4. Keelan

Chapter 4

Keelan

I pried the King’s tongue back with the only instrument I could find in his room, a butter knife. Alfred couldn’t have been dead more than a few hours, but a noxious stench greeted me as soon as I opened the King’s mouth. My examination moved to the monarch’s eyelids, then his palms and fingernails. I closed the King’s eyes respectfully and stepped back, setting the butter knife on the bedside table.

After Jess’s unceremonious declaration as the new Queen, she had been hustled to the safety of the inn. I hoped the poor girl would be able to rest without advisors dogging her every step but knew better. The weight of the Crown now rested on her head. Once she was out of sight, Sheriff Wilfred had asked me to accompany him. The Sheriff refused to offer any clue to our destination until we entered the King’s room and I stared down at the lifeless man.

“He was definitely poisoned. Whatever the killer used, it was subtle. There’s no discoloration or swelling in his mouth or tongue, but there is something I recognize. The gas he’s expelling is sickly sweet, similar to another case I had a couple years ago,” I said.

Wilfred stared expectantly, so I continued. “Murders are rare in Saltstone, so when a close advisor to one of the Triad was found dead at his desk, alarms were raised. The motive and killer aren’t relevant here, but the way the man was killed is strikingly similar. A Mage who specializes in alchemicals verified that a substance common in tabac smoke and intense forest fires had been captured, distilled, and concentrated, yielding a light yellow, almost clear liquid.”

“I assume this is poisonous?”

“Very. And virtually untraceable.” I nodded. “Without the Mage’s particular Gift, we might never have cracked that one. The King’s symptoms are identical to what I found in the Saltstone murder.”

“How hard is this substance to produce?”

“It’s extremely difficult. I don’t recall the amount of tabac smoke the Mage said would need to be harvested to extract a single drop, but it was a great deal. Someone needed deep knowledge, a deft hand, and a great deal of patience to extract enough to kill the King.”

The High Sheriff lifted the King’s hand and leaned close to examine his fingers. “That confirms what I was thinking. Did you find any signs of struggle? Anything other than poison as a method?”

“No. Nothing under his nails. No marks or scratches on his arms or neck. Even the blankets on the bed look undisturbed, as if he just stretched out for a quick nap without bothering to get under the covers. I’d say he knew the killer—very well.”

I turned and began a methodical search of the room as my investigative instincts took over. After another twenty minutes, I turned to Wilfred. “Who had access to the King?”

“Access to the King’s chambers, wherever he might be, is limited to the royal family and the Royal Guard assigned to his personal detail. Prince Justin and Queen Isabel were the only two others to enter during the hours prior to his death. I’ve already spoken to all the men on duty individually. Their stories concur.”

“The Queen killed her husband. Poisoned him and fled across the lake to resume her ceremony. She failed to kill her daughter but succeeded with her son.”

The color drained from Wilfred’s face. “You’re sure Prince Justin is dead?”

“Sure? No. But it’s highly likely. Five of us made it out. I saw the Prince’s guards as they fell. At the very least, he’s their captive, but I doubt they let him live. He was wearing one of their robes and masks, so they wouldn’t have known he was anyone important.”

“Anything else?”

I sucked in a breath, desperate for the images of Sil’s arrow-riddled body to fade to memory. My heart ached for all I’d lost, but Guardsmen were always the last to be allowed to mourn.

Wilfred reached out a hand, and I took it. “Thank you, Lieutenant. This can’t be easy for you, but I appreciate your help. Go get some rest. If you’re willing, I’d like to compare notes later this morning.”

“Yes, sir. Of course.”

I made the quick walk to the rooms the King had given Atikus and me, only a half dozen doors down the hall. The Mage sat staring out of the window when I entered.

“It was a complete disaster.” I flopped onto my bed and stared into the ceiling. My eyes fixed on nothing. “Why did the King make us take Justin? I lost four men tonight, including the Prince. After Sil, I hoped . . .”

Atikus rose and sat on the edge of the bed beside me. Despite everything we’d faced, the old Mage couldn’t stop himself from playing the father figure. “Son, there is nothing you could have done. For whatever reason, the King chose to send his boy. You did what you could to protect him, but it sounds like the Children were waiting for you.”

I nodded, reliving the scene in my mind’s eye. “I was down on the stage, watching a woman in red. I don’t understand why Justin’s guards didn’t pull him down, keep him hidden. He cried out when he saw Jess walking down the center aisle, and there was nothing I could do.”

“You said the Children had men positioned on the balcony, waiting?”

