Page 19 of Frost Like Night
Jesse exhaled as the footsteps faded. “And Paislians—inrobes. Did the man have a dark complexion, darker than Yakimians?”
Mather nodded, then realized Jesse couldn’t see him. “Yes. He was Paislian?”
Jesse made a soft huff. “I have no idea why a Paislian would be in my palace, but it sounds as though one was.”
“Wow.” Phil whistled, soft and low. “Didn’t see that one coming.”
Neither had Mather. A Paislian had swept Meira away? Why?
“We can’t hide in here forever,” Mather said.
Jesse’s ear angled toward the door. “It’s clear. Follow me, but stay hidden—I think it best if Raelyn believes I’m alone. And . . . and try, as much as you can, to avoid Angra.”
Mather snorted. “I’d nearly forgotten him.”
“That’s what makes him effective,” Phil said. “He creates all these other threats, so many you forget to see the flower for all its bloody petals.”
It was all too true.
Jesse said nothing as he eased open the door. The hall lay empty for a brief moment, and Jesse darted to the right. Mather tucked his weapons under his shirt—a knife in addition to Cordell’s conduit, that horrifying reminder hooked in his belt—to make them inconspicuous. He and Phil swept after Jesse, shutting the door behind them and making sure to slip behind statues or other obstacles to be as unobtrusive as possible.
But Jesse went unnoticed. He had put his mask back on in the passage, and since no one expected their king to be anywhere but inside a prison cell, he was just another Ventrallan rushing down the halls.
They passed a number of rooms, many empty, others stuffed with royals. A quick sweep inside told Mather that, sure enough, they were all subdued, cowering in quiet groups as soldiers stood around them.
Had Angra done this to them somehow? Whatever the cause, it made creeping through the palace even easier, as there were few soldiers patrolling—no dissenters meant there was no need for a large guard.
Soon Jesse stopped before doors in an empty white hall lined with gilded mirrors. Mather tucked himself along the wall beside the doors, Phil at his side. Jesse met his eyes and gave a curt nod before he shoved the doors inward. To Mather’s confusion, he didn’t enter more than a few paces, and Mather peeked around the frame to survey the threat within.
At the end of the green and brown throne room stood a pair of mirrored chairs. One held Raelyn, lounging as she admired something in her hands.
Ventralli’s broken conduit, the silver crown.
Jesse froze. “Where is Ceridwen?”
His shout rebounded through the room. Mather winced, certain soldiers would come running. Raelyn no doubt had a contingent waiting close by. He cursed softly, already regretting this decision. They should havejust left, run free of this palace—
But if it had been Meira whom Raelyn had captured, Mather would be standing exactly where Jesse stood, however foolish, however reckless it might be.
Raelyn laughed. “Oh, dear husband—why would you think she’s still alive?”
“You wouldn’t have killed her so easily.”
Raelyn swung her legs around to sit upright. A smile crept across her face, slow and indulgent, like she meant to savor every lifted muscle. “You know me so well. Let’s play a game, then. What would I do if I seized a kingdom from my worthless husband only to have that worthless husband’smotherattempt to save him?”
Even before a door opened, Mather knew what was happening.
Raelyn’s soldiers had discovered that that their imprisoned king had been moved; they had found Brigitte in her empty chambers. And they had brought her here to be killed by Raelyn.
Mather swayed, knees all but giving way beneath him.
Jesse would watch his mother die. And there was no way to save her.
The weight of that pressed on the agony in Mather’s chest. He thought of Alysson, a bloody splotch staining her dress as she fell, limp and lifeless, into his arms.
Phil shot an arm across Mather’s chest. Mather looked at him, exhaling. Phil knew. He knew, and he stood there,his eyes pleading yet sad.
“Hold on,” Phil whispered.
