Heir of Pendel (A Pandoran Novel, #4) (27 page)

Use the brooch.

I studied the brooch, turning it over in my hand. There was a clasp in back, but nothing to show me direction. I'd had better luck using Cicero's compass. "How am I supposed to use this?" I said, not sure if I was asking myself or the voice.

The doors rattled against another gust of wind, but I didn't hear the voice again.

Frustrated, I tossed the brooch on the floor and fell flat on my bed, burying my face into the soft fabric.

Staying here was out of the question. The reasons that had brought me here were null and void now, and considering my last conversation with Danton, I had no more allies in Orindor. I couldn't go back to Valdon, either. Everything that would've drawn me there was gone. I swallowed down another sob. I'd already spent too much time crying on the floor. I needed to gather my wits and come up with a plan of action, or I would die here.

Alex.

I had to find Alex. Somehow I knew my subconscious had already decided that the moment I'd found out about my family. Alex would know what to do, and even if he didn't, at least we'd be together and then maybe, between the two of us, we could come up with something. And maybe Vera and Thaddeus and Sonya were still with him, wherever he was. This made me think of Cicero. Cicero would've been at that council meeting, and he wouldn't have betrayed my family. My chest tightened. Yes, I needed to find Alex, but first I needed to figure a way out of here.

I rolled off my bed, ripped open the doors to my armoire, and started digging, shoving through dresses and laces and silks until I found what I was looking for: riding clothes. Thankfully, Anna hadn't taken them away to be washed yet. I peeled out of my gown, tossed it across the bed, and dressed, then pulled open the nightstand drawer and dug out the necklace Alex had given me. I fastened it around my neck. It was slightly warm, as if I'd been wearing it all this time. I strapped my sheath and dagger to my leg and pulled a heavy cloak from the armoire, using the brooch to fasten the cloak at my neck. A shock of energy pulsed through me from where the brooch touched my skin, but it faded as quickly as it had come.

I didn't have time to consider what it meant. It was time to find Alex.

15

ALEXANDER

E
hren stopped before a pair of tall mahogany doors. He pushed one of the doors in and I followed him into a large atrium smelling of spice and pipe tobacco. The room was covered in vines and white flowers, and water dripped through a hole in the high ceiling and into a shallow pool in the center of the room.

A young
fraeling
woman with long, blonde hair appeared in the arched doorframe opposite us. She was the famed Daughter of the Forest, Lord Dommelier's daughter and beloved princess of the Arborenne. I'd only seen her once, and that was at a distance. She wasn't the sort of person one forgot.

"Cousin Laena." Ehren strode toward her. They exchanged friendly kisses on both cheeks. "Is your father here?"

"He is." Her voice was deep. Laena's gaze moved past Ehren to devour me. "Who have you brought?" she asked.

I had the impression she already knew who I was.

"Aegis Alexander Del Conte," Ehren replied.

Her smile was enchanting, even for a
fraeling
.

"My lady." I bowed my head in respect.

"It is wonderful to finally meet you in person after all these years," she said, still smiling.

"May we speak with your father?" Ehren asked Laena.

"I believe so." Laena peeled her gaze from me to look back at her cousin. "Let me notify him that you're here. Is Aegis Del Conte alone?"

"No, there are two other Aegises with him, but they are at my father's. One of them was poisoned."

Laena seemed unconcerned by this fact. She looked me over a little too long, then left. Her heavy perfume lingered in the atrium as if her spirit remained to spy on us. She was back within minutes. "My father will see you now."

Ehren and I followed her through the narrow, arched corridor and up a spiral of wooden stairs carved from the tree's insides. The stair ended in a small antechamber and more mahogany doors, flanked by two Arborennian guards. Laena pushed the doors in, we followed, and the doors closed behind us.

It took me a moment to find Lord Dommelier, so distracted I was by his enormous hall. The tree had been hollowed out, and all along the natural curvature of the walls were arched doorways leading deeper into the tree. Each level was lined with railed pathways, interrupted occasionally by spiraled stairs connecting higher tiers—all of which were patrolled by more Arborennian guards. The floor dropped into a short, flat stair before rising to a dais situated at the back of the room. On top of that dais was a narrow, high-backed chair built of bronze. The chair was the focal point of the room, but it currently sat empty. And then I noted Lord Dommelier off to the side, standing at the foot of the dais and behind a small podium, dipping a large black quill into a vial of ink.

