Kiss of the Betrayer (A Bringer and the Bane Novel) (24 page)

The crowd of people spilled down the first level of the steps and milled about on the landing. Disguise was one of Jade’s fortes, but acting was not. She lifted her skirt to avoid tripping and tried to wrestle the yards of material under control without appearing clumsy. Seemingly one with
her
gown, Ravyn stopped to contemplate an alcove that was lit from above by a hole running two stories above.

“How does the light get this deep? Aren’t we below ground?” Ravyn asked.

“Mirrors.” Beatrice pointed up inside the tube above a small statue of a scholarly figure holding a book. “They are angled to reflect all the way down. There are several of these light tubes throughout Illuma.”

“That’s amazing,” Jade said, truly impressed with the ingenuity.

Ravyn turned and flinched. Jade spun, expecting to see someone suspicious following them, but the area behind them was empty.

“Is everything all right?” Beatrice asked.

A shudder rippled through Ravyn. Jade gave her a questioning look.

“Sorry.” Ravyn glanced around and lowered her voice. “Ghosts.”

Beatrice’s eyes rounded. “Ghosts?”

“Yes.” Ravyn rubbed her arms as if to get warm. “You have quite a few of them here, and one in particular seems very interested in what we’re doing.”

Jade looked around but saw nothing. She didn’t know which part of being a Bringer gave her friend the ability to see spirits, but she was glad she hadn’t been
gifted with
that talent. “What does he want?”

“She,” Ravyn said. “And I believe she wants us to go to the Council chamber.” She stared into empty space for a second. “Yes, definitely the chamber.”

They turned to Beatrice, who hadn’t seemed to recover from the initial ghost announcement. She blinked a few times and nodded. “All right then.”

She turned and continued down to the next level. The crowd began to thin and it was easier for Jade to catch snippets of conversation. Nothing seemed too nefarious, just complaints about who was receiving more attention, excitement over the festivities, and the impending dinner. By the third level only the occasional gray-clad Bringers were present, bustling in and out of a pair of solid wooden doors.

“That’s the back entrance to the living quarters,” Beatrice said, indicating the slowly closing door. “We rarely use them unless there’s a gathering. It’s easier to avoid the crowds.” She lowered her voice. “And avoid more chores after your shift is over.”

Jade snorted and nodded in understanding.

They spiraled down the next flight of stairs, which was empty. Beatrice held her arm out, blocking their descent, and slowed her step. She crept to the bottom and peered around the corner, then motioned them forward.

“It looks empty.” She descended the last step and stopped, turning to look at them. “I wanted to speak to you about the missing Bringers.”

Jade tried to keep her face passive, but couldn’t stop herself from glancing at Ravyn.

“You’ve heard about them?” Beatrice looked over her shoulder to make sure they were still alone. “Do you know anything about their disappearance?”

Unsure how much to say, Jade waited for Ravyn to take the lead.

“Only that they’re missing,” Ravyn said.

Beatrice’s expression fell. “Nothing more?”

“No, I’m sorry.”

“I was afraid of that.”

“What’s happened?” Jade said, sensing this was more than just curiosity on Beatrice’s part.

“There’s a man.” A flush crept over her friend’s cheeks. “He’s missing.”

“Your beau?” Ravyn asked.

Tears gathered, magnifying the woman’s doe-like brown eyes. She nodded and swallowed hard, wringing her hands together. “Marcus Tobin.” She sniffed. “I’ve asked around and all they tell me is that he’s left Illuma.”

An uneasy feeling slithered along Jade’s spine. “And you don’t believe them?”

“He wouldn’t have left without saying something.” A tear ran down her cheek and she brushed it away. “The night before he disappeared, he asked for my hand.” She shook her head. “At the very least he would have left me a note. He wouldn’t have just abandoned me.”

Ravyn pulled Beatrice into a hug. “We’ll do whatever we can to find him. I promise.”

Jade rubbed her friend’s shoulder. “We promise.”

“Thank you.” Beatrice stepped out of Ravyn’s embrace and wiped her tears. “I know there’s more going on than anybody is telling me.”

Jade and Ravyn exchanged glances.

“We agree,” Ravyn said.

Beatrice straightened. “You do?”

“That’s why we need to search the Council chamber.” Ravyn paused. “But it must be kept a secret. If somebody is trying to cover up the Bringers’ abductions, it means there’s a traitor among us.”

