The Morning Star
Chapter Thirty-one

"George!" I pushed him back so I could close the door to the sanctuary. But it was too late. Konstantin and Johanna rushed out after me, stopping as they saw a band of Grigori and the tsar's two sons, sabers drawn. Papus stood behind them, a pistol in one hand and a spell book in the other. He gave me a cheeky salute with the pistol. I scowled at him.
The Grigori who'd been guarding the door were nowhere to be seen. I did not know if George and the others had frightened them off or if they'd fought. I hadn't heard any sort of scuffle in the hall from inside the sanctuary, but then again, I'd been quite distracted.
I wanted nothing more than to fall into George's arms and cover him with kisses. But the lich tsar and his newly risen consort had to be stopped. And I was afraid ordinary weapons were not going to be enough.
"Sheult Anubis!" I shouted, this time not manipulating my own shadows but those of George and Nicholas. They momentarily vanished from sight.
"You can't protect them, Duchess," Konstantin shouted. He had fed off Mala's blood and now his powers as a lich tsar were stronger than before. He threw the dagger and it cut straight through the shadows, scattering them into oblivion. My heart stopped in my throat. The dagger missed hitting anyone, but now George and Nicholas were no longer hidden.
Johanna had not fed, so she was still weak from her journey back to the land of the living. Mala's body had spilled a lot of blood, and then the lich tsar had drunk from her as well. Johanna would need more blood soon. It had been far too long since her soul had been locked away.
I tried to stay between her and the Romanov brothers. At least, I thought gratefully, she did not carry the Morning Star right now. I had to keep her and Konstantin away from Papus. Since both had returned from the land of the dead, there was nothing to prevent them from traveling across the Graylands. And if they entered the Graylands, there was no way we could return to St. Petersburg in time to stop them from attacking the tsar.
Konstantin was drawing a magic circle around himself and Johanna while she fought off the Grigori. The creatures did not have blood, so she could not feed from them. She would have to attack me or George or Nicholas. Or Papus, who was standing behind a pillar, shouting out spells and trying to shoot the lich tsar. Princess Cantacuzene decided to try for the tsarevitch.
"Nicky, why are you trying to hurt me?" she asked, batting her eyes. She pulled back her head covering and shook her black curls loose.
"Mathilde?" The tsarevitch was confused for only a moment, but she used it to her advantage.
Johanna pushed him back against one of the columns, her fangs and claws out to attack.
George rushed at her with his saber. "Katerina, why is the ballerina from the Mariinsky Theater trying to eat my brother?"
"Because Princess Cantacuzene came back from the dead and has taken over her body," I shouted over the fighting. The Grigori kept coming at Konstantin but were unable to get past his magical defenses. He was chanting something, but I could not make out what it was over the rest of the noise in the room. George reached Nicholas and the two of them circled the princess. She was backed into the circle with Konstantin.
"No, wait!" I yelled, but as soon as her feet entered his sacred circle, the lich tsar grabbed her arm and the two of them disappeared in a blinding flash of cold light.
"Merde!" I said. There was no way of telling where they had gone. "We've lost them. But they will be back. I'm sure of it. They need Papus to reach the Morning Star. He's the only mage initiated who can access the seventh gate in the Graylands."
George helped his brother up from the ground, where he'd been knocked in the fighting. He brushed the dust off of his jacket and loosened the top buttons so he could breathe easily. "Now, Katerina, start at the beginning."
Papus took the Grigori and went into the altar sanctuary to look around. Bewildered, Nicholas followed them.
I took a deep breath. But before I could start, George interrupted me again.
"No, wait." He walked over to me calmly, took me up in his arms, and kissed me. Passionately. "Do you have any idea how crazy I've been looking for you?" he murmured. "I never should have taken you out of Russia. I'm so sorry, Katiya."
I put my fingers on his lips, my forehead touching his. "It's not your fault, I promise. He would have found me in St. Petersburg just as easily."
"Danilo wouldn't dare be seen in the city. He would just be arrested again."
"He's not really Danilo anymore. Konstantin was bonded to him through the ascension ritual, and slowly, the lich tsar has taken over."
"Did he hurt you?" George's blue eyes searched my face anxiously. "I don't care who he really is. I promise I will kill him if he touched you."
I shook my head. "He needed me ... untouched for the ritual. But he kept saying we were going to be married. I think he was going to use my body to bring back Princess Cantacuzene. But the Talisman of Isis protected me somehow. So he ended up sacrificing Mala instead."
George didn't let go of me. His kisses were possessive. "The ballerina? How did she get involved in all of this?"
"She was a loyal servant of the princess. Years ago, Johanna saved her mother's life. Mala was a wild fae. She did not belong to either of the Petersburg courts."
"And did she flirt with my brother at the princess's command?"
I shook my head again. "At Danilo's. Or Konstantin's. She was supposed to be dangling after both of you."