The Arborennian lord wore a natural frown, as though he were bored with the world and all it had to offer. He wore heavy robes of green, and his long white hair was decorated by a thin band of bronze resting confidently upon his brow. He touched the tip of the quill to paper, scratching with aggressive strokes, intent on whatever it was he wrote, even though I knew that he knew we were there. After a few more seconds of furious scratching, he set the quill back in its vial with a soft
plink
, sprinkled dust atop his work, then rolled the sheet into a scroll.

The three of us stopped at the foot of the dais, where two more Arborennian guards stood armed with bronze spears. Laena remained quiet.

Lord Dommelier used the small candle on the podium to melt wax onto the scroll and sealed it with his ring. It was then he dragged his gaze upward. His eyes were a dark purple, like clouds before a storm, and they brought all the chill of winter with them. "Ehren. I wasn't expecting you so soon, nor was I expecting you to bring…company."

Ehren bowed his head in deference. "Yes, my lord uncle. I have with me Aegis Alexander Del Conte."

"So I see," the Arborennian lord said, examining me from head to toe. He then snapped his fingers and one of the guards standing at the base of the dais hurried to his side. Lord Dommelier handed the scroll to the guard, murmured an order, and the guard rushed off, scroll in hand. Another guard took his place. Then Lord Dommelier swiveled on his feet, robes flaring, and ascended the dais to sit on his throne.

"Laena, my darling, you may leave us," he said.

Laena dipped into an elegant bow, and with a turn of silk, hair, and heady perfume, she left the room, but not before casting me a long glance.

Lord Dommelier threaded his hands together and placed them in his lap. "Ehren, why have you brought me an aegis of the crown?"

By his tone, I didn't think Lord Dommelier thought very highly of the crown, or its aegises.

"He was already on his way to see you, my lord, so I thought to provide him with an escort."

The Arborennian lord moved his hands to his knees, long fingers curling over the bend. "You're fortunate my nephew found you. It's almost impossible to reach my city without an escort—or an invitation, for that matter."

I kept quiet. It was better to say nothing at all than to say the wrong thing when dealing with a man like Lord Costa Dommelier.

"Did you come alone?" he asked.

"No, my lord. There are two more aegises with me."

"Where are they now?"

"They are with my father," Ehren replied.

Lord Dommelier looked curiously at Ehren, then me. "And why are they with Lif Venia?"

"Because one of them is suffering from shadowguard poison," I replied.

Lord Dommelier's expression turned flat. Eyes, lips—everything. "How did that happen?"

I hesitated. "There were Morts inside the Room of Doors, my lord."

His eyes narrowed. "And just how did Morts get inside the Room of Doors? Isn't that your family's specialty? Guarding that room?"

This would be very, very tricky. "My parents are a little preoccupied with a war, at the moment. I believe the Morts entered the Room of Doors with the help of the pykan who was with them."

Lord Dommelier leaned forward as if to get a clearer view of me, his fingers drumming on the end of his knee. "There was a pykan in the Room of Doors, and yet you continued through to my forest?"

"Yes," I said, matter-of-fact.

His fury ignited before my very eyes. "And did they follow you?"

"They did," Ehren answered before I could speak, "but they are all dead now, including the pykan, and the portal door is sealed."

Lord Dommelier stopped drumming his fingers, his expression livid. "As guardian of, perhaps, the most critical portal in both worlds, I would've expected more discretion from you, yet you opened Imbdell's front door to the enemy. You brought them with you through
my
gates, putting the people of Imbdell in danger…
Aegis
." He hissed that last word.

"My lord," I continued. "It was never my intention to put your people in danger, and I am truly sorry for that. I swear to you we waited until we'd dispatched every last Mort inside before attempting to open the portal, but the pykan brought reinforcements much faster than I'd anticipated—"

"And you let them through!" He slammed his fist on the arm of his chair. "You broke a major violation, Aegis Del Conte, and at the very least should be stripped of your position! I'd notify King Darius at once to have him deal with you, if he weren't currently incapacitated by grief."

