Ignis (Book 2, Pure Series) (57 page)

           
A look of genuine surprise spread over Innokenti's features. "Interesting.
 
That's very suggestive."

           
"Do you recognize that name?" William asked.

           
"I do."
 
Innokenti addressed me.
 
"Little one, may I ask you—this 'dresser' where William claims to have left his letter—is it near a mirror?"

           
"Yes, it is," I said.
 
"And I remember now—I found a tiny pile of ash on it that I could not explain.
 
Is that significant?"

           
"Perhaps," said Innokenti.

           
He lapsed into silence.

           
"I called again after that," I said to William—the words just tumbled out.
 
"But neither you nor Cormac appeared.
 
And then Anton came back.
 
He told me that the Sìdh had a way to remove the vampire aspect of your nature.
 
He said that they would cure you and give you back your memories if you agreed to give me up and never see me again.
 
Anton said that you had accepted their offer."

           
William turned on Innokenti furiously.
 
"Did you send Anton to harass her?"

           
"No, William.
 
I did not," Innokenti replied calmly.
 
"Do not distress yourself."

           
"You didn't send Anton to attack her?" William demanded.

           
"No."

           
"You didn't send him to tell her a lot of lies?"

           
"No."

           
"And I suppose you're going to tell me that you had nothing to do with the fact that I couldn't hear Katie calling to me, aren't you?
 
You're going to tell me that you weren't blocking me from hearing her."

           
"No, William, I was not blocking you."

           
William's voice suddenly rang out angrily in the vast room.

           
"Then why couldn't she hear me?"

           
"William, I can't tell you."

           
"Can't or won't?" William demanded.

           
"I have been instructed to remain silent on this topic.
 
My orders were simply to convince you and the human girl to return to Russia.
 
And in a roundabout way, it appears that I succeeded in getting both of you here.
 
My orders do not allow for explanations of a sensitive nature."

           
"Your orders," William said bitterly.

           
"Yes, my orders, William.
 
You know I exist only to serve others."

           
William seemed to swell up to twice his normal size.
 
His voice rang out again.

           
"I want to see them!"

           
His anger seemed to fill the room, like a living thing, and even though it was all directed at Innokenti, I found myself taking a step back.

           
"William, please contain yourself."
 
Innokenti's voice was steady, but I could see that he was eyeing William warily.
 
"Be reasonable."

           
But William was in no mood to be reasonable.

           
"I want to see them!" he thundered.
 
"Now!"

           
Innokenti held up his hands pacifically.
 
"Very well—I'll take you to them.
 
But you should know that they will be none too pleased to be disturbed.
 
They will just be waking up.
 
And they are not accustomed to having an interview forced upon them.
 
You risk kindling their ire.
 
Even you are not so special."

           
William simply stared at Innokenti, and a tense silence ensued.

           
Eventually, Innokenti bowed his head.

           
"It will do as you ask," he said.
 
"But remember that I tried to warn you.
 
You may follow me.
 
The girl will be safe enough here."

           
"Katie will come with me," William said sternly.

           
Innokenti's eyebrows rose.
 
"You want the girl to see—them?"

           
"I'm not leaving her alone in this place."

           
Innokenti gave William a sardonic smile.
 
"There's a phrase in English—'it's your funeral?'
 
If you wish to take Katie along, then who am I to stop you?
 
If you will both follow me, then."

           
Innokenti crossed the room and stepped over the broken door.

           
William placed his hand on my back and guided me toward the doorway.

           
"William, where are we going?" I asked.

           
"You'll understand very soon.
 
Stay close to me," he said.

           
Out in the hall, we were plunged back into the strange, silver gloom that seemed to pervade the castle.

           
Innokenti led us to a tower and then up a staircase that closely hugged the wide, curving wall.
 
He stopped before a large iron door that was embellished with gold.

           
"Wait here," Innokenti said.
 
"I will do what I can to smooth your way."

           
"Wait just a minute," William said.
 
"It occurs to me that you didn't seem very surprised to see Katie show up here at the castle.
 
Did you know she was in Krov?"

           
"Yes," Innokenti said.

           
"And you didn't tell me?"

           
"It was for the best," Innokenti replied.
 
There was a hint of a challenge in his light eyes.
 
"Now, as I said, I will try to smooth your way.
 
One does not interrupt royalty lightly."

