The Unfailing Light (29 page)

I hurried into the Great Hall, where an unholy ritual was taking place. The room was smoky with incense. The censer
hung from the ceiling in the middle of the room, burning frankincense and myrrh.

Robed men were standing in a circle, each one holding a black candle and chanting in an ancient language. It wasn’t Latin or Greek, to my knowledge. I wondered if it was Egyptian. Their hoods prevented me from recognizing any of them, although I realized the man holding a golden staff had to be the Koldun.

There was a familiar ornament at the top of the staff: the Talisman of Isis. I felt dizzy, remembering that I was the one who had given the talisman to the Order for safekeeping after the fight with Konstantin at Peterhof.

As I advanced, I kept to the dark side aisles, away from the candlelight. But I could see Alix, gagged and bound, and kneeling on the floor in the center of the circle. As quietly as I could, I moved closer. A sharp, stinging feeling coursed through me with every step. I looked down and saw the protective ring of salt they had prepared. I had touched the wizards’ protective shield. There was no way I would be able to get inside the circle to reach Alix. I could destroy the ring of salt, but then Alix would be in even greater peril.

The Koldun raised his staff and pounded it on the marble floor, silencing the others. I could hear Alix’s rapid breathing, and yet she was calm. I hoped she wasn’t planning on doing anything foolish herself. I was being foolish enough for all of us.

I could not tell at first which robed wizard was George. I slowly circled the room, looking from one candlelit face to another. Their shadows danced across the walls behind them. I found him at last standing opposite the Koldun. His gaze was intent upon his flame.

A large book lay open on a stand in front of the Koldun. When the chanting had stopped, he had stepped forward and begun to read from the book. It was some kind of incantation, in a language I recognized. My small knowledge of Latin, however, only allowed me to understand a few of the words: “darkness” … “rise up” … “embrace” … “glory.”

The Koldun looked up from his book and across the room. “Initiate, step forward.”

I watched the nightmare unfold in front of me, unable to do anything.

One figure entered the center, and the wizards closed the circle around him. He pulled his hood back, and stared straight ahead at the Koldun. George Alexandrovich.

The Koldun removed his own hood and I had to cover my mouth to suppress a gasp. It was Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich, the tsar’s brother. Miechen’s husband. “Initiate, your knowledge and skills in the occult have been examined by the peers standing with you this night. Your soul shall be examined by the Holy Ones and if it is accepted, you will become one of the innermost circle of the Order of the Black Lily. Are you ready, George Alexandrovich?”

“I am.” His voice boomed out across the silent room.

No. George, please don’t do this
. I concentrated every bit of my energy into trying to get the message to him.

The Koldun took a ring from the center of his large book and held it over his head. “Holy Ones, we invoke you. This ring will protect George Alexandrovich and keep him safe when he is within the sacred circle.”

George, I love you
. I couldn’t stop the tears that began rolling down my cheeks.

There was no hint on his stone-cold face that he’d heard
my message. He held out his left hand for the Koldun to place the ring on his finger. The Koldun kissed George on each cheek. Then both wizards stepped back and took their original places with the others.

The Koldun looked around and smiled. “Now our coven is complete. Thirteen of the most powerful sorcerers in all of Europe. Tonight we shall combine our powers and cast the most ambitious ritual attempted since the mage Levi left the physical planes. Tonight the lich tsar Konstantin Pavlovich will be conjured and destroyed.”

Destroyed? Killing Alix was going to save the tsar from Konstantin? There had to be another way. I glanced around the circle and then frowned. Even with George and the Koldun, there were only twelve robed wizards present. Did Grand Duke Vladimir miscount?

George, you can’t let them do this
.

He remained as still as a statue. There was no hint that he’d heard me.

Someone has to save Alix. And if you won’t, I will
. I tried another step toward the shield but was held back. I was afraid I would lose my shadow cloak if I tried to penetrate the magic circle a third time.

The thirteenth robed wizard slowly approached the circle. He was allowed to enter, but I still could not pass the magical barrier.

Hidden or not, I could not stand by and watch Alix be sacrificed. I took another step forward.

“I’m afraid you are too late, my beloved. The fun is just about to begin.”
The thirteenth wizard pushed his hood back and smiled. It was Danilo.

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
 

T
he crown prince had been deceiving me all along. I should not have been so shocked. But George’s deception hurt even more. How could he willingly give up Alix’s life to defeat Konstantin?

“He cannot risk it, beloved.”
Danilo’s voice was poisonous in my head.
“Of course, there is a chance that the lich tsar could be defeated some other way, but would you risk the tsar’s life on it?”

Why did you bring me here, then? If you planned to help them kill Alix all along?

“We needed the full coven. We needed to be sure the tsar’s son was committed to his initiation.”

But why …
I felt so foolish. And used. Danilo had wanted George to see him kissing my hand. And it probably seemed as if I were enjoying it. I looked across the circle at George.
I am so sorry
.

“It’s a little late for that now, Duchess,”
Danilo said with a sneer.

There was a pounding and the Great Hall doors opened. Suddenly, the room was flooded with the tsar’s imperial guard. It was the Preobrajensky Regiment. Members of the outermost circle of the Order.

“What are you doing?” the Koldun roared. “This is a private ceremony! You are forbidden to enter this room!”

A familiar voice barked out, “This ritual is over by the order of the tsar.” It was my brother. I’d never been so happy to see Petya in my life before.

One by one, the Black Magi were being arrested, and their hoods were removed. I watched Papus and Sucre as they were handcuffed and led away. The protective circle was weakened just enough for me to slip inside.

