The Kingmakers(47)

“Crushing is almost useless against vampires. It's more efficient to penetrate. If you destroy our heart, we die.”

She touched the center of his chest with the tip of the rapier.

He looked down, and then held out his arms helplessly.

Adele shook her head. Her slender hand replaced the point of his sword and she kissed the spot where it had rested.

He enfolded her in an embrace.

A singular warmth spread through her. Then she sighed. “Unfortunately, I have yet another meeting with Prime Minister Kemal, Lord Aden, and the War Materiel Committee in an hour, so we had better discuss how you intend to murder my brother without actually killing him.”

“Then let us just spar. No lessons, just simple exercise. It will clear our minds.”

Greyfriar crossed to the weapon rack and pulled a rapier similar to his. He then stood facing Adele and came en garde, as did she. They began to fence, their blades flashing and ringing. A few steps one way, a few back the other. Lunge, parry, riposte. Again. They fell into a pattern that matched each other so cleanly it seemed scripted.

Adele watched his long limbs whip almost as if they were an extension of the sword. His movements had both speed and a raw strength that was very different from Mamoru's purist skills. Her teacher seemed hardly to move at all; Greyfriar was a swirling mass of action. She studied what she could see of his face, wishing his eyes were uncovered so she could see the intensity and concentration in them.

“So, I'm assuming,” Adele breathed hard as they fenced, “we can find a suitable hand from the morgue, and that will satisfy Flay.”

“It isn't that simple. Flay knows Simon's scent.”

“Then how? Besides the obvious, which is out of the question.”

“I noticed when you were in the hospital, they gave you blood from bottles.”

“Yes.”

“I propose doing as you say and finding a suitable hand, then removing some of Simon's blood and soaking the hand in it. It should be enough to deceive Flay.”

“That's gruesome.”

“Will Simon object?”

“Oh no,” Adele said. “He'll love it.”

“We'll need a lot of blood to make her believe that he is dead. We'll take some of his clothes drenched in it too, as well as the hand. She'll assume with that much loss of blood he will have died of grievous injuries.”

“It might work.” Adele lunged forward with a remise, perfectly executing a number of short attacks in quick succession, not allowing any quarter, but Gareth deflected them all.

“Good. Of course we'll need to make Simon dead to the public. It must appear a vampire murdered him. Cesare and Flay have agents everywhere. If your old prime minister was in league with London, we can safely assume there are others here still passing information northward.”

“I pray that's not true. We combed through Lord Kelvin's papers and, as meticulous as they were, if there were other agents in Equatoria, he would've mentioned it. Knowing Kelvin, he would have registered their pay slips. He was incapable of not keeping records of everything.”

“All of Cesare's spies may not be part of the same network. Greyfriar has agents across Europe; they don't all know each other. It's safer for them that way. You must decide whom you trust, and limit the most sensitive information to that group. But there may also be information you tell no one, even me.”

“I trust you.” Adele began to retreat, now unable to maintain her speed of riposte before Greyfriar's tireless attack. “And General Anhalt. And Mamoru.”

“Then the truth about Simon can go no further. To everyone else, he must be dead.”

Adele's voice was nearly lost in ragged breathing. “King Msiri. We'll need his help too.” She stumbled and fell with a grunt.

Greyfriar was on one knee beside her. “Are you all right?”

The empress could barely answer with one hand on her heaving chest. Her face was bright red, but she shook her head and forced herself to say, “I'm fine. Just tired. I'm fine.”

He went and dipped a cup of water from a nearby pitcher. “You are exhausted. You shouldn't be so winded. Are you sleeping at all?”

She drank deeply, huffing for breath, and gave a wet cough. “Not much, no. There's so much to do. Dispatches from the front. Meetings. Speeches. Training with Mamoru.”

He studied her intently. “Adele, you look many years older than when I first saw you.”

“That's so sweet, thank you.” She glared up at him wearily, shaking her head. “Let me give you a little tip. Human women don't like to be told they look old.” But she had noticed it in the mirror too. There were darkening circles under her eyes and creases showing on her forehead. Even more, her lush hair seemed different, wirier and more brittle to the touch.