Chapter 11
Winter was closing in, and the shortening days gave a perfect excuse for quiet evenings in front of the fire. Eleanor had persuaded Daniel that even he needed a break from constant studies, and they were enjoying one such evening playing dice in Daniel’s sitting room when Raf came to fetch them to an unexpected council meeting.
“Do you know what it’s about?” Eleanor asked him.
He shook his head. “There was an Imperial messenger,” he said. “And Ragal wants everyone there, right now, no exceptions. That’s all I know.”
“Interesting. I wonder what it could be about.”
“We will see soon enough,” Daniel muttered, striding ahead of them down the hall.
They arrived at the council chamber a little later than most, and found the room so full that they had to squeeze in wherever they could around the sides. Ragal banged his fist on the table to silence the murmurs.
“Good evening,” he said. “And my apologies for this interruption of your evening. However, I’m sure you will understand. We’ve just received a rather significant message, signed by the hand of the Empress herself.”
A couple of people exchanged whispered comments; Eleanor caught Raf’s eye across the room and raised an inquisitive eyebrow.
“It appears,” Ragal continued, “that we are to be outlawed. Or rather, that we have been declared outlaws as of now. There’s a lengthy list of unfounded allegations, objections to our status, et cetera. From the night of the solstice there will be a price on each of our heads.”
Ragal paused, giving them a moment to absorb this news.
“There will be an amnesty to last until the solstice, which gives us a little over a month to organise ourselves. The Empress offers lenient terms to anyone who hands himself in and agrees to work for the new secret police service which is to be formed, but there are no details of that offer.”
“So we prepare to fight?” Don asked.
Laban shook his head. “Not yet. We’ll wait out the amnesty here.”
“Acting now would give us an element of surprise. We know there’s nothing to be gained by handing ourselves over.”
“It’s true that some of us already know which way we’ll jump,” Ragal said. “But others may need more time to consider their options. This is not a decision to be taken lightly.”
“But the way the Empress has been behaving... how could anyone take her side in this?”
“Everyone must make his own choice,” Ragal said firmly. “We can’t assume we’ll remain united, and we can’t make plans until every man has chosen his side.”
They were interrupted by a knock at the door, and a young messenger slipped in to deliver a letter to Nicholas before excusing himself as quickly as he’d arrived. Nicholas read quickly, the creases on his forehead deepening.
“A letter from Venncastle,” he said, folding the paper and tucking it into his breast pocket. “The Empress has offered them terms, and they’ve decided to accept. No more Venncastle students will come to the Association.”
“What would you expect?” Daniel muttered. Eleanor wished he could set aside his bitterness for long enough to realise the implications of the news they were hearing. Considering that a couple of the academy’s intake usually came from Venncastle each year, their supply of good students would be seriously reduced if the school decided to take the side of the Empire.
“A fast decision,” Ragal said. “I hope they’ve thought it through.”
Laban shrugged. “As a school, they have little choice. A fugitive school has no future, no students... a refusal would require Flying Rock Island to attempt a secession from Imperial control, and that would be highly impractical.”
“But the alumni will follow the school,” Don said, looking pointedly at the Venncastle men around the table. His eyes settled on Nicholas. “Well, you will, won’t you?”
“I would echo Ragal’s sentiments,” Nicholas said. “This is a very personal decision. I would not wish to influence any of my colleagues.”
“A month isn’t long, though,” Eleanor said. “We can’t wait until the last moment to decide where we go next. And we need to recall everyone who’s away on missions.”
“We’ll send messages tonight,” Ragal said. “We must give the Empress’s choice to everyone, at home and abroad, but we will make it clear that the Association continues with or without Imperial sanction. Nathaniel, Nicholas, will you help me with the lists? Meanwhile, if anyone wishes to take up the Imperial offer, you need only let me know as you leave.”
“Hang on.” Eleanor had been reading the list of charges over Ragal’s shoulder as he spoke. “There’s something wrong with this. There are things on this list that no-one outside of this room should know.”
“What sort of things?” Laban asked, peering across the table.
“For a start, Daniel’s potion for halting a pregnancy is cited,” she said, turning the paper so he could read it more easily. “And we’ve never even used it. And I don’t think we reported back anything about Gisele’s little adventure, but here we are, being acccused of recklessly endangering diplomatic staff. Almost everything they’re claiming we’ve done wrong should have been private council business.”