I knew my original plan was ruined, but I still hoped to get Alix back to Smolny before the headmistress realized she was missing. I fortified my shadow cloak and brushed past two wizards toward Alix. Right in front of the Koldun, who was being arrested by my brother.

I bent down to untie the ropes around Alix’s feet. “Don’t be frightened,” I whispered. “It’s only me. I’m going to get you out of here safely.”

“Do not touch me, demon.”

I let the shadows fade from around me. “Alix, I am so sorry that Monsieur Sucre came after you. I won’t let them harm you.”

“I can take care of myself, Katerina. Take your hands off of me.” She growled softly, only for my ears to hear.

She unnerved me but did not frighten me. I finished untying
the knots around her ankles and reached for the rope around her hands. “Nicholas must be worried sick about you. Don’t do anything that would take you away from him, Alix.”

She glared at me. “It is unnatural to walk in darkness as you do.”

“No more unnatural than changing into an animal and ripping someone’s throat out.” I grabbed Alix’s hands. The knots were finally undone.

Alix jerked her hands out of mine. “If I could have changed, I could have chewed through the ropes and killed the Koldun.”

“And you would have been executed for killing the tsar’s brother. We’ve got to let the tsar’s men take care of this. Come back to Smolny with me. We can sneak back in before Madame Tomilov knows any of us are gone.”

Alix shook her head. “The tsar’s life is in danger. What if they bring back Konstantin? We must stop the Koldun.”

“It was you,” I said. “Fighting with us at Peterhof. The white wolf.”

“Of course,” Alix whispered. “My sisters were there as well, but I kept close to protect the tsarevitch.”

I glanced around the room. “The guards have stopped the ritual. The tsar should be safe.”

Elena approached us in the dark shadows of the hallway where we were hiding. “I know a way out of here. Where no one will notice three silly students.”

But at that moment, some of the magi began to fight back. A blinding light filled the Great Hall as Papus broke free of his captors and shouted, “Brothers! Do not surrender!”

The soldiers fell to the floor, moaning and writhing in pain.
I gasped, searching wildly for Petya. But he was not in the Great Hall. Where had he gone?

I looked around at the other wizards, all of whom had now been unmasked by the imperial guard. I did not see George or Danilo.

I was worried that Papus would kill the tsar’s men with his spells. The Koldun was fighting back against the guards as well. “We’ve got to help the guards.”

“Katerina, are you insane?” Elena asked. “We have to get out of here. We can’t fight wizards.”

Alix looked at me, her face grim. “I don’t think that mage wanted to protect the tsar,” she said, pointing at Papus. “It sounded to me like some of the members of the Order were planning to double-cross the others.”

Sucre and Danilo did not have the tsar’s best interests at heart, I was sure. And neither did Papus, it seemed. Had the Koldun been aware of the true goal of tonight’s ritual? Had he plotted against the tsar as well?

“Where is your ribbon?” I asked. “If you can distract the Koldun, I think I know a spell that can stop him.”

Alix put a hand on my wrist and squeezed it painfully. “No. You cannot use evil to fight evil, Katerina Alexandrovna,” she said.

“Both of you are insane,” Elena said, exasperated. She shook her head and ran off.

“Elena, wait!”

Alix glared after our roommate. “She will not help us.”

“But what if she goes to warn her brother?”

“I think the grand duke can take care of him,” Alix said, nodding behind me.

I ran to the doorway where Alix was looking. We could hear lots of shouting and crashing of furniture coming from beyond the Great Hall. George and Danilo were fighting. “No!” I gasped, feeling sick and dizzy at the same time.

It was a magical duel. The crown prince and the grand duke circled each other warily. Danilo held up his left hand and muttered something in Serbian. The room began to fill with smoke.

George waved his hand and the smoke cleared just as rapidly.

Alix was behind me, tugging on my sleeve. “Come on,” she whispered. “The Koldun has to be stopped.”

But I couldn’t move. I was frozen with fear for George.

“There’s nothing you can do to help him,” Alix said. “They’ve sealed the room.”

There was a magical barrier similar to the empress’s Smolny spell preventing me from entering the chamber. I wasn’t sure who had put the barrier up, but I had a feeling it had been George.

The tsar’s son was holding his own against Danilo. He deftly countered everything the crown prince threw at him. It was beautiful watching him. Both wizards had shed their robes and were wearing only black uniforms that allowed them to move more gracefully.

A ball of blue fire shot across the room from Danilo. George ducked and the fire slammed into the wall behind him, scattering chunks of plaster with its blast.

“Katerina!” Alix was still behind me, trying to pull me away. The Koldun was still attacking the tsar’s men in the Great Hall behind us.

I turned reluctantly to follow her as George went on the offensive and blasted Danilo with a bolt of lightning.

Most of the tsar’s men were already incapacitated and writhing on the floor. I could not do what Alix wished. I could not stand by and not use my powers, when there were innocent people being hurt. I closed my eyes and gathered up every ounce of power I ever believed I possessed. The cold light stung as it uncoiled from deep inside me. I did not want to kill the Koldun, but I would not let him hurt another member of the imperial guard. I had to save my brother.

My cold light reached out, seeking the Koldun. The cold light was attracted by the wizard’s shadowy aura. He was wounded, already dying.

Alix took her ribbon from a hidden pocket in her skirt and drew it around her neck. The transformation from girl to wolf happened so fast I could not believe my eyes. A blur of white fur blew past me and leapt at the Koldun. The two went tumbling back and slid into the wall on the far side of the room.

When the Koldun ceased casting his spell, the last of the protective wards fell apart.

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE