Nicolas stood aside to usher us into a small entryway-like room with chairs and coat and hat racks. He smiled sourly at Vincent. “In my world, being second involves much less responsibility. And risk. Why, just look at you—you’re once again in danger, saving an old lady, while Jean-Baptiste is safe and sound back ruling the castle.”
Charlotte’s and Ambrose’s gaze shifted toward each other and then back to Nicolas. The numa didn’t know about JB’s departure. At least we had that going for us. Violette wanted Vincent because she still believed he was the Champion. But if she discovered he was also the new bardia leader, who knows how she would use that to her advantage?
“Sit,” commanded Nicolas, gesturing toward the chairs. “Not you,” he said to Vincent and me. Opening a door that gave onto another long corridor, he gestured for us to pass through.
“I will not stay out here while my wife is inside,” insisted Papy.
“Oh yes, you will,” said one of the guards, shuffling off his coat to show a belt equipped with several knives and a sword in scabbard, superseded by a shoulder strap holding a gun. My grandfather frowned.
“If all goes well, your wife will join you momentarily,” said Nicolas.
“And my granddaughter?” Papy asked, raising his chin to show that he was not afraid.
“I’ll be fine, Papy,” I urged. “Just don’t do anything to upset them.”
Nicolas followed us closely through the door. I heard Papy’s protests cut off by a gruff command of “Sit down, old man!”
And suddenly I was so furious I felt like going back and challenging that guard. My anger chased my fear away, at least temporarily. I spun to face Nicolas. “You won’t hurt my grandparents,” I said, telling not asking.
“Besides serving as bait, they are of no use to us,” responded Nicolas as he prodded me to continue. “The door to your left,” he indicated.
Vincent turned the knob and, instead of holding it open for me as he usually would, strode first into the room.
“Ah, there you are.” I heard Violette’s little-girl voice before my eyes found her, sitting with my grandmother at a table set for tea. In front of Mamie, a full cup of coffee and a plate of pastries sat untouched.
“Kate!” she gasped when she spotted me, but though she was trembling, she didn’t make an effort to rise. I spotted her hands curled into fists beneath the table and could tell she was trying to control her shaking. The same indignation rose inside me seeing my strong grandmother reduced to the state of a panic-stricken hostage. I wanted to rush Violette and throttle her then and there, but restrained myself as I noticed there were other people in the room; two numa bodyguards stood against the wall directly behind us, their arms folded across their chests as they monitored the scene.
Violette took a sip from her cup before lowering it to the saucer. “It’s so good to see you again, Kate,” she said, rising from the table. At her waist, a jeweled knife handle glittered atop its leather scabbard.
“And you, Vincent. How surprised I was when my sentries told me you were all back in one piece again! I can only imagine you figured out the secret of re-embodiment, a method we scholars have been searching for for centuries. How clever of you.” She looked at him hungrily, as if she wanted to snatch the details straight out of his head.
“It was the guérisseur, wasn’t it?” she said as she advanced. “He must have had the information. I can’t imagine Gaspard would have neglected to inform me of such an important discovery.”
Vincent ignored her question. “Let the woman go, Violette.”
I still couldn’t figure out why Mamie hadn’t moved an inch, until I saw that someone sat just behind her holding a sword to her back. It was a boy. He must have been thirteen. His longish, light brown hair swept down over his eyebrows, nearly hiding his dark brown eyes. The monochrome numa aura outlined his body. A young numa. This must be Violette’s new companion.
She saw me staring at him. “Louis, you can let Madame Mercier go. Manners maketh man, as they say. And even though we are no longer officially ‘man,’ we still have our code to follow, don’t we, Vincent?”
“You are still bardia in body,” Vincent said, “but in your mind you are already numa. Therefore you have no code and I have no faith in your words. Let me escort Kate and her grandparents safely away from the building and then I will return.”
“Yes, please let my granddaughter and me leave,” pleaded Mamie, now standing.
Violette’s civilized demeanor exploded, shattering into a million glass shards. “You will all do exactly as I say!” she screamed, her eyes narrowed. Everyone froze and stared at her. The bodyguards unfolded their arms and took a step in our direction before receiving a glare from Violette that stopped them in place.