“A traitor? I don’t understand,” Beatrice said.

“Neither do we.” Jade took her friend’s hands. “But I promise we’ll do everything we can to find out.”

Her conviction to go through with Luc’s plan strengthened. People’s lives were being affected by Bane, and whatever she could do to stop the growing threat, she would do—starting with her sister’s deadly alliance with Icarus.

Ravyn cocked her head, peering at Jade with clear pale blue eyes that seemed to see into her soul. Too late Jade realized her mistake. Though Ravyn may not have been able to read her exact thoughts, it was obvious from her friend’s expression that she had gleaned enough understanding about Jade’s intentions.

“We’ll talk later,” she said and moved past Jade.

Jade propped her hands on her hips and exhaled, cursing her wayward thoughts. Hopefully she hadn’t botched Luc’s plan. She turned and followed the two women.

The clip of their boot heels echoed around the cavernous area. The air carried a nip, the few lit braziers doing very little to add heat or light. Black soot climbed the polished walls behind the sconces and the acrid tang of tallow and pitch hung heavily on the bottom level. The outer chamber was devoid of the grandeur that had been displayed on the levels above. Only deep alcoves with carved benches adorned the walls.

Shivers ran along Jade’s arms. There was something off about this place, as if it watched them and knew the reason they were there.

Beatrice held up her hand and tiptoed forward. From where Jade stood, the Council chamber appeared empty. Awareness ruffled against her and she suddenly had a sense of being drawn forward. She grabbed Ravyn’s arm to steady herself, stifling the urge to drop all her defenses and plunge into the room.

Ravyn looked at her. “You feel it too?”

She nodded. “What is it?”

“The presence I told you about.” Ravyn slid a glance toward Beatrice. “When I burst into flames.”

“I’ll go in first,” Beatrice said.

Jade tensed when she entered the chamber, expecting some reaction, but there was no hesitation in her friend’s step. Jade leaned toward Ravyn. “She seems unaffected.”

“Interesting.” Ravyn moved forward. “Guard your mind.”

Guard her mind? The urge to giggle bubbled up inside Jade. She snickered, but quickly tried to suppress the impulse.

Ravyn looked over her shoulder and scowled. “Guard your mind. Trust me, bursting into flames is not pleasant.”

That thought instantly sobered Jade, pushing any urge to laugh to a tolerable level. She inhaled and closed her eyes, visualizing a solid wall around her mind and body. The strength of the presence lessened. She opened her eyes and nodded. “That’s better.”

“Psst.” Beatrice waved them forward. “It’s clear.”

Wasting no time, they walked toward the chamber. Large doors stood open. Jade’s step slowed and stopped, her eyes rounding. Carved in the bottom panels of the doors was a forest surrounding an arched doorway, its doors flung wide. Above it spiraled a phoenix and a dragon. She looked at Ravyn, her mouth hanging open.

“What do you think?” Ravyn caressed the phoenix. “Coincidental, or a direct link to the full-powered Bringers?”

Jade touched the dragon. “This cannot be coincidental.”

“No.” Ravyn ran her hand across the door and smiled. “I don’t think so either.”

Dry heat fluttered against Jade’s skin when she stepped into the Council chamber. Energy swirled around her, raising the hair on her arms. She stopped and looked at Ravyn, who was staring at her as if to gauge her reaction. Jade nodded.

“If you can feel it, I suggest you don’t step into the center of the circle.”

The shape had been laid out in an intricate arrangement of tiles. In the center was a smaller sphere and above the circles soared four stone arches. The hair on Jade’s legs prickled and a buzzing sensation ran through the bottoms of her feet and up her body. She shimmied her shoulders and rotated her head from side to side, trying to fend off the subtle attack from the presence in the room.

“This ghost is very persistent.” Ravyn skirted the circle for several yards and stopped. Her hands stroked the polished stones as if searching for something. Though Jade couldn’t hear her, she could see Ravyn’s lips moving, obviously chatting with the spirit. After a second she continued around the room, staying close to the wall and away from the tiled circle.

Jade examined the room. Nine portraits hung above corresponding chairs. Fromme Bagita’s painting was quite a bit larger than the other Council members’ portraits and held the center position. Jade grimaced at his pretentious pose. “I thought Fromme’s painting had been destroyed.”

“I’d heard rumors,” Beatrice’s gaze slid to Ravyn, but spoke to Jade. “Are you like her?”

