50 Secrets (1/2)

The guardsman's blood had dried, staining the carpet in front of Nikolai's office a deep crimson. The dagger which ended his life jutted out from his neck, glistening with a radiant force, its magic slowly fading away with each passing moment. The reminder of magical abilities tore at Elya's heart and she squeezed her clenched fist tightly.

After the guard was found dead, Alexis had burst into Elya's chambers in the morning, fear apparent on her face. Panicked, she grasped Elya's shoulder and broke the news: Nikolai was missing.

When the maid responsible for taking care of Nikolai went to wake him up and found his bed clean and tidy, she headed to his office. Apparently he'd fallen asleep at his desk on many occasions, but her screams on spotting the body alerted the mansion and in short order, guards were prowling the halls, keeping everyone away from the office.

The tired guard Captain overseeing the crime scene growled at Alexis when they arrived. He refused to let the Knights Alexis had rounded up for Elya's security through. Angered, Elya lashed out, ordering everyone to stand down while she approached the room herself.

With only a cursory glance at the unfortunate corpse, she pushed the heavy doors open and stepped into the mess that was Nikolai's office. Papers and strange artefacts lay scattered randomly as if they'd been whipped around by a mighty wind. Scorch marks and dents covered the walls, like something had tried to burn the room down yet failed and in its frustration lashed out with inhuman strength.

She caught sight of one of Petrov's distinctive handkerchiefs lying to the side in a pool of blood, beside shattered cupboards. It looked like the Commander had put up a fight before he was taken. She moved to the upturned chair Nikolai had used only a few hours ago to lecture her, a soft smile coming to her face. A glint of metal caught her eye and Elya bent to pick up an intricate glass which had rolled under the desk. It still carried the scent of some sort of fruity alcoholic drink. Probably cider. Nikolai refused to take anything else containing alcohol unless he was forced.

And only the Emperor could force him to drink.

Setting the chair upright, she sat down, gazing at the state of the office. A shattered window frame indicated the assailants entry point and the melted bricks around the opening were reminiscent of the aftermath of one Nikolai's lightning strikes. He'd responded quickly it seemed, but whatever had come through would have caught him by surprise.

This was the reason mages were always carefully protected.

Swift physical force could bring down even the most powerful magic wielder.

”It should have been impossible to get to him here.”Alexis said as she walked in with Jarek at her side.

”Why?” Elya could barely muster any force in her voice. Only dread remained at the possible horrors her fiancée could be facing. If the Vilinian's had him… she shuddered at the thought. If there was one person they wanted revenge on more than anyone, it was Nikolai. Their veneer of restraint would snap in the face of his knowledge.

”Jarek should explain.” Alexis waved at the boy.

Jarek seemed to have cried, eyes and nose still red, sniffing with every breath.

”Tell me Jarek.” Elya tried to be soothing, but Alexis'awkward stare proved she'd failed.

”The Khan… he has wards set up around the office.” Jarek rubbed his eyes, wiping tears away with his sleeve. ”It's impossible to get through.”

”Someone got through. Tell the Lady what you explained about backlash.” Alexis whispered, gesturing for the boy to continue.

”The sort of wards he set up can't be broken. If they try, it would set off all sorts of alarms. Or even explode. It's even possible that the attackers would be hit by a… rebound.”

”So?”

”So, if they weren't able to get in without alerting the entire mansion, they had to be inside already.” Alexis explained slowly, eyeing Elya with suspicion.

”Do we know if he's still…” Elya's voice caught, unwilling to finish the question.

”As I understand it, we can be sure he's… fine.” Alexis cast an odd glance towards Jarek. ”The children of the Great Dragon are connected to him in some way.”

”The Khan protects.” The boy piped up, a little colour returning to his face. ”And we serve.”

”You're certain?” Elya whispered, eyes flashing with hope.