Crimson Guard Page 3

  As I made my way to the entrance, I signaled to the servant who was standing at attention at the doorway, conveying impatience in the gesture. He stepped forward to open the door and gave me a polite head nod, which I ignored as Jaeda would do. I strode through the entrance just as another servant stepped up to me.

  "Madam, your- "

  I waved her away and kept on striding forward with purpose. The less I talked, the less likely I would give away that I was not Jaeda.

  I had been watching Jaeda for days, watching how her body moved, how she interacted with other people and trying to embody her wasn't too hard. However, that doesn't mean I wouldn't make a blunder of a conversation about a subject I knew nothing about.

  "Madam, plea- "

  I turned and gave her a look of displeasure and rudely interrupted her, "I would think about whatever you are about to say. I made it clear that I did not want you to talk. Learn to listen to my command."

  The servant ducked her head and took a step back whilst I turned and walked up to the stairway as I remarked over my shoulder, "Now, I'm going upstairs to my room and I do not wish to be disturbed for the rest of the night."

  I heard her scurry away and I felt a pang of remorse over the way I treated her. I may have to imitate Jaeda, but I didn't have to like it.

  According to the blueprints and the information we managed to gather, Jaeda's bedroom was next to the Captain's Office and none of the servants were allowed on the floor without being requested to be there, so thankfully I wouldn't be caught snooping.

  I climbed up the stairs and turned left, following the long corridor which led to Jaeda's room and the office, listening out for any servants who may have snuck up here.

  As I placed my hand on the office door, I heard some faint murmurs within. I stood still, listening in but couldn't make out anything above a hushed whisper. Assuming that it was servants caught where they shouldn't be, I stormed in with