A Student's Dream (Twisted Cogs Book 1) (20 page)

“
Speaking of the provisionals, we should make sure they’re all asleep,” Vittoria said, and Elena was on her feet in an instant, “Vi, would you mind checking on them?”

“
Of course,” said Vi, her voice identical, “I can see-”

Elena didn’t hear the rest of the sentence, she was already careening down the hallway back to her room. Echoes could move through doors and walls, so if Vi headed for Elena’s room first she would get there before Elena did.

Luck seemed to be with her, and she gently closed the door behind her and threw herself into the bed, biting back a curse as she landed on the wooden mallet she’d left on the sheets. It was hard to regulate her breathing after the mad dash, but Elena closed her eyes and tried to focus on taking deep breaths. Long moments passed, and Elena worried and wondered where Ele had gotten to, as she’d half-expected that he would be waiting for her when she returned to the room. What would they do if the others caught him wandering around the studio?

“
Elena, are you awake?” Vi’s voice was sweet and quiet, but it was so unexpected that Elena almost jumped.

Creepy silent Echoes...
s
he just barely managed to keep her breathing steady, her face peaceful. She wasn’t quite sure how much time passed before Vi spoke again. “Oh hello Ele. I was just checking up on Elena to make sure Vittoria and I hadn’t woken her.”

“
She’s been sleeping all night,” Ele said smoothly, although his voice was a little cold, “I thought I heard something in the courtyard outside so I went out to check on it.”

“
That was probably us. We couldn’t sleep so we went for a walk,” Vi said. Elena cracked an eye to see the Echoes watching each other, sizing each other up with shrewd eyes. A long pause passed, long enough that Elena began to grow uncomfortable.

“
You’re a very good liar,” Ele finally said bluntly.

“
And you’re a very good Echo,” Vi replied, “Elena is lucky to have you to protect her, but you don’t have to be so paranoid about us.”

“
There’s more going on in this studio than you or your Stormtouched are letting on.”

“
Obviously. But you should believe me when I say she’s perfectly safe. No one in the studio wants to harm her. In fact for most of them it’s quite the opposite.”

“
Like I said,” Ele moved past Vi and stood between her and Elena, “you’re a very good liar. I’m not sure I’d believe anything you say. Now if you’ll excuse me, I think I’d like it if you left.”

Elena sat up, but by the time she did Vi had slipped through the door, leaving as silently as she had entered.

Normally it was the pleasant banging of pots and pans just down the hall that woke Elena up, but today it was the jingle of the bell above her head, warning her that Cook had entered the kitchen.

I should’ve taken the bell down,
she mused, staring at the ceiling,
the pots and pans are a nice reminder that I’m part of De Luca’s studio. The bell is a reminder of last night.

“
You’re making your Joanna face,” Ele observed from the seat in the corner of the room. “That usually means you’re about to be either snobby or cranky.”

“
They haven’t told me anything. All of this hidden secret stuff going on at the studio, what I thought was
my
studio, and they haven’t told me anything. From their point of view I’m just a child who they don’t need to give any real answers.”

“
Ah, cranky then. Good. I think we both deserve to be a little cranky.”

“
Do you realize you’ve only been hurt once in your life, and we still don’t know why it happened?”

“
I’m quite aware of that,” Ele rubbed his jaw and winced, “and I’d like an explanation myself.”

The pair shared a look before Elena swung her feet out of bed, glancing around the small room with a glare. The jangling bell meant that Cook and the Rhetors had entered the kitchen, so she should go and start helping them right away. Instead she continued brooding and thought about De Luca and the full garzoni.

“
You’re not thinking about doing something stupid, are you?” Ele asked.

“
I’m thinking about it,” Elena admitted.

“
Something like following them tonight, and seeing for yourself what they’re up to?”

“
Something exactly like that.”

“
Good.”

***

“
Little garzona, you have the face of a demon this morning!” Cook seemed genuinely distressed when Elena entered the kitchen.

“
I’m sorry Cook, I just had...had trouble sleeping last night,” Elena faltered, taking a string of sausages from the ice chest without being asked, “it’s put me in a funk.”

“
You and me both, sister,” Erik scowled from his customary stool in the corner of the kitchen. Now that she noticed, the Rhetorguard
did
look rather horrible. There were deep circles under his eyes, his hair was greasy as if it hadn’t been washed in days, and his left eye twitched.

“
When was the last time you got some sleep, Erik?” Ele asked, taking an empty stool across the large kitchen table from Elena. Garnet was peeling potatoes, but Elena thought she could see his eyes flick from Ele to Erik.

