Glittering Shadows (36 page)

“Really?” He groaned.

“You don’t think it’s nice for us to host a party? It’ll build goodwill.”

“I just don’t enjoy the attention. Isn’t anyone talking about my last pamphlet? I thought I had some amazing points about labor laws. Did you read it?” He opened a
drawer. “Maybe you could ask people if they’ve read it.”

“Sebastian, parties are so much more exciting than pamphlets. Pamphlets aren’t illegal anymore, so no one cares. And Marlis herself is exciting. The Chancellor’s daughter has
declared herself a mythological being. How can you top that?”

“I
could
.” He sighed.

“Well, I understand that you don’t want to be Prince Rupert, and you don’t want anyone to notice you’re Prince Rupert, but that does limit your ability to be exciting.
Maybe you should wear a serpent around your arms. It seems to work out pretty well at the café.”

“That sure is a shame, pretty girl like you saddled with a thing like that.” Café Scorpio was packed on her second Saturday night there, and Thea was already
feeling harried. She’d heard similar comments already, but not with a leer—like this guy was thinking he’d go home and tell his friends, “Guess what girl I hooked last
night? Ha-ha.”

“How’d you lose it?” he continued.

“Gunfight,” Thea said, which was not untrue.

“That sounds like an exciting story. I like my women a little dangerous. I don’t mind this.” He reached for her left wrist, and she yanked her arm back.

“No need to be shy,” he said.

“Oh, I’m not shy.” She pressed her hook to his cheek. “I don’t mind putting your eyes out.”

“Whoa.” He sounded rattled. “I was trying to give you a compliment.”

She had probably overreacted, but she didn’t feel bad. She had never liked men like him, but now she had no tolerance for them. She’d probably lived through more harrowing
experiences than he ever would. Anyway, the hooks weren’t sharp, or she would have put her own eye out by now.

He leaned closer. “Hey, I’m sorry, sweetheart. Can I buy you a drink and make it up to you?”

Beneath the edge of his shirt, she saw a silver necklace—with Otto’s crest. He was a tall, strong fellow, with rustic features and clothes that looked travel-worn and a little
unpolished, like they were sewn by a woman at home. Irminauer clothes.

Curses.
Part of the problem with trying to gather crucial information was that no one was going to walk around announcing themselves as Otto’s spies, blabbing crucial information
right at their table. She had to coerce it out, but she couldn’t do that without some clue they might work for Otto to begin with.

“Maybe,” she said.

He relaxed a little. “You work for the resistance around here?”

She shrugged.

“Seems like everyone does,” he said.

“Not everyone. I flirted with it.”

“How did that go?”

He was trying to get information out of her, she thought, while she was hoping for the same. “I was intrigued with Arabella von Kaspar. Do you know of her? She died the night the workers
escaped. I’d gone to some meetings of her group.”

“I’ve heard of her.”

“Of course, when she died, that’s when this Brunner fellow came into power. I’m just not sure about him. He made a lot of concessions to the old regime.”

He was starting to look a little bored, his eyes grazing her curves. Maybe he didn’t want information after all. “Beautiful rustic girl like you shouldn’t be caught up in all
this,” he said. “Why aren’t you married?”

“I’m not interested in being a housewife,” she said, a little disturbed that he thought she was old enough to ask that question—but girls did marry at seventeen in
Irminau. “I’d rather work. Speaking of which, let me get you a drink.”

He’d probably be worse with liquor in him, but she wanted a minute away. She didn’t want to get information out of him anymore—not when he kept looking at her hook and then her
body, like he was weighing them against each other and had decided she was worthy of his attention, and maybe ought to be grateful, to boot.

She took a deep breath. If he did work for Otto, if he knew something, she could use his attention to her advantage. He had no idea how much she had faced, how involved she had been, who she
worked for. She wouldn’t let him scare her from her duties just because he had poked at her insecurities. And Sebastian’s guard would be waiting for her when she left, so she
didn’t even have to fear him pursuing her.

She brought him the drink and lingered a moment at the table while he took a sip.

“Good?”

“Perfect. You don’t skimp on the alcohol around here.”

“I made it myself.” She leaned against the table. “This is your first time here, isn’t it? You aren’t from the city?”

“No.”

“Irminau?”

He nodded.

“My parents were from Irminau. I’ve always wished to see it. I’m so tired of the big city.”

“You might not like Irminau. Women don’t work there. They get married and have babies.”

She doubted this was entirely true. “There are no waitresses in Irminau?”

“None like you.”

She turned her head, as if shy, although really she didn’t want to have to force some smile. She left him for a little bit, so he wouldn’t take her presence for granted, although it
was hard when she was impatient to be done with him.

When she noticed his drink was empty, she returned. “So tell me more about Irminau. My mother always says the pastries here never compare.”

