Deadly Lovers (The Prussia Series) (4 page)

I sprinted to the hallway that led to my room. Once I was out of sight, my body hid behind the curve of the hallway, I watched Robert in horror. Charlie took Robert’s coat and nodded politely as he did so. I could hear the melodic laughter of Robert and the words
messenger
and
Patricia
float through the air to slap me cold in the face. I tiptoed backwards, not wanting to be spotted, until I was sure I was completely out of sight and ran towards the passageway that led to the dungeon. Creeping quietly down the steps, I hit the bottom of the stairs and sprinted down the dark passageway, nearly slipping half a dozen times as my feet landed on pile after pile of straw that had been scattered, kicked and tracked everywhere.

When I got to the dungeon, the wooden door was closed and my body slammed hard into it. I hadn't realized how fast I had been running. When my body collided with the solid door, it rocked at the violence with which I had hit and then threw me back. I landed in the dirt, my feet going overhead and my breath lost, heaving in deep breaths to the point of hyperventilation. The door opened and light spilled out of the dungeon, the flicker of candles casting a halo around the form that stood over me.

“Have you lost your mind?” demanded Sebastian, frustration, concern and bewilderment on his face as he looked down at me, hands on his hips.

After a second, he offered his hand to me, helping me up out of the dirt. I couldn’t speak. My shoulders heaved up and down. My chest ached with the sharpness of each full breath as I gasped for air. I wanted so much to tell Sebastian, to scream at him, who I had seen. But my lungs betrayed my voice. And my fear had gotten the best of me. Sebastian helped me into the dungeon and tried to calm me. Still gasping for air, my eyes went wide as I saw that John Campbell and Sebastian had worked quickly.

John Campbell wasn’t here, but I recognized the chair in the middle of the room and saw the glint of tools laid out on the table that had been brought down, ready to slice skin and flesh. But what disturbed me most was that they had prepared the ‘interview’ so quickly. Just as surely as I recognized that metal chair, I recognized the vampire in it. And now I knew exactly why the Queen had asked me to take her place and ensure justice was done and the truth found out.

“Ah, Princess Prussia, so nice to see you again,” said Duke Rutlidge, strapped to the metal chair with leather bands at every bend in his body to secure him where he sat.

“I just sent someone to find you,” said Sebastian, helping me to stand, “What’s wrong? What’s happened?”

I still gasped at the air though my breathing became slower. I stared at the Duke and all I could think of was how I had seen him earlier that day, and how surprised he had been to see me. It sent chills over me. I didn’t want to think what it meant but I couldn’t help it. I wondered if he had told anyone that he had seen me. If he really was a spy, if he worked for Queen Patricia, had he told her I was alive? And if Queen Patricia knew…did Josephine already know? My heart raced on but my breathing calmed.

“Messenger,” I said, still trying to control my breathing, “Robert,”

Sebastian’s face turned from a look of worry to eyes lit with the fires of hatred. I grasped for Sebastian’s arm, wanting to keep him here, not wanting for him to get involved, wishing as I always did that we had left sooner. I felt tears well up in my eyes. The possibility of leaving without Sebastian getting involved with this war whisked down the corridor, following on the heels of Sebastian.

I looked around the dungeon and realized that I was alone with the Duke. My breath slowed, almost stopping, as I realized we were alone. The Duke was tied up, true, but I didn’t like how he was looking at me. He stared at me as though ravenous, prepared to rip me to pieces, as if he weren’t tied to a chair at all but waiting until it suited him to feast on my flesh. I regained my composure and stood up, brushing the straw off of me as I tried not to let his constant stare unnerve me. But it did.

“How unfortunate that you would be in this position,” I commented to the Duke as I walked towards the door of the dungeon, looking down the long dark passageway for signs of Sebastian, anyone. But there was no one. Not even the echo of my voice carried.

“I will be released soon enough,” said the Duke.

“You are innocent?” I asked, turning back to look at him, unable to hide the surprise in my voice and on my face.

The Duke snorted at me, indignant. He didn’t say anything. I looked back down the corridor. I wanted to know what Sebastian was doing. I wanted to know what was going on. As much as I hated Robert for what he had done, I didn’t want him to be harmed either. I was torn. My heart was torn into tiny, irrational, painful pieces. And my curiosity got the better of me.

I looked back at the Duke, sitting silently, menacing with a touch of smugness as he starred me down. I felt a chill crawl across my skin and didn’t want to be left alone with the Duke for a moment more. I pulled the dungeon door closed behind me and locked it with the slide lock.

I made quiet and quick footsteps towards the end of the passageway, keeping my footsteps moving as fast as they would carry me without running. I didn’t want to slip. And if the Duke had told Queen Patricia about me, there was no use hiding from Robert. He would know as well. I tiptoed up the stone stairs that led into the castle. I stopped just at the doorway and peered both ways.

I caught sight of Sebastian’s back and could make out half of Robert’s face. They were talking with Queen Victoria. I took a step back hurriedly and almost slipped on the stone step I stood perched on, trying my best to eavesdrop.

“This must be some kind of trick,” I could hear Queen Victoria say, though faintly, “I won’t let you simply collect the dignitaries of the court without some confirmation that they have, as you have suggested, conspired as agents of your…
rogue
court,”

I couldn’t hear what Sebastian said as I hid behind the door frame, only one eye and ear out to look and listen, as his back was turned to me. I cursed under my breath as Sebastian continued to talk for what seemed like forever, and I was unable to make out a single word of it. Then it was Robert’s turn to speak.