Oh, that’s right...Rhetorguards are Mortalis...

“
When was the last time you had a good night’s sleep, Erik?” Elena repeated her Echo’s question.

“
A full night? Can’t remember the last time,” Erik snarled, “Garnet over there seems committed to working himself to the bone day and night, which would be fine if it didn’t mean I had to be up at all hours alongside him.”

“
Garnet, he makes the kitchens run smooth like butter,” Cook interjected, “every moment he is finding recipes, he is preparing food, he is cleaning kitchen, cleaning tools, coming up with lists of foods to buy-”

“
Garnet’s been writing you lists?” Erik roared, sitting up fast. Elena was startled at the transformation. One moment a worn out man sat hunched in the corner, the next Erik was standing, tall, threatening, his hand on the hilt of his sword.

“
No no! Garnet he no write anything!” Cook waved his hands wildly, “he is good Rhetor! Every morning I am asking him, ‘Garnet do we need dairy today?’ He nod yes or no. ‘Do we needing cheeses today?’ He nod yes or no. Is long process but we make work.”

“
Oh,” Erik seemed to uncoil as he sat back down, “yeah I’ve seen you two doing that before. When you said ‘making lists’ I...well I was mistaken that’s all. Sorry, Cook.”

“
Seems like he should be apologizing to Garnet,” Ele noted. Elena agreed, but kept quiet. The entire kitchen seemed to follow her example for a while: Cook uncharacteristically quiet as he got out the utensils and built a fire beneath the large stove for Elena to cook the sausages on, Garnet peeling potatoes in his customary and enforced silence, Erik brooding in the corner. It felt unnatural and awkward enough that Elena breathed a sigh of relief when Emerald and Rolf walked through the door.

“
Emerald apologizes for her lateness, but apparently finding the perfect hairstyle was more important to her than showing up to her work on time,” Rolf said good naturedly as they came in, “Emerald you may respond in the unladylike reaction I know you’re just dying to-ah, yes, there it is,” he finished as Emerald gave him the middle finger. Elena grinned. The pair’s odd, one-sided banter was good-natured, and despite her response there was a smile in the corner of Emerald’s eyes.

“
Emerald, she is forgiven, for you two are welcome in my kitchen,” Cook said, “you both happy, not like cranky little garzona and surly Rhetorguard today. And her hair look nice.”

“
Surly are we, Erik?” Rolf chuckled, turning to the man in the corner, “you could always improve your spirits by-”

His face turned cold as his voice trailed off. Elena glanced in Erik’s direction to see the man sleeping peacefully, his hands clasped and resting on his belly. Rolf crossed the distance of the kitchen in two long strides, and without a word slammed his fist into the other Rhetorguard’s face.

Erik fell of the stool heavily, yelling inarticulately and flailing. He grabbed at his sword and drew it halfway before Rolf set a heavy boot on his sword hand, pinning it to Erik’s stomach.

“
I’m sure you drew your sword with the intent of falling on it, due to your failure,” Rolf said quietly, “but I have some words for you before you go about that.”

“
Didn’t mean to fall asleep,” Erik protested, “I can explain, it’s been a rough couple-”

“
No, now is not the time for you to speak,” Rolf interrupted, “and I don’t much care for what you
meant
to do. You left your Rhetor unguarded, what explanation is there for that? You left your Rhetor unguarded
while holding a weapon
.”

“
It’s just a potato peeler-”

“
Garnet,” Rolf whirled to face the silent blond man. “Do you think you could kill a sleeping man with a potato peeler? If you tried really, really hard?” Garnet shrugged, continuing to peel potatoes and clearly not interested in engaging in the discussion. Elena suddenly shivered at the sight of how easy the small knife stripped the skin off of the potatoes before he deposited each in a bowl of water.

“
There are people around!” Erik still tried to protest, but Rolf talked right over him.

“
It’s your one sole purpose in life, Erik. The one thing you have to do, the one job you have, is keeping eyes and ears on Garnet at all times. If you’re that hard pressed for sleep, then keep him chained up longer and sleep in some morning.”

“
You chain them up when they sleep?” Elena asked, horrified.

“
It’s the only way to ensure they don’t sneak off or cause trouble when their Rhetorguards are sleeping,” Rolf explained before turning back to Erik. The heavy man was breathing hard under Rolf’s boot.

“
Don’t report me to the Guardhouse.” It was strange to hear the imposing armored man plead, surly though the pleading was. “It was one mistake. It won’t happen again, I’ll make sure of it. Don’t tell me you haven’t made a mistake before.”