“Your mother is right. Have y’ever had gooseberry gateau? With vanilla cream…” He was getting tipsy, and she was feeling more anxious that she might be wrong and maybe he was
an ordinary rustic with nothing to do but ogle girls and tell her things she already knew.

She asked if he would be in the city next week.

“No.” He sounded apologetic. “I’m headed north day after tomorrow.”

“Back to Irminau? Why?”

“I’ve got something to do.”

“I wish I could see Irminau.”

“It’ll be dangerous.”

“Oh no, why?” She tried not to sound too eager. “Anyway, I don’t care, I’ve been in a gunfight, remember?”

“Well, I don’t think you want to go into battle.”

“I heard the armies aren’t going to move through this snow.”

He shrugged.

“You’re not really going into battle, are you?”

“Nah, I hope not.”

“Well, could I write you a letter? To boost your spirits?”

He brightened. “Would you really?”

“I’d love to. For the glory of my mother’s homeland.”

“Hustenburg.” Sebastian smiled.

“Is it helpful at all? I tried to get him to tell me more about why he was going there, but—”

Sebastian held up his hand. “Oh no. This is very helpful indeed. Do you know where Hustenburg is?”

“No.”

“It’s tiny, right on the border of Irminau, just a few miles north of Lingfeldt. And Lingfeldt is a supply base that has been traded back and forth more than once between Irminau and
Urobrun, right where the Urobrun River splits into a tributary. It’s actually on the Irminauer side of the river, but Urobrun has control of it.” He was sounding excited.
“Lingfeldt’s supply base holds a large stockpile of weapons—ammunition and heavy guns. They’re meant to defend the border. The problem is, manpower at the base is too short
for defense now. The Urobrunians could overwhelm them, take the weapons, come over the bridge, and get a foothold in our lands there. I know it’s been on Brunner’s mind, but we
assumed—no, let’s say we
hoped
—they wouldn’t pursue it during the snows. But I’m sure that’s their target.”

“So this is bad news, isn’t it?” It was hard to tell when he was talking so much, grabbing papers and looking eager. “They’re planning an attack?”

“And soon, if your man’s time frame is to be believed.”

“
Don’t
call him ‘my man.’”

“How about ‘your target’?”

“Better.”

“I should talk to Marlis and gather up a unit quickly. It seems I’m going to miss her New Year’s party.”

“You might want to try not sounding so delighted about it when you tell her.”

“Oh, she’ll probably be glad to handle all the diplomacy herself.”

“Are you going to meet the Irminau army? Personally?”

He crossed around to the front of the desk. “It should be a fairly simple operation if we can get there in time. I’d just be supervising the defense. Don’t worry.”

“I’m not,” she lied, but she reached for his jacket and pulled him closer. “But I think I’m tired of pretending I don’t have any feelings for you for
Freddy’s sake. If you did die, I would think about all the moments I’d missed.”

“Not many, with how busy we’ve all been.” He cupped his hand around her hair. “But I know.”

She stood on her tiptoes to kiss him, throwing her arms around him. She wasn’t sure if she would have a chance to say good-bye later, if he intended to move so quickly.

“I can’t bear losing one more thing, Sebastian. I really can’t.”

“I’ll be back before you know it. I promise.”

“In one piece,” she added, feeling suspicious about promises.

“As much as that is possible. And promise me you’ll enjoy yourself at the party and keep Marlis from doing anything too insane.”

“As much as
that
is possible.”

“I
hear you’re headed for the border,” Freddy said, in a considerable understatement, what with the sudden hubbub of preparations
throughout the house. “Will it be dangerous?”

“If we make it in time, we won’t even have to engage. But if we don’t, it could be.” Sebastian had his hands spread over the map thoughtfully.

“I’d like to go with you,” Freddy said.

“You would?”

“I’ve been trapped in this house for weeks. If we do go into battle and I could help turn the tide, that’s a better use of my power than bringing back spies for the UWP to
torture.”

Sebastian’s eyes brightened, but he put his hands on his hips. “I worry about your capture.”

“Will the enemy even know I’m there? If I revive men behind the walls of a base? They can fight out the duration if I revive them.”

“I won’t turn it down, of course. I just wanted to make sure you mean it. You’ve never been in a battle before.” Sebastian wiped his glasses on the edge of his shirt.
“There is the potential for us to be vastly outnumbered.”

“I was out the night the workers died,” Freddy said. “Not only was that ugly, but it was very personal. I don’t want to sit around uselessly waiting for the next time
Brunner demands to see me, when I could offer you real help. And I have magical protection on me, so that does lessen the risk.”

Sebastian nodded. “Brunner doesn’t even know I’m doing this, you know. I want those weapons for our use.”

“He isn’t going to like that.”

“To say the least. But this is my chance to grab some glory without having to use my family name.” Sebastian started looking at the map again, so Freddy moved to the stairs.

Sebastian waved his hand. “But, Freddy? I’m sending someone to get hair dye. Make that your evening project. No need to make yourself too obvious.”