Trick of Shadows (The Duskhunter Saga Book 2) by Sara Roethle (free e books to read .TXT) 📕

courier scurried forward to lead the way while the guard seemed to think better of keeping his back to us and fell into step beside Steifan.

I smiled to myself. The guard had deemed Steifan the greater threat, the one who needed to be watched more closely. Amateur.

My grin faded as I caught a glimpse of an oddly familiar face beyond the wrought iron fence of one estate’s expansive garden. I blinked, and the face was gone. Had I just imagined it? I didn’t have time to consider it further as the courier stopped before the tall wooden door of a particularly grand estate.

We waited at the base of three wide stone steps leading up to the door while the courier knocked. Almost immediately the door swung inward, revealing a servant in the duke’s livery, an older man who seemed relieved to see us.

He gave the guard a quick, questioning glance, but waved us in, stepping back and holding the door wide.

Steifan and I stepped inside and glanced around. The floor beneath our boots was pristine marble, matching white walls rising tall overhead. Bookshelves lined the sitting room, though they held few books and even fewer trinkets. While the home was grand, the decor was oddly sparse. The smell of a rotting corpse hung in the air.

A man came down the adjoining stairs to greet us, presumably the duke. He looked us over with small eyes set in a ruddy face. At our backs, the servant who’d opened the door was arguing with the guard on whether or not he would be allowed inside.

The duke straightened his stiff crimson lapels, ignoring the arguing men in favor of regarding us. “You are late. It’s preposterous how long I have been asked to hold my wife’s body. She deserves her rites.” With jerky movements, he swept his hand over his thinning silver hair, fluttering it down to flatten his well-oiled beard.

Steifan swooped into a ridiculous bow. “My apologies, Duke Auclair. We have ridden many nights from Castle Helius to reach you. I am Steifan Syvise, son to Gregor Syvise. My father sends his greetings, and his condolences.”

I snapped my jaw shut. I knew Steifan was practically nobility, but I’d never seen him act the part. His words seemed to placate the duke.

We turned at the sound of commotion as the guard pushed past the door servant, charging inside. The courier followed, reaching out helplessly to stop him. The servant stood stiff-spined near his post.

“Duke Auclair.“ The guard bowed his head, then quickly raised it. “The hunters would not relinquish their weapons. I wanted to ensure they were welcome in your presence.”

The duke’s face grew ruddier. “They are hunters, you fool!” He waved his hands. “What good are they to us without their weapons? They must find the creature who killed my wife.”

At this point I would’ve interjected to calm the flustered men, but I was too busy trying not to breathe in the scent of rotting corpse coming from upstairs. Could the men not smell it? It was only comfortably warm outside, but I had a feeling the upper rooms must amplify the heat to produce such a smell.

The guard and courier were muttering apologies while the servant watched the duke to see how he would react. Steifan seemed unsure if it was his place to intervene. What I wouldn’t give to be hunting in a small village away from such ridiculous men.

The duke’s body grew stiff as the guard continued to convince him that he had done the right thing in escorting us. “Silence!” The duke snapped. “Everyone away except the hunters. Make sure we are not disturbed.”

I’d never seen two men and a boy move so fast. In mere moments Steifan and I were alone with the duke.

“This way,” the Duke said blandly, gesturing up the stairs.

It made me wary that his anger could disappear so quickly. I wondered what other emotions lurked just below the surface. But that was a worry for later. I led the way up the stairs, overly conscious of the sound of my boots on the painted wood. The rest of the house was utterly silent.

I reached the top and stepped aside to wait for the duke, pretending I didn’t know which direction to go in. Steifan came up last, and I fell into step beside him as the duke led us down a wide hall adorned with the longest rug I’d ever seen. Following the putrid smell, my eyes landed on the door before the duke stepped in front of it. It wasn’t as hot up here as I imagined. It should have taken the body longer to stink.

“I’d rather not see her like this,” the duke said as he opened the door. “I’ll wait out here.”

I nodded, then stepped inside the room. As soon as I was out of the duke’s line of sight, I lifted my sleeve to cover my nose and mouth.

Steifan moved to my side, already looking green. Together, we looked down at the bed.

The duchess wore nothing but a night shift, the fabric sheer enough to clearly show her wilted shape beneath. She had probably been stripped when the corpse was examined. Graying ringlets were plastered back from her snow white face. As reported, there were two small puncture wounds in the side of her neck, but that wasn’t what held my interest. The way her curls dried made it seem like they’d been sopping wet when she’d been laid up on the bed. Parts of her shift were stained brownish yellow, like blood had been washed away. I wanted to speak my observations out loud to Steifan, but had little doubt the duke would be listening from outside the door. I didn’t want him to hear me, because no one had mentioned the body being tampered with. I’d guess she was moved long after her death. It explained the lack of blood on the wound, and the water stains. Just how long had the duchess been missing before her