Page 9 of Stars May Burn

At this rate, my attempts at being married were going to amuse the whole house in Highfair and the whole castle in Kasomere.

Callum was waiting for me outside the house doors. He never attended weddings, though he looked more anxious than I was expecting. His face was tight, and he kept scratching his left cheek, an action he only did when unsettled. I jumped from the carriage before it had stopped and walked up to him.

He grinned, but it didn’t hide his anxiety. “Did you manage to go through with it?”

I nodded. “I did. She’s in the carriage. So is a Red Man. He was on the run.”

Callum paled. “You left him in there with Sophie Halfield? Unaccompanied?”

I scowled. “Sophie Batton. He’s hidden under the seat and wouldn’t dare come out. And just in case, I flicked the catch to lock it. Now I need to get a maid. My wife’s dress is broken so she can’t step out of the carriage.”

Callum’s eyebrows rose. “Now this is a story I wish to hear.”

I sighed and grimaced. “Of course you do.” I turned toward the door. “Beatrice! Lucy!” I hollered.

Two maids in pale blue dresses hurried from the house with their heads bowed. “Both of you are needed to assist my wife in the carriage. Her dress is broken…and her chest compressor thing. Can you bring a suitable dress and help her change in there? One that doesn’t suffocate her? Quickly.”

I said the last word a little too forcefully, causing the two maids to jump and scuttle back inside.

Callum gave me a dry look. “Chest compressor thing?”

I sharply waved his words from the air. “You looked stressed when I approached. What is it?”

His expression grew serious. “There was an assassination attempt on Lord Lyrason. The guards are out in full.”

My heart rose. “Successful?” I pictured the ever-polite grey-haired lord pushing his glasses up his nose.

Callum shook his head, and I didn’t bother to hide my disappointment. It would be nice if life gave me some luck for once. It was generally frowned upon to wish your own father dead, so I reserved the sentiment for Lord Lyrason. The man was the worst sort of murderer yet held high favor in the court. It was disgusting.

“Do we know who was behind it?”

He rubbed his chin. “We know as much as anyone, although I suspect the delightful person you left with your wife in the carriage could offer some insight on the matter.” He nodded toward it and smirked, then his lightheartedness fell. “But a few people were killed, and the body count is still rising. We need to get back to Kasomere urgently before there’s retribution.”

I frowned and stepped closer to him, tilting my head and lowering my voice. “Retribution for what exactly?”

Callum licked his lips. “Lord Lyrason’s men hung the would-be-assassin from the window and let him bleed out slowly from a chest wound. The city guard are tracking down his entire family, and the rumor is that they’ll kill them too as a deterrent to others. Lord Lyrason is already executing any of his guards that were on duty when the assassin entered his house. The mood is volatile here and back home. If we’re not careful, we’ll have a lot of martyrs on our hands. Many of our people already harbor a great deal of anger toward that man. It won’t take much more to tip them over the edge in revenge.”

I gritted my teeth. “And he would simply kill them all.”

My eyes drifted back to the carriage and the man who hid there. Beatrice and Lucy were climbing inside with pale bundles of who-knew-what. Callum was right; many people in Kasomere had family in Adenburg, and more than a few had links to the secretive and often violent group known as the Red Men. Their anger was not far below the surface, which meant this could escalate quickly.

I gave a firm nod. “We should go home at once. Nobody is to try anything. My wife can rest here tonight and join us tomorrow. If we ride on horseback, we could be home by midnight.”

Callum nodded. “I’ll tell Sir Tristan to organize a guard for your wife. The Red Man can ride inside the luggage cart tomorrow—Sir Cley can watch him. I’ll see to it that we can leave within the hour.”

I nodded with a resigned scowl, my stomach rumbling. Somehow my whole life seemed to be either initiating or preventing blood baths.

SOPHIE

Iwas surprised, but secretly relieved to hear the general was riding on from Adenburg without me. It gave me some time to collect myself and prepare for my new way of life—not to mention that I was exhausted. The last few days had stolen much of my energy.

The two maids, Beatrice and Lucy, ushered me to a room that was grand for a townhouse. It was richly furnished with impersonal touches, and an oil painting of roses took up much of one wall. All the lights were pale blue kryalcomy with not an oil lamp in sight.

“Here’s your room, my lady,” Lucy said with a friendly smile. I was warming to her instantly. She had pale blonde hair in a tight bun and even paler skin with golden freckles across her nose. “General Batton said you can change anything you wish as this will be your private room whenever you stay in the city.”

“We guessed you wouldn’t yet have your things, so we prepared a few dresses and a nightgown in the wardrobe to tide you over,” Beatrice added. She had deep brown skin and hair as dark as midnight held back by a band of pale blue fabric.

I brushed down my new blush-pink chiffon skirts. “If they are anything like this dress, then I’m very grateful. It’s so light and comfortable, but also elegant.”

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