Chapter 18:
Hounds on the Hunt
CELEDIA PARTED WITH SABLE UPON ARRIVING at the Leginbarth estate and retired to her room. Her lady-in-waiting remained with her until Celedia breathed slow and deep.
Her chest rose. Her chest fell. It rose and it fell for a long while as the night deepened. At its darkest, her chest rose, and it did not fall.
Celedia rose and swung her feet to the floor. Her nightgown brushed her ankles as she sat on the edge of the bed. Once she was sure she was alone, she stood up and threw aside the curtains. A deluge of moonlight drowned the room save for one shadowy corner. She approached that corner and kept approaching, even as she neared the wall. She stood a hair’s breadth from the wall itself and still did not stop.
And then she vanished, like smoke into shade.
The ball stretched well into the night. The adults could while away several more hours, but the younger lords and ladies began seeing themselves out.
“See you next semester, Luciana,” Beatrice said.
“See you!”
“Cecilia, I’m so sad I won’t get to see you again,” Milliaria said.
“Thank you, madam. I’m flattered you feel that way.”
“I expect a certain someone will cook up another excuse to invite her again when the time comes,” said Luna. “I wouldn’t say goodbye just yet.”
Melody giggled. “Oh, you and your jokes.”
“Um, is she always like this, Luciana?”
“Always,” Luciana said. “It makes my job a breeze.”
“I’m beginning to feel a little sorry for a certain someone.”
Beatrice, Milliaria, and Luna departed in the same carriage soon after. Their partners—Beatrice’s brother, Milliaria’s cousin, and Luna’s father—made a brief appearance, but exchanged little but polite greetings. Doubtless they each anticipated scoldings in the very near future.
“Luciana,” someone called out. “Cecilia.”
“Ah! Lady Anna-Marie,” Luciana said.
Anna-Marie caught them after seeing Beatrice and the others off.
“You’re alone?” Luciana asked.
Christopher and Ciestine were noticeably absent when Anna-Marie approached.
“His and Her Highnesses are caught up in a conversation, but I managed to slip away. We won’t be leaving for some time, so I wanted to say goodbye while I could. It seems I’ve missed a few of you.”
“You’re too kind, my lady,” Melody said.
Anna-Marie eyed her. “Do be careful on your way home, Cecilia. Will you promise me?”
“Y-yes? I promise?”
“Sir Lectias, watch her closely. Vigilance, understand?”
“I… Yes, my lady,” the knight said.
Lect and Melody wondered what had come over her. A laugh broke the contemplative silence.
“Ever the worrier, Lady Anna-Marie,” Maxwell chided.
“Yes, Lord Maxwell. Yes, I am,” Anna-Marie said. “How readily you forget the incident at the Spring Ball. I’ve been beside myself all night, praying we don’t have a repeat.”
“I understand now. Thank you for your concern, my lady,” Melody said.
“No need for thanks. The gray hairs to come are entirely self-inflicted. Thankfully, I’ve received word that Celedia arrived home safely.”
“Good news,” said Maxwell. “I’m very glad to hear that.”
“As was I.”
“I’m told she was feeling unwell,” Melody said. “It’s certainly a relief that her health held.”
Melody breathed a sigh, too relieved to note the tension in their words.
“The same goes for you, Lord Maxwell,” Anna-Marie said. “Lady Luciana’s safety is in your hands.”
“I’m aware. Keenly so.”
Shortly after, their carriage was ready, and Luciana’s group put the palace behind them.
It was a quiet ride home. Lect was already a man of few words, and Maxwell kept a dutiful silence.
Melody spoke up. “It’s a good thing Lady Celedia made it home safe.”
“I suppose it is,” Luciana replied, and not at all enthusiastically.
“That’s a very curt way to put it,” Maxwell said.
“I’m sorry,” Luciana sighed. “I just don’t think I like her very much.”
“Oh? But why?”
“Because. She didn’t apologize to M—Cecilia.” Confused glances. “When we were introducing ourselves to Princess Ciestine, she interrupted her. In all honesty, I nearly lost my temper, but I couldn’t in front of the princess. Thank goodness for Lady Olivia.”
“I do recall that,” Maxwell said. “Lady Celedia didn’t apologize?”
“She dithered an awful lot, but no, actually, I don’t remember her apologizing,” Lect said.
“You were awfully quick to do so, though,” teased Melody.
“Because, well, you deserved it, and I, er, was genuinely sorry.”
Their short skit lightened the mood, if only slightly.
“Anyway!” Luciana blurted. “All I wanted to point out is that everyone said they were sorry, even Princess Ciestine—even her partner, Sir Sable—but Lady Celedia never did. That doesn’t sit right with me, so I don’t like her.”
