Page 25 (1/1)

I returned to Smolny on Monday My parents had decided I would finish out the school year before hteen in June, and I would turn seventeen in October My father forbade a wedding before my seventeenth birthday and would have postponed it until nore all the attention at school, but everyone congratulated me and asked about the moment the prince had proposed I had to tellthe kiss seem much more chaste than it had actually felt

My cousin was furious with rabbedin my palm "I found this on the floor by your cot If only you&039;d been wearing it at the ball!" I felt ," I told her "There has to be a way"

As soon as I could slip off, I visited Princess Cantacuzene I dreaded telling her about the engageown "I believe congratulations are in order,me on the cheek

"I know you are disappointed in hed "Why, my dear, it&039;s the cleverest idea possible! You will be able to go to Cetinje and e bed! It is perfect!"

It hness, theafter the prince&039;s ascension Besides, if I murdered him in our bridal bed, wouldn&039;t I be the only suspect in his death?"

"Re in her eyes "You have the power of life and death A necromancer can not only raise the dead, but can also destroy the living Your blasphe until his ascension You must destroy him before he becomes one of the immortals Before he can harm the tsar"

"I don&039;t kno" And I didn&039;t ever want to know either I promised myself I would never kill anyone, no hness, you spoke to houls and revenants How are they created?"

She frowned "Have you not been studying the text I gave you?"

"I do not intend to study it!" I stood up, shaking "Please forgive hness, but I only ask because I believe there is a revenant loose in the city" I was surprised to feelwith tears "I believe I may have created hiain" The princess stared atblack eyes Her hair, piled up on her head in a bun, was streaked with silver, but I could tell it had been Gypsy black when she was younger She was still a beautiful woe "Dear Katerina Alexandrovich," she said "It is quite i at it Do not worry your head about such things Tell me, where did you see this revenant?"

"In the woods near Smolny, at the park at Tauride" I sat back down on the settee, gratefully accepting a cup of tea from my hostess "Thank you"

"Did he see you? Did he try to say anything to you?" The princess took her tea and sat oppositeme closely

"Yes, he called me mistress and said I had called him He never tried to hurt me, and I wasn&039;t afraid of him" I sipped my tea mournfully "I just felt so sorry for him"

"That is impossible," the princess said softly "It si at the obsidian ring I kneould not take it off again

There was a strange look in the princess&039;s eyes Fright, I thought But no, it was sihness Please help ain"

"No, of course you wouldn&039;t,the bell for her servant "Corand duchess Maria Pavlovna, ie

I felt all the blood drain from my face A cold, clammy sensation clenched my belly "Miechen? You wish to tell Miechen aboutto tell her about your gift and your revenant My dear, we are going to tell her everything"