Page 11 of Stars May Fall

He blinked in surprise. He must have realized that I had never asked for his help before. “I would be happy to be of assistance, my dear.”

Father would deal with Lord Lyrason. He had to after this morning’s spectacle. The whole palace would be sure to know about the halfsouls by this evening, but others needed to be dealt with swiftly to keep the peace.

When Kasten had ridden off without explanation straight after his wife had been bitten, he had left Sophie with me and her personal guard, Meena, in his house in Highfair. I had helped settle her before going to warn Lord Lyrason. Meena explained what had happened to Sophie at the hands of her father, Sir Halfield. The thought that my own father asking Sir Halfield to spy on Kasten had led him to torture his own daughter for information, made me deeply uncomfortable. But I knew that wasn’t what my father had intended. Many in the court used their target’s family members to gain information from other households, though it sounded like my father had put unrealistic expectations on Sir Halfield to spy on Kasten, leading to his desperate, despicable act. Father had never liked Sir Halfield. It was clear he was a social climbing snake who was never content, and I wondered if Father had set him a deliberately difficult task with high stakes as an excuse to get rid of him if he didn’t prove useful.

Still, what had happened to Sophie should never have taken place, even before the halfsouls.

“Venerick, Lady Sophie Batton was kidnapped by her father yesterday and held in a cellar where he tortured her in attempts to get information from her and force her to betray her husband.”

My betrothed’s eyes widened. “Are you sure of this? Do you have proof?”

I shrugged weakly, knowing I would have to admit something I had preferred to keep hidden. “I was there, outside the building, when Kasten rescued her. Dame Meena, one of Sophie’s guards, was there too. And other soldiers, although they were killed by halfsouls. The kidnapping happened at Sir Halfield’s house where there are sure to be other witnesses who are possibly more neutral.”

He looked at me with that uncertain look I was becoming familiar with, but thankfully, asked no questions. “And what exactly would you like my help with?”

“I know you often work closely with the city guard. Could you get some men to retrieve Sir Halfield? I remember the location. Dame Meena said Kasten left him tied up there after rescuing Sophie from the cellar. Then I was wondering if you could bring him straight to the king and get him sentenced for his crimes as soon as possible. I know it will smooth matters over with General Kasten and his wife if Sir Halfield is out of the picture quickly. We can’t afford for the general to be provoked any further. Besides, Lady Sophie is going through enough already. It would be easier if her father met swift justice.”

Venerick’s eyes narrowed in thought, and I could see the plans forming rapidly behind them. “I will sort this out today. Can you write the address down, and I will speak to the guard. I will also question Sir Halfield’s household.”

I leaned back in the seat, some of the worry easing from my mind. Lord Venerick wasn’t the most articulate, but he was efficient and good at his job. “Thank you.”

He patted my knee. “Just rest now, Annabelle. It sounds like you’ve had quite the night.”

I forced a smile and ignored all the unanswered questions in his eyes. I could tell he was intrigued, which made me nervous.

My hand strayed into my satchel and found the small velvet pouch that Callum Tavolyn had passed to me. I could feel a round solid weight inside, about the size of a marble, and something that crinkled like paper. A note. Despite myself, I burned with curiosity. What could Kasten want to give me? I doubted it would be a thank you. Knowing him, it was probably something he wanted from me. But with Venerick in the carriage, it would have to wait until I was alone.

I rested my head against the wooden side and closed my eyes.

Venerick escortedme to my rooms and bowed before leaving, ever polite. I entered to find my personal maid, Hetty, flustered and my lunch long cold on the fireside table. How was it the afternoon already? Then again, it felt like days since yesterday evening when Kasten’s soldier had asked me to sneak out with Lord Lyrason’s tracking device.

I ignored Hetty’s barrage of questions as she drew me a bath, washed a surprising amount of filth from my skin and hair, and retired to bed. Only when she was gone and my rooms were silent did I finally retrieve the velvet pouch that Kasten had sent me.

A silvery metal ball rolled out onto my palm, slightly asymmetrical in shape. It was unmarked but almost certainlykryalcomy. Following it was a flat disk, similar in size and shape to a small coin, with a clip on one side so you could attach it to another object.

I set them carefully on the bedside table and freed the note from the pouch. The writing appeared to have been done in haste, the ink smudged, and the paper was crinkled.

‘Annabelle,

I know I asked to borrow Lord Lyrason’s tracking device from you. It helped me find Sophie, and for that I thank you. However, I find myself not wanting to return it. In exchange, I offer you another of Lord Lyrason’s illegal devices, and one I hope you will find more useful than tracking me. It was stolen from Lord Lyrason by the Red Men, and I in turn confiscated it from them.

It is a listening device. Attach one pole to the place you want to eavesdrop and place the ball in your ear. I regret that it only works at short range. According to our experiments, it fails after ten or so paces. However, the kryalcomy works through walls and significant obstacles.

I trust you will find it useful.

Kasten’

I reread the note before collapsing back on the pillows. It annoyed me that he wouldn’t return the tracking device since it had been an honest gift from Lyrason, but I understood. I had been using it to track Kasten without his permission, after all, and I could grudgingly admit he had a right to be annoyed. In compensation he had given me the listening device.

I was no fool. He had made it seem like a simple peacekeeping gift. A simple trade. But it was clear what he was really after: he wanted me to be his spy.

I’d helped Kasten because I wanted to stop the halfsouls murdering people. I hadn’t intended for this to go further. And worse, I knew who he wanted me to spy on: my father. Kastenwas wrong if he thought our brief interaction made me more loyal to him than my family and the crown. Father was a good man.

I could deal with all of this on my own, without the influence of anyone else’s goals.

Still, I placed the two ends back into their velvet pouch and let ideas of how useful it could be niggle away at me as I fell asleep.

SOPHIE

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