The Morning Star Part 13

I glanced around, trying to fight the panic that was fluttering in my chest. There was nowhere for me to run. The tiny chamber had only the one door, guarded by the Grigori.

The Grigori. "You can carry the Morning Star. Both you and Konstantin can walk the lands of the living as well as the lands of the dead." My heart filled with dread. She was the Queen of Swords.

"Yes. And soon we will find Papus, and then we will retrieve the sword. My Konstantin will carry it back to St. Petersburg. He will lead the Grigori to battle against the bogatyr and his precious Light Court queen. And I will be empress, Katerina. You, my dear, have missed your opportunity."

I ducked around one of the columns as she leapt at me. I dodged the lich tsar and grabbed the handle of the door. I whispered the Sheult spell under my breath, but I only managed to draw a few wisps of darkness around me. I was too scared to concentrate.

The Grigori would no doubt chase me, but at least I had a chance outside of the tiny sanctuary. I tore open the door and my body collided with someone standing in the inner hall of the temple. Hands grabbed me by the arms. I screamed.

"Katiya?" The familiar face looking down at me in shock was the most beautiful face in the world.

"George!" I pushed him back so I could close the door to the sanctuary. But it was too late. Konstantin and Johanna rushed out after me, stopping as they saw a band of Grigori and the tsar's two sons, sabers drawn. Papus stood behind them, a pistol in one hand and a spell book in the other. He gave me a cheeky salute with the pistol. I scowled at him.

The Grigori who'd been guarding the door were nowhere to be seen. I did not know if George and the others had frightened them off or if they'd fought. I hadn't heard any sort of scuffle in the hall from inside the sanctuary, but then again, I'd been quite distracted.

I wanted nothing more than to fall into George's arms and cover him with kisses. But the lich tsar and his newly risen consort had to be stopped. And I was afraid ordinary weapons were not going to be enough.

"Sheult Anubis!" I shouted, this time not manipulating my own shadows but those of George and Nicholas. They momentarily vanished from sight.

"You can't protect them, d.u.c.h.ess," Konstantin shouted. He had fed off Mala's blood and now his powers as a lich tsar were stronger than before. He threw the dagger and it cut straight through the shadows, scattering them into oblivion. My heart stopped in my throat. The dagger missed hitting anyone, but now George and Nicholas were no longer hidden.

Johanna had not fed, so she was still weak from her journey back to the land of the living. Mala's body had spilled a lot of blood, and then the lich tsar had drunk from her as well. Johanna would need more blood soon. It had been far too long since her soul had been locked away.

I tried to stay between her and the Romanov brothers. At least, I thought gratefully, she did not carry the Morning Star right now. I had to keep her and Konstantin away from Papus. Since both had returned from the land of the dead, there was nothing to prevent them from traveling across the Graylands. And if they entered the Graylands, there was no way we could return to St. Petersburg in time to stop them from attacking the tsar.

Konstantin was drawing a magic circle around himself and Johanna while she fought off the Grigori. The creatures did not have blood, so she could not feed from them. She would have to attack me or George or Nicholas. Or Papus, who was standing behind a pillar, shouting out spells and trying to shoot the lich tsar. Princess Cantacuzene decided to try for the tsarevitch.

"Nicky, why are you trying to hurt me?" she asked, batting her eyes. She pulled back her head covering and shook her black curls loose.

"Mathilde?" The tsarevitch was confused for only a moment, but she used it to her advantage.

Johanna pushed him back against one of the columns, her fangs and claws out to attack.

George rushed at her with his saber. "Katerina, why is the ballerina from the Mariinsky Theater trying to eat my brother?"

"Because Princess Cantacuzene came back from the dead and has taken over her body," I shouted over the fighting. The Grigori kept coming at Konstantin but were unable to get past his magical defenses. He was chanting something, but I could not make out what it was over the rest of the noise in the room. George reached Nicholas and the two of them circled the princess. She was backed into the circle with Konstantin.

"No, wait!" I yelled, but as soon as her feet entered his sacred circle, the lich tsar grabbed her arm and the two of them disappeared in a blinding flash of cold light.

"Merde!" I said. There was no way of telling where they had gone. "We've lost them. But they will be back. I'm sure of it. They need Papus to reach the Morning Star. He's the only mage initiated who can access the seventh gate in the Graylands."

George helped his brother up from the ground, where he'd been knocked in the fighting. He brushed the dust off of his jacket and loosened the top b.u.t.tons so he could breathe easily. "Now, Katerina, start at the beginning."

Papus took the Grigori and went into the altar sanctuary to look around. Bewildered, Nicholas followed them.

