Land of Verne (12 page)

“Watch where you’re going, wretch,” said the boy, staring down his hooked nose at him. Something about his features seemed familiar, but Grim knew he couldn’t have known him.

“Lord Festrel,” said Quinn. He immediately bowed.

“Quinn,” the boy said. He did not return the gesture. “I heard that you were here. Your poor father,” he said, tsking, “killed by a rogue Changeling ― such a shame. And your poor mother and her spells of madness ― bad blood, you know. Until you’re old enough to rule, surely you would be better off under my father’s protection rather than being surrounded by these,” he faked a cough, “…orphans.”

He eyed Grim and the others with disdain. “Give it some thought. You would be well cared for at my father’s Manor.”

Quinn’s face glowed with a slight tinge of red.

“Wait a minute,” interrupted Treena, turning towards Quinn. “I thought your―”

Quinn held up his hand to silence her. “So what brings you here?” he asked.

“Duty,” Festrel replied with a smirk. “I’m here to visit with some of the nobility of Harkness and I thought I would see what your little Madam Malkim’s was all about.” His eyes scanned over Rudy. “You seem to be keeping rather common company.”

Quinn stuttered, unable to speak.

“I suppose you already know who I am,” he said to Grim. He adjusted the cape and flicked off a piece of lint.

Grim shook his head. “No, but nice cape,” he said with a smirk.

Festrel’s lips twitched into a sneer. “I’m Lord Festrel, heir to Harland Manor,” he said. “Who might you be?”

Harland. Poppa’s Manor.

His mouth dropped open and Rudy stepped forward. “Rudy of House Doyle,” she said. “This is my brother Grim.”

“Doyle?” he said. “I do not recognize the name. Not that it matters.” He looked Grim up and down as if assessing whether he was worthy of his time or not. “You’re orphans.”

He looked at Treena. “And you are?”

Treena cowered and whispered meekly. “TreenaofHouseOctavius.”

It took the prince a moment to catch Treena’s swift words.

“Octavius?!” he exclaimed. He paced back and forth. “Octavius?!” He shook his head as if it were impossible to believe. “The Resistance!” His face reddened like an overripe tomato, and he clicked something on his walking stick. A sharp spear protruded through the end. He flicked it up, barely missing Quinn’s face. “I wonder what my father would say if he knew what sort of company you are keeping!” He spat as he spoke and Quinn wiped his face with a kerchief.

Then Festrel turned on his heel and marched away, leaving knife prints in the wooden floors.

The group headed outside to clean the grounds, and Grim wanted desperately to ask questions, but he was afraid he might let loose his identity to Quinn. He’d slipped up far too often.

“So, he’s the heir to Harland Manor,” Grim said, hands in his pockets, trying to look as casual as he could. Rudy rolled her eyes.

He frowned at her before continuing. “Who’s his father?”

Quinn still shook from the encounter. He kept adjusting his cap and vest.

“How can you not know these things!” he snapped. “Surely you’ve heard of Lord Victor in the Southlands. He is the wealthiest magistrate in the north.”

Rudy butted in. “Is he new to the Manor?” she asked. “I don’t recall that name.”

Quinn exhaled his exasperation at their complete lack of knowledge. “Where are you from? Honestly! He’s been Lord of Harland Manor for years!”

They all said nothing and waited for him. “Ugh, yes, there was someone prior, but he never produced a legitimate heir. According to custom, Victor is the rightful heir to the Manor. He was the only one who bore a son.”

Two things twisted in Grim’s head at those words. First was the sorrow for Poppa’s loss of the Manor because he didn’t have a child by birth. It was entwined with the second, the sickening realization that Festrel was his cousin.

The same anger and revulsion smoldered in Rudy’s eyes.

“A son?” she asked, putting on her best fake smile.

Quinn examined his fingernails and settled himself on a bench while the others swept the grounds.

“Well, of course. Boys are taught how to manage the affairs of the Manor. Women are taught to look beautiful and throw fabulous dinner parties.”

