Blinding Beauty (53 page)

Rafael stood at the front of the
raised steps, a few feet in front of the gilded thrones. Bronkendol
stood close to the back, partly in the shadows. Soldiers were
everywhere, some even on the steps of the dais itself. But where
was Launce?

When they had reached the front of
the room, Isa and Ever were turned to face the crowd. Isa scanned
the people to see who was there. The kings, queens, and nobles who
had been visiting Rafael’s court hissed and shouted for the
impostors’ deaths. The Fortress nobles and servants openly wept,
but there were faces from Soudain that showed neither anger nor
sorrow, but rather, frightened bewilderment. Friends and
acquaintances looked back and forth from Isa to Ever. They had no
purple light in their eyes, and their uncertainty was clear. Isa
wondered if Bronkendol would be able to fool everyone without the
use of his shards. From the looks on the Destinians’ faces, it
seemed highly unlikely, and Isa suppressed a smile.

“
These sorcerers infiltrated my
castle with their dark powers,” Rafael said. “They took it upon
themselves to imitate your king and queen, before brutally
murdering Everard and Isabelle in their room at night, even after I
had helped Isa recover from her illness.” Another gasp went up from
the crowd, and several more people started to weep. Still, most of
those from Soudain continued to only look confused.

Finally, one man stood. A cobbler.
Isa’s mother used to take Launce to him for shoes because he was
the only cobbler who could keep up with the feisty young man. He
was also on the city council with her father. Twisting his hat in
his hands as he spoke, the poor man looking everywhere but at
Rafael himself.

“
The king and queen were strong...
The Fortress made them that way. I don’t... I don’t think they
could be killed so easily.” He swallowed. “Besides, if these two
were strong enough to overtake our king, then how is it that you
have them captured here?”

Isa both rejoiced and feared at
the same time. Would Bronkendol or Rafael punish the cobbler for
such questions?

“
Good questions, good sir,” Rafael
said in a kind voice. “That brings me to my second announcement. I
want to introduce you all to the holy man who has succeeded in
subduing such villains.”

Bronkendol stepped forward. Unlike
when he went to visit Isa in the dungeons, he now wore a silk robe
of ice purple. It was an unusual cut, but it reminded Isa somewhat
of the ancient statues in the gardens, the earliest ones of the
first Fortress kings. Without speaking, he merely gave a slight
smile and bow to the crowd, before flicking his wrist. Glass spikes
grew up around the two of them until the spikes reached two heads
taller than Ever, imprisoning them both. Exclamations broke out,
and the crowd shifted uneasily. Bronkendol moved his wrist once
more, and the glass spikes disappeared.

The cobbler, visibly shaken, said
nothing more and sat down.

“
Because Everard was so dear to
me,” Rafael said, taking control of the situation once more, “I
feel as though it is my responsibility to bring a new king to
Destin’s throne, as there is no heir. He is new and young, and yet,
not an unfamiliar soul. One I believe your late queen could not
have approved of more. And by his side, I present my own daughter.”
Looking back with a proud smile, he raised his hand.

Isa looked back as well, and her
heart fell as Launce and Olivia stepped forward. She hadn’t seen
them in the corner before, but now they were impossible to look
away from. The Fortress’s ceremonial robe was too big on Launce’s
thin shoulders, and his face was a sickly pale, but he stood beside
Rafael nevertheless. Olivia was dressed in Isa’s ceremonial gown,
but her eyes also showed her to be under the enchanter’s
control.

Despite her resolution to wait,
Isa felt like screaming inside. Don’t allow him to accept, she
begged the Fortress. Let him know You’re watching! Please don’t let
my brother die!

“
Your queen’s younger brother,
Launce Marchand of Soudain, has proven himself a worthy successor
in my own country at my daughter’s betrothal ceremony.” Looking
back once more, he smiled indulgently.

In a movement so small she nearly
missed it, Isa saw Bronkendol place his hand inside of his robe
pocket at his side. Something small and silver glinted from inside,
and as soon as he rubbed it, Isa knew what it was.

She had to get that
mirror.

