I did end up dancing with two young gentlemen, especially after my mother remarked that I was behaving like a wallflower. But neither the grand duke nor his brother showed up at the palace that night.
The ball ended with a grand display of fireworks out over the water. They lit the sky as bright as day with sunbursts of rainbow-colored lights. All of the guests clapped enthusiastically.
Dariya came out on the terrace with me to watch the fireworks. She leaned over the railing, out of breath from dancing so much. “It’s a pity you can’t make a wish on them, like falling stars.”
I turned to look at her. “What would you wish for?”
Her face lit up with the explosion of another burst of fire in the sky. She was looking across the lawn at the young Prince Kotchoubey. He was dancing with one of the empress’s ladies-in-waiting, but glanced over at us and gave Dariya a shy smile. She sighed. “That this night would never have to end.”
The fireworks were dazzling, but the air was soon smoky and smelled of sulfur. I stared at the last dying bursts of light in the sky with an odd, vaguely ominous feeling in my stomach. I squeezed my eyes shut, making a wish of my own, trying to ward off any evil.
We returned home long after midnight, with Aunt Zina complaining of her bleeding feet. I couldn’t see why, as a married woman, she had needed to dance with all of those men, especially the tsar’s brother, but I kept my thoughts to myself. Uncle Evgene did not seem to mind.
Dariya looked happy, but tired as well. Even Maman appeared to have had a good time. I was the only person who seemed glad the birthday ball was over.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Anya’s frantic voice woke me the next morning. “Duchess! The tsar’s men are here! They are asking for you!” I sat up in bed slowly, my head thick and my eyes bleary. “What time is it?”
“After ten, Duchess. You must hurry and get dressed. Your mother is waiting for you in the parlor.” I climbed out of bed and started to open my armoire, but Anya shook her head. “There is no time for that! Here!” she said, holding up one of my pretty but faded blue dresses from the previous summer. I struggled into my underthings as she threw the dress over my head. It smelled as if it had been freshly laundered. Anya briskly spun me around and buttoned up the front before I was completely awake. “Is there tea?” I asked, trying not to yawn in my maid’s face.
“You have no time for tea,” she said, grimacing as she brought me my stockings and boots. She tapped her foot impatiently while I buttoned up my shoes. But she still insisted on twisting my hair up into a presentable knot before allowing me to go downstairs. She fussed with the curls until she was satisfied, and then shooed me out the door.
The men in Maman’s parlor were not just any of the tsar’s men. It was George Alexandrovich. And the strange man from the caves was with him. Mon Dieu, how did they know each other?
I curtsied politely to the grand duke, thanking Anya silently for insisting that I wear the blue dress. It matched the grand duke’s eyes. “Your Imperial Highness, we missed you at the ball yesterday evening.”
“Forgive me, Duchess.” Both he and the strange Frenchman were frowning. “It was not my intention to miss my mother’s dance. We had business to attend to for the tsar.”
I could tell Maman was upset. She was sitting in her favorite chair, twisting her handkerchief into pieces. “Katiya, please listen to the grand duke. He says you would be in great danger if you went to Zurich. The tsar has decided not to let you go.”
“What?” I turned on George. “What have you done? What did you tell the tsar?”
The stranger spoke up as I heard Maman gasp at my impudence. “I believe you know why you cannot leave the country unprotected right now, Duchess. It would be beyond foolish for you to think you are safe on your own.”
“Who are you?” I asked, too mad to ask any other questions.
The Frenchman bowed his head slightly. “Forgive me. I am called Papus. I am … a student from Paris.”
I did not need George’s faerie sight to understand. I realized this man must be one of the sorcerers sent to accompany George back to Paris. “What were you doing in the cave last week?” I asked him.
He looked the slightest bit uncomfortable. “As I have already told the grand duke, I was searching for an ancient manuscript that was rumored to be buried in the caves.”
I lowered my voice, so Maman could not hear. “And what were you doing in that other place?”
He drew in his breath sharply but did not answer.
“Where I saw Konstantin. In the cold-light realm.”
George folded his arms, the space between his eyebrows crinkling unhappily. He ignored me and looked at my mother. “Duchess, would you be so kind as to get some tea for your daughter? She looks as if she could use something hot to drink.”
Maman stood up quickly. “Of course, Your Imperial Highness. Katiya, I’ll be right back, darling.” Normally my mother would ring for a servant to bring tea, but something in the fae grand duke’s request made Maman suddenly eager to leave the room.
He waited until she was gone before speaking again. “It does not matter what purpose Papus had, but you had absolutely no reason to be there with no one knowing where you’d gone.”
“But I don’t know how I got there. I touched the throne, and the next thing I knew I was someplace strange, and then I saw swirls of cold light flying all around the lich tsar’s head.”
“And Papus said you trapped yourself in the Graylands.” George looked angry. At me.
“I am sure I would have found my way out of these Graylands eventually.” I was thankful, at least, to finally learn the name of the frightening place. “We should warn the tsar.”
George was growing angrier by the minute. He seemed to be struggling with his self-control. “My father already knows. But you,” he said softly. “You are too reckless to look after yourself. The tsar cannot risk losing his only necromancer.” He took a deep breath and drew himself up regally. “Katerina Alexandrovna, you are hereby ordered to return to the Smolny Institute for the coming school term.”
I could not believe it. He knew how much going to Zurich meant to me. “No! You must be teasing me!”
The scowl on his face told me he was not teasing.
“You cannot do this!” I forced back angry tears, refusing to accept this quietly. I would write to Papa immediately.
Reading my thoughts, the grand duke shook his head. “Your father has already been informed of this by the tsar himself. There is nothing you can do, Katiya. You know your parents would feel safer with you in St. Petersburg anyway.”
I glared at George. “Your Imperial Highness, I beg you to rethink your decision. I will not be exploring any more caves this summer or at any time after that. There is truly no need—”
“Katiya, it is the tsar’s decision. Not mine. The Smolny Institute will be protected by one of my mother’s spells. A spell that will also prevent the veshtiza from harming the students. It is the safest place for you.”
Papus nodded. “I am confident you will be safe under the empress’s protection, Duchess. You need not worry.”
I wanted to scream. I did not want to go back to Smolny. Not now, when all my childhood hopes and dreams of being a doctor were within my grasp. But I could not throw a temper tantrum. I took a deep breath and attempted to calm down. Papa would understand me. I knew he would be able to talk to the tsar. At least he would try. “The only reason I stumbled across Konstantin Pavlovich was because I read the words inscribed upon the old throne,” I told them.
“What throne?” Papus asked suspiciously.