THE TRIALS LASTED another five hours, with the final matches scheduled for the following day. It was perfect timing, really. A sudden storm blew off the western mountains and sent all the nobles scurrying back to their homes.
After changing into a suit that wasn’t soaked with rain and sweat, I headed to the private dining room in the Dragon Wing. The thrum of rain on walls and windows filled the palace. Lightning flared white across the sky, silhouetting trees and mountains for a blinding second.
My parents were already at the table, with Aunt Kathleen and James, the three Corcorans, and Gerald and Georgiana Hensley.
I hesitated only a moment before taking my seat between James and Lord Hensley. “Good evening.” I kept my voice light, even as I cursed Father for the seating arrangement. He hadn’t forgiven me for last week, so he was forcing me to sit next to the man I’d insulted. Maybe he hoped I’d apologize.
Unlikely.
Lord Hensley bowed his head. “Your Highness.”
As Father gave the blessing, I glanced at all the bent faces around the table. Did Aunt Kathleen know that she was dining with Lord Roth’s murderer? Probable murderer? And how did James feel, with just me between him and the man who killed his beloved stepfather?
Father and Mother didn’t know, or if they did they weren’t doing anything about it, and I couldn’t believe that. Father despised magic as much as anyone, and if he’d known, Lord Hensley would be in prison now.
As for Lord and Lady Corcoran, I doubted they had any knowledge of Hensley’s nefarious nature. They, along with Lady Meredith, arrived in Skyvale just recently, though I remembered them all from a visit years ago. Lady Meredith had scolded me for announcing my intent to forego clothing for the rest of my life, unless my opinions on style counted for something the next time I went to the tailor. Lady Meredith had been disgusted with me, but I’d finally gotten clothing I liked.
I couldn’t tell whether she remembered that.
Anyway, the real question was whether Lady Hensley knew that her husband was a flasher. And if so, did that make her an accomplice? Or another victim?
As the prayer ended and everyone lifted their eyes, I stuffed down the seething hatred. How could anyone use magic when the wraith was slowly destroying the entire world?
“I was quite impressed with your performance this afternoon, Cadet Rayner.” Meredith smiled sweetly as the first course was served. Crab puffs and cheeses graced the dainty glass plates.
“Thank you.” James stabbed a puff and ate it whole; I understood the impulse. After exercising all day, these tiny portions were teases. “My opponents were all more than worthy. It’s an honor to ascend to the next bracket.”
Lord Hensley leaned so he could look around me and smile at James, but the expression came off more predatory than anything. “Indeed, there were many fine swordsmen, but you were the clear best, Cadet. I was impressed by your skill.”
“We’re all very proud.” Father took a sip of wine and exchanged a quick, guarded look with Mother.
Aunt Kathleen, if she noticed all the praise for her son, didn’t look up from her untouched plate. James cast her a quick frown, but didn’t say anything; he’d stopped expecting anything from her two weeks ago.
Thunder rolled outside, causing the windows to tremble in their frames. Wind sang around the palace as the conversation turned toward speculation.
“It seems the storms are getting worse, doesn’t it?” Lord Corcoran glanced toward the window, where rain lashed against the glass.
“I think so.” Lady Meredith rested her hands in her lap, and a servant whisked away her half-empty plate. “I don’t recall the storms being quite this severe last time we visited, and Chey Chuter says that her friend in the west reported the most powerful storms she’d ever heard of when they last wrote. I’m certain the wraith is affecting us too, even from this distance.”
I risked a glance at Hensley, but if he felt guilty for his use of magic, he didn’t show it. He just accepted the next course—soup thick with vegetables and spices—with a slight nod at the servant and began eating.
James lifted an eyebrow. “Unfortunately it seems to me there’s not much we can do to halt the wraith’s approach, but there’s plenty we can do to mitigate it. Firmer laws on magic, perhaps.”
“The laws are already quite firm.” Mother stirred her soup. “And the punishment even more so.”
“What is the punishment?” I kept my eyes on her, not looking at Hensley or James.
“It’s nothing for you to worry about right now. And certainly not a topic appropriate for dinner.” She smiled and turned to Lady Corcoran. “What did you think of the crab puffs? I asked the chef . . .”
I glanced at Lord Hensley. “Did I see you with Professor Knight during the trials?” I asked.
“You did.” Hensley’s eyebrows rose. “I was so pleased to find him moving about after his mishap last week.”
His mishap. As if he’d tripped and bumped his head. “Indeed. I’m looking forward to discussing it during my lessons tomorrow. I feel partly responsible since I’m the one who found him.”
And left him, said Father’s sharp look.
“I truly hope the police apprehend his attacker.”
“As do I. To think, attacked in Rayner Manor, of all places.” Hensley shook his head. “I suppose even our own homes aren’t as safe as we hope; isn’t that right, Cadet?”
James’s face darkened, but if Aunt Kathleen noticed the remark, she didn’t react. “My thought,” said James evenly, “is that the perpetrator was already at the party. Which is embarrassing to admit, since I wrote the guest list, but there were a lot of people invited due to rank or connection. As awful as I feel for Professor Knight, however, I’m just grateful no harm befell my cousin.”
