บท 50: Secrets
The guardsman's blood had dried, staining the carpet in front of Nikolai's office a deep crimson. The dagger which ended his life jutted out from his neck, glistening with a radiant force, its magic slowly fading away with each passing moment. The reminder of magical abilities tore at Elya's heart and she squeezed her clenched fist tightly.
After the guard was found dead, Alexis had burst into Elya's chambers in the morning, fear apparent on her face. Panicked, she grasped Elya's shoulder and broke the news: Nikolai was missing.
When the maid responsible for taking care of Nikolai went to wake him up and found his bed clean and tidy, she headed to his office. Apparently he'd fallen asleep at his desk on many occasions, but her screams on spotting the body alerted the mansion and in short order, guards were prowling the halls, keeping everyone away from the office.
The tired guard Captain overseeing the crime scene growled at Alexis when they arrived. He refused to let the Knights Alexis had rounded up for Elya's security through. Angered, Elya lashed out, ordering everyone to stand down while she approached the room herself.
With only a cursory glance at the unfortunate corpse, she pushed the heavy doors open and stepped into the mess that was Nikolai's office. Papers and strange artefacts lay scattered randomly as if they'd been whipped around by a mighty wind. Scorch marks and dents covered the walls, like something had tried to burn the room down yet failed and in its frustration lashed out with inhuman strength.
She caught sight of one of Petrov's distinctive handkerchiefs lying to the side in a pool of blood, beside shattered cupboards. It looked like the Commander had put up a fight before he was taken. She moved to the upturned chair Nikolai had used only a few hours ago to lecture her, a soft smile coming to her face. A glint of metal caught her eye and Elya bent to pick up an intricate glass which had rolled under the desk. It still carried the scent of some sort of fruity alcoholic drink. Probably cider. Nikolai refused to take anything else containing alcohol unless he was forced.
And only the Emperor could force him to drink.
Setting the chair upright, she sat down, gazing at the state of the office. A shattered window frame indicated the assailants entry point and the melted bricks around the opening were reminiscent of the aftermath of one Nikolai's lightning strikes. He'd responded quickly it seemed, but whatever had come through would have caught him by surprise.
This was the reason mages were always carefully protected.
Swift physical force could bring down even the most powerful magic wielder.
"It should have been impossible to get to him here." Alexis said as she walked in with Jarek at her side.
"Why?" Elya could barely muster any force in her voice. Only dread remained at the possible horrors her fiancée could be facing. If the Vilinian's had him… she shuddered at the thought. If there was one person they wanted revenge on more than anyone, it was Nikolai. Their veneer of restraint would snap in the face of his knowledge.
"Jarek should explain." Alexis waved at the boy.
Jarek seemed to have cried, eyes and nose still red, sniffing with every breath.
"Tell me Jarek." Elya tried to be soothing, but Alexis' awkward stare proved she'd failed.
"The Khan… he has wards set up around the office." Jarek rubbed his eyes, wiping tears away with his sleeve. "It's impossible to get through."
"Someone got through. Tell the Lady what you explained about backlash." Alexis whispered, gesturing for the boy to continue.
"The sort of wards he set up can't be broken. If they try, it would set off all sorts of alarms. Or even explode. It's even possible that the attackers would be hit by a… rebound."
"So?"
"So, if they weren't able to get in without alerting the entire mansion, they had to be inside already." Alexis explained slowly, eyeing Elya with suspicion.
"Do we know if he's still…" Elya's voice caught, unwilling to finish the question.
"As I understand it, we can be sure he's… fine." Alexis cast an odd glance towards Jarek. "The children of the Great Dragon are connected to him in some way."
"The Khan protects." The boy piped up, a little colour returning to his face. "And we serve."
"You're certain?" Elya whispered, eyes flashing with hope.
"My Master will definitely be alright." Jarek declared fiercely. "The Banners will move to protect him."
Elya barely noticed the change in his mode of address, churning at the possibilities. Calling on the Dragon Lords would be disastrous politically, but without Nikolai it wouldn't matter anyway. With her mind set she gave orders.
"The mansion's already been locked down but get that guard Captain to check everyone who came in or out. Jarek, you're the only mage we have and I have no idea what to look for so just start looking for clues. Let me know what you find. In Nikolai's absence I still retain authority over the forces deployed in town and I accept your proposal to call on the Dragon Lords." Elya's flat tone echoed around the room and Alexis flinched. She opened her mouth, maybe to offer sympathy or advice but Elya's glare snapped her jaw shut and she gave a curt bow, dragging Jarek out of the room with her.
The timing of the attack was perfect. The Hand known as Seven had been dispatched only earlier in the day, leaving Nikolai without a bodyguard. A terrifying oversight even if it was unfathomable anyone would try to attack the Count within his own mansion.
Despair cast its shadow over her heart. The happiness they'd shared over the last few weeks so quickly shattered. Elya wanted to curl up and cry, but deep down she knew her abilities would be priceless. The quill Nikolai described as his favourite, created from the feathers of some ancient bird whose name she couldn't remember, remained in its stand, somehow surviving the struggle. Her finger caressed the soft feathers, and despair slowly turned to rage, bubbling deep within.
"Does the offer still stand?" Elya said suddenly to the empty room, not looking up from the quill. Her scar throbbed in pain and a faint presence appeared behind her.
"As long as the sssituation remainsss the sssame. The offer will ssstand." A hissing voice wormed its way into her ear, while a small gust of wind rose in the room, gently raising her hair.
"Then tell the Savant I agree. So long as Nikolai is protected."
"Agreed." The voice declared, its normally dry tone containing a hint of excitement.
"So many secrets." She whispered once the presence vanished. "Please come back quickly Nikolai. I don't want to hide from you anymore."
The Black Hand was tied closer to Elya than even Eva realised. After her visit to the Rose Building the… voice… appeared with an offer from the mysterious leader of the organisation: The Savant. In exchange for assisting their development in the Empire, Elya would receive access to not only the Konstanz coven but the Black Hand's entire operation in the Empire. The deal seemed too good to be true.
And it was.
For some reason the Savant had determined the Empire to be the best nation for it to utilise for its great goal and Elya and Nikolai its ideal agents. A goal which it refused to explain, only claiming it wouldn't harm the Empire. However, Nikolai's nature as a True Imperial made him difficult to approach.
Which left Elya.
She'd ignored the offer until now.
She loved Nikolai.
Somehow, in this moment, she wasn't afraid to admit it. All she knew was that without him nothing made sense. If she had to watch the nation burn for him… she would.
A fierce smile flashed across her face at the thought. Her father would be surprised at her behaviour. Not her mother though.
No.
Her mother would understand.
A few weeks could change everything you knew.
With a deep sigh, Elya shuffled through Nikolai's random notes, tracing the confusing magical terms with her eyes. She didn't care that it made no sense to her. Seeing his handwriting soothed some of the anger within, making her eyes sting and heart surge with waves of emotion.
Cradling the quill in her arms Elya curled up on his chair, pulling deeply on her aura, slowly filling every fibre of being with Draconic essence.
Whoever took Nikolai would regret it.
ความคิดของผู้สร้าง 
lewstherin
lewstherin So, the last chapter brought about reactions I'd hoped for! Seems some of you caught the hints about Petrov already.
This chapter continues in that vein. Secrets abound!
Thanks for the support and hang on as we move onto the final arc in this volume.
Btw, Overcooked 2 was released today and Monster Hunter World for PC is day after tomorrow... A great month for gaming!
สถานะพลังงานรายสัปดาห์
-- การจัดอันดับด้วยพลัง 
-- หินพลัง