Page 25 of Fortress of Ambrose
“There were bold claims at Quell’s Cotillion about the late Headmistress—that she had a tether on every graduate of the House. The truth has a way of coming to the light. When she died, the tether broke, flooding us with missing memories.” She cupped her mouth. “I never knew. Then the news of the Sphere breaking reached us. A few members tried to burn the house down while we were sleeping weeks ago, trying to steal artifacts, books, anything rich in ancient magic that could strengthen their hold on the magic we have left. A lot of the staff has fled. I and a dozen others are living barricaded in session rooms.” Her nostrils flared as her eyes brimmed with tears. “This great House has fallen.”
The sky had cleared when they passed through the gate, the dead gone. Nore exhaled sharply as they crossed the overgrown grounds. Once-sculpted plants had lost their form. A fountain was as dry as bones. But it was an unruly garden of black roses like the ones outside the estate that caught Nore’s eye. A thicket of thorns grew outside the fence, the thorny stems coiling and twisting over one another high in the air, forming a dome over the garden. On the gate, a metal chain with a gold lock dangled against the nest.
Nore had picked roses in there a Season ago. There was no lock. There was no wall of roses. Only neat rows of scentless blooms. Everything was overgrown, but the garden was incongruously so. Nore stopped.
“It transformed to that mess when she died,” Dexler said as they entered the house.
Inside the halls of Chateau Soleil, there wasn’t a sound.
Massive ornate hallways glittered with lights and scorched walls. Dexler strode with purpose, so fast Nore had to nearly run to keep up with her.
“How is your brother?” she asked. Yagrin’s jaw tightened at the question. An answer stuck in Nore’s throat. Her arm had stopped bleeding.Ellery was congenial, befriending everyone he met.Andhe was engaged to the social darling of their House—Elena Hargrove. There were few who would refuse his company. “He is doing okay, I hope,” she went on. “He was always such a nice boy. One hears things, you know?”
Nore let the unanswered question drown in the hurry of their footsteps. Dexler didn’t press, thankfully, showing them various areas of the house where the fires had gotten out of control. There were blackened, crumbling walls and soot all over the floors.
Yagrin strode along behind them, and each time she looked back he was being very careful where he put his steps, studying everything. “What have you been doing here all this time?”
“Surviving. The serving staff is mostly all here, but we’re trying to conserve what we have on hand. I was the only maezre who spoke up and stuck up for Quell. I insisted we wait. But I’m at a standstill without any express instructions,” Dexler went on. “Now that you’re here, maybe we could figure out what to do about keeping the House running. There are members with questions, some have written requesting to come here to seek safety. But we aren’t sure who has ill intentions. And Darragh’s protection magic on the outer gates doesn’t keep members of this House out.”
The lines of Yagrin’s face deepened.
“Magic is working inconsistently. We’ve managed to use some simple Shifting magic, when we can, to disguise where we’re hiding.” She approached a wall crumbled into rubble and smoothed her hand with the purple ring over the pile. Nothing happened.
“See what I mean?” She huffed. “We’ll try another way.”
Nore didn’t even have magic, and she knew thiswasn’t good.
Dexler led them through the grand halls and past grand ballroom doors that hung from their hinges. Above them chandeliers swayed lopsided from the grandiose gold ceiling. “There is so much history that must be protected.” She grabbed Nore’s wrist tightly. “Perhaps since you’re an envoy, you could help.”
Nore peeled herself away. “It’s terrible what’s happened here. I’m very sorry.”
“I don’t mean to pressure.” Dexler kept walking. “I’m just no Headmistress…”
Neither am I.Nore didn’t have magic—how could she possibly help? And every second they delayed or got off task, her brother could be getting closer to her. Quell was in a much better position to help. For now, Nore had to focus on saving her own life. Because no one else was.
Nore let Yagrin catch up to her and whispered, “We can’t get wrapped up in this. We need the Scroll piece and to get out of here.”
Yagrin smiled darkly. “I couldn’t agree more.”
“Tonight, when they’re asleep, we can look around.” Nore studied the slopes in his sharp cheeks. She couldn’t tell if he was amused or perplexed, but his gaze stayed on her as he considered her suggestion. It made her bones feel weak.
Finally he said, “It’s a plan.”
Nore exhaled. “We start with the late Headmistress’s private quarters.”
He nodded. “Maezre, we are tired from traveling,” he said. “Could we talk in the morning?”
Dexler’s shoulders sagged. “Of course.” She led them into a dim corridor to a pile of debris. This time the stone on her ring glowed as she moved her hands around the rocks in a massaging motion. They shifted aside. She stepped through the pile to the wall behind it, beckoning them to follow. As they navigated the bowels of the estate, Nore walked closer to Yagrin. Her stomach wriggled as she rehashed their plan. She wasn’t sure if it was being back in a House or their plotting, but she felt closer to him. Like old times, but better because she wasn’t in disguise.
“You know, you’re even more clever than I realized.”
She dipped her chin.
“And you wear whatever you’re feeling all over your face.”
“I do not.”
“Relax. I meant it as a compliment. Your candor is refreshing. When I pay close attention, you’renotas convincing at lying as I’d initially thought. I despise liars.”
