Grand Duchess Miechen was sitting on a couch in the Blue Room, just off the grand staircase. She still looked pale, and was holding her belly.
“Your Imperial Highness? Can I send for anyone?”
She shook her head. “Katerina, do not worry about me. You must get word to the tsar. The foolish Montenegrins have uncovered Cantacuzene’s secret and resurrected her dead lover, Konstantin Pavlovich. He is going after the tsar before the bogatyr can be summoned.”
“What can we do?”
The grand duchess smiled, despite her obvious pain. “I can do nothing, I’m afraid, except keep the rest of the Dark Court out of the fight. The Russian vampires will wish to side with Konstantin, of course. He and Princess Cantacuzene created most of them. There are still families in St. Petersburg who are bitter about Nicholas’s brutality in crushing the Dekebristi. To revenge themselves against Nicholas’s grandson would be too tempting.”
“I am so sorry, Your Imperial Highness,” I said. “I was there when Queen Milena released him, but she did not realize what she was doing. And then he disappeared, and there was nothing anyone could do.”
“Soon everyone will know. The tsar will not be pleased—if he survives.”
“Why do you care?” I asked suspiciously. “Would you not be happy to see the tsar dead?”
“Alexander Alexandrovich is a foe I much prefer to Konstantin Pavlovich. What hope would my Vladimir have of inheriting the throne from a lich tsar?” She gave a little grimace as her face drained of all color.
“Is it the twins?” I asked anxiously. “It is much too early, isn’t it?”
She nodded and clutched her abdomen with a strained whisper: “Katerina, send for Dr. Badmaev. I cannot let the vampires in the ballroom smell the blood.”
I gasped and realized the grand duchess was indeed beginning to hemorrhage. Mon Dieu. “Can you walk at all?” I asked. “I can send for our carriage.”
The grand duchess shook her head. “I cannot leave the palace.”
I helped her down the long corridor to her private rooms. Her maids quickly undressed her and helped her into bed. They had a footman send for the Tibetan doctor. It would take several hours, however, for the man to reach St. Petersburg and to return with the doctor.
“Shall I get my mother?” I felt helpless as I watched the grand duchess suffer. The cold light that surrounded her seemed to be growing. She nodded, not bothering to open her eyes. Her maids stood at her bedside, bathing her face with cool rags.
I hurried down the corridor, heading back to the ballroom. I needed to find my mother without the Montenegrins finding me first.
CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE
I slipped into the ballroom and saw my mother speaking with Queen Milena. Merde. I looked around for my father instead. He needed to know about Konstantin Pavlovich as well if he was not already aware. My brother and the rest of the living members of the Order of St. John were still in danger.
“There you are.” Danilo’s voice was low in my ear as he came from behind and grabbed me around the waist. “I was beginning to get concerned.”
“What did your mother do to the grand duchess Miechen?”
“She has done nothing.” He smiled. “My sisters, on the other hand, consider the grand duchess a friend of Cantacuzene, and therefore an enemy of the tsar.”
“She was no friend of the princess!” I hissed. “Let me go!”
He led me out of the ballroom, and into a deserted corridor. “I am afraid I cannot do that.”
“She could die!”
Princess Elena sneered behind us. “And what can you do to help her? Pretend to be a doctor?”
If there was ever a moment I wanted to embrace my darkest powers and destroy someone, it was then. But Danilo pushed me into a small sitting room. I heard the door lock behind me.
“What are you doing?” I screamed.
“You must not interfere, beloved. When Konstantin is defeated, we shall be married. There will be no more meddling from the Dark Court.”
“What do you plan to do? How will you protect the tsar?”
There was no answer.
“Danilo, you cannot leave me in here!”
But the crown prince and his sister had already left. The hallway fell silent.
There were no windows in this room, decorated in an Oriental style, and only the one door, which was locked. I was trapped. No one would be able to hear me above the noise of the ball.
Except George Alexandrovich, if luck was with me.
“Your Imperial Highness?” I spoke aloud. “Please, Your Imperial Highness. If you can hear me, the tsar is in danger. Konstantin Pavlovich has returned and is here at Peterhof. Princess Cantacuzene was raising the undead army for him.”
I tried to stay calm.
“Your Imperial Highness? Georgi?” I whispered desperately.
There was a sudden commotion in the hall. I could hear Elena shrieking.
The door opened, and instead of the Vladiki prince, I saw the grand duke. I wanted to cry. “George,” I whispered, forgetting all imperial protocols.
He stared at me for a moment. “Katerina, I—”
“Who dares disturb my bride?” Prince Danilo said as he rushed into the room.
The grand duke turned to face him, his hand going to the saber at his hip. “I dare. And by the order of the tsar, Katerina Alexandrovna must come with me at once.”
“What nonsense is this? This is a Dark Court gathering and you have no right to be here.”
“I have no intentions of staying. But the necromancer must come with me.”
Danilo tried his best to look menacing. “But the duchess and I are about to be married.”
“I do not believe the duchess wishes to be married,” George Alexandrovich said, glancing at me. I shook my head slightly. There was no reason for me to pretend anymore.
“This is none of your concern, Imperial Highness,” the crown prince said.
“Perhaps not, but by order of the tsar, I am required to take the Duchess of Oldenburg to the Peterhof chapel immediately.”
“For what purpose?” Danilo said through gritted teeth.
“Urgent matters of state.” George turned to me and offered his arm, which I took, gladly.
“This is an insult to my family. I will not allow this.” Danilo grabbed for me, his fangs visible.
But the grand duke was faster. He took my arm and swung me out of the crown prince’s reach. He threw a punch at Danilo’s jaw. The crown prince stepped out of the way just in time.
I was too scared to scream.
I looked around the room wildly as the two princes scuffled. George had managed to land a blow somehow, as I noticed Danilo’s lip bleeding. I saw the Oriental vase in the curio cabinet wobble as Danilo shoved George into the wall. I ran to catch the vase before it tumbled off the shelf, and turned around to hit it over Danilo’s head.
Something sharp poked me in the back. “Don’t even think about it.” Elena’s voice behind me was menacing. “Tell the grand duke to leave, or I will kill you, Katerina Alexandrovna.”
I tried to twist away from her, but she held me by the hair. I let out an unladylike yelp.
Just then, Danilo punched the grand duke in the stomach and he staggered back into the wall. George slid to the floor, dazed.
“No!” I cried, trying to break free. Elena pulled me back, pressing the blade a little deeper.
Danilo turned toward me, his eyes darkening and his fangs growing longer. I couldn’t let him have my blood. He would have the power to kill the grand duke. Or worse.
“Your Imperial Highness!” I pleaded. “Get up!” He was still conscious and trying to regain his bearings.
We had to get out of there. I kicked backward at Elena’s shins and she let me go. “Bitch!” she screamed. I pulled away before she could reach me again.