Midnight Jewel
Page 117
Grant had been made.
I took a hesitant step toward him, and then Adelaide exclaimed, “Tamsin!”
Spinning around, I saw Tamsin climbing up the rickety stairs. I immediately ran toward her. Adelaide was right with me, and we practically knocked Tamsin over the platform’s edge with our hugs.
“What happened?” cried Adelaide.
I clutched at Tamsin’s sleeve and couldn’t stop the tears now. “I thought we’d lost you again.”
“No,” she told me. “But I’m never getting in a blasted boat again.” Tears of her own brimmed in her brown eyes. She was a wonder to look at in all that bright tartan, with her shining hair wound into elaborate plaits.
We talked over each other, laughing and asking questions and simply marveling that we were there at all. Silas’s sharp voice jolted us from the bubble of our reunion. “Thorn. A word.”
I looked up and saw that both Warren and Grant were gone now. Silas stood near Governor Doyle, who was speaking with a commander from the fort. Several other soldiers had arrived and were spread in a loose but watchful ring around the Icori. Cedric separated from us, Adelaide right behind him.
Tamsin and I held hands and watched as the three of them spoke in hushed tones. “What’s going on?” she asked. “I didn’t expect to come back to this. Whatever it is.”
“It’s a long story,” I said.
“And that?” She nodded at the crossbow tucked under my arm.
“Also a long story. Probably not as long as yours.”
Adelaide’s face was alight when she returned. “Mister Garrett said there’s enough shift in the evidence to rescind the verdict! There’s still a lot to go over before Cedric’s entirely clear, but for now—”
“Mira!”
I looked over the platform’s edge and saw Aiana standing below, her face somber. “I’ll be right back,” I told my friends. I darted down the stairs.
“You have to find Grant,” Aiana immediately said.
I glanced quizzically up at the platform. “I thought he must’ve taken Warren away when Silas showed up.”
“Yes, but once he has, I’m worried he’ll disappear. If he hasn’t already.”
All that earlier joy drained from me. “Disappear how?”
“It was his backup plan—if the mission didn’t work out or if his identity was discovered. Get out of Cape Triumph immediately before he’s easily remembered. Take on another name in another place, get work in some trading company in the hopes of eventually going up there with a party granted access to the border or even just over the border.”
I gaped. Grant had never discussed a contingency. “That would get him in?”
“Maybe. It could take a long time. And there’s no certainty of traders getting through, which is why he wanted to avoid this. If he was reckless enough, he could sneak in and try bribing his way to amnesty for the illegal crossing, but that could just as easily get him killed.” She rested her hand on my shoulder. “Look, that’s for later. Right now, you need to talk him out of it before we lose him. I think you’re the only one who can.”
I thought back to our parting. Grant had balked when I told him I loved him, but he’d also sworn to me he’d save my friends at any cost. That cost had been his cover and nearly his life. The look in his eyes when he’d announced himself haunted me.
“I don’t know if I can talk him into anything.”
“You have to try, Banle,” Aiana insisted. She handed me a key. “Hurry. If you’re lucky, he stopped by his place to pack.”
I bit my lip and glanced around. Adelaide still stood above me with Cedric, but Tamsin had come down and now spoke with a mixed group of Icori and soldiers. I’m worried he’ll disappear.
Grant disappearing. Wandering off to be a ghost again, with a new life and a new mask. It was all he knew how to do, probably the only chance he could see to return to the Balanquans—even if it was dangerous. I couldn’t let him do that to himself. I couldn’t lose him.
I gave Aiana the crossbow and took off through the crowd. Traveling free and alone no longer mattered. The Glittering Court was nowhere in sight; they’d probably scattered when the Icori arrived. I didn’t care if I got in trouble with the Thorns anymore, especially when it seemed I’d be free of my contract soon—one way or another.
Grant wasn’t in his loft, and it wasn’t obvious in that empty place if he’d been there recently. His trunk was still there, and clothes still hung on their hooks. But I thought there might be less of them than before.
I locked the door when I left, and as I started to tuck the key away, I remembered I had another in my pocket. Silas’s. Could Grant have gone there? He spent as much time at his mentor’s and the store’s as he did his own home.
But Silas’s place was empty too. Heavy hearted, I started to leave for the store and then remembered the papers in the bag slung over me. Amidst all the surprises, I’d forgotten to give them to Silas. He apparently had enough to free Cedric and hold Warren for the time being but would need these eventually. I took them out and placed them back on the desk, not sure I could count on him still being at the courthouse.
Seeing notes scrawled in Grant’s heavy handwriting triggered a pang of despair in my chest, as though I’d already lost him. As my gaze passed over the coded letter, I couldn’t help but automatically read some of what he’d written. A few new additions stood out, like the name of the man who’d had the schedule in Bakerston. Recipient is Cortmansh had been written at the top and underlined three times. And then beside it, underlined four times: How is he translating Balanquan? The new corrections we’d discovered were there too, like the heretic patrols and Green.
My eyes suddenly jerked back to the top. Cortmansh. Grant had written that before seeing the Lorandian letter I’d translated earlier, which had corrected some of Abraham Miller’s misspelled names. Cortmansh had become Courtemanche, which made more sense if he was Lorandian. We’d always used a harsh Osfridian pronunciation because of Miller’s writing. But it wasn’t an Osfridian name.