As soon as Bronkendol’s fingers
touched the mirror, Rafael’s expression changed back to one of
ceremony.

“
And so, to bring justice to the
needless deaths of King Everard and Queen Isabelle Fortier of
Destin, your future king shall be the one to put these traitors to
death.”

Bronkendol stepped forward once
more and handed Launce a sword of pure glass. Launce looked at the
weapon in his hands with wide eyes. The two hooded guards reached
out and turned Isa and Ever roughly so they faced the
dais.

No. No, no, no. Surely the
Fortress would not allow this. Being slaughtered with her husband
as criminals was a fate harsh enough. But to expect Launce, her
gentle-spirited brother, to be the one to spill their blood? What
kind of hold did the enchanter have on her brother? Who had he
threatened for Launce to be considering such a sin?

“
And who has authorized such a
change?” Ever’s voice was loud and strong. Launce froze and stared
at them, but Bronkendol glided forward and answered in a steady
voice.

“
Who can speak for the Maker? For
the Fortress?” Then he turned to the crowd. “My power may not be as
impressive as your former king’s was,” the enchanter said in a calm
voice, “but it is a power from the Maker no less.”

“
And I suppose that is what you
told the holy men in Lingea?” Ever threw off his robe and broke his
shackles in the same movement. Hushed whimpers sounded from some in
the crowd, but Ever stared only at the enchanter, his red eyes
flashing even without the blue fire that was hidden beneath them.
Several of the guards pulled their swords, including the hooded
guard nearest Ever.

“
Ever!” Isa squeaked as the rope
tightened around her neck.

But Ever kept on. “All ten of
them, found dead in a field with glass spikes in their hearts! What
did they do to earn such horrible deaths? Did they dare question
your claim to the Maker’s words?”

“
And what proof do you have of
this?” Bronkendol asked in a cool voice, his hands folded in front
of him.

Ever reached into his cloak and
drew out a glass spike the length of a grown man’s arm. How had he
gotten such a thing? Isa wondered. Hadn’t he been stuck in the
dungeons as well?

“
How did this find its way into
one of my messengers?” Ever hurled the spike at the enchanter’s
feet, where it shattered. Bronkendol stared at the broken pieces
below him, while the crowd began to make uneasy sounds. Isa turned
as well as she could in the noose, and she could see the people
moving about as though they were wishing to run.

What was Ever up to? Clearly, he
thought he had the upper hand. If so, then why was he waiting so
long? And, Isa thought, why hadn’t he freed her yet?

“
They discovered you, didn’t
they?” Ever shouted. “When you traveled between realms, the true
holy men saw through the tear in the worlds. And you saw fit to
silence them before they could leak news of your little secret to
others. What you forgot, however, was that the Maker does no look
lightly upon the murder of His children. And you, sir, have more
blood on your hands than any of my ancestors ever had!”

Then, as Bronkendol shifted
uncomfortably throughout Ever’s rant, Isa saw the glint of silver
in his pocket again. The mirror. That was why Ever hadn’t struck
yet. He needed to get the mirror to free the others from the
enchanter’s grasp. She recalled his words on the road, about how
hard it would be to fight friends and loved ones who were under the
direction of their enemy. It would be a blood bath. Ever was
stalling.

“
Launce,” Ever called up to her
brother. His voice was kinder this time. Launce, who was still
gaping at the glass weapon in his hands, had to be called three
times more before he looked up to meet Ever’s eyes. “I know he’s
threatened your family. But you must trust the Fortress. Do not
commit a sin that will haunt you forever. No matter what he’s
promised you.”

Once more, the rope tightened
around Isa’s neck, causing her to make a small choking sound.
Launce watched her with fearful eyes.

“
Launce,” Ever’s voice had a
warning tone to it. “Remember what happened to me when I tried to
shed innocent blood!”

But Launce didn’t answer. Closing
his eyes, he gripped the hilt of the glass sword until his knuckles
turned white. Isa watched in horror as her brother walked slowly
down the steps towards her husband. Please! she pleaded. Don’t let
him do this!