“Anyone want to own up?” Don said, one hand sliding towards the hilt of his dagger. “Because I’d certainly like to hear about it.”
“We’ll respect this period of amnesty on both sides,” Ragal said. “If Eleanor is right, I only hope whoever did this has enough sense to get out before the amnesty expires.”
“Spies and traitors don’t deserve an amnesty,” Don said, but he said it quietly, knowing he wasn’t going to win this one.
As they left the council chamber, Raf hurried to catch up with Eleanor.
“You’re in favour of this split then, Ellie?” he asked, catching her arm to stop her.
“It seems to be happening,” she said.
“And you’re not going to join the new organisation?”
“No,” she agreed. “Are you?”
He’d managed to keep very quiet during the meeting, and she suddenly realised that he might be planning to defect. The idea alarmed her – she’d so easily assumed that they’d be in agreement, despite the news from Venncastle.
“I don’t like it. But if you’re not doing this for the Empire then what are you doing it for?”
“Fun? Seriously, though, that’s one of the things we have to work out.” The Association would certainly be different without Imperial funding. “But we’re not here to do the Empress’s dirty work for her. Part of what I wanted was to help the Empire – but that means everyone, and playing in her little power games isn’t the point. She’s been changing the rules too much lately.”
“We can’t change anything from outside.”
“Well... maybe.”
“If we leave, if we go renegade, then that’s it.” He took hold of her shoulders, forced her to look into his eyes. “Fugitives for life – ours or hers. Where’s the chance to change things then?”
“I don’t know,” she admitted. “But you realise the first job for these new secret police will be to round up the rest of the Association, if they can find us? They won’t let us live if they can help it.”
“Don’t you think the Association will take a similar line?” He looked sadly at her, suddenly seeming much older than his twenty-one years. “Track down the traitors... protect our secrets... it’ll be a dirty game all round.”
Instinctively, feeling overwhelmed by the enormity of what was facing them, she threw her arms around his neck. She’d only intended to hug him as she usually did but then her lips brushed against his and she found herself kissing him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and brought her towards him, lifting her slightly off her feet as he pulled her further into the kiss, holding her tightly to him as though he never wanted to let her go. As she relaxed against him she realised she’d longed for this since the nights they’d spent hand in hand in that cold Tarasank
a cell.
As they eventually pulled apart, she smiled up at him. “Whatever happens, I’ll never do anything to hurt you – you know that, don’t you?”
“I know,” he said, hugging her close again. “I hope we can always say that.”
“Always.” She rested her head against his shoulder, arms tightly around his waist. “I promise.”
He ran one hand through her hair and rested it at the back of her neck. “Whenever I’m with you, whenever there’s a problem, I just want to pick you up and tell you everything’s going to be okay. But somehow...” he faltered. “This time I just don’t know if it will be.”
“Just tell me we’ll be okay.” She looked up at him and he leaned forwards to kiss her again. As their mouths met for the second time, with more purpose this time, she was sure in that moment that if she asked him to stay then he’d do it for her. Tears welled up in her eyes as she felt herself losing the worlds of opportunity she’d only just glimpsed. She hadn’t thought he liked her that way... but she couldn’t ask him to become a fugitive for her. If there was one thing certain about the coming trials, it was that everyone had to be free to choose which side he wanted to be on. Everyone in the council had instinctively realised that any restriction of that choice would breed weaknesses, or resentment, or treachery. It was too much to risk.
They walked hand in hand down to the lakeside and sat side by side on the shore. For a long time they were silent, watching the ripples in the moonlit water, thinking about everything that was happening.
“You’ll definitely go, then?” Eleanor asked, though she knew what the answer would be.
“Sooner rather than later,” he said. “Best to get in early, more chance to make a difference that way.”
She nodded. “That makes sense.”
“Promise me you’ll at least think about it over the next week or two. You don’t want to throw your life away for sentimentality.”
“I have thought about it. I just don’t like some of the decisions the Empress has made – and the Association goes back to way before the Empire, we can handle being one step more independent.”
“If anyone can survive this, you can,” he said. “But be careful who you trust, won’t you? It’s going to get very dirty before this is over.”
