Chapter 21

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Ben cupped his chin in one hand. "Yes. The storm is very inconvenient for the truce."

Callidus nodded. "I would agree. There's something amiss about the swiftness of the storm that swept over us with such ferocity."

I jumped as Fysan flew into the room like a tempest, his ruffled feathers flying and his head turning this way and that to an unusually grotesque degree. He landed on the back of the chair occupied by the emperor and his chest moved in and out.

Dreda scowled at her feathered friend. "What in the world is the matter with you?"

He pointed the tip of one wing at the door. "I witnessed something at the window in the kitchen!"

"A shadow?" Ben guessed.

Fysan glared at him. "You think I'm seeing things, but I am not! There was some. . .some creature lurking about the grounds!"

The emperor sat up and looked about the room. "Where is our driver?"

His question forced all of us to inspect the area. "He went out to drive the horses into the barn after carrying you inside," Ben reminded all of us.

The emperor stood. "Was that quite some time ago?"

A dark shadow fell on Ben's brow as he pushed off from his place on the wall. "Too long."

Ben strode through the crowd and out the door. I moved to follow, but Commander Edouard's blocking his emperor gave me pause. "Your Highness, I must insist you remain here."

"Not so long as my driver is in danger," Callidus argued as he pushed past his guard and slipped past me.

Dreda and I followed along with Fysan. Our large group met in the entrance hall where Ben and the emperor stood at the open front door. The rain came down at an angle and ran into the house as though attempting to keep us inside. Ben squinted into the darkness that had seemingly engulfed the world. The fog had drifted closer to the house and now loomed not more than fifty feet away.

Ben studied the fog and pursed his lips. "This won't be a safe job."

The emperor leaned out. "Life is not safe, young Castle, but I do worry about this unusual fog."

"It's been my aunt's constant companion for several months now," Ben told him.

Callidus scowled at the white stuff as the rest of us joined them. "It feels as though there's a strange evil from it." He turned to me as I came up and a faint smile appeared on his lips. "You look a tad worried about the fog, as well, miss."

I snorted. "I'm more than worried. That stuff tried to give Ben and me a hug last night that was as warm as an iceberg."

"What do you mean?" Edouard snapped at me.

"Patience, Commander," the emperor scolded his guard as he continued to study me. "What do you mean, Miss Lucas?"

I shrugged. "I wish I knew exactly, but having that stuff touch you isn't good for your health."

"As my aunt's groundskeeper can attest," Ben chimed in. "He has a touch of vampirism since his interaction."

The emperor's eyes widened and Edouard gave an exclamation. "My God! Vampirism?"

"Among other maladies," Ben confirmed.

Edouard swallowed the lump in his throat and turned to his emperor. "Sire, perhaps we should return you to the safe depths of the house."

Callidus shook his head. "None in my line have ever run from danger, and I shall not start such a horrid tradition. Now then, if memory serves me the barn is to our right. Shall we go?"

"After me," Ben insisted as he stepped out into the pouring rain.

The men followed behind him except Fysan and I made to follow. A wrinkled hand caught mine and I half-turned to find Dreda with a worried look on her face. "You're sure you want to go out there?"

I tilted my head to one side. "Shouldn't I?"

Her eyes flickered down to the canister on my arm and she leaned in to whisper. "I know what you carry with you. Such powerful magic cannot be hidden by those familiar with magic."

I set my hand atop hers and smiled. "I came here partly to find out how to use it. I can't do that if I'm not sticking my nose where it might get cut off."

"Be careful, and mind Ben, will you?" she pleaded.

I nodded. "I'll try my best."

I slipped out of her reluctant grasp and hurried to catch up to the men. They had slipped into the barn but left the doors open so light spilled out into the darkness. I kept one eye on the fog and couldn't help but suspect that the thick air crept closer to me. My pace quickened with my suspicions and I soon reached the open doors.

The barn had several stalls on either side and another entrance at the back where they stored the hay and grains. Lit lanterns hung near the stalls where the black horses owned by the emperor had been installed. Ferox, too, was set in one of the boxed rooms. All the animals, Ferox included, paced back and forth in their stalls.

The men stood in a loose circle in the middle of the barn with Ben stooped over something. I hurried over and watched him pick through the shattered remains of a glass lantern.

"Where is he?" I asked the crowd.

The emperor scanned the area with an uneasy look on his face. "We have not yet found him."

Ben dropped the pieces of the lantern and stood. "Whatever happened, there was a struggle. The scuff marks in the hay show as much." He lifted his gaze to his steed and strode over to the stall door. "Where is he?"

Ferox snorted and bobbed his head in the direction of the rear door. Commander Edouard wrapped his hand around the hilt of a short sword on his hip. "I will go see."

The commander marched to the rear entrance and stopped in front of the swinging doors. He drew out his sword and tipped the tip of one boot against the entrance. The door eased open and revealed a clearing with corrals on the left and a wall of bushes on the right with a gap in the hedges to allow access to the rear of the house. Nothing stirred save for the wisps of fog that crept out of the larger body and floated along the ground.

"I see nothing," Edouard called to us.

We moved forward and joined him at the doors, the other of which Ben swung open. Ben narrowed his eyes and I caught a glimpse of a faint glow of red in them. "I see a faint trail through the wet dirt that leads toward the cemetery."

My ears and pulse picked up at the mention of that word. "What cemetery?"

"The Rookwoods have their own cemetery on the grounds. Many generations are buried there, as are their servants," Ben explained.

I grabbed the front of his shirt and yanked him down so we were face to furious face. "You didn't tell me our little vacation getaway was beside a cemetery."

He gave me a sheepish grin. "Must have slipped my mind." His humor, however, slipped off his face when he whipped his head about back to the woods. "I heard something."

We all froze and strained our ears. A soft rustle came from somewhere in the bushes between the house and the stable yard. I released Ben and slipped up to his side as he crept forward with the other men. We inched over to the hedge and searched the area.

"There," Ben called as he darted forward and bent over the bushes.

We joined him just as he dragged the listless body of the driver from the brush. The man's face was hideously pale and a soft groan came from his parted lips. He was covered in dead leaves and dirt, and the rain had soaked him to the bone.

"An animal attack?" Edouard suggested.

Ben slipped up to one side of the driver and picked up an army. "We'll know better when he's inside. Help me carry him."