As she cried out inside, a
movement caught her eye. Her hooded guard had moved up so that he
was beside her, and Isa was able to glimpse just enough of the face
beneath the hood to recognize Garin’s slightly cleft chin. He gave
her the smallest ghost of a smile before turning his attention back
to Launce.

As Launce continued to move
forward, Bronkendol walked forward as well, staying in line with
the young man, and Isa decided not to wait and find out what would
happen next. She didn’t know what Ever and Garin had planned, but
she was done watching her brother try to kill her husband. Whirling
around as fast as she could, Isa knocked the rope from the Garin’s
hand, and fell into Bronkendol, clutching the bottom of his
robe.

“
Your Holiness!” she begged as
pitifully as she could, clawing at his robes pitifully. “Just let
him be! Don’t make my brother do this! I beg you!” She allowed
herself to collapse at his feet, sobbing. Bronkendol bent down and
whispered,

“
You had your chance. Now let him
have his.” With that, he motioned to Isa’s guard, and Garin hurried
forward to take charge of his prisoner. Isa went willingly, but
wanted to sing and dance with rejoicing as she tightened her
fingers over the little mirror in her hand.

In one smooth movement, Garin’s
hood was thrown back, and he tossed Ever’s sword over Isa’s head.
At the same time, the hooded guard keeping watch over Ever threw
his hood back as well. Apu, Queen Kartek’s personal guard,
maneuvered to cover Ever’s back. Garin grabbed a stunned Launce and
Isa, who was still bound, and the group of five began to run
towards the doors. Launce paused, looking back at Olivia, but she
was nowhere to be seen in the chaos that suddenly erupted from the
crowd.

Unfortunately, even without the
mirror, it seemed the enchanter’s orders were still in effect. The
soldiers, and even the kings and nobles from the other lands took
up their weapons and gave chase. Isa ran as fast as she could, but
the question plagued her even as they moved. How would they destroy
the mirror?

“
Isa!” Ever’s shout came just in
time. Isa ducked, just missing the swipe of a club from above. Men,
and even some women, came from every direction, and somehow, they
had all found weapons. Ever’s blue fire was a blur as he moved from
side to side. Apu wasn’t much slower. Even Garin fought with
increasing speed. Launce and Isa stood between the other three,
although Isa wished to the heavens that someone would give her a
sword.

“
We can’t stay here forever,”
Garin called out over his shoulder. They had been shoved up against
a marble column, their progress stalled as the three men tried to
hold off their attackers without drawing blood. “Where are we
going, Everard?”

“
To the tower!” was Ever’s reply.
He stepped out just enough for Isa to move behind him. In that
instant, she saw the clearance to the stairs. Miraculously, there
was a break in the waves of men, and Isa took it. Ducking beneath
Garin and around Apu, she grabbed Launce’s hand and dragged him
towards the stairs. He fought her though. When she looked back, she
could see him staring above the chaos at the room where Olivia
still stood.

“
We can’t help her until the
mirror is gone!” She shouted at him. When he didn’t respond, she
tugged hard on his arm. “Launce!”

As if waking from a dream, Launce
slowly nodded and began to follow her. It was just in time, too,
for the brawl was nearly to the base of the tower
stairs.

If they could destroy this
accursed mirror anywhere, it would be in the Tower of
Annals.

CHAPTER
FIFTY-THREE

Shatter

Launce
finally awoke from his stupor and grasped her hand tightly, even
surpassing her as they ran up the winding stairs of the tower.
Ever, Apu, and Garin were following after them, but as Isa and
Launce left them behind, she could hear from the men’s terse
exchanges that the fight wasn’t going well. Angry shouts echoed
from further down the tower stairs as they ran, and her heart
ached. Whose blood would be shed first? Her husband’s? Apu’s? Or
one of their friends being used by the enchanter?

Isa stumbled a few times in the
darkness of the tower, as did Launce, dropping the glass sword
somewhere along the way. But the sounds of clashing metal behind
them left no time to stop and look for it. And so they ran. For the
first time, Isa questioned whether the tower really needed to have
been built so tall.