Page 81 of The Black Key

“She’s gone,” she whispers to no one, or maybe to herself, confirming it aloud so she can truly believe it’s real. Her knees give out and she falters. Garnet is by her side in an instant, sweeping her into his arms.

“She’s gone,” Raven sobs into his chest.

“She is,” he murmurs into her hair. “She can’t hurt you anymore. She can’t hurt anyone ever again.”

Raven takes a deep, shuddering breath and looks up into his eyes. They stare at each other for a long moment. Garnet gently traces a line around the bruise on her cheek with his finger. It’s such a deeply personal thing to witness, I have to look away, out the door to where the empty safe room for the House of the Lake reminds me this day isn’t over yet.

“The Duchess still has Hazel,” I say.

Ash nods. “Where would they go?” he asks. “To the palace of the Lake? One of the palaces nearby?”

“No,” Garnet says with grim resignation. “I bet I know exactly where she’s gone. Follow me.”

We run back down the stairs, into the bloody foyer, and out the ruined front doors.

“This way,” Garnet says, pointing to where lines of motorcars wait to pick up royals who are never leaving this Auction House again.

We sprint to a car, Garnet and Raven in the front, Ash and I in the backseat. Garnet rips out the ignition and plays with the wires until the engine roars to life. We speed through the mostly empty streets of the Jewel, catching glimpses of befuddled servants and bursts of fighting among Regimentals and Society members. Many of the palaces, I note, are being looted, their gates broken down, their windows smashed.

“Where are we going?” Raven asks.

Suddenly, the earth shakes beneath us, the motorcar skidding on the paved road. In the distance, smoke and dust rise up; then a few hunks of rubble are lobbed through the air.

“Sil,” I say with satisfaction, and Ash’s fingers close around mine.

“You can bring them all down,” he says. “Every wall in this city. Lucien will be so proud.”

My throat closes up.

“Lucien’s dead,” I say. Ash looks confused for a second, like those two words don’t make sense together. Then his lips form a thin line and he blinks very fast.

“Oh,” is all he says.

“Garnet, where are we going?” Raven demands again.

“The Royal Palace,” Garnet says through gritted teeth.

The home the Duchess always wanted but was just out of reach. The place she felt she was destined to have as her own.

“Of course,” I murmur.

Twenty-Six

GARNET SLAMS THE ACCELERATOR DOWN AND WE PEEL through the streets.

The palaces whip by until we are in the forest, a blur of greens and browns, then past the topiary, until finally, he pulls up in front of the fountain of trumpeting boys.

The doors of the Royal Palace are open. When we get inside, the halls are empty.

“I’ll bet my entire inheritance she’s gone to the throne room,” Garnet says.

“Which way?” I ask, and he takes off down the opulent main hallway. We pass the ballroom where I played cello at the Exetor’s Ball, and I glimpse the garden where I spoke to Ash in the gazebo that same night, before we make a sharp left.

The sound of voices stops us in our tracks. Garnet holds up a hand and we creep to the end of the hall, the plush carpet muffling our footsteps. He peers around the corner, then pulls his head back quickly.

“Seven Reg,” he mouths. Ash withdraws his sword as Garnet unholsters his gun. Raven crouches into a fighting stance. I join with Air, and for one second, I allow myself to revel in the blissful freedom of the element.

Then I focus it, calling the wind to me from the hundred halls in this palace, and it comes whistling and shrieking. Garnet, Ash, and Raven whirl around the corner as I send it flying at the Regimentals.