“
Of course I haven’t. I’m a Rhetorguard.” Rolf stepped away from Erik with a look of disgust. “I won’t report you. But if I
had
reported you, Garnet would get accolades. I don’t know exactly how you’re going to repay him, but figure it out. You know he’s observant enough to see you sleeping, but he didn’t take advantage of it.”

“
Didn’t see fit to wake me up either,” Erik grumbled, getting to his feet and brushing himself off.

“
That’s not his responsibility, it’s yours.” Rolf reached up and yanked down the rolling pin Emerald had been reaching for, a sour expression on his face.

“
Now all my helpers cranky and surly,” Cook grumbled, “too much to ask to see happy face? Happy wave?”

Emerald waved at Cook, her eyes smiling.

“
That doesn’t count as a direct question, Emerald, watch it,” Rolf snapped the warning. The kitchen remained in the chilled silence that followed.

***

Elena stared at the ceiling, her eyes sore from her second night of little sleep in a row. The day had gone by in a blur, working on the paintbrushes and resolutely ignoring the full garzoni. Carlo had apparently “fallen on the stairs,” and every time she glanced at his empty workbench with its loose half-painted tiles lying on it she felt her stomach tightening.

The full garzoni had certainly noticed something was wrong, but Elena had had nothing to say to them, and eventually even Niccolo had left her alone. She could never remember being so angry.

“
I’m a garzona. A real garzona,” she muttered under her breath for the seventh time. “Why would De Luca bother taking me on but hiding something so huge that Carlo would break his arm over it? How is Vi so sure that I’ll be safe when I’ve been shot in the hallway of this very room?”

“
You’ll find out the full story tonight.” Although she couldn’t see him while staring at the ceiling, Ele’s quiet voice was calm and comforting. “Whatever the true story is behind all this, you’ll be better equipped to handle it if you get some sleep.”

“
Can’t sleep,” Elena said, “the last time I fell asleep I missed the bell, and I can’t make that mistake a second time. I
know
they’re going out tonight, this could be my only chance.”

“
Suit yourself,” Ele said, and the room lapsed into silence again.

Elena’s eyelids drooped, and she focused on the bell hanging above her head to keep herself awake. She tried to gauge how much of the room she could see in the tiny curved reflection, then when that had exhausted her interest she tried to work out if she could replace the bell with a larger one without someone overhearing it in another room.

Is there a unit of measurement for the amount of sound a bell makes?
Her mind swam through the thought heavily.
If there isn’t there should be...I’m sure some Machinator somewhere has come up with something...

***

“
...but I almost forgot to tell you the most amusing part of the entire story! The best thing is, this entire time,
Lady Bellini wasn’t pregnant at all!
”

“
I’m sorry...what?” Elena wasn’t quite sure she had followed the story, at some point she must’ve tuned the man in the black furs out.

“
I know! She had been faking it the entire time, using a pillow and bribing the servants! Hah!” The man in the black furs had such a pleasant laugh. It was halfway between a chortle and a chuckle, and Elena couldn’t help but to smile in response. “Ah, me,” he finally sighed, and looked through the window of the carriage.

Elena followed his example, watching the empty fields and twisted trees pass slowly by as she tried to adjust to the slight swaying motion. The silence was stretching awkwardly, although the man in the black furs didn’t seem to mind. He had settled his large mass back into the pillows in the carriage, his face hidden in the shadows of the dim interior.

“
The carriage is moving a bit slowly,” Elena said conversationally. It was proving hard to get her bearings, but at least her companion didn’t seem to mind her awkward attempt at small talk.

“
Mmm, that’s because it’s a litter my dear, not a carriage,” the man in black furs corrected. “Isn’t it interesting that long before humans asserted their dominance on horses, we’d already had other humans carrying us around?”

“
I...I suppose?” Elena wasn’t really paying attention, focusing instead on the buzzing in her temples, taking in her surroundings for what felt like the first time. The interior of the litter was dark, but it was very luxurious with cushions and blankets on both of the wide seats. Across from her the man in the black furs was watching her, although she didn’t know how she could tell without seeing his face. Why
couldn’t
she see his face, sitting so close to him?

“
Would you like a bit of candied orange my dear?” Black Furs offered her a small tin, but Elena shook her head. She’d never much cared for sweets since the disastrous day she had tried to convince her mother to give Ele some sweets for Christmas. The final piece of the puzzle fell into place when Elena realized that Ele was nowhere to be seen.

“
Is everything alright?” the man in black furs asked lightly, “my candied orange seems to have given you an epiphany.”