“Indeed.” Hensley’s tone turned grave. “I suppose that would have put a stop to your designs of becoming Prince Tobiah’s bodyguard. What a shame that would have been.”
Was there a threat in there? Maybe I heard things because I didn’t trust him, but maybe . . .
James heard it too.
His eyes were hard and his voice deeper than usual. “I assure you that even without the formal title, I put the prince’s life above my own every time we’re together. There is no one I would not kill if it meant keeping him safe.”
Mother and Lady Corcoran paused their conversation. “James.” Mother’s tone was sharp.
James didn’t look away from Lord Hensley.
Lady Meredith held her spoon halfway to her mouth, then lowered it. “Your devotion to your cousin is admirable, if perhaps frighteningly stated.”
After a heartbeat of realization, James sucked in a breath and smiled. “My apologies for alarming anyone.” He bobbed his head toward Lady Meredith.
Mother glanced at Father, her eyes narrowed with . . . what? Anger?
Rain pattered on outside as more courses were served, and talk turned to lighter subjects. Renovations of Hawksbill houses, Aunt Kathleen’s upcoming return to Hawes—a conversation in which she did not participate—and even Lord Chuter’s affinity for his dogs and the hope that they might be trained to sniff out shine in the city.
“What a clever idea.” Lady Hensley leaned back as a plate of sugar-covered pastries was placed in front of her. “And these dogs—could they be used for finding the people who use shine, as well?”
“Presumably,” I said, “though I imagine a man who used shine in the last several days smells quite different than his stash. So the police might need different dogs for the various tasks. I’m not sure. I’m hardly an expert on the subject.”
Father sat back in his chair, not even looking at his dessert. “I’ll be sure to speak to Lord Chuter about it. Of course I’m interested in anything that will help put a stop to the plague of shine. And that new variation.”
“Firefly, I believe.” Lord Hensley released a long sigh. “Such a shame, what people are willing to put into themselves. It’s such a waste of life.”
Finally, the meal came to a close and James and I excused ourselves, stopping by my rooms to grab our training gear. We had to go over every one of today’s bouts in detail, and work out how he might have disarmed his opponent more quickly or blocked a particularly tricky attack.
By the time we started down the grand stairs in front of the palace, the storm had faded and the sun dipped toward the horizon, its honeyed light shining beneath the line of black clouds. The sky turned molten gold and every mirror in Hawksbill illuminated with reflected glow.
The heat had broken, leaving the evening cool and damp. Rain-glazed paving stones gleamed.
The training building loomed ahead, a big block of a structure. It wasn’t quite disguised into beauty with carved designs representing the four houses and stylized knots that had been all the fashion two hundred years ago. My guards entered first, checking for danger, as always. The room was safe, of course, but even practice needed to be supervised by the best men in the Indigo Order.
Gaslights hissed overhead as we stomped the water from our boots and tossed our bags by the wall. On the far end with mirrors, our reflections moved with us, reminding me of the night I’d spotted Hensley by noticing him in the mirror.
Maybe I could learn to use that to my advantage—if I could learn to keep out of the mirrors myself.
I snorted a laugh as I stretched my arms across my chest.
“What?” James frowned, echoing my movements.
“Nothing.” I glanced at the guards. “Why don’t you wait outside? Get some fresh air.”
“We’re not supposed to let you out of our sight.” Stewart didn’t move. None of them did.
“There’s only one door, and you’ve already cleared the room. Anyone who wants to come in and kill me will have to go through you.” I frowned. “Anyway, it’s not fair for you to watch James practice before tomorrow’s matches. You might be his opponents.”
“We’ve been watching you and Rayner practice for years. Nothing you do tonight will change anything tomorrow.” Thomas crossed his arms and smirked. He was definitely fighting James tomorrow.
“Fine.” I moved deeper into the room, away from the guards. James followed, and we drew our practice swords. “The mirrors made me think of last week, and trying to stay out of view.”
James pulled his sword, too. “Do you think that’s a skill you’ll need to pick up?”
“Need or no, it’d be a handy skill to have.” I raised my voice to a normal volume and held my sword at guard. “Ready?”
James mirrored my movements. “Born that way. Let’s start with the match against Cadet Harvey. You be him. I’ll be me. I want to figure out how he almost disarmed me.”
“All right, then I attack first.”
We practiced that way for two hours, until both of us were satisfied James was prepared for tomorrow morning’s bouts.
Exhausted, but pleased with the day’s progress, we returned to my apartments in the Dragon Wing. But just as we stepped into the parlor, the thud of footfalls in the hall made me look back.
Thomas scowled into the hall. “What is it?”
“I’d like to speak with Prince Tobiah.” Professor Knight had never come to see me in my quarters, but I’d know his voice anywhere. I signaled James to wait and sheathed my sword.
“Send him in,” I called.
I was ready for answers.