I couldn’t hear much. He said something about formalities and honor, then a lot of mumbling and then he said an actual name and my eyes went wide as I heard the Queen curse Robert, loudly. I slunk back out of sight. Robert had named only one person that I could hear. And if I could hear it, others that might have been eavesdropping would have heard it too.

“Looks like I’m being summoned,” said a smooth, low voice.

I turned around and could see only his eyes on me. He stepped out of the shadows, the reflection in his eyes growing brighter as I pressed my back up against the door frame and the wall. The Duke, rubbing his arms where he had been bound, had that same smug smile on his face that had been there before. I watched as he adjusted the cuffs of his shirt and slowly took steps towards me. He took each step up the stairs slowly, his eyes fixed on me and I shuddered as he came near enough to touch me.

I closed my eyes for a moment and could sense that he had paused. I breathed as slowly as I could, my adrenaline racing, praying that he would slip past me quickly and not say another word. But when I didn’t hear him take another step, I slowly opened my eyes. The Duke had his face less than two inches from mine, his eyes crinkled slits of insane rage. I tried to gasp but his hand quickly covered my mouth, pressed so hard over my mouth that it formed a tight seal, suctioned in place. I breathed deeply from my nose and felt as my heart leapt up into my throat.

“I didn’t believe it when a little birdie told me you were the end to Jasper,” said the Duke, whispering into my ear, his hand still pressed roughly against my mouth, “I think Josephine will thank me for this…” he said, a low growl starting in the base of his throat.

I tried to step into the hallway, my arms flailing to get attention - anyone’s attention. But the Duke grabbed the back of my hair and tossed me down the stairs into the passage way. I hit the bottom of the stairs hard, the force of the landing knocking the air out of my lungs. I ached, even with the adrenaline that rushed through me, and wondered if I had broken a few ribs. As I tried to get up, the pain seared through me and I had my answer.

I stood up, limping over to the wall as I tried to regain my breath. I took a deep breath in and winced, the pain sharp. Tears of pain began to stream out of my eyes and I looked up to see the Duke slowly descending the stairs. My prayers had gone unanswered.

The Duke didn’t plan to simply walk out of the castle. Apparently, he had other plans. I looked past the Duke towards the entrance to the hall. I would never be able to go up against him. I recalled Lydia’s advice earlier. I could hide. I looked down the passageway towards the dungeon. Or I could at least buy some time. Someone would come to check on me, I hoped. I looked back at the Duke. He walked slowly towards me with a smile on his face that put fear into my heart. I looked back towards the dungeon and began limping along the wall towards the light of the open door.

“Oh, Princess, this is just pathetic,” laughed the Duke from behind me as I winced with each step, “When I retell your death to Josephine, I think this will be her favorite part,”

I smiled to myself for only a second. Only a second.  I couldn’t die but he didn’t know that. But it didn’t mean I was signing up for pain and torture, either. I continued to limp along the wall, going as fast as I could go. He was playing with me. I knew it. But as long as I stayed out of reach, I wasn’t suffering under his hands.

“Do you think Josephine will forgive you?” I asked, looking towards the dungeon, trying not to look back.

I heard the Duke’s footsteps stop. I paused a moment and looked over my shoulder.
I thought that someone had stopped him or he had thought about my question and just walked away but he hadn’t. He stood there with his hands over his mouth smiling and laughing at me.

“For stealing away the opportunity to kill me herself,” I said, my eyebrows raised in innocent curiosity, “to avenge her brother’s death with her own two hands,”

That’s what I had wanted to see. A moment of pause. The smile dropped slowly away from his face and I watched the doubt sink into place. He hadn’t thought about it before but that worrisome look on his face told me he considered it now. I hadn’t known Josephine. I had only met her once. But after meeting her, I wouldn’t have put it past Josephine to kill the Duke for stealing away her chance at revenge instead of celebrating him.

I continued to watch the Duke, waiting to see what his choice would be. Would he pursue me or would he take the opportunity to waltz into the well-lit social atmosphere of the castle and Robert’s company, leaving me to safely retreat to the dungeon? I watched the doubt etch into every inch of his face. His hands came away from his mouth and rested momentarily at his chin as his eyes cast downward to the floor in contemplation. He shifted one foot behind him, as though turning to leave and put a hand up with one pointed finger, poised to speak.

“You know, Princess, now that I’ve considered it,” said the Duke, all trace of emotion drained away from his face as I held my breath, waiting for him to go, “I think Josephine would be extremely upset…if I left you alive,”

My eyes went wide. His emotionless face burst to life in a chaotic and sadistic rage as the foot that had been behind him swung forward in a lunge.  I turned quickly to hobble as fast as I could away from him. I had gambled too much.

What had been a slow game of cat and mouse had transformed into the chase of the fox and the hare, and an injured hare at that. I didn’t make it beyond two steps before I felt his hands grasping the back of my neck and my hair with both of his hands.

My body went completely tense, unsure of what to expect. He had grabbed me awkwardly from behind. I tried my best to scratch his hands, to tear up his fists so that he would relax his grip enough that I might wiggle free. But he only chuckled a low, throaty laugh as I struggled. I felt my feet come out from beneath me as the Duke lifted me off of the dirt and straw floor. I kicked wildly, only managing to kick a small tuft of straw away from me before I couldn’t reach the floor at all anymore.

“Let me go,” I said, “The Queen will kill you for this,” I threatened.

“The Queen was going to kill me anyway,” said the Duke, a raw anger revealed in his tone - not one shrouded in a laugh or disguised with a false smile but a deep-in-the-belly kind of hatred fueled anger.