I took a deep breath. But before I could start, George interrupted me again.

"No, wait." He walked over to me calmly, took me up in his arms, and kissed me. Pa.s.sionately. "Do you have any idea how crazy I've been looking for you?" he murmured. "I never should have taken you out of Russia. I'm so sorry, Katiya."

I put my fingers on his lips, my forehead touching his. "It's not your fault, I promise. He would have found me in St. Petersburg just as easily."

"Danilo wouldn't dare be seen in the city. He would just be arrested again."

"He's not really Danilo anymore. Konstantin was bonded to him through the ascension ritual, and slowly, the lich tsar has taken over."

"Did he hurt you?" George's blue eyes searched my face anxiously. "I don't care who he really is. I promise I will kill him if he touched you."

I shook my head. "He needed me ... untouched for the ritual. But he kept saying we were going to be married. I think he was going to use my body to bring back Princess Cantacuzene. But the Talisman of Isis protected me somehow. So he ended up sacrificing Mala instead."

George didn't let go of me. His kisses were possessive. "The ballerina? How did she get involved in all of this?"

"She was a loyal servant of the princess. Years ago, Johanna saved her mother's life. Mala was a wild fae. She did not belong to either of the Petersburg courts."

"And did she flirt with my brother at the princess's command?"

I shook my head again. "At Danilo's. Or Konstantin's. She was supposed to be dangling after both of you."

George's short laugh made my heart dance a mazurka. "She never had a chance with me," he said, his lips traveling up the side of my jaw. "Especially when you run around dressed like this. I take it this is the rage of Egyptian fas.h.i.+on?"

I laughed, despite the tears running down my face. I'd forgotten all about the ridiculous priestess costume I was wearing. "I don't know what Mala did with my clothes. I had boots and stockings when we arrived at Abydos."

He swept me up in his arms with one more heart-stopping kiss. "I'm sure we'll find them somewhere."

"Georgi?" The tsarevitch returned from inside the sanctuary with the scroll in his hand. There was blood smeared on it. "I think you should take a look at this."

George did not put me down but leaned closer to see the paper his brother held out.

"That's the spell he made me read," I said. "He told me he needed to speak with the spirit of the one who had carried the sword last. I had no idea that person would be Princess Cantacuzene. Or that he would kill Mala."

I realized I was shaking. George stroked my bare arm comfortingly.

"This is from the Book of the Dead," he said. I nodded. "We found the fragment of papyrus in the caves at Giza. After we fought off Ankh-al-Sekhem."

"Who is-" Nicholas started to ask.

"The Ankh-al-Sekhem who lived three thousand years ago?" Papus interrupted, joining us again.

I nodded in wonder, amazed that he recognized the name. "Konstantin was trying to get information out of him."

George's face clouded. "Papus and I tried to speak with Ankh-al-Sekhem in the Graylands. But we were unable to find him."

Only because I'd accidentally helped the Egyptian return to life. But I did not think George needed to hear about my adventures with the crown prince in Cairo. "You went to the Graylands? It's too dangerous!" I said. "Especially with your illness."

George shook his head, dismissing my concern. "It needed to be done. Even if it was unsuccessful. You say only Papus can access the sword?"

I nodded. " 'Past the seven gates of heaven, the Morning Star lies, betwixt the steadfast darkness and the unfailing light.' That is what the sphinx in Cairo told us."

"The seven gates of Isis," Papus said, rubbing his chin. "Of course. But I am not the only mage initiated in the highest degree of the Egyptian mysteries."

I looked at the Frenchman in alarm. "Danilo said you were the only one he knew of. How can we trust you? You tried to kill me in Cairo."

Papus shook his head gravely. "My apologies, d.u.c.h.ess. You were never in danger from me. We wanted the crown prince to believe we were working separately. It was for your protection. But it's true that I am not the only qualified mage for the ritual. The grand duke finished his initiation last month."

George finally put me back down but kept a protective arm around my waist. "What is required of me?" he asked. "I'd been led to believe only a necromancer could carry the Morning Star."

Papus looked at me. "If you are correct about the sphinx's riddle, it sounds as if there must be both a mage and a necromancer to retrieve the sword."

"I thought it took years of study in order to be initiated past the seven gates," I said. "George, how did you push through so quickly?"

"Russia is in danger. My father is in danger," he said, his blue eyes boring into mine as he squeezed my hand. "You are in danger. I needed to finish my studies and return to St. Petersburg as swiftly as possible."

Papus looked guilty. "I told him it was foolish, but he was stubborn, d.u.c.h.ess. Even when his health seemed at the brink of collapse, he refused to quit."

