Page 21 of Stars May Burn

I stopped walking and straightened my back. “I wish to go to the third floor, please. Isn’t that where his office is?”

The maids glanced at each other, uncertain, and Meena glared at them, folding her arms.

Lucy gave me a nervous, placating smile. “There’s nothing to show you there, my lady. We wanted to give you a tour of the parts of the castle you will be using.”

Beatrice stepped closer. “There’re actually quite a few rooms which are closed off and not in use. We don’t get many guests. Whole corridors are locked away. Perhaps…”

I held up my hand. “The third floor, please. This is my home now and the location of my husband’s office is most certainly my business.”

Lucy looked pale, but she plastered a smile onto her face. “Of course!” She forced the words out a little too brightly.

A trickle of unease wormed through my insides. They were scared of the general. I wondered if that was because of his general disposition, or something more serious. He certainly had a brutal reputation on the battlefield. Was he violent at home as well?

The maids took me to a curving pink marble staircase that had a banister engraved with tigers. This place was so beautiful, it was a shame it rarely had guests to enjoy it. I felt a peace about here that was hard to describe.

I paused at the top of the third floor corridor to straighten my skirts and smooth my hair. Just in case. The lighting was dimmer here, and the floor eerily quiet.

I had barely taken two steps when a man rushed from around the corner with his head down, clutching a leather satchel to his chest. I almost walked straight into him and swerved just in time, Meena’s hand steadying my shoulder. My presence caught him by surprise, his bag slipped forward, and a strange metal object tipped out. The clonk as it hit the carpet made us all take a step back.

I hurried to apologize and, as the man lifted his face, I recognized him. He was the man who had hidden in our carriage. The one on the run. Only now he was clean, shaved and dressed in well-made clothes. He seemed alarmed to see me and froze in place.

I bent down and picked up the metal object to hand it back to him. It was an intricate pyramid made of joining engraved plates of metal and had a soft violet glow from the center. I’d never seen anything like it. I noticed a tiny hare engraved on one side like an emblem. As I held it out to the man, it made a strange whizzing noise and started to move. The man’s gaze dropped down to it, and his eyes widened further before returning to stare at me.

“I’m sorry,” I repeated.

When the man took the device, the noise stopped and the light faded. He put it back in his satchel and looked back over his shoulder toward the end of the corridor.

Heavy footsteps echoed.

“What is going on here?” My husband’s voice. My heartbeat picked up.

I stepped away from the strange man and saw General Kasten’s large form striding toward us. His coat was neat, but the top of his shirt ties were undone, and his black hair was tousled instead of neatly oiled. The less formal look made my heart stutter, and I wasn’t sure whether it was from nerves or unfamiliarity. Again, I was struck by the harsh set of his eyes and the sharp lines of his face that made him seem untouchable.

The man dressed as a servant hunched slightly and licked his lips but didn’t get a chance to reply.

“I told you to stay away from her, Jacob! Go now and tell your people my answer is and always will be ‘no’!”

The man bowed and scurried off down the stairs. What had that been about? And what had that device been? I’d never seen anything like it. It had to be kryalcomy. Nothing else was remotely like it. But the colors, the shape…it was so foreign. Was it something that was banned? Something dangerous? And was that why the general was angry?

I straightened and attempted a smile, relieved and terrified to finally have my husband standing before me. He didn’t return my smile, and when he didn’t greet me, I fought for something to say.

I gave him a small nod. “Good morning, my lord.”

His posture was rigid again, as if he were on parade. “Good morning.” His displeasure continued to radiate from beneath his neutral expression. I hoped it was at the man and not at me.

We stood in awkward silence until he shifted. “How are you…eh…finding the castle?” His words sounded forced. Falsely calm.

I smiled to hide my nerves. “It’s very beautiful. And thank you for the flowers, the jewelry, and the dresses. They were all very considerate of you.”

He grunted.

I licked my lips, feeling my way blindly across unfamiliar territory. If I didn’t ask him now, I wasn’t sure when I would next manage to see him. “May I make a request?”

“Of course.”

My chest tightened, hoping I wasn’t asking for this too soon. “I was wondering if I could have a small section of the garden to cultivate as I wished? Maybe a section that hasn’t seen much use?”

His face remained expressionless. His shadowed eyes were guarded, and I struggled with my inability to read him. Frederick’s thoughts had always been plainly written on his face, and he had been just as quick to voice them.

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