“You must be joking,” Grim said.

The look on Quinn’s face was serious. “No joke.”

“Girls are just as capable as boys,” said Treena with Rudy nodding her head in vigorous agreement. “I once knew a Gunslinger that no man could beat. And she was a woman.”

“Interesting.” He examined his fingernails again. “I don’t expect you to understand these things. Remember, my father is a Lord. I know better.”

“You think you’re smarter because you’re father’s a Lord?” Treena asked. Her hair now stood so tall it looked like it was about to shoot off her head.

“Well, actually you said it. Not me. But now that you bring it up, I can’t argue with you.” He coughed.

Treena’s face was fuming red and the vein in her neck pulsed. It was a good thing she wasn’t a Sylph, because it appeared like she was about to go Banshee at any moment. Fortunately, their attention was diverted when Sam and Ellen strode up to them with Toby. The twins were behind them, trying to follow them in secret.

At the site of Quinn, the dog promptly jumped on him and licked him.

“Ugh! Get that beast off me!” he screamed, and wiped his face.

Ellen reached down and placed something on the ground. It was Scarlet. The creature skittered towards them and crawled up Grim’s leg. It settled on his shoulder and he stroked it. She purred.

Quinn looked mortified. “What is
that
?”

Grim grinned at him. “This is Scarlet.” He paused at the look on Quinn’s face.

Perfect.

“Want to hold her?” he asked with her perched on his extended hand. He’d have to keep her in their room now.

“That little beast?! Filth!”

Scarlet’s pincers were squeaking at the boy. Grim stroked her until she started purring again and then placed her back on his shoulder.

Sam and Ellen didn’t look happy.

“What’s wrong?” Grim asked.

“Festrel,” Sam said. He puckered his lips and stuck out his tongue.

Grim laughed. “I see you met him.”

The twins stepped out from behind the tree. Barny put up one finger like he had an interesting fact to tell. “He’s our cous —”

“Jinn!” yelled Rudy, pointing in the distance.

A wooden painting of a man summoning an evil-looking Jinn was being carried across the grounds.

Quinn just looked at her like she was crazy. “Are you trying to cause a panic?”

She smiled sheepishly and then gave a severe scowl to the twins and motioned for them to be quiet.

Sam smiled. “We have to go now.”

“I’ll come with you,” Grim said hastily.

Quinn looked at the dog and then at Scarlet. “I think I’ll stay here,” he said and returned to grooming his fingernails.

And before the twins could do any more damage, Rudy and Grim grabbed each by an arm and escorted them away.

Later in the evening, Grim made his way back from cleaning laundry; and it was a dirty lot. Someone thought it might be hilarious to take the bed sheets and throw them out the window and into the gutters. He suspected Gorkin, but he had no way to prove it.

After washing until his fingers were like prunes, Grim didn’t think it was that funny at all. And if he got his raw, tender hands on the fool that came up with such an idea, he would throttle them ― as soon as his fingers had feeling.

He massaged his aching hands, and walked back towards his room when a loud ruckus caught his attention. A thunderous voice echoed down the corridor and there was no mistaking to whom it belonged. Without thinking, Grim dashed towards the Hearth Room to find Rudy facing Eevenellin, hands on her hips.

“You took it! I know you took it! Give it back!” yelled Rudy, shaking her fist at her.

An evil glint appeared in Eevenellin’s eyes. “Prove it.”

Rudy turned red, redder than Grim had ever seen her. And she was tugging so hard on her pigtails Grim thought she’d yank them right off. He couldn’t let this continue, but before he could say anything Valeria stepped into the room.

“What is going on here?” she asked, looking them over.

Rudy pointed. “I found her―”

Valeria raised her hand in a gesture of silence. “Eevenellin, what happened?”

The Grundel eyed Rudy for a moment, but her one beady eye showed no sign of what she was thinking. She coughed.

“Nothing,” she replied with a voice of honey and sweetness.

Valeria pointed down the hallway. “I want to see you in my room. Now. We will discuss your penance in private.”

