Page 38 of The Darkness Within Us

But today, I’m looking for a specific book.The Adventures of Voleta Mavros.

My fingers skim along the alphabetized shelves, looking for the author’s surname. When I find it, I pull the book free by the spine. It’s the same title I found in Eryx’s cedar chest, though this copy is new, likely not opened since purchased. I can’t be sure if I bought it or if it already existed in the late duke’s collection. No matter.

Since Eryx is a man of few belongings, this book clearly means a lot to him.

I take it and venture outside to find a spot to read, settling for the gazebo at the center of the unfinished hedge maze. At least this structure was finished before the planting came to a halt. The workers builtit first so they wouldn’t have to carry construction materials through a maze before reaching their destination.

A storage bench resides underneath the white-painted trim. I select a blanket from the compartment, shake it out, and make myself comfortable. Then I begin to read.

The story starts when Voleta is six. She’s a wild girl who doesn’t like to do as she’s told and gets into all kinds of mischief. She thinks to climb the tallest tree on her father’s grand estate, only to realize she has no idea how to get down. She sneaks into the kitchens at night, knocks over a container of flour, and manages to coat herself in the white powder, leaving a trail of child-size footprints back to her room. In the summer heat, she’s too impatient to put on swimming clothes before jumping into the river against her governess’s caution. The heavy skirts pull her down until she is saved by the supervising adult.

There are happy instances, too. She rescues an abandoned kitten in the busy streets. Plays dress-up with her younger brother. Rides on her father’s horse and pretends to take charge at the head of a cavalry. As Voleta grows older, she grows no less wild, though she does learn from her mistakes.

It’s not to my usual tastes, for there’s no romance nor high-stakes adventure, but it’s a cute story for a child.

The fact that Eryx owns it is puzzling. Perhaps his copy has sentimental value, like the dented canteen or that scarf. The canteen, I assume, is from his time in the army. And the scarf? Perhaps a token from a lover? Then, remembering this is Eryx, I amend myself. A female relative. He said he was an orphan, so perhaps it belonged to his mother.

I finish the book in a matter of hours, and my limbs are cramped from sitting in the same position. I stretch my arms over my head before ducking out of sight beneath the railing at the edges of the gazebo.

Eryx stomps across the grounds of the estate, going for one of his“walks.” Normally, Dyson and Argus will either accompany him, or they’ll stay at the manor while Eryx goes off on his own. But today, a carriage rolls up to the manor, and the two henchmen climb in, Dyson enthusiastically so.

It would seem he’s finally getting his free time in town.

This is my chance.

I wait until both parties are out of sight before sprinting back to the manor. I pass by only a handful of servants, who curtsy or bow, skirting the edges of the halls to allow me easier passage. When I reach the door to the study, I let myself in with my skeleton key.

I start at the desk, flipping through all the parchment scattered about there. I find the receipts to all my purchases in one pile, correspondences in another pile. Within the drawers are even more papers. Some are the beginnings of letters. Others are scraps with bits of mathematical formulas, which Eryx appears to have been using to handle the accounting. I’m pleased to find his numbers are correct when I compare them to the books.

It’s tedious work, sifting through all those words, most of them meaningless. However, I do find one interesting letter from the solicitor:

Your Grace,

I have made the changes we discussed. I think you will find that everything is in order upon your arrival.

There is yet one matter that I failed to bring to your attention because I thought it trifling. Your grandfather left a widow behind, but I think you will find the dowager duchess to be most amenable upon your arrival. She is a quiet little thing and, pardon my saying so, utterly simple in the head. You won’t even notice she’s around, so please do not find yourself unwilling to go through with this because of her existence.

Your faithful servant,

Simonides Vander

So he made plans with Eryxbeforetrying to steal money from me.

The letter doesn’t contain anything I didn’t already know, but hearing Vander’s description of me is irritating nonetheless.

There are allusions to things that might prove to be condemning.Unwilling to go through with this.Orchanges we discussed. It could refer to Vander changing the will. Their scheme could be what he fears Eryx being unwilling to go through with. But it is too vague to be evidence of anything. A chief inspector would laugh if I presented it before him. Eryx’s unwillingness to go through with taking up the title could have only to do with his humble background and lack of desire to become a duke. Thechangesreferenced could simply be some bit of money Eryx wanted moved around.

I open the drawers, sorting through even more letters, hoping to find something actually condemning within. It isn’t until I reach the very bottom of the last drawer that I find a slip of paper crumpled into a tight ball. The parchment is plain and bears no address or signature. After smoothing it out as best I can, I read,

I hear you’re calling yourself a duke now. I didn’t know a gutter rat could climb so high. That’s some real fancy caste system you’ve got over there in Naxos.

There’s a glob of something brown on the parchment, as though someone spit on it. I slide my fingers away before continuing to read on.

Sounds to me like you’ve got access to all kinds of money now. After what you did to me, I’m owed. I hear you have yet to be formally recognized as duke before the king. Sounds like your situation is awfully precarious. It would be a real shame if certain information were brought to light before your title was made official, or after, for that matter.

I want five hundred necos by the end of the month. I’ll write the address you can drop it off at down below. Nice doing business with you. I’ll be in touch again real soon, friend.

I read the letter twice, just to be sure I’ve remembered all the important bits.

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