“Yeah.” Another nod. “I couldn’t see how many were up there, but the men guarding the Prince took multiple bolts. They never had a chance. Justin made it out of the room, but I think they trapped him in the hallway.”

Atikus gave me a moment before asking his next question. “Tell me what you saw from the boat again. I’m still trying to understand the magic at play here.”

I replayed our trip across the river, detailing the scarlet glow that spread from the temple across the sky. I walked through everything Jess had told me. We sat, lost in thought for a long moment.

“Do you know anything about Danym?”

Atikus’s brows knitted together. “The High Sheriff’s son. Not really. Why?”

“High Sheriff Wilfred?” I was shocked. “The man who met us at the edge of town and gave Jess the monarch’s seal, proclaimed her Queen. Danym is his son?”

“I believe so.” Atikus shifted on the bed. “The Sheriff is a good man, loyal to the Crown. That makes his son’s deception even more troubling. Danym got close to the Princess and might have gained the King’s blessing to marry her if she had gotten her way. He would have become King-consort when Jess inherited the throne.”

“It doesn’t sound like that was his goal, though. He was just a decoy to get her into the Children’s hands so she could be part of their ritual. What do we know about the ceremony? What were they trying to accomplish?”

“I’m not sure. We know that four Gifted were kidnapped throughout the Kingdom, including Jess. Justin would make five, but Jess got away. Add the three from Melucia. Seven were sacrificed, assuming they all met the same fate,” Atikus said.

My brain was spinning. “Let’s go with that for now. Assume they were all sacrificed. What else? What’s the goal?”

“Right. The goal . . . I have no idea,” Atikus said. “No one on this side of the lake seemed to know what that red glow was. They were as stunned as I was, and I’ve talked to a lot of people here, soldiers, guards, regular townsfolk. Spirits, until last night, they believed Melucia had stolen their people.”

“Someone has to know. The Children’s temple is just across the lake. Somebody here had to see masked figures passing through town. They’re not exactly subtle. The townsfolk might not have known it was important, or part of a kidnapping, but somebody saw something .” I sat up and stretched my neck. “I feel like we’re close, but my brain hurts, and I need sleep. I’ve been up for more than a day and night.”

Atikus patted my leg, rose, and stepped toward the door as I peeled off my boots. “It will be daybreak in an hour or so. I am going to see if they have anything to eat downstairs while you rest.”

I rolled my eyes and smiled at the man’s omnipresent appetite. The world could be ending and Atikus would still want a hot, buttered dinner roll.

A few hours later, I woke to the sun streaming through the window. I hadn’t slept enough, but my mind was racing, and I knew staying in bed was pointless. Besides, there was work to be done.

I rubbed my eyes, stretched, and began dressing in my cleanest clothes. I couldn’t remember the last time anything had been properly washed. I strapped on my belt and looked down at my empty scabbard. The Royal Guard seemed to accept my good intentions—as long as they were able to take my weapons. My six-foot-eight frame of toned muscle was weapon enough. They didn’t want me having access to a sharpened blade, too. I understood where they were coming from, but it still made me feel near naked to have no sword with me.

As I entered the common room, intent on breaking my fast, I was surprised to find Atikus, the High Sheriff, and Royal Guard Captain Marv Proctor huddled around a small table in the corner. A couple of other tables were occupied by folk from the town, but the rest of the room stood quiet and empty. Atikus looked up and waved me over.

“They’re still making breakfast, and you’ve got to have one of the biscuits. They’re incredible.”

I chuckled as the mountainous Royal Guard rolled his eyes and grunted. Clearly, Atikus had said a word or two about the food while they chatted.

A short, thin girl with her rusty-brown hair tied in uneven knots brought me a basket of biscuits and a plate of eggs. She scurried away, promising bacon and tea. As soon as she was out of earshot, the Sheriff leaned forward and continued the conversation my arrival had interrupted.

“I have two different agents reporting the same thing. Queen Isabel was at the center of the ceremony that came far too close to killing Jess.”

Captain Proctor scowled and crossed his corded arms.

Sheriff Wilfred snapped at the hulking guard’s scowl. “Fine, Her Majesty, Queen Jessia . Can we please worry about courtly titles later and stick to what’s most important right now?”

“You aren’t the only one who needs sleep. We’ll need to tread carefully here,” Atikus whispered in my mind.

“I never saw who was behind the mask, but Jess—er, Queen Jessia was adamant that it was her mother. She was convinced the person wore her mother’s ring,” I said, tossing a bite of biscuit into my mouth.

