A Company of Monsters (The Sorcerers of Verdun Book 2) by Shami Stovall

Author:Shami Stovall [Stovall, Shami]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Capital Station Books
Published: 2019-11-18T16:00:00+00:00

Geist didn’t like men’s formalwear.

She didn’t like any formalwear outside of standard military uniforms. Not because they didn’t feel comfortable, but because of what they reminded her of. Once upon a time, her father groomed her to be a queen—to marry the prince of Austria-Hungary. Now, whenever she saw dresses and coattails, it brought back the memories, spoiling her mood and eroding away her happiness, one ballroom song at a time.

The Russian outfit came complete with a stiff leather belt, white pants, a blue tunic, and golden tassels on the shoulders. Geist felt like an oil painting. She fidgeted with each step, irritated by the knee-high boots. Once she reached her destination, she knocked on the dining room door with a gloved hand.

The door opened a moment later, and the same servant girl bowed her head.

“Greetings.”

Geist replied with a nod and stepped inside.

Extravagance poured from the walls and pooled across the floor. Ivory, gold, silver, and paintings as long as a cargo truck adorned every inch of space. A long table, complete with polished silverware and delicate china, was positioned in the middle of the room. The grand duchess, however, was nowhere to be seen.

“Am I early?” Geist asked.

The servant frowned. “Many apologies. Her Grace will be with you shortly. She’s tending to her family at the moment.”

Tending to her family? Geist didn’t understand what that meant, nor did she get an opportunity to ask for clarification. The servant girl hustled from the room, almost as if avoiding any conversation as fast as she could. Once the door snapped shut, Geist stood alone in the gilded room, her thoughts wandering. She smoothed the sleeves of her borrowed uniform more times than she could count.

Minutes passed, with only the ticking of a mechanical clock to keep the silence at bay.

The absence of the grand duchess worried Geist. Perhaps she could go look? Although she didn’t want to get caught—and create a diplomatic incident—she also wanted to know more about the Russian Empire and its ruling family. If she could gather information, wouldn’t it be advantageous?

Geist sighed and resigned herself to investigation.

Even if the grand duchess arrives while I’m gone, I can say I just needed to use the restroom. No one would fault me for that.

Cloaking herself in her specter sorcery, Geist crept up to the wall and ghosted through. The hallway, lit with electric lights, was empty. No guards. No servants. Where were they? Geist pushed the thoughts from her head as she continued through the massive palace.

She didn’t stop at doors or even use the normal route of travel. Instead, she slid through walls, examined rooms, and made her way through with an unconventional path. Bathrooms, storerooms, studies, and personal libraries littered the palace. A few times she spotted ladies-in-waiting and governess’ going about their work, but she ignored them. When Geist got closer to the center of the palace, however, she found where all the Imperial Guards were stationed.

They waited at doors, by the hydraulic lift, and even patrolled through the rooms.

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