I took a hesitant step toward him, and then Adelaide exclaimed, “Tamsin!”
Spinning around, I saw Tamsin climbing up the rickety stairs. I immediately ran toward her. Adelaide was right with me, and we practically knocked Tamsin over the platform’s edge with our hugs.
“What happened?” cried Adelaide.
I clutched at Tamsin’s sleeve and couldn’t stop the tears now. “I thought we’d lost you again.”
“No,” she told me. “But I’m never getting in a blasted boat again.” Tears of her own brimmed in her brown eyes. She was a wonder to look at in all that bright tartan, with her shining hair wound into elaborate plaits.
We talked over each other, laughing and asking questions and simply marveling that we were there at all. Silas’s sharp voice jolted us from the bubble of our reunion. “Thorn. A word.”
I looked up and saw that both Warren and Grant were gone now. Silas stood near Governor Doyle, who was speaking with a commander from the fort. Several other soldiers had arrived and were spread in a loose but watchful ring around the Icori. Cedric separated from us, Adelaide right behind him.
Tamsin and I held hands and watched as the three of them spoke in hushed tones. “What’s going on?” she asked. “I didn’t expect to come back to this. Whatever it is.”
“It’s a long story,” I said.
“And that?” She nodded at the crossbow tucked under my arm.
“Also a long story. Probably not as long as yours.”
Adelaide’s face was alight when she returned. “Mister Garrett said there’s enough shift in the evidence to rescind the verdict! There’s still a lot to go over before Cedric’s entirely clear, but for now—”
“Mira!”
I looked over the platform’s edge and saw Aiana standing below, her face somber. “I’ll be right back,” I told my friends. I darted down the stairs.
“You have to find Grant,” Aiana immediately said.
I glanced quizzically up at the platform. “I thought he must’ve taken Warren away when Silas showed up.”
“Yes, but once he has, I’m worried he’ll disappear. If he hasn’t already.”
All that earlier joy drained from me. “Disappear how?”
“It was his backup plan—if the mission didn’t work out or if his identity was discovered. Get out of Cape Triumph immediately before he’s easily remembered. Take on another name in another place, get work in some trading company in the hopes of eventually going up there with a party granted access to the border or even just over the border.”
I gaped. Grant had never discussed a contingency. “That would get him in?”
“Maybe. It could take a long time. And there’s no certainty of traders getting through, which is why he wanted to avoid this. If he was reckless enough, he could sneak in and try bribing his way to amnesty for the illegal crossing, but that could just as easily get him killed.” She rested her hand on my shoulder. “Look, that’s for later. Right now, you need to talk him out of it before we lose him. I think you’re the only one who can.”
I thought back to our parting. Grant had balked when I told him I loved him, but he’d also sworn to me he’d save my friends at any cost. That cost had been his cover and nearly his life. The look in his eyes when he’d announced himself haunted me.
“I don’t know if I can talk him into anything.”
“You have to try, Banle,” Aiana insisted. She handed me a key. “Hurry. If you’re lucky, he stopped by his place to pack.”
I bit my lip and glanced around. Adelaide still stood above me with Cedric, but Tamsin had come down and now spoke with a mixed group of Icori and soldiers. I’m worried he’ll disappear.
Grant disappearing. Wandering off to be a ghost again, with a new life and a new mask. It was all he knew how to do, probably the only chance he could see to return to the Balanquans—even if it was dangerous. I couldn’t let him do that to himself. I couldn’t lose him.
I gave Aiana the crossbow and took off through the crowd. Traveling free and alone no longer mattered. The Glittering Court was nowhere in sight; they’d probably scattered when the Icori arrived. I didn’t care if I got in trouble with the Thorns anymore, especially when it seemed I’d be free of my contract soon—one way or another.
Grant wasn’t in his loft, and it wasn’t obvious in that empty place if he’d been there recently. His trunk was still there, and clothes still hung on their hooks. But I thought there might be less of them than before.
I locked the door when I left, and as I started to tuck the key away, I remembered I had another in my pocket. Silas’s. Could Grant have gone there? He spent as much time at his mentor’s and the store’s as he did his own home.
But Silas’s place was empty too. Heavy hearted, I started to leave for the store and then remembered the papers in the bag slung over me. Amidst all the surprises, I’d forgotten to give them to Silas. He apparently had enough to free Cedric and hold Warren for the time being but would need these eventually. I took them out and placed them back on the desk, not sure I could count on him still being at the courthouse.
Seeing notes scrawled in Grant’s heavy handwriting triggered a pang of despair in my chest, as though I’d already lost him. As my gaze passed over the coded letter, I couldn’t help but automatically read some of what he’d written. A few new additions stood out, like the name of the man who’d had the schedule in Bakerston. Recipient is Cortmansh had been written at the top and underlined three times. And then beside it, underlined four times: How is he translating Balanquan? The new corrections we’d discovered were there too, like the heretic patrols and Green.
My eyes suddenly jerked back to the top. Cortmansh. Grant had written that before seeing the Lorandian letter I’d translated earlier, which had corrected some of Abraham Miller’s misspelled names. Cortmansh had become Courtemanche, which made more sense if he was Lorandian. We’d always used a harsh Osfridian pronunciation because of Miller’s writing. But it wasn’t an Osfridian name.
