
Celestine handed over her key to the landlady and said good-bye to the cats. Then she walked to the square, hailed a carriage, and instructed the driver to take her to the Francian Emba.s.sy. As they rattled away, she took one last look back at the Imperial Theater, smiling as she remembered Grebin's parting words.
”Oh, I intend to come back,” she said. That brief taste of the heady pleasures of performing onstage had given her a craving for more. But not yet; she was far more eager to see Jagu again and tell him the astonis.h.i.+ng news. She checked again to make sure that the precious letter of safe pa.s.sage was still in her reticule.
Alighting outside the emba.s.sy, she hurried up the steps to be admitted by Claude.
”Has Lieutenant de Rustephan arrived yet?” she asked breathlessly.
”No, Demoiselle. But the amba.s.sador has received a communication for you. If you would follow me...” Claude's haughty expression gave nothing away as he showed her into Fabien d'Abrissard's study.
What manner of communication? Perhaps Jagu had been delayed.
”This is addressed to you, Celestine.” The amba.s.sador rose to greet her, holding out a letter. She opened it and read: We have arrested your accomplice, Jagu de Rustephan. He will be executed for crimes against the state unless you give yourself up to Francian justice. You have one month in which to return to Lutece to answer the charges against you.
”They've taken Jagu. They've taken him back to Lutece!” This was the last thing she had expected. She sat down, the letter clutched in her hand. How had it all gone so wrong? Everything had been settled for the start of their new life together: the Emperor's letter of safe pa.s.sage to Tielen, the concert plans, Jagu's composition...
”My dear Celestine,” said the amba.s.sador gravely, ”you mustn't even think of going back to Lutece. The city's in a volatile state. Ilsevir is not popular. He's ordered his Rosecoeurs to stamp out any signs of rebellion or heresy. Aided, of course, by the Inquisition.”
”Kilian.” Celestine stared down at the letter, seeing the black script blur and waver as a teardrop splashed onto the ink. ”Kilian, his oldest friend.” What use is crying? What use is crying? she told herself angrily. she told herself angrily. I have to rescue him. I have to rescue him. Yet still the drops continued to fall. She looked up, das.h.i.+ng away the tears. ”It's a trap. They've set a trap for me. They knew my weakness-and they're using it to lure me into their clutches.” Yet still the drops continued to fall. She looked up, das.h.i.+ng away the tears. ”It's a trap. They've set a trap for me. They knew my weakness-and they're using it to lure me into their clutches.”
”All the more reason not to walk into their trap.”
”But Jagu-”
”I can protect you here in Mirom, but the instant you leave these sh.o.r.es, you'll be fair game for the Inquisition.”
Kaspar Linnaius's accusing words flashed through her memory.
Haven't you been pursuing the wrong man? Shouldn't you be seeking to take revenge on the man who condemned your father to the stake? Alois Visant?
In that one moment, she knew that the time for tears was over. Her chin went up. ”I'm going to Swanholm,” she said.
”Monsieur de Cormery, it's so kind of you to take time out of your busy schedule to accompany me to Tielen.” Celestine gave him one of her sweetest smiles.
The young attache blushed. ”It's-it's no trouble at all, Demoiselle, I a.s.sure you. Besides, in the circ.u.mstances, the amba.s.sador was adamant that you not travel alone, and as I was visiting Tielen on emba.s.sy affairs anyway...”
In truth, Celestine was genuinely grateful to have his company to distract her from her gloom. It was a terrible risk that she was taking, traveling to Swanholm, using up so many days of her one precious month-at the end of which Jagu would be executed.
She even feared that there might have been Francian agents at the customs house in Mirom, watching out for her. But here they were, safely on board a Tielen vessel, which was sailing slowly down the Nieva toward the Straits, and no one had approached her.
Weariness suddenly overwhelmed her and she felt herself sinking to the deck. She heard Cormery's alarmed cry and felt herself drowning in waves of dizziness.
She came to her senses to find Cormery bending anxiously over her, dabbing her temples with a balsam-impregnated handkerchief. The strong, sharp scent made her wrinkle her nose and sneeze.
”My dear demoiselle, are you all right? You had me quite worried, fainting so suddenly like that.”