“You too.” Tears were running down her cheeks and she avoided looking at him, preferring to flick pebbles into the lake and watch the patterns they made in the water. As much as she wanted to persuade herself this wasn’t really goodbye, it felt pretty final. Unless the Empress rescinded the edict, she’d never again be able to go and seek him out when she needed a friendly ear. Not for fear of her life.
“I don’t want to say goodbye forever,” she said. “How long do you think all this is going to last?”
“The worst of it should be over in a year or two. Once everything settles down into whatever the new order is going to look like, and the Association figures out how things will work without Imperial money, then it’ll get easier for everyone. Till then, we’ll just have to keep our heads down.”
Eleanor leaned against him and he wrapped his arm tightly around her shoulders.
“You’ll come and find me, won’t you?” she asked. “Once it’s safe.”
“It’ll be easier for you to find me – I’m sure the Association won’t stay here, and you’d be better not to tell me where you move to. You’ll know when it’s safe to come out of hiding.”
“Okay.” She could hardly believe the conversation they were having. How could he calmly tell her that she shouldn’t trust him with her secrets? She’d tried not trusting him before, and it had been nothing but horrible. “I’ll miss you.”
“I’ll miss you, too. Please take care of yourself.”
She turned to face him and they exchanged one final kiss, lips salty from tears, before walking back to the academy in silence.
As Eleanor got ready for bed, she was sure that by morning he would have left to find his place in the new organisation. She wiped her eyes and tried to think of other things – anything to distract herself – but somehow nothing else seemed to matter. She was almost asleep when Daniel marched into her room, lantern flickering in his hand.
“You kissed him,” he said.
“What?” Eleanor sat up, pulling the blankets more tightly around herself.
“You kissed him.”
“So you’ve been spying on me, now?”
“I was looking for you, you were with him. I cannot believe you kissed him.”
She watched him, wondering what would come next. Was he looking for a fight? She was too tired and upset to want to argue, but her hand went to the knife beneath her pillow, just in case.
“I let you be his friend, and this is how you thank me?”
“What was that?” Eleanor’s voice was low and dangerous, but he’d never been good at detecting the subtleties of her tone.
“Is this how you repay me for letting you stay friends with him?”
“You didn’t ‘let me’ be his friend. You don’t get to say who my friends are.”
“I do now. You are not to see him again.”
She met his gaze steadily. “Or else?”
“Or you are not my girlfriend.”
“Then I’m not your girlfriend.” Even though it could be years before she’d have chance to see Raf again.
“Just like that?” He looked hurt, and then angry. “When I have tried to forgive you?”
“I’m sick of you trying to control me,” she said. “You don’t get to forgive me, or to give me permission, or to condemn me for kissing an old friend goodbye. It has nothing to do with you.”
“He is leaving, then?”
“He’s probably already left.” She wished the thought didn’t make her feel like crying. She supposed she should feel upset at this break-up with Daniel, but losing Raf hurt her a thousand times more.
“Then he is not your friend, Eleanor. How can you be so blind? You have always insisted he was not our enemy, but surely now you can see that is exactly what he has made himself.”
“He’s not my enemy.” She blinked back tears that were threatening to spill again; she couldn’t afford to let Daniel see her cry. He’d only assume it had something to do with him. “He never will be. Now, if you’ve quite finished, I was trying to sleep.”
“I have not finished.” He sat on the bed, and she tucked her feet out of his way just in time. “Are you thinking of going with them?”
“No.”
“You have always been closer to Venncastle than is really wise. It would hardly surprise me if you went.”
“I said no. I’m not leaving the Association.”
“Then you must learn to think of them as the enemy they are. Within a week or two the defectors will have left us, and we will make our plans for the future. It is important we are able to trust you.”
“Don’t talk to me about trust. I’ve never given you any reason to mistrust me.”
“Today, you did.”
“You know what I mean. Whatever might have been between the two of us is irrelevant – professionally, you’ve had no reason to doubt me.”
“It is all the same trust. If you are too close to Venncastle, how can you be trusted in anything?”
“You know, if they didn’t have to face people like you who hate them just because of the school they grew up in, maybe more of them would be choosing to stay.”
“We would not wish them to. The Association has no need of people whose first loyalty lies elsewhere.”
“Are you going to let me sleep, now?” Eleanor asked. “It’s quite late.”
“Remember what I have said. We will not have chance to make mistakes this time.”
“And we won’t. But it won’t help anyone if we start fighting amongst ourselves – so let’s just sleep it off, okay?”