“You don’t wish for something different?” I asked. “Don’t you grow tired of the battles?”
The younger one spoke up. “We’ve been weary of the battles and the fighting for a thousand years already. But nothing will ever change. The sword passes from man to man, and we follow the sword.”
“What if the sword was destroyed?” There had to be a way to keep the Grigori safe from the lich tsar’s clutches.
The elder Grigori’s face remained impassive. “The Morning Star was forged in heaven itself. It cannot be destroyed.”
Their lack of emotion was unsettling. They were like wooden soldiers. I decided to return to my cabin before they tired of answering my questions. Hopefully I would be able to talk to them again before reaching Egypt.
When I got back to my cabin, I remembered that my copy of A Necromancer’s Companion had been left behind in Riga, with George. I slumped down on the elegant iron bed, wishing I had the book with me to research the Grigori. Surely there would be information in Princess Cantacuzene’s book about the creatures. Especially if they were linked to necromancers. I’d heard Danilo call them Watchers, but that implied that the Grigori stood back and did not interfere in the human lives around them. This was an inaccurate assumption, I feared.
I wondered what George had done with my things. The book was surely lost to me now, along with the medical texts Dr. Badmaev had given me. I sighed. The Tibetan doctor’s clinic seemed so far away, and medicine was of no help in my predicament. Magic was what I needed. And total command over my cold light powers.
I took a last look at the moonlit waves from the porthole and wished on the one bright star I could see. I wished that I would live to see George at least one more time. It was purely selfish of me, and if I’d truly believed a wish had any chance of coming true, I should have used it to wish for the defeat of Konstantin. But I was afraid I’d need the power of every last star in the sky to accomplish that.
18
It was three days before we put in to the rocky harbor of Alexandria. The passage through the rocks was narrow and only navigable in daylight, so the steamer had dropped anchor right outside the entrance and waited until dawn to approach. The grand viceroy’s palace could be seen on a cliff high to the right of the harbor.
I could not help being a little excited about seeing Egypt. Even though I was terrified for the reason I was there. I’d always wanted to see the pyramids and the treasures of the pharaohs. I had the craziest notion of being able to purchase gifts for my family in case I made it home safely.
Then I realized I had no money. I’d had only a few rubles among my things at Riga, not enough to even buy a vial of perfume for Maman or a papyrus scroll for Papa. I sighed as I dressed in a soft light-green walking gown of linen.
Danilo knocked on my door to take me to breakfast. “We should have something to eat before leaving the steamer. It will be a busy day for us, Duchess.”
“Is the sword here in Alexandria? Why hasn’t anyone stolen it before now?”
“All in good time,” he said with a firm grasp of my arm. “The Grigori are waiting for us.”
But the Grigori did not eat. They sat with us silently while I choked down a too-hot mug of coffee and nibbled dry toast. The girl in the black habit joined us and appeared to be enjoying some sort of sweet pastry. It smelled like cinnamon and nutmeg and looked much more appetizing than my own toast, but I did not have time to ask her where she’d gotten it. Danilo seemed to be in a hurry and was anxious for us to leave the boat.
Danilo spoke to the two Grigori in their ancient language, which later that morning I learned was Coptic. The Grigori did not seem to have any luggage with them and followed us silently as we disembarked.
It took less time than expected to move through customs. Danilo must have bribed the officials not to ask me too many questions. We joined the Grigori in a hired carriage and drove through crowded dirt streets to the Hotel Khedivial, one of the luxury-class accommodations in the city. The sounds of the city were like nothing I’d ever encountered before. The carriage fought for its space in the road with hacks, other carriages, donkeys, and women carrying earthen jugs on their heads. Half-naked children ran through the crowds, and merchants shouted out their wares. I could hear the squawking of chickens and other animals high above the din.
The hotel was very European but also exotic with its Moroccan tiled lobby. Danilo kept an iron grip on my arm, and the mysterious sister stayed close at my other side as the elder Grigori saw to us checking in. The porter, a young boy who looked no more than twelve or thirteen, appeared to take care of our luggage. He gave me a cheeky grin as he single-handedly picked up my trunk. I knew with a sad smile where the last of my rubles would be spent.
As we followed him up the stairs, I could hear the music from the hotel’s restaurant. A woman was singing a haunting tune. I could not help realizing that it would be difficult not to fall in love with Egypt.
My room was a luxurious suite decorated with painted tiles and lush enormous palms. Gauzy white linens hung around my bed. “They are to protect you from mosquitoes,” the young porter said. I pulled the last ruble from my pocket and handed it to him. “Will you be able to exchange this?” I asked. I had nothing else to give him for a tip.
“Of course. Madame is most generous!” he said with a polite bow.
He believed I was married. I wanted to correct him but remained silent. I shuddered as I walked to the window and looked out my balcony. I had a beautiful view of the hotel’s courtyard garden below. The scents of jasmine and orange flower rose up and mingled with the lotus blossoms that sat in a crystal bowl on my dresser. It was beautiful, for a prison.
Danilo knocked briefly before walking in. The gray-eyed girl in the black habit was with him. “Katerina, I have been remiss in my introductions,” he said, with one hand elegantly on his chest. “Please forgive me. This is Sister Mala, your chaperone.”
I nodded as she gave me a brief but polite bow. I supposed I should have been grateful for her presence. She was saving my reputation from ruin. But I don’t think she was happy with her assignment. And I did not believe she was a religious sister at all.
“It’s my pleasure to serve you, Duchess.” Sister Mala’s eyes sparkled with malice.
The lich tsar smiled. “I want no scandal surrounding our wedding, Katerina. But rest assured, we will be married soon. And you will be crowned empress before long.”
“What makes you think you are the rightful tsar?” I asked dangerously. “You gave up your claim when you married Princess Cantacuzene.”
“I did not!” he said, striding toward me so violently I was afraid he was going to strike me again. Instead, he pushed past me and walked to the window. “My younger brother stole my birthright. The descendants of Nicholas Pavlovich will pay for his theft.”
My imperial great-grandfather had been called many things, but never a thief. “You married a vampire, Your Highness,” I said. “Russian law forbids such a marriage for the tsar.”
He turned away from the window and came back to where I stood. “I am the tsar and I am the law of Russia,” he said, his voice deadly calm, “and I will marry whomever I choose.” He raised his cold fingertips to my chin and tilted my face toward him. “And I choose you, my lovely necromancer. I will never love another as I loved Johanna, but I must marry again and have heirs. The true Romanov dynasty must continue.”
“Your Imperial Majesty,” Sister Mala said. Such nerve she had treating the imposter as the true tsar. “We have heard disturbing reports of another group of Grigori in the city. We do not know who they are working with, but they seek the Morning Star as well.”