I gave a little cry and looked from the Frenchman to the grand duke. "What have you done to yourself?" I demanded. If he was truly as powerful as Papus now, what was the cost to his health?

"We know where to find the seven gates, Your Imperial Highness," Papus said.

I looked behind him and noticed the Grigori had regathered. They seemed tense. And excited.

I was grateful that George had found me. But I also hated that he and Papus had been searching for me instead of the Morning Star. I did not want him distracted from what was important. Stopping Konstantin and protecting the tsar was most imperative.

"Let me go to the Graylands with Papus, then," I said. "He can get me through the seven gates and I will bring back the sword."

"Fine. I'm going with you." George spotted the bundle containing my clothes and picked them up for me.

"You can't," I said. "It's too dangerous."

"Too dangerous for you to travel without me, Katiya." He pulled me close to him once more. "I can't lose you again. I am not letting go of you until we are husband and wife."

A hot flush crept over my skin. "You still want to marry me? No one will believe that Danilo did not compromise me. Even if Mala was with us, pretending to be my chaperone."

"I don't give a d.a.m.n about that. Unless you've changed your mind about us?" he said, his faerie blue eyes s.h.i.+mmering with silver specks. He was trying to read my thoughts.

I stood on my tiptoes to kiss him. "Never." I would never stop loving my grand duke.

"Then we should be married now," he said. "Before we leave Egypt."

I held out the folds of my theatrical gown. I was wearing white already, but the hem was stained with Mala's blood. "This can't be a good omen," I said.

George was not superst.i.tious. "You look beautiful," he rea.s.sured me.

"But we should stop the lich tsar and Princess Cantacuzene first," I said. "They will come after Papus. He's in danger."

The French mage only smiled at this and shook his head.

George took my hand and raised it to his lips. "Marry me first, Katiya. Papus and the sword are both safe from Konstantin, I swear to you."

There was a Coptic monastery between the ruins of Abydos and the riverside town of Belianeh, where a much nicer priest than the one in Riga listened to our confessions. He looked at my odd dress curiously but thankfully did not notice my bare feet. George showed him the papers he'd brought from St. Petersburg: copies of both of our baptism records and the letter the priest in St. Petersburg had written, stating that we were both of legal age and unmarried to anyone else.

Brother Ananias looked younger than his fellow priests, but his beard was still peppered with gray. He was dressed in a simple black ca.s.sock with a black turban covering his head. His dark brown eyes were kind as he gestured for me to sit with him in the empty, quiet kitchen. "I can see that your heart is troubled, d.u.c.h.ess. And you have the Grigori with you. Are you in danger?"

He knew about the Watchers, I realized with a start. Could he know about the other creatures that walked among us? Since the monastery was built just outside the ruins of an ancient pagan temple, I wondered how often the priests had encountered mages searching for lost knowledge. Did he know of the blood drinkers and the fae as well? "Have you encountered any members of the Order of the Black Lily?" I asked tentatively.

"You are safe here, d.u.c.h.ess," he said, smiling. "No creature can harm you within the walls of our sanctuary. Now, tell me what burdens your soul."

I breathed a sigh of relief and before I could stop myself, everything tumbled out. I'd been holding it all in for so long. My terrible gift, the undead creatures I'd made, and the lies I'd told to hide my secret from my loved ones. And worst of all, the terrible things that Danilo had made me do in the ancient crypt. I'd been an accomplice to a murder. I confessed it all to the Coptic monk.

Brother Ananias frowned when I finished telling him about Konstantin's plot. "For the Grigori to be divided and fighting against each other is not right. They chafe under the bonds of the Morning Star."

"I've been told the sword cannot be destroyed," I said. "Is that true? Would destroying the Morning Star free the Grigori?"

"It would free them from the bindings of the sword," Brother Ananias said thoughtfully, "and they would no longer have to serve the bearer of the sword, but it would not end their curse. Because of their rebellion, they can never return to heaven. But without the sword urging them to fight, they would remain only as Watchers and would no longer be compelled to interfere in our petty human battles.

"I'm afraid, however," he continued, "that a sword forged in Heaven is indeed impossible to destroy. Besides, you need to carry the sword and lead the Grigori if you wish to defeat Konstantin."

"It's the sword of Lucifer," I said. "I don't want to stain my soul any more if I can help it. If we can prevent Konstantin from using the sword, won't that be enough?"

Brother Ananias took my hands in his. The skin on his palms and fingers was rough, and I imagined him working in the monastery gardens, patiently tending the roses that grew in this harsh land. "I do not feel you have to worry about your soul, Katerina Alexandrovna. The ancient Egyptians believed when a person died, his or her heart was weighed against a feather. The heart that was judged pure would not weigh more than the feather. I do not believe there is any malice in your heart, d.u.c.h.ess. I am certain it is pure."