“She simply missed her chance, I’m sure,” Melody said.
“Maybe. I hope so.”
Ciestine had asked Melody to dance almost immediately following the incident, and Celedia had gone home before they returned. Melody was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. The timing had been awkward.
“It was her very first ball,” Melody said. “I’m sure she was a mess of nerves. You’ll be in the same class at the academy, so maybe you’ll come to like her once you get to know her better.”
“Maybe.” Luciana crossed her arms and grumbled.
Just then, a far-off howl cut through the night.
“Was that a wolf?” Melody asked.
“There are no wolves in the capital,” Luciana replied. “It was probably a dog.”
“It wasn’t close at least, whatever it was,” Lect said.
“I could have sworn it came from in front of us.” Melody opened the window and peered down the road before them. “Nothing, as far as I can see. Huh?”
Glancing behind them, just for the sake of caution, she noticed a shift in the inky darkness.
“Cecilia?” Luciana said.
“Apologies. I thought I saw something.”
“What?” Maxwell threw open the door and peered behind them as well.
The driver sputtered, “M-my lord!”
“Do not stop us! Maintain course!” Maxwell squinted and strained his eyes, but he couldn’t pierce the night.
“Allow me,” said Melody.
Mother used this spell all the time. It’s simple enough.
“Lamplight—Luce.” A little orb of light flickered to life at her fingertips. An elementary spell any mage, amateur or professional, knew how to cast. Melody couldn’t use magic, but tonight she was Cecilia McMarden, and something so basic hardly demanded secrecy. “Go!”
She flicked the orb, and it flew back in an arc, evaporating the darkness and revealing the hidden danger lurking within it.
Said danger roared. Five black wolves stalking the rear of the carriage bellowed in futile rage, then hurtled toward the vehicle.
“Monsters?!” Melody and Maxwell shouted together.
Luciana gasped. Lect braced himself. The driver was an absolute mess.
“M-m-m-monsters?! H-h-here?! Wh-wh-wh-what do we d-d-do?!”
“Whatever you do, don’t stop!” Maxwell barked. “They’ll pick us off like carrion if they catch us!”
“Yes, my lord! Not stopping, my lord!”
By some stroke of luck, or perhaps misfortune, the streets of Paltescia lay barren at this hour—it was only them and the wolves on the roads. Maxwell shut the door and shoved his hand into the cushions behind his seat, fishing around for something. When he freed himself, he was clutching a sword.
“I don’t suppose you have another back there,” Lect inquired.
“Afraid not.”
“Very well. We’ll have to do this the hard way then.” The knight cracked his knuckles. Swords were his specialty, but woe be upon the fool who thought disarming this warrior would even the odds.
“You’re going to fight?” Melody asked.
“If it comes to it. Those are stalker wolves. But what are night-hounds doing outside the Great Vanargand Wood? If they’re here, that means…” Lect grimaced.
“They escaped,” Maxwell finished grimly.
“There are sentries all around the Wood’s perimeter. Such a breach should have caused chaos in the Lower District long before the beasts made it here,” Lect growled. “How the hell is this even possible?!”
“I have the same questions, friend, but we have more pressing matters at hand.”
“Right. I apologize. Now, not to be the bearer of more bad news, but I don’t think I can take five stalkers all on my own. I presume by that sword you mean to help?”
“That’s the plan.”
“They’re speeding up!” Melody shouted. She’d been keeping a close watch on their pursuers. Three of the wolves fanned out behind them as two flanked the carriage. The one on Melody’s side bared its fangs. “Stay back! Luce!”
A flash flew from her fingertips directly toward the stalker wolf. Blinded, the beast yipped, recoiled, and lost its footing. The carriage quickly outpaced it as it tumbled to the ground.
“Nice one, Me—Cecilia!” Luciana said.
“It won’t stay down for long! Lord Maxwell, how is the other side?” Melody asked.
“Not good! It’s pulling ahead!”
“What?!”
The wolf running in parallel with the door side of the carriage was quickly overtaking the vehicle and too far away for Maxwell or Lect to slow down.
A blood-curdling scream erupted.
“The driver!”
Savagely intelligent predators, these wolves. All they had to do was kill the coachman, and they would leave their prey defenseless. The wolf leapt into the air, eyes and fangs set on the man in the box seat.
We’ll never make it! Melody lamented as a triumphant howl rang through the night.
“Carry me, cradle of wind—Respi-Dea.”
Melody couldn’t believe her eyes. The howl hadn’t come from one of the wolves. Just in the nick of time, Rook darted through the air, his blade held firmly between him and the attacking wolf. On his back rode none other than Grail.
Rook slammed into the wolf and then kept flying past the carriage. The beast howled in agony as his sword sank deep into its hide.