Eevenellin lowered her head and nodded, still coughing.

“But,” Rudy said, “I found―”

“I don’t want to hear it,” said Valeria. “It’s not the first time I’ve found her instigating a quarrel with others. She has a difficult personality and it seems a long talk is overdue. I will handle the situation and I suggest you forget about it. She will be dealt with appropriately.”

“Rudy, maybe we should go for a walk,” Grim said, grabbing her by the arm. “I think you might need some air.”

Rudy said nothing and let Grim drag her out of the room, but stared back at the Grundel. When they reached the bottom of the staircase, they ran into Treena. She took one look at Rudy’s face and gasped.

“What’s going on?” Treena asked.

Grim shook his head. “I don’t know, but she needs to get outside. Come on.”

Treena followed as they marched across the grounds. The ravens bounced out of their path in a hurry as they followed Rudy.

“Rudy, what happened?” asked Treena as they settled on a stone bench.

Rudy took a deep breath. “My chore this afternoon was housekeeping. I was told to dust off the shelves of the old storage room all week. It’s a restricted area. When I finished cleaning off the shelves on the one side I stepped outside to get a breath of fresh air, but I forgot to lock the door. When I came back, I saw that wretched Grundel running down the hallway and it looked like she was hiding something. I ran into the room and noticed one of the bottles I just cleaned was missing. It was a blue one. Anyway, I finished what I had to do and went straight back to the rooms. She denied taking anything, but she’s lying!”

Grim pondered a moment. “So she took something, but you’re not sure what. Did you see the label?”

Grim regretted asking it the moment the question fell from his lips.

Rudy hung her head and resorted to yanking one of her pigtails. “You know I can’t read well.”

Treena just looked at Rudy, not understanding.

“Dyslexia,” Rudy said.

Again, Treena continued to stare at Rudy, perplexed.

Grim came up with the only explanation he could think of. “She reads the letters backwards.”

“Oh,” Treena said. “You’re a mirror reader. So is my father!”

The pain on Rudy’s face lightened.

Grim breathed a sigh of relief. It had always been a sore point for Rudy, and something she struggled to overcome.

“I’m sure we could ask Master Galan what the bottle was,” he said.

Rudy looked horrified. “It would be my word against hers. Besides, Master Galan probably hasn’t been here long enough to have gone through the old storage room. From what I could see, no one could have been in there in for years. It was coated in dust. I’ll be in there all week.”

“We have to tell someone,” Grim said.

Rudy frowned. “Who are we going to tell? Madam Malkim? There’s no proof. And what’s in that room is locked tight. If we say nothing, no one will notice it’s gone. We’ll just have to keep an eye on the Grundel and see what she’s up to. When we know where she’s got it, we’ll take it back.”

Grim hesitated. “Why did they let you clean that room if it’s that important?”

Rudy rolled her eyes. “Aunt Patrice recommended me for the job. She said she would be personally responsible should anything happen. If she hears about this…”

Grim nodded. He knew all too well.

“All right,” he muttered, “but we have to get it back before anyone finds out.”

“Agreed,” the others said in unison and Rudy looked as if a heavy burden had been lifted from her shoulders. She finally let go of her hair.

In the distance, Grim noticed the second moon rising, full and golden in the night sky.

“We need to get back. It’s after second moonrise,” he said.

A howl echoed through the city streets. Whatever it was, it sounded a little too close for any of their liking and the three of them dashed back to into Madam Malkim’s Home for Destitute and Wayward Children.

Chapter 12

“Flawless!” cried a haggard-looking Madam Adelaide.

Grim smiled at his success. He had fired a grappling hook up the tower where it fastened itself. He gave a yank and it held.

Sadly, the others had not had much success, especially Treena. Hers fired off and smashed one of the windows to the Academy, nearly beheading Master Galan. She trembled under the Tutor’s iron gaze and tripped backwards, grunting as she struck the ground. She cowered until the towering woman moved on to the next in line.