George's short laugh made my heart dance a mazurka. "She never had a chance with me," he said, his lips traveling up the side of my jaw. "Especially when you run around dressed like this. I take it this is the rage of Egyptian fashion?"
I laughed, despite the tears running down my face. I'd forgotten all about the ridiculous priestess costume I was wearing. "I don't know what Mala did with my clothes. I had boots and stockings when we arrived at Abydos."
He swept me up in his arms with one more heart-stopping kiss. "I'm sure we'll find them somewhere."
"Georgi?" The tsarevitch returned from inside the sanctuary with the scroll in his hand. There was blood smeared on it. "I think you should take a look at this."
George did not put me down but leaned closer to see the paper his brother held out.
"That's the spell he made me read," I said. "He told me he needed to speak with the spirit of the one who had carried the sword last. I had no idea that person would be Princess Cantacuzene. Or that he would kill Mala."
I realized I was shaking. George stroked my bare arm comfortingly.
"This is from the Book of the Dead," he said. I nodded. "We found the fragment of papyrus in the caves at Giza. After we fought off Ankh-al-Sekhem."
"Who is-" Nicholas started to ask.
"The Ankh-al-Sekhem who lived three thousand years ago?" Papus interrupted, joining us again.
I nodded in wonder, amazed that he recognized the name. "Konstantin was trying to get information out of him."
George's face clouded. "Papus and I tried to speak with Ankh-al-Sekhem in the Graylands. But we were unable to find him."
Only because I'd accidentally helped the Egyptian return to life. But I did not think George needed to hear about my adventures with the crown prince in Cairo. "You went to the Graylands? It's too dangerous!" I said. "Especially with your illness."
George shook his head, dismissing my concern. "It needed to be done. Even if it was unsuccessful. You say only Papus can access the sword?"
I nodded. " 'Past the seven gates of heaven, the Morning Star lies, betwixt the steadfast darkness and the unfailing light.' That is what the sphinx in Cairo told us."
"The seven gates of Isis," Papus said, rubbing his chin. "Of course. But I am not the only mage initiated in the highest degree of the Egyptian mysteries."
I looked at the Frenchman in alarm. "Danilo said you were the only one he knew of. How can we trust you? You tried to kill me in Cairo."
Papus shook his head gravely. "My apologies, Duchess. You were never in danger from me. We wanted the crown prince to believe we were working separately. It was for your protection. But it's true that I am not the only qualified mage for the ritual. The grand duke finished his initiation last month."
George finally put me back down but kept a protective arm around my waist. "What is required of me?" he asked. "I'd been led to believe only a necromancer could carry the Morning Star."
Papus looked at me. "If you are correct about the sphinx's riddle, it sounds as if there must be both a mage and a necromancer to retrieve the sword."
"I thought it took years of study in order to be initiated past the seven gates," I said. "George, how did you push through so quickly?"
"Russia is in danger. My father is in danger," he said, his blue eyes boring into mine as he squeezed my hand. "You are in danger. I needed to finish my studies and return to St. Petersburg as swiftly as possible."
Papus looked guilty. "I told him it was foolish, but he was stubborn, Duchess. Even when his health seemed at the brink of collapse, he refused to quit."
I gave a little cry and looked from the Frenchman to the grand duke. "What have you done to yourself?" I demanded. If he was truly as powerful as Papus now, what was the cost to his health?
"We know where to find the seven gates, Your Imperial Highness," Papus said.
I looked behind him and noticed the Grigori had regathered. They seemed tense. And excited.
I was grateful that George had found me. But I also hated that he and Papus had been searching for me instead of the Morning Star. I did not want him distracted from what was important. Stopping Konstantin and protecting the tsar was most imperative.
"Let me go to the Graylands with Papus, then," I said. "He can get me through the seven gates and I will bring back the sword."
"Fine. I'm going with you." George spotted the bundle containing my clothes and picked them up for me.
"You can't," I said. "It's too dangerous."
"Too dangerous for you to travel without me, Katiya." He pulled me close to him once more. "I can't lose you again. I am not letting go of you until we are husband and wife."
A hot flush crept over my skin. "You still want to marry me? No one will believe that Danilo did not compromise me. Even if Mala was with us, pretending to be my chaperone."
"I don't give a damn about that. Unless you've changed your mind about us?" he said, his faerie blue eyes shimmering with silver specks. He was trying to read my thoughts.
I stood on my tiptoes to kiss him. "Never." I would never stop loving my grand duke.
"Then we should be married now," he said. "Before we leave Egypt."
I held out the folds of my theatrical gown. I was wearing white already, but the hem was stained with Mala's blood. "This can't be a good omen," I said.
George was not superstitious. "You look beautiful," he reassured me.
"But we should stop the lich tsar and Princess Cantacuzene first," I said. "They will come after Papus. He's in danger."
The French mage only smiled at this and shook his head.
George took my hand and raised it to his lips. "Marry me first, Katiya. Papus and the sword are both safe from Konstantin, I swear to you."