           
Innokenti disappeared through the gold door, which slammed closed behind him.

           
"What does he mean by 'royalty'?" I whispered.

           
William said nothing, but he reached out and gripped my hand.
 
I was still wearing my gloves, but even so, his touch was reassuring.

           
I looked up at him.
 
William's face was set into harsh lines.
 
It was an expression I had seen him wear before—when he had first met me, and when he had faced the kost Gleb Mstislav.

           
It was a face he wore when he met an enemy.

           
We waited in tense silence.

           
Eventually, the iron door swung open, and Innokenti reappeared.

           
"They have agreed to see you," he said.

           
Innokenti did not seem entirely pleased about the fact that we had been granted an audience—nevertheless, he ushered us in.

           
William and I entered a vast, ornate chamber—it was clearly a throne room.
 
A long strip of thick blue carpet ran the length of the room, leading up to a set of short steps.
 
The steps led up to a platform, and on the platform sat two intricately carved chairs.
 
An elaborate tapestry with graceful, stylized trees, slender human figures, and a bright, flame-red bird in the center hung behind the thrones.

           
I wondered if the human figures in the tapestry were actually supposed to be vampires.

           
The chamber itself was brighter than the halls, but it was still lit solely by the odd silver light that illuminated most of the castle.
 
In the throne room, however, the light had even more sheen—it was as if someone had captured moonlight and trapped it within the walls.

           
I took a second look around the chamber.
 
The room was large, but it was clearly empty of living—or nearly living—creatures apart from the three of us.
 
No one else was present.

           
"Where are they?" William asked impatiently.

           
"They will emerge in their own time," Innokenti said evenly.
 
"You should be grateful that they have condescended to see you at all.
 
I would advice you to be respectful when they make their appearance."

           
William made a noise that sounded decidedly derisive.

           
I heard a door slam shut heavily somewhere close by, and then I heard the sound of footsteps.

           
William gripped my hand more tightly, and I felt a stab of fear despite his presence.

           
"Don't speak until you are spoken to," Innokenti said softly.

           
A corner of the great tapestry behind the thrones lifted—seemingly of its own volition—to reveal a dark doorway.
 
A man and a woman emerged from the darkness and walked to the center of the platform, their hands clasped high in a ceremonial fashion.

           
They stopped and gazed at us.

           
The man was tall and lean and dressed in a modern, dark gray suit.
 
His skin was violently pale, and his hair and trim beard were a sooty black.
 
The woman was also pale-skinned and black-haired.
 
She wore a wine-colored gown of a severe but modern design.

           
They both wore an aura of power.

           
As if on a signal, the man and the woman looked at each other and dropped their hands.
 
Then, they seated themselves on the thrones.

           
The man spoke in a strong, authoritative voice.

           
"Innokenti, you may approach the throne."

           
Innokenti started forward and indicated with an elegant gesture that we should follow.
 
He stopped at a respectful distance from the platform.

           
"You may introduce the petitioners," the man said.

           
"We are not petitioners," William said sharply.

           
Innokenti ignored William's outburst and bowed low.

           
"Your majesties, may I present to you William Sursur and Katie Wickliff?
 
They have come to petition you for the answer to a question."

           
Innokenti straightened and stared at us significantly, as if he expected a sign of obeisance from us.
 
But William just stared at the two vampires on the thrones stonily, and I was frozen by fear, completely unable to move.

           
Both the man and the woman had turned their glittering eyes on me, and I felt like a small animal being calmly surveyed by two great predators.

           
When neither William nor I reacted, Innokenti continued, addressing us.

           
"May I present his majesty, King Hieronymous."

           
The king continued to stare at me and did not acknowledge Innokenti's introduction.

           
"And may I present her majesty, Queen Sabine," Innokenti said.

           
The queen continued to stare at me also.

           
I began to feel distinctly uncomfortable.

           
"So, this is the Little Sun that we have heard so much about," the queen said.
 
Her voice had a breathy, sibilant quality that was oddly charming and inviting.

           
"Yes, your majesty," Innokenti said.

           
"Do step a little closer, Katie Wickliff," the queen said.
 
She smiled as if she were looking at something she wanted to eat.

           
"You don't have to do what she says," William said quickly.

           
William's counsel was unnecessary—I was still frozen with fear.
 
I couldn't have taken a single step closer to the fearsome couple on the platform—even if I had wanted to.