I groaned as I swallowed. There was something sweeter in the bread here than in Melucia—and the crust was thinner, somehow crunchier, while the middle remained soft and fluffy.

Atikus winked. “Told you.”

“Gentlemen, please!” Captain Proctor slammed a hand against the table.

Wilfred ignored us. “I fear Jess may still be in danger. Based on what my agents are reporting, Isabel plans to seize power, and that means the throne. She’s not even hiding her intentions, talking openly about crossing the lake and taking command. The only way to do that is to eliminate Jess.”

“But that still wouldn’t put Isabel on the throne, would it? Isn’t there another child in the royal family?” I asked.

Wilfred nodded. “Yes, Prince Kendall, but he’s far too young to rule. Isabel would claim regency and seize power in his name. The Conclave could stop her and elect another regent, but who knows how the lords would vote? Isabel has spent years building influence among the nobles.”

Proctor’s voice came out as a restless beast’s growl. “Let’s not forget, Jessia is Queen . If we keep her alive, none of this matters. Her safety has to be our highest priority.”

I didn’t understand why I was part of this conversation. Atikus and I were strangers, Melucian citizens. The Kingdom was “conducting war games” on our border, if that was to be believed.

“I know I came into this conversation late, but would someone please explain what two Melucians have to do with any of this? We wish her no harm, but the Queen’s safety is your concern, not ours,” I said, pointing a fork in the Royal Guard’s direction.

“I don’t think they know who to trust. Isabel’s influence is everywhere, even within the Royal Guard,” Atikus said.

“. . . and that’s why we need your help.” Wilfred took a long sip of his coffee. He’d been talking while Atikus whispered in my head.

I didn’t have the Gift of Telepathy and couldn’t reply to Atikus, so I decided to stay quiet and wait for the two Kingdom men to finish.

Apparently, they had the same idea.

No one spoke for a long, awkward moment. It stretched so long the serving girl finally broke the silence, slapping a large platter of roughly cut bacon on the table, splattering grease onto my hands.

“I’m so sorry, m’lord,” she squeaked, then ran back to the kitchen for my forgotten coffee.

I wiped my hand with a napkin, then took a piece of bacon and stuffed it into my mouth, chewing as slowly as I could while staring at the Sheriff. I’d interrogated enough men to know how to win a staring contest.

Wilfred finally surrendered. “Gentlemen, I know how strange this must be, two of the principal Kingdom officials talking with two Melucians about the security of the Crown.”

Atikus grunted. “Strange? That is one word for it.”

Wilfred’s smiled didn’t reach his eyes. “Strange or not, here we are. If we lose Jess, our nation will fall to Isabel. She puts on a show of restraint, but those of us close to the family know better. She’s power hungry. She always has been. The Council won’t be able to constrain her impulse for conquest—and possibly war.”

My coffee finally arrived. When the serving girl disappeared again, I leaned forward. “Sheriff, no offense, but I still don’t understand what this has to do with us. I’ve seen your Royal Guard. They’re quite capable. Atikus and I need to get back to our own country before—well, we just need to get home. We’ve seen the soldiers at the border. We know what’s coming, with Isabel on the throne or someone else.”

Proctor cleared his throat. It didn’t clear a single bit of gravel. “I’ve guarded the monarch my entire life. My only duty is the safety of the Crown. I cannot assure you Jess will be safe, even within our protection. Isabel . . . she’s wormed her way into every crack throughout our government.”

Armor clanked as the giant crossed his arms and sat back, as if that admission had drained him of the ability to speak further.

Wilfred’s whisper was urgent, almost pleading. “You saved Jess. She doesn’t know you, but she knows what you did. That bonded you in a way. She would go with you if we told her it was the only way to keep her safe.”

My hands flew in front of me as if warding off an evil spirit. “Whoa. Wait a minute. You can’t be suggesting Atikus and I take the Queen of Spires—”

“That’s exactly what we’re suggesting.” Wilfred didn’t blink.

I sat back, struggling to process the sheer insanity of the Sheriff’s suggestion. I thought I’d seen a lot in my time with the Guard, but this was a totally different level of madness.

“Queen Isabel will say we kidnapped her, that two Melucians stole her daughter. We’ll be used as an excuse for the war she already wants,” I argued.

“You’re probably right. It’s a terrible risk, but I agree with the Captain. We can’t protect Jess here.” Wilfred shrugged. “To make matters worse, it’s been more than three hours since Isabel completed her ceremony. It only takes three hours to get across the lake. We know she’s coming; we just don’t know when. If she gets here before Jess is safely away . . .”

The men fell silent.

I found myself wishing I had never left Melucia.