He squeezed Anne’s wrist with his long, shapely fingers. His obsidian-black eyes stared directly into hers. Everything about him was so beautiful and lovely, she could hardly stand it. He was so kind.
That was what made things so hard to understand.
“Challe, you’re so kind… But I can’t tell what you’re thinking. I said you and Mithril Lid Pod were like family to me, then you rejected me by saying you couldn’t understand what that meant. You also seem irritated with me because I can’t reciprocate Keith’s feelings, but then why do you say such nice things, like that you’re going to protect me? I don’t get it.”
When she said that, Challe’s gaze wavered. He looked bewildered.
“I swore to protect you. So I want you to choose a path that will make you truly happy. That’s all. You’re going to Northern Blow, even if I tell you not to. You’ll be miserable if you don’t, so you will, and I understand that. If that is one of the paths you believe will lead you toward happiness, then I will go with you.”
As Challe spoke, he grabbed Anne’s left wrist as well. Now both of her hands were restrained, as if she were in chains.
“I won’t let you go alone.”
His voice was a detached whisper, as though he was suppressing all his feelings. But for some reason, his sighs seemed sweet.
That was when it happened.
From the direction of the garden, they heard the disorderly pounding of several sets of hooves and the high-pitched neighing of horses.
“Who the hell are you people?!” shouted the old doctor, who had been feeding chickens in the garden.
A man’s voice replied, “Is Reginald Stowe here?!”
Anne and Challe both gasped.
Did they find us already?!
The two of them rushed out of the barn. Anne gasped at the scene in the garden, and a chill shock of fear ran through her whole body.
Six riders on horseback had come galloping into the garden, kicking up a cloud of dust. Following them, more and more waves of horses came surging through the gate.
“Challe! If we don’t get Mr. Stowe out of here—!”
Challe scowled. “Impossible. They’ve gone around behind the building, too.”
The Earl of Downing must have sent for more troops.
Some of the soldiers on horseback had the earl’s crest sewn onto their shoulders, but there were other soldiers mixed in who had the provincial flag of Gillum sewn onto theirs. The Earl of Downing must have sought support from the Earl of Tasso and dispatched their combined troops in all directions. Anne figured someone had told them about her party arriving at Balkram.
As the horses came thundering into the sunny garden, the chickens scattered in a panic of fluttering wings.
Anne grabbed the doctor by the hand. He was completely taken aback. She pulled him out of the chaos and into a safe spot under the eaves of the house.
“I’m so sorry! They followed us here!”
“But you—”
“We’ll do our best not to cause you any trouble,” she promised, and then she pushed him into the house.
Following the horses, two carriages were brought up alongside the gate. One of them was painted with the Earl of Downing’s crest, and the other carriage was Hugh’s—the one Anne and the others had ridden to Northern Blow.
Hugh?
The Earl of Downing alighted from his carriage, his black cloak fluttering. Anne glanced at the other vehicle. The carriage door opened.
“Hugh!”
Reflexively, Anne clapped both hands over her mouth.
Hugh got down out of the carriage, supported by Salim. He wasn’t wearing a jacket, and the collar of his shirt was open. From his cheeks, down his neck, and onto his chest, she could see a lattice of welts crisscrossed with rivulets of fresh blood. His expression was composed, but his leg must have been injured, because he didn’t seem able to walk without leaning on Salim’s shoulder.
Kat followed Hugh out of the carriage. He looked angry.
Keith isn’t here.
Anne noticed his absence, but she didn’t have time to wonder where he had gone.
The Earl of Downing walked between the mounted soldiers, straight toward the house.
Anne put herself on guard, and Challe stood behind her.
“Anne Halford. Is Reginald Stowe here?”
She could hear the pounding of hooves from all directions. Now that they were surrounded, it seemed impossible to get Reginald out. There was nowhere to run.
We must stop the Earl of Downing right here.
Her whole body was frozen from fear and nerves, while her chest alone began to burn with strong emotion. There would be no more escape. And yet they couldn’t withdraw a single step. The only choice was a showdown.
“Yes. He is. He’s here.” She nodded, full of determination.
“Stowe demanded that we buy the fugitive fairy,” said Downing. “We took time to consider his conditions for negotiation. In the interim, Stowe promised he would not move from the church. However, he did in fact travel, without permission. We are forced to regard this as an abandonment of negotiations on the part of the fairy dealers. If the fairy dealers have no intention of negotiating, then we are left with no choice. We cannot leave the dangerous fairy as it is. For the safety of the people, we will use all necessary force to take the fairy. This is nonnegotiable. Without accepting any blame, we take this unavoidable measure for the sake of the people’s safety.”
Challe scoffed. “Is that the story you’ve decided to tell?”
Unable to restrain herself, Anne raised her voice. “Mr. Stowe ran away because he was attacked by your troops!”
“Can you prove that?” the earl said flatly. “Moreover, Halford, you conspired with the Silver Sugar Viscount to obstruct negotiations between the royal family and the fairy dealers, did you not? What were you hoping to accomplish by getting Stowe worked up and inciting him to abandon the negotiations? What you did was treason against the royal family.”
Treason. What a dreadful crime he was trying to pin on her.
The Earl of Downing had concocted an excuse to forcefully seize Lafalle’s coffin from Reginald, and he was trying to pin the whole thing on the Silver Sugar Viscount.
The way things were going, Reginald would probably be executed right after he handed over Lafalle’s coffin. It would be inconvenient for the Earl of Downing if he lived.
Reginald would be dead, and Anne and Hugh would be imprisoned or executed. Then the earl would muddy the waters and hide the truth by telling the Fairy Merchants Guild that Reginald had died as part of the Silver Sugar Viscount’s scheme.
“After putting an end to the fairy, I will report to His Majesty the King. I will get His Majesty to officially strip the Viscount of his rank and mete out punishment. I’ll arrest you, too, Halford.”
“Halford was only following my orders.”
Hugh pushed Salim’s hands away and stepped forward, dragging one leg. He stood in between Anne and the earl.