Read Online The Morning Star by Robin Bridges - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Robin Bridges
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I will allow you to stay home, but I wouldn’t miss Miechen’s dinner party for the world! Her French chef is divine!”
Not divine, but probably fae, I remembered unhappily. The grand duchess always did have a passion for the exotic.
“No one is going anywhere tonight,” Papa said as the footman let him in. He took off his hat with a frown. “Except Katerina.”
George Alexandrovich entered the house behind him. He did not look happy either. Nevertheless, he seemed like my knight in shining armor when he clicked his heels together and said, “Katerina Alexandrovna, you must come with me immediately.”
“What has happened?” I asked, rushing back down the stairs.
Papa put a heavy hand on my shoulder and squeezed gently. “I should let the grand duke explain everything to you.” He turned to my mother and asked, “Shenia, will you have Anya begin packing a trunk for Katiya?”
Maman gave a frightened little cry. “She must leave now? Where is she going?”
“I’ll explain it to you in a minute, my dear. You must tell Anya to hurry. They do not have much time.” He led Maman gently up the stairs with her exclaiming the whole way.
I looked at George, who was standing in the hall at the foot of the staircase. “Tell me what has happened,” I demanded.
“You were right about the lich tsar. He is here, in St. Petersburg, and he’s been raising a new army of the undead.”
“Then I need to help your father.” We would be summoning the bogatyr to fight Konstantin Pavlovich.
George shook his head. “No. The Koldun believes it is not safe for my father to go through the ritual again. There is another weapon we think might work.”
“And you want to leave your father unprotected to look for this weapon?”
“He is safe, Katiya, for the time being. Both the Order of St. John and the Order of St. Lazarus are escorting him and my mother back to Gatchina tonight. The Koldun is under heavy guard as well. You are the one we are concerned about.”
“Me?” I could not help thinking Danilo’s words might be true. That I was a liability to the tsar as long as I was alive. Should I tell George that I’d just been standing in the Field of Mars speaking with the lich tsar?
“Without your powers, Konstantin cannot fully return to life.”
“But he’s a powerful sorcerer.” Before he’d married the blood drinker and necromancer Princess Cantacuzene, he’d been the Koldun for his elder brother, Tsar Alexander the First.
“He is a powerful sorcerer without a physical body. He cannot perform any rituals himself.”
“But he could possess someone else and use their body,” I suggested.
George stared at me, and I realized neither he nor the Koldun had thought of this possibility. “He could not pick just any body to possess,” George said. “It would have to be someone to whom he was closely linked. Like you.” He put his hands on my shoulders and squeezed them gently. “But you will be safe, I promise.I’m taking you to Gatchina tonight. The palace is built like a fortress. No one can get to you there.”
“I can’t go with you alone!”
“Your brother is going as a chaperone,” he said with a grim smile. “And my parents will be there soon as well.”
That did not make me feel any better. How could I face his parents now? I’d chosen medicine over marriage to their son. The empress might be happy that I would not become a daughter-in-law, but like the tsar, she did not believe women should become doctors.
“And Xenia will be delighted to have you. She has been lonely since her Greek cousins left.”
One more thing for the empress to be displeased with. I was certain to be labeled an inappropriate influence on the grand duchess.
“And what about this weapon you’re seeking?”
“It’s an ancient sword, rumored to command a magical army when held by a necromancer.”
“You want me to use the sword?” I asked.
George laughed. “Don’t be ridiculous. We just want to keep
Not divine, but probably fae, I remembered unhappily. The grand duchess always did have a passion for the exotic.
“No one is going anywhere tonight,” Papa said as the footman let him in. He took off his hat with a frown. “Except Katerina.”
George Alexandrovich entered the house behind him. He did not look happy either. Nevertheless, he seemed like my knight in shining armor when he clicked his heels together and said, “Katerina Alexandrovna, you must come with me immediately.”
“What has happened?” I asked, rushing back down the stairs.
Papa put a heavy hand on my shoulder and squeezed gently. “I should let the grand duke explain everything to you.” He turned to my mother and asked, “Shenia, will you have Anya begin packing a trunk for Katiya?”
Maman gave a frightened little cry. “She must leave now? Where is she going?”
“I’ll explain it to you in a minute, my dear. You must tell Anya to hurry. They do not have much time.” He led Maman gently up the stairs with her exclaiming the whole way.
I looked at George, who was standing in the hall at the foot of the staircase. “Tell me what has happened,” I demanded.
“You were right about the lich tsar. He is here, in St. Petersburg, and he’s been raising a new army of the undead.”
“Then I need to help your father.” We would be summoning the bogatyr to fight Konstantin Pavlovich.
George shook his head. “No. The Koldun believes it is not safe for my father to go through the ritual again. There is another weapon we think might work.”
“And you want to leave your father unprotected to look for this weapon?”
“He is safe, Katiya, for the time being. Both the Order of St. John and the Order of St. Lazarus are escorting him and my mother back to Gatchina tonight. The Koldun is under heavy guard as well. You are the one we are concerned about.”
“Me?” I could not help thinking Danilo’s words might be true. That I was a liability to the tsar as long as I was alive. Should I tell George that I’d just been standing in the Field of Mars speaking with the lich tsar?
“Without your powers, Konstantin cannot fully return to life.”
“But he’s a powerful sorcerer.” Before he’d married the blood drinker and necromancer Princess Cantacuzene, he’d been the Koldun for his elder brother, Tsar Alexander the First.
“He is a powerful sorcerer without a physical body. He cannot perform any rituals himself.”
“But he could possess someone else and use their body,” I suggested.
George stared at me, and I realized neither he nor the Koldun had thought of this possibility. “He could not pick just any body to possess,” George said. “It would have to be someone to whom he was closely linked. Like you.” He put his hands on my shoulders and squeezed them gently. “But you will be safe, I promise.I’m taking you to Gatchina tonight. The palace is built like a fortress. No one can get to you there.”
“I can’t go with you alone!”
“Your brother is going as a chaperone,” he said with a grim smile. “And my parents will be there soon as well.”
That did not make me feel any better. How could I face his parents now? I’d chosen medicine over marriage to their son. The empress might be happy that I would not become a daughter-in-law, but like the tsar, she did not believe women should become doctors.
“And Xenia will be delighted to have you. She has been lonely since her Greek cousins left.”
One more thing for the empress to be displeased with. I was certain to be labeled an inappropriate influence on the grand duchess.
“And what about this weapon you’re seeking?”
“It’s an ancient sword, rumored to command a magical army when held by a necromancer.”
“You want me to use the sword?” I asked.
George laughed. “Don’t be ridiculous. We just want to keep
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