Perhaps so Kamilla wouldn’t coat them with blood.
With careful steps, I moved through the rooms, scanning for anything that might be unusual. Beyond the lack of actual paintings, nothing here seemed amiss. Kamilla followed close behind me. She hadn’t done anything threatening yet, which I took as an encouraging sign. I decided to see if I could gather any useful information from her. Twisting my head from side to side, I made a great show of scanning the walls. “There are no pictures of the Vicomte here.”
Kamilla took the bait. “The Marchioness is a fool. She doesn’t want to show all her precious paintings here? Fine. But the Vicomte deserves a place of honor on these walls.”
Clearly, Kamilla hadn’t met the Vicomte. I doubt the man had done anything honorable in his entire life. Still, I was curious why she thought him worthy of admiration. “So true. Personally, I’ve been so impressed with his… What’s the word?”
“Dedication. He has sworn to bring back the true Necromancer ways.”
I bit back a smile. Kamilla was a zealot for Necromancer tradition. Excellent. I could work with this. “You’re a Fantome. Can’t you force the Marchioness to add his portrait?”
“The Vicomte has sworn to send me his portrait. Once it arrives, it shall become the centerpiece of this gallery.” She turned to me. “You show interest in Necromancy then?”
“I admire it. Doesn’t everyone?”
Kamilla eyed me from head to toe. It was as if she was seeing me for the first time. “I have a number of important duties for the Vicomte. One is to gather up those with Necromancer ability. My master wishes to bring them into his inner circle.”
Sure, he does. So he can drain their powers and become a Necromancer himself.
I pushed that thought down and forced my mouth to fall open. “Is that true? How fascinating.”
Kamilla stepped closer. “If you have Necromancer power, then I can take you to be trained.”
Or more accurately, drained.
Still, my heart skipped a beat. This was the chance I’d been looking for. Kamilla may be ready to tell me about the other Necromancers. “That might be interesting, only…”
Kamilla’s voice dripped with false kindness. “Only, what?”
“Would I have to go far? I mean, to be with the other Necromancers?” My palms turned slick with sweat. Would she say that the training area was here, in this gallery?
Kamilla stalked nearer. If I reached out, I could take her hand. “So you do have some power.” Her eyes glittered. “The Tsar left us. He was weak. But the Vicomte remains and grows stronger. If you have any magick at all, you should tell me now. It’s your duty as a citizen of the realm.” Her voice lowered. “I have spells I can cast to find out, you know. It won’t be pleasant.”
I’d played the untrained Necromancer once before. I’d ended up imprisoned in the Midnight Cloister and almost killed. I wasn’t about to make the same mistake twice. “No, I’m afraid I don’t have any ability with magick.”
All the light drained from Kamilla’s eyes. “I feared as much. You’re a Royal, through and through.”
“Although, I would be honored to serve the Vicomte in other ways. Where are the other Necromancers being trained? Perhaps I can help.” I clasped my hands together in supplication. “I truly wish to be of service to such a great man.”
Kamilla pursed her thin lips. I held my breath. Was she really going to tell me where Ada was? “Perhaps.”
“I’ll do anything. Really.” I was pleading. I didn’t care.
“I shall ask the Vicomte. He may find something for you to do. If I took you to the others…” She tapped her chin again, thinking. “The ceremonial play for Theodora is a possibility.”
Excitement sparked in my chest. This was my first real clue to Ada’s whereabouts. Ceremonial play. Theodora. That sounded like a Royal event. “Where is this play?” Kamilla didn’t answer. “What’s wrong?”
Then I saw it. A shape moved under Kamilla’s skin, right at her neckline. Every corner of my soul went on alert. I’d seen this before. It was a bone crawler. All the Tsar’s servants had one of these creatures implanted under their flesh. I’d seen the process myself at the Midnight Cloister when my Sisters received their bone crawlers.
Kamilla lifted her hand to her neck. “Did you command this?”
I took a half step backward. “I didn’t do anything.”
Rage tightened her features. “Don’t play the innocent with me. My bone crawler responded to you. I felt it. The insect only shifts on my command or the Tsar’s.” Kamilla stepped around me slowly. Her voice dripped with menace. “Some Fantomes have been testing new spells with their bone crawlers.”