“Duch-essss,” a young man’s voice whispered. His footsteps were right behind my tree. “My mis-tressss.”
I peeked around the tree at him. I felt sick as I recognized him. It was the soldier who had fallen at the Blessing of the Water. Count Chermenensky. His face was ashen, his eyes a milky white. “Oh, no,” I whispered, shaking my head. “It cannot be.…”
“Duch-essss,” he said, holding a frostbitten hand out to me. “Help meeee.”
“What has happened to you?” I whispered. I wanted to run, but I was so scared my legs refused to budge. “You were dead.”
He bowed his head. Some of his black hair had fallen out.
“You called me.”
“No,” I said hoarsely. I felt like retching. “No.”
“My mis-tressss, please help meee.”
This could not be happening. I was going to hell. This was much worse than reanimating a dead cat or an insect. “What can I do for you?” I asked him. “How can I help you? I’ll take you back if I can only figure out how.”
He moaned. It was a horrible, painful moan. “Pleasssse! Do not send me back! There are … terrible things there.…”
I did not know what to do with him. I didn’t even know how I had summoned him, though I vaguely remembered wishing that he had not died. Could one be a necromancer and not consciously work at it? I wanted to scream and cry and run away, but I felt sorry for the poor soldier. And responsible. He had been one of my brother’s best friends. Who could I turn to for help?
There was only one person I could think of, the only person who knew what I was and had not judged me. I knew I was taking an enormous risk. But the poor count had to find somewhere safe to hide.
“Let’s get you out of the cold. We can find you something warm to eat.”
“Eat? Am I … hungry …?”
The Cantacuzene Palace was on Millionaya Street, only a few blocks away from my family home. But it was a good distance away from the woods, and of course, I did not have any rubles to hire a carriage. We would have to walk.
It was already starting to get dark. I would be in trouble when I did not show up for dinner at the institute.
I began to hum as we walked, a piece of melody from the polonaise Prince Danilo and I had danced to the week before. It seemed to appease my new friend’s moaning.
We had gone a short distance when I heard silver sleigh bells approaching behind us. Suddenly, I felt alarm. How could I explain walking unchaperoned with this unkempt-looking young man?
“Duchess von Oldenburg?” I heard a familiar voice in the carriage as it slowed to a stop beside us. Oh, merde.
It was the grand duchess Xenia and her brothers, the tsarevitch and Grand Duke George. Princess Alix and her brother were with them. Everything would not be all right.
I curtsied, trying to stay calm. “Good afternoon, Your Imperial Highnesses. How are you today?”
“Good Lord, is that poor creature with you?” the tsarevitch said, standing up in the carriage.
“Yes, Your Imperial Highness. I found him in the woods and I need to get him to the hospital.” My swift change of plans was necessary. If I asked to be brought to the princess Cantacuzene, I knew I would arouse suspicion. And perhaps Dr. Kruglevski would be able to deal with an undead patient. I prayed so.
Grand Duke George stepped out of the carriage to check on Count Chermenensky. The count moaned softly to himself, since I was no longer humming. “Sir, are you all right?” the grand duke asked. “Can you tell me your name?”
Before the count could say anything, I responded quickly, “The poor man does not know his own name. I think he has a fever.” I hoped no one would notice the count’s lifeless eyes. Or the slight smell.
“He is as cold as death!”
“No, no, I am sure he has a fever, for he is delirious,” I insisted.
“And you are a medical doctor?” the grand duke asked arrogantly.
Before I said something that would land me in Siberia, I bit my tongue. “Your Imperial Highness, would you send for a carriage to take this man to the Oldenburg Hospital? I would be eternally in your debt.”
“The military hospital is much closer. We are just down the road.”
“That will do fine, then.” As long as the military doctors did not recognize the dead count. Or ask questions I could not answer. “We can walk from here. I thank Your Imperial Highness.” I offered my arm to the count, and said, “Come along, sir. It is just a little bit farther.”
“Heavens, Georgi, we must not let them walk,” the tsarevitch said. “Duchess, please let us take you and your companion to the hospital. There is plenty of room in our carriage.”
“You are too kind, Your Imperial Highness.” I curtsied, wishing their carriage hadn’t stopped at all. “It will be all right, sir,” I said to the count. “These people are going to help us.”
The count moaned softly but allowed Grand Duke George to help him into the carriage. He behaved until he saw Princess Alix. Then something strange came over him. He began to sniff her.
“Sir!” The tsarevitch tried to push the count away from Princess Alix. “You must not come any closer to her!”
Princess Alix gave a cry of shock.
Count Chermenensky moaned louder. “A … monster! Like … me!” With a moan that turned into a growl, he leapt at her. The carriage erupted into chaos.
The Romanov sons pulled the count off the princess and wrestled him out of the carriage. Grand Duchess Xenia and I slid over to comfort Alix.
“I am so sorry, Your Highness,” I said. “This is all my fault.”
“How could you have known?” the grand duchess asked. “You were only trying to help the poor creature.”
Outside the carriage, I heard the tsarevitch and the grand duke struggling with the undead count, who was shouting bizarre things.
“Unnatural! Smelled … her skin!”
“He called me a monster!” Princess Alix was pale and trembling. She was descending into hysteria fast.
“Your Highness, take deep breaths for me,” I said. “You are not a monster. No one believes that poor, deranged man.”
The footmen helped the Romanovs subdue Count Chermenensky. He howled as they tied him up with a belt. I couldn’t be sure, but I thought I heard a fist connecting with a head. A deep thud. Could an undead person be knocked unconscious? Was he truly conscious to begin with?
“You, send for the imperial guard,” I heard the tsarevitch order in his calm, quiet voice. “Have him taken to the hospital and question him after he is seen by the doctor.”
Princess Alix was shaking, as if to stop herself from crying. “Please breathe, Your Highness,” I said. “Deep, slow breaths.”
Grand Duchess Xenia was beginning to look scared. It was easy to forget that she was just a thirteen-year-old and had probably never witnessed such an altercation before. Or a hysterical princess who’d been accused of being a monster. For that matter, neither had I.
I grabbed hold of both Xenia’s and Alix’s hands. “Grand Duchess, why don’t you take a few deep breaths with us? Slowly, slowly breathe in—that’s good—and now slowly, slowly breathe out.”
We kept taking deep breaths, and I was starting to feel a little light-headed. The tsarevitch stuck his head in the carriage. “All right there, ladies?”
Grand Duchess Xenia giggled. “My head feels funny, Nicky.”
Princess Alix was still pale but she had regained her self-control. She nodded shyly. “May we go back to my sister’s palace soon?” she asked. “My head is beginning to hurt.”
“Yes, of course,” the tsarevitch said. “Are we finished here?” he asked his brother.
Grand Duke George nodded. “Nicky, you can ride back with the ladies. I’ll stay here with this poor fellow until the guardsmen arrive.”