Page 116 of Ruthless Scoundrel
No one but Jasper and I see this happening, as if all the others are blinded by the glowing light ahead of them. We share a look that says, “No going back now,” and continue onward.
The heavy clomping of the golden knights behind us has no rattle of armor about it, but a ringing like a bell. The vibrations make the muscles in my jaw tense and the scar of the protection rune on the back of my hand itch. Thank the gods Jasper acted so quickly, or we might be just like these lambs walking into the slaughterhouse.
And I do believe our deaths wait in there. Or at least, our imprisonment. Why else would Vansen send the ship away for a single-night’s stay? It doesn’t make sense.
The archway looms high above us, and details within the hollow cliff become visible. Massive magus lights that radiate gold energy are suspended from the ceiling, and each one has a strand like a thread of spider’s silk leading down, down, down to…
The golden knights.
No, not knights, I realize with sickening horror.
They’re golems: twisted abominations of inanimate things bound with the souls of the dead. Alyse read me stories from history of such things being used in war, the fallen soldiers on the field “harvested” into mindless constructs that could follow orders perfectly and did not fear pain or death.
But that magic was outlawed in an accord between the four great nations centuries ago, and the knowledge on how to replicate it was destroyed. Or so the history books said. I could be wrong, but this looks like the dark magic of old.
I tighten my grip on Jasper’s arm as we get closer to the archway. We could still run if we wanted, dive into the sea and swim to safety—well, Jasper would swim and I could hold on. But we would be leaving his family behind and losing our one good chance to free them.
Jasper pats my hand and gives it a gentle squeeze. I take a deep breath and let it out slowly, commanding the muscles in my gut to release the death grip on my stomach. Everything will be all right. We’re strong together.
There are twelve more golems inside, moving about with the lords’ and ladies’ luggage. A slender woman in a gold slip with long, dark hair waits at the threshold to welcome us in.
“Your things will be brought to your room,” she says, reaching out for the luggage of the people ahead of us. The man and woman hand over their bags without even looking at her. They’re avidly discussing what kind of band might play tonight, and if there will be fruit in the spread.
Jasper and I step up to her next and she repeats the line in the same dull tone without meeting our eyes. Immediately, I realize we’re out of place.
“I just can’t wait to dance. It feels like it’s been so long,” I say to Jasper with an animated smile as I pass over my small handbag. There’s very little in it: a lip rouge, a few bobby pins, and our party invitation.
“Yes, we’ll have to remedy that with enough dancing to last a lifetime tonight,” he replies with a smile as he deposits the luggage into the woman’s care without looking at her.
She makes a snort in the back of her throat that might be a scoff, or a laugh, but I understand what Jasper is quietly saying. He knows this trap is forallof us, and we’re not intended to survive this evening.
The entrance hall is filled with luggage that’s been emptied. Clothes are being sorted by one golem as another goes through jewelry. The hall is wide and the stone below us is rough, unpolished, but the guests all act as if this is the nicest foyer they’ve ever seen as they ooh and aah at the hanging magus lights that power the golems.
Another woman with dark hair and a similar slender build waits at the next wide-open door. “Please present your weapons to the doorman to enter the party,” she repeats without breaks in-between.
Jasper shifts beside me and I glance from the corner of my eye to see him move his pistol from an interior pocket to his sleeve. His arm bulges and contorts, taking on the opal sheen of his octopus form for a brief second, and then the pistol is gone—but his forearm is massively bulky. It looks like a disfigurement, for goodness’ sake, but at least we’ll have something.
He releases my arm to grab the dagger from his other hip and presents it to the golem at the door as he asks, “Do you think we’ll have time to tour the magnificent palace before the eclipse?”
“I’m not sure, dear, but I hope so,” I say, throwing the brother-sister thing out the window. We were supposed to be siblings and Jasper was going to present me to the king for marriage since he was adamant that he wouldn’t present me as Reina Hilden. But no one is going to know what our previous coverwas—they didn’t even check our invitation—and I’d prefer not to have to maintain my distance from Jasper.
“I hope so, too,” he says as he takes my hand again and walks forward.
The next doorway deposits us into what I would call a proper antechamber. The floor is polished and clean but still the dark natural stone on which the palace was built. The walls are decorated with fine paintings interspersed between curtained alcoves where couches and chaises await travel-weary guests. But no one stops to rest, despite the journey being long and many people losing their breakfasts. All the guests march on, two-by-two, chittering avidly about nothing at all.
The magus crystals are smaller here, embedded in hanging chandeliers that blaze with warm fire. Every few alcoves, a golden golem stands sentry, sightlessly observing the procession of livestock. Gossamer strings of magic link the golems to the crystals at the heart of the chandeliers. It’s an incredibly intricate network. If I wasn’t so disgusted by Vansen, I would be impressed.
“There must be an absolutely wonderful balcony from where we’ll view the eclipse,” Jasper says, trying to keep up the appearance that we too are part of the unknowing flock.
A balcony would give us access to the outside, and if it’s surrounded by water, we might be able to slip away to other parts of the palace. How we would get over the balcony with so many people watching is beyond me. And if we’re watching the eclipse from it as he suggests, we might not be able to slip away without notice. Who knows how many more golems are up there?
“Perhaps we could go to our room first to freshen up,” I suggest. If we can discover more of the layout of the palace, we’d be in a much better position for a rescue attempt.
“Guests are to go directly to the entertainment hall,” a stern male voice calls from one of the golems as the crystal in the chandelier overhead glows brightly.
We’re being observed.
Wonderful.