”I fainted?” Celestine made to sit up but her head swam, so she lay back again. ”But I never never faint.” She was disgusted with herself for such a show of weakness. To her embarra.s.sment, she realized that Cormery must have had the sailors carry her belowdecks to her cabin. ”It's just that I haven't slept much in the last few days.” She forced herself to sound more confident than she felt. ”I'll be fine after a good night's rest.” faint.” She was disgusted with herself for such a show of weakness. To her embarra.s.sment, she realized that Cormery must have had the sailors carry her belowdecks to her cabin. ”It's just that I haven't slept much in the last few days.” She forced herself to sound more confident than she felt. ”I'll be fine after a good night's rest.”
”Then I'll leave you to it,” said Cormery, looking a little more relieved. But as soon as he had gone, she closed her eyes and pressed the cold handkerchief to her forehead. She felt as if she were not entirely back in her body. The odd, light-headed sensation, floating between consciousness and unconsciousness, was disturbing.
”Faie,” she called quietly, her eyes closed. ”Why am I so weak? Am I ill?”
”I fear it is all my fault,” came back the soft reply. came back the soft reply. ”Kaspar Linnaius was right; your body is not strong enough to sustain the two of us. I am using up too much of your life essence.” ”Kaspar Linnaius was right; your body is not strong enough to sustain the two of us. I am using up too much of your life essence.”
”Too much? But I've never needed your protection more than I do now. How am I to rescue Jagu if you aren't there to help me?”
”I will return to the book to give your body time to recover.”
Though as the s.h.i.+p reached the open sea, Celestine lay awake long into the night, unable to sleep for the thoughts jostling in her brain. Was Linnaius right after all? Was the Faie putting too much strain on her body every time she used her powers to disguise or defend herself? Or was he just trying to trick her?
”What am I doing here?” Alain Friard wondered as he followed his superior officers into the king's council chamber. He was surprised that the new king had included him in this private meeting, and even more surprised that Hugues Donatien had not tried to prevent him from attending. He slunk in behind Donatien, taking a place at the most obscure end of the council table. Haute Inquisitor Visant sat opposite Girim nel Ghislain, the leader of the Order of the Rosecoeurs. ”Gentlemen, we need to convince the people of Francia that you are winning the fight against the forces of evil,” King Ilsevir said as he took his seat at the head of the table. ”We need to restore confidence in the church. Many people saw the Drakhaouls at large in the city. Some are even saying they saw Enguerrand being abducted by a daemon. The general opinion seems to be that the Commanderie is not strong enough to protect Lutece.”
Visant's secretary was scribbling away busily, taking notes as the king spoke.
”I don't deny that the Commanderie lost the people's confidence when Kaspar Linnaius was rescued from the stake,” said Maistre Donatien. ”Too many lives were lost in the panic that day.”
”And since the sordid case of Ruaud de Lanvaux's murder, the Commanderie's reputation has sunk even lower,” observed Visant acidly. Friard wanted to speak up on behalf of his men, but one glance at the king's face told him it was best to keep silent. ”Though, if I might make a suggestion... it has come to our attention that there is treachery at the heart of the Commanderie itself. Two of the late Maistre's most trusted agents have betrayed the cause. We have proof. We have witnesses.”
Friard was dreading to hear what was coming next.
”We must root out any sign of treachery, no matter how painful it may be,” said Ilsevir sternly. ”Bring these agents in and let them be tried. Who are they?”
”Celestine de Joyeuse,” said Visant, ”and Jagu de Rustephan.”
Friard clenched his fists beneath the table. Two of his most loyal comrades in arms. One by one, all Ruaud's elite squad were being eliminated.
”I know those names...” A faraway look came into Ilsevir's eyes. ”The musicians who saved our lives at the opening of the Azilis chapel? Surely you're mistaken, Inquisitor?”
”The evidence against Demoiselle de Joyeuse is too compelling. As for Lieutenant de Rustephan”-Visant turned to Maistre Donatien- ”is there any news yet?”
”When the lieutenant did not report back, I sent Kilian Guyomard to Muscobar to investigate. I'm pleased to report that he has arrested him and is bringing him back to Lutece by sea.”
”So you plan to use him as bait to lure Demoiselle de Joyeuse to his rescue?” Visant nodded his approval.
Friard could take no more. He stood up. ”P-pardon me, your majesty,” he stammered, staring at Donatien as he spoke, ”but when has it been Commanderie practice to condemn one of our own without anything other than hearsay to go on?”
”Are you challenging my authority, Captain Friard?” Visant's stare chilled Friard to the bone, yet he stood his ground, determined not to be intimidated.
”I'm defending my Guerriers, Inquisitor. I don't want to see two good and loyal agents used as scapegoats.”