“Clever girl, my sister. She’ll be thrilled that you’ve returned in time for the engagement ceremony.”
An engagement? The idea of a celebrating an upcoming wedding seemed silly compared with the possibility of the Tsar about to break free. His escape could bring the entire network of caves down. Ada and the others would be buried alive. And that was just for starters. Who knew what would happen if the gateway blew open?
Stay calm. You don’t know for certain if the Tsar is about to escape.
The ground rattled beneath my feet. I focused on Philippe. “Did you feel that?”
“The tiny rumble?” He shrugged. “It happens out here from time to time. These lands have more caves than solid ground, I’m afraid. Don’t tell me you’re using that as an excuse to avoid Amelia’s engagement? She’s counting on you.”
I forced my breathing to slow. The tremors could be something natural, couldn’t they? I gripped Philippe’s arm. “Believe me, I do want to see the ceremony, but it’s safer if I find the Casters first.” The mansion became oddly quiet. A prickle of awareness crept over my skin. “What’s that?”
“That, my dear Elea, would be the beginning of the engagement ceremony. Now before you get any ideas, think of this. If you rush off and interrupt the Creation Casters right now, it will undo all my hard work to make you blend into the crowd. Whatever you’re so worried about, you’ll simply have to wait a few minutes. The ritual won’t take long.” He plucked my clenched fingers from the cuff of his longcoat and pointedly set my arm on his sleeve. “Besides, Amelia will be heartbroken if you don’t see her engagement. She has some master plan for impressing her husband-to-be. I swore we both would see it.”
I stared blankly at Philippe. My friends were near death under this horrible mansion, and I had to watch some insane ceremony?
“Oh, look,” said Philippe blandly. “Fantomes.”
I took a half step backward. “Where?”
“Ah, my mistake.”
I yanked my arm away from him. “That wasn’t funny.”
“It wasn’t meant to be. I was trying to make a point. The Fantomes are somewhere nearby. The bottom line is this, dear Elea. You simply can’t do anything impetuous for two whole minutes.” He jiggled his elbow at me. “Now, be a good girl and take my arm like a lady. You know, without shutting off the blood flow.”
Much as I hated to admit this, he was making sense. I really didn’t have a choice. I gently wrapped my fingers around his forearm and lowered my voice. “I have to tell you what happened in the dungeons.”
We started walking toward the ballroom. “I’d love to hear, but whispering about death and destruction is another sure way to attract attention.”
“Who says I killed anything?”
“Didn’t you?”
I opened my mouth, wishing I had a witty retort on the tip of my tongue. Truth was, I was already accumulating quite the body count tonight. “Perhaps.”
“Thought so. Don’t take this the wrong way, sweet lady. I have only one sister, and she’s getting engaged tonight. I’d like to enjoy the next few minutes before our lives are once again dragged into the whirlwind of whatever you’re up to.”
I frowned. “I’m not always a whirlwind.”
He shot me a sly look. “Of course, you are. Death, destruction, and Elea. Wouldn’t have it any other way. Things were blasted boring until you came along. Nothing but pretty ladies to seduce. Ah, here we are.”
We stepped inside the massive ballroom. The huge place was made of white marble, just like everything else in the Montagne mansion. Royals were everywhere. All their bright gowns and longcoats seemed to blend into a single swath of shifting color.
Philippe led us to a secluded spot in the corner behind a large stone column. He chose well. The view here was excellent, and I had an easy hiding spot if needed. I hadn’t spied any Fantomes yet. I had no doubt they were close by, though.
The Baron and Baroness de Montagne stepped into the center of the dance floor. All the guests backed away, clearing a large circle of space for them. The Baroness looked pristine in her white gown and tall wig. She clapped her hands and the room fell silent. “It is my great pleasure to announce the highlight of tonight’s ball,” she said. “We’re here to witness an engagement ceremony for none other than our very own Lady Amelia Masson!”
Amelia stepped forward from the crowd, her pink gown swishing with the movement. Her doll-like face was framed by perfect ringlets of red hair. Every inch of her seemed to radiate excitement. I allowed myself a small smile. When I’d first met Amelia, she’d been a bitter recluse. Now, a true lady and leader was starting to blossom.