I ground my teeth, trying to quell my anger. Vera was in critical condition, the world was at war—I didn't have time to fight over technicalities with the Fairy King of Hubris. I also knew arguing with him would get me nowhere. I took a deep breath, steeling myself.

Lord Dommelier leaned back in his chair, once again drumming his fingers over his knee. "What could have possibly propelled
you
—a man I know to be of sound character—to risk so much in coming here?"

I made sure my anger was in check before answering him. "I have a favor to ask of you," I said, reaching behind me.

Metal clicked and I froze with my hands behind my back, acutely aware of each guard patrolling the room. There were about a dozen I could see, a few on the lower tiers, but most were on the upper tiers bearing crossbows aimed down at me. I moved my hands out in surrender, staring only at Lord Dommelier. "I need your help in mending something that's attached to my belt—which is what I was just reaching for."

His eyes narrowed. "Ehren?"

Ehren looked at me.

"Go ahead," I said to Ehren.

Ehren unhooked the black bundle from my belt, walked up to the dais, and delivered it into the hands of the Arborennian lord. I, however, was still the target of at least a dozen arrowheads. I kept my hands raised. Lord Dommelier unfolded the fabric with swift movements, until the fragments appeared. Fragments of what was once a great dynasty that now lay vulnerable and broken in his lap. Lord Dommelier's entire body stilled as he stared at the object in his hands. He paled then lifted his gaze to me, looking as if he'd just seen a ghost. "Where did you get this?"

"It has been in my family's possession ever since the Great War."

He inclined his head. "Go on."

I told him everything, hoping he would see why we needed his help. When I finished, I said, "Lord Dommelier, the reason I'm here is because I intend to lead the people with that sword—through that sword—and I know you are the only one in this entire world with the skill necessary to reforge it."

His eyes stormed. "That is not
all
you're asking of me."

"You're right. I'd like for you to stand behind everything it represents as well, but I know I can't expect that."

"Where does this claim of yours place King Darius and his heir?"

"If you're thinking my goal is to displace His Majesty or Prince Stefan, you misunderstand me, my lord."

"What other aim can you have?" he asked, his tone trenchant. "You're using the weak and broken state of this world to claim that traitor's blood so you can rise to power. Clearly, being an aegis of the crown isn't enough for you."

"That is not why I'm doing this," I said through clenched teeth. "And my ancestor was not a traitor. He was betrayed by—"

"The Draconi?" He scoffed. "No doubt you learned that tasty morsel of misinformation from those meddling Draconi priests during your short stint in Gesh."

I pinched my lips together.

"The histories are contradictory for a reason, Aegis Del Conte," he continued. "They are filled with bias, and they are tainted by the corruption of those who scrambled to pick up the scepters of the fallen."

My patience wore thin. It infuriated me that I was forced to argue history while Vera was back at the Venias', suffering on
my
behalf. "Then, as you've just said yourself, your account is nothing more than
your
bias against theirs—"

"I have every right to be biased, Aegis. I was there." He stood from his chair, his voice like winter. "Yes, I am two hundred and fifty-seven years old. I was there during the battle. I watched
thousands
burn alive with dragon fire—entire cities incinerated in a matter of seconds. Certain members of the Draconi may have been responsible for the destruction reaped upon this land, but it was at the command of
your
many-greats-grandfather, Galahad Estroian. A man
I
supported. A man, much like yourself, who stood before me as you are now, beseeching my help in a seemingly hopeless battle against Mortis's agents, who were trying to tear down the veil and free Mortis just as they're doing now. I conceded to help him because I respected him—trusted him. Too late I realized he was using the war against Mortis as a distraction. Too late I realized his true aim was to steal power away from the lords to strengthen his own rule, and he planned to use the Draconi to do it. It was due to the sacrifices of a few brave Draconi and many of my own men that turned the tides of that war, but we suffered severely for it. I will not make the same mistake again."