phantom knights 04 - deceit in delaware (57 page)

Jericho accepted his mask, smiling slightly as he placed it over his eyes. When he joined the others, I heard Jack and Levi growl.

Next was Bess. Her mask had taken me a little longer to decide upon, for what did one name his daughter who fought with determination but would fly if she found the chance?

“My daughter, when I returned home and told you that you were to become a spy, I knew that you would serve your country the same way that you serve your family. With pure determination.” Presenting her mask, it was painted red over her left eye, but over the right was a leather crafted raven, perched over her right eye as if landing … or preparing to take flight.

“From this day forward, you will be known as Raven.”

She took the mask and ran her finger over the bird. After she joined the others, I turned to Benjamin.

His had been the most difficult to choose because I had not been certain that he would succeed in his mission. He had surprised me when he had shown himself successful in the shortest amount of time. As I had made his mission involve horses, he had thrived. Ben’s greatest love was of horses. Nell had once said that Ben rode as if his horse had wings.

His mask was black but rising above each eye was a winged horse, facing each other.

“Pegasus, the horse of the skies.”

Ben took the mask without a word. He placed it over his eyes and joined the others, but there was no hint of any emotion.

Facing my family, I smiled. “As a family, we trust each other first, knowing that your brothers and sisters will do their all to assist you when you ask for aid. As spies, we live a life of secrets. You trust no one and question everything.”

They each agreed and I concluded the masking ceremony. Leaving my children to inspect each other’s masks, I walked across the field. At the far end, I turned to watch my family interact.

Pierre joined me and for a few moments we had silence, until he spoke.

“You are pleased.”

Chuckling, I motioned to my family. “How can I not be? Just gaze upon my creation.”

More had happened for the good of my family since coming to America than all the time that I had spent in England.

“Tey are but children, you remember,” Pierre said.

It was a bit late to be turning squeamish about what was before us. He had assisted me in training them, guiding them, molding them into the perfect weapons against our enemies.

We would move to Savannah where my wife and I would test our abilities of disguise, and when we won the hearts of the people of society, we would move on to some larger, grander city. Washington or Boston or Philadelphia. We would thrive. We would contrive. We would win.

“They are not children, Pierre,” I assured him with conviction. My creations would never be called just children. The mere thought was blasphemy to what I had created. “They are Phantoms.”

THE END

Also by Amalie Vantana

PHANTOM KNIGHTS SERIES

Phantoms In Philadelphia

The Charleston Chase

Secrets In Savannah

PHANTOM BEGINNINGS NOVELLAS

The Phantom Knight

The Raven of Richmond
(Fall 2015)

The Wolf of Williamsburg
(Fall 2015)

The Belle of Boston
(Fall 2015)

Other works by Amalie Vantana