Jade smirked. “No, there is nobody like Ravyn.”

They moved in a counterclockwise direction to Ravyn, but Jade wasn’t sure what she was supposed to be looking for. She ran her hands along the stones, but felt nothing odd.

“That’s too bad.” Beatrice said from behind her. “We could use all the help we can get.”

“’We’?” Jade asked.

“Those who think my uncle is becoming dangerous.”

Jade stopped at the Council table and turned toward her friend. “Uncle?”

“Fromme Bagita.”

“I remember you talking about him when we were girls.” Her brow furrowed. “But I never realized he was your uncle.”

“He is my father’s brother, but there is no love lost between us.”

Ravyn approached from the opposite direction. “But you’re family.”

“Fromme never approved of my mother.” She shrugged. “Or of me.”

“I’m sorry,” Jade said. “I didn’t know.”

“Because it never mattered.” She looked at her uncle’s portrait. “Until now, I think.”

“What do you mean?” Ravyn stopped beside Jade.

“My uncle has always been very concerned about appearances and power. That’s the reason he never approved of my mother. She was from the wrong family.” She turned and leaned against the table. “That’s the reason for all the pomp since the Order has been here.”

Ravyn crossed her arms over her chest. “Do you know why the Order was invited to Illuma Grand?”

Though Ravyn’s face held nothing more than mild interest, Jade knew that her abduction by the hand of one of the Order still weighed on her. Perhaps she and Luc weren’t the only ones with a personal agenda.

“None of us know why my uncle would host the Order. It’s never been explained and from what I understand, many of the Council opposed it.”

“We’ve heard that as well,” Ravyn said.

“I have a theory.” Beatrice frowned. “It may be nothing.”

“You probably have better insight than anybody else,” Jade said.

“I agree.” Ravyn’s stare turned intense. “The things you hear may have different meaning for you than somebody who doesn’t know Fromme Bagita as well.”

Beatrice glanced toward the door and lowered her voice even more. Jade and Ravyn leaned in. “I have another uncle who is a superior in The Order of the Saints.”

“Is he here?” Jade whispered.

“No.” Her scowl deepened. “That’s what struck me as odd. It’s possible he was too busy, but Uncle Feildon rarely passes up the chance to compete for attention with Fromme.”

“What are your thoughts?” Ravyn said.

A whiff of compulsion brushed past Jade. She slid a glance toward Ravyn, who ignored her.

“Quite a while ago, I was clearing the noon meal from my uncle’s desk. There was a parchment lying partially open and I saw Feildon’s signature.” A blush crept up her neck. “I opened it, curious to see what news my uncle had sent, but all the message said was
Support guaranteed.
”

“Any idea what it means?” Jade couldn’t help but feel the message had a direct correlation with Jacob’s theory about restoring the crown.

“None, but I don’t trust either of them.”

Voices wafted in from the outer foyer. Beatrice gasped and jumped to her feet.

“Don’t worry, I’ll see who it is.” Without a second thought, Jade jogged across the room, passing directly through the tiled circle.

Sparks snapped against her skin. She stumbled and slowed, biting back a loud curse. With each step she took closer to the sphere in the center, the more intense the flash of pain grew. She wasn’t sure, but she thought she heard Ravyn speaking to her.

The edge of the circle seemed to yawn backward, growing away from her. Her foot brushed the edge of the black sphere, sending a bolt of what felt like lightning through her body. The sharp edge of her teeth bit into her tongue with each convulsion that rocked her. She couldn’t move.

Arms grabbed her from behind and hauled her out of the circle. The pain faded and a loud hum in her ears continued to buzz like a hive of angry bees. Thankfully, Beatrice still held Jade upright, otherwise she’d be face down on the floor. Bone-deep tremors traveled through her body, lessening by degrees with each pass. She looked at her friends moving, but nothing made sense.

Ravyn moved up beside her and placed her hands on Jade’s arms and sent healing heat into her. The buzzing cleared and a modicum of strength returned to her legs, though her fingers continued to tingle.

“What the shaggin’ saints was that?” Jade said.

Ravyn lowered her hands. “I warned you not to step in the center.”

Beatrice released Jade and stepped away, her eyes as round as liats. “There was lightning.”

Jade took a deep breath and released it. “Was there?”

She opened her mouth to say more, but a male voice cut her off.