Page 64 of Charmless
“Y-yes.”
“Good. Just tell me where and I will send Major Frackles to fetch it.”
“It would be quicker if you trusted me to go.”
Horatio leaned back against the desk and folded his arms. “I don’t think so, my dear. I don’t believe that orb is hidden at your house, any more than I believe you would have undertaken such a lawless scheme all on your own. Someone planned this theft very carefully and persuaded you to take part. I can think of only one conniving person who holds such influence over you.
“Hawkridge!” Horatio pronounced Mal’s name with loathing.
Although my heart missed a beat, I shook my head weakly.
“You already told me that you met him out in the forest after the ball. Was that so you could hand the orb over to him?”
I shook my head again, avoiding Horatio’s gaze. I have never been as good at obfuscating as Mal. I gripped my hands together and stared down at the floor, but Horatio cupped my chin, forcing me to look at him.
“Are you truly prepared to accept all the blame for this while Hawkridge slinks off into the shadows? The man is a contemptible coward.”
I shoved Horatio’s hand away and shot to my feet. “Mal is no coward! As soon as he learns of my arrest, he will come?—”
I broke off, realizing too late Horatio had deliberately goaded me.
“Hawkridge will do what, Ella? Come forward and confess?”
I bit my lip, wishing I had kept my mouth shut. Mal would never have been so easily tricked. I sank back down on the chair, regretting that I had not followed my impulse to tell Horatio about taking the orb before he had to discover it this way. I had plenty of opportunities. If I had confided the truth to him voluntarily, perhaps I could have made him understand. Now it was far too late, but I still had to try.
“The king is the one who is the real thief,” I said. “That orb does not belong to His Majesty. It was the rightful property of Hiram Hawkridge before King August confiscated it and locked it up in his treasure vault along with all the other objects he had snatched from his subjects. That orb means nothing to our greedy king, but it means the world to Mal, a cherished reminder of his late grandfather.”
Horatio gave a contemptuous snort. “That is how Hawkridge convinced you to steal the orb? With some sad sentimental tale about a family heirloom that had been taken from his grandfather. Your good friend lied to you, Ella.
“That orb never belonged to Hiram Hawkridge and it is far from being some harmless memento. It was fashioned by the fairies and possessed of some deep older magic. Even the king is unaware of the orb’s true power, but Greenleaf knows. He refused to tell me exactly what that orb does, but he insists that in the wrong hands, that orb could have the ability to rain destruction down upon this entire kingdom.”
I felt myself go pale. I would have refused to believe the king’s wizard except that the proof was tucked inside my bodice. That ancient parchment with its sketch of the orb and words written in the language of the fairies. There was also mydisturbing recollection of that mysterious meeting between my father and Hiram Hawkridge.
Could Mal possibly have known about all of this and lied? Mal, my lifelong friend, always able to make me smile when I wanted to sink with despair, always ready to offer me a shoulder to cry upon. He was the only person I had ever allowed to see the real Ella with all her flaws and weaknesses, knowing that no matter what I did, whatever mistake I made, Mal would forgive me. If I found out that Mal had deceived me— No! I refused to allow Horatio to shake my faith in my friend.
“If what Mercato says is true, Mal has no idea how dangerous the orb is,” I said.
Horatio’s brows arched with skepticism. “Are you so sure about that? Such a weapon would be quite useful to a man plotting a rebellion against the king.”
“I already told you. Mal is not the leader of the League of the Missing Prince or whatever the blasted thing is called. He told me so himself. He might have his faults, but he would never lie tome.Especially not about something this important. He truly believes that orb belonged to his grandfather and that it is the key to finding some fabulous lost treasure.”
“The man might well be nothing more than a greedy fool, but that doesn’t excuse his crime.”
“It may have escaped your notice, Commander,” I retorted. “But being poor is considered the worst crime in this kingdom nowadays.”
“I have noticed,” Horatio said. A deep weariness settled over his face. But his expression hardened again as he straightened, stepping away from the desk. “I don’t care what Hawkridge’s motives are. He should never have gotten you involved in this.”
He strode across the room to where his sword was sheathed in a belt hanging from the wall. I watched in alarm as he lifted it down from its wooden peg.
I rose from my chair and hurried toward him. “What are you going to do?”
Horatio didn’t answer me, his mouth compressed in a taut line. As he girded the belt around his waist, he said. “You are free to go. Under guard of course. Frackles will escort you home. I can’t have you running off to warn him.”
“Warn Mal? Of what? Horatio! What are you planning to do to him?”
“What I should have done a long time ago. Find Hawkridge even if I must kick in every door in Misty Bottoms. Arrest that miscreant and recover the orb.” Horatio angled a sidelong glance at me. “I suppose it is useless asking you to make this easier by telling me where Hawkridge is.”
“I don’t know.”