"But I have brought the dead back to life and disturbed their rest," I said in protest. I could not possibly be forgiven for these things, could I? "I belong to the Dark Court."

"G.o.d dwells in both the thick darkness and the unfailing light," Brother Ananias said. His words were eerily close to those of the sphinx. It made the hair stand up on the back of my neck. "Your gift was given to you by G.o.d, and no one can fathom what G.o.d has planned for him or her. Not even you, necromancer."

My heart did feel lighter after our talk. Even if I knew there was still darkness ahead. Brother Ananias made the sign of the cross over me and together we recited the Lord's Prayer. I left the kitchen with a new sense of hope, and George gave my hand a gentle squeeze as he pa.s.sed me on his way to confess to the monk. He did not take nearly as long this time as he had with the priest in Riga.

Following the Coptic tradition, George and I entered the simple chapel together, holding hands. I carried a small bouquet of Nile lilies and damask roses, picked for me by one of the men in the monastery's sunken garden. The scent was heavenly.

Nicholas Alexandrovich was happy to stand up for his brother. Amin, my donkey, and the little boy from the village waited outside the monastery with the Grigori. Papus stood quietly in the shadows in the back of the sanctuary. I knew he was anxious to find the sword. I was too, and I was worried about facing Konstantin and Johanna again. But George stood beside me with a rea.s.suring smile. Everything was going to be all right in the end. Or so we hoped.

Our ceremony was much simpler than it would have been if we'd been married in St. Petersburg. I remembered Grand d.u.c.h.ess Militza's wedding to my cousin. She'd worn a silver gown embroidered with pearls and the jewel-encrusted Romanov nuptial crown with a veil of lace. The ceremony had taken place in the great Orthodox chapel at Peterhof Palace. It had lasted for hours as we stood in the crowded chapel in the summer, made even hotter by banks of burning candles.

Brother Ananias chanted the litany in a beautiful ba.s.s voice as the other monks lit incense and chanted the responses. Everything became a blur after that. It had been days since I'd had a proper meal, and the exhaustion I felt from escaping Konstantin and Johanna earlier that morning had finally caught up with me.

I remember repeating the words that the priest asked me to. I remember him blessing two golden rings, and I remember the smoky fog from the incense. I remember the embroidered capes they draped on both George's and my shoulders. I remember the simple crowns placed on each of our heads, to symbolize our roles as the king and queen of our newly created household.

George held my hand and placed the golden ring upon my finger. I remember feeling nothing but happiness when George kissed me as his wife. "I will love you always, Katiya," he whispered. At last, I felt a sense of peace.

We took the train back north, which was slightly faster than the trip by boat. The railroad line began at a.s.siut, several miles north of Abydos, so we used the hired steamer to bridge the gap. The dragoman was not sorry that Danilo was absent from our party. He accepted the extra gold offered by the tsarevitch, and within an hour we were boarding the train. I'd changed back into my blue traveling dress. I'd never been so happy to wear stockings and shoes in my life. George ordered the Grigori to see to my trunk.

"That is not necessary," I said. "There's nothing in there that I want to keep. Except this," I said, picking up the French copy of A Necromancer's Companion. "And this," I added, stuffing the medical book from the bazaar into a small suitcase Nicholas had purchased for me. I would repay the tsarevitch for the luggage and repay Danilo for the book. I did not want to have a reason to feel obligated to anyone.

At my request, the Grigori took the trunk to the local orphanage where the nuns would distribute the clothing among the poor. Everything except for the almost-indecent negligee, of course, and even that I hoped could be torn apart and made into infant's clothing or a child's dress. But now I would be faced with a similar dilemma. I did not want to feel obligated to George for buying new clothes for me, even if we were now husband and wife. I could not get over how pleased I was with how that sounded.

"The bride should be able to provide her own trousseau," I said, feeling ridiculous. George could not stop grinning. We made a ridiculous couple. And it made me grin too.

"Think of it as a wedding present," his brother Nicholas suggested with a kind smile. He seemed happy to help us get married, even if he knew the trouble we would face when we reached St. Petersburg. I only hoped he would not share in our punishment.

We stayed in the dining car all night as the train rolled north in the darkness. Neither of us suggested moving to the sleeping car. As Nicholas and Papus discussed the merits of Polish and French ballerinas at their own table, I fell asleep against George's strong shoulder, hardly able to believe that we were together again after everything. My hand clasped in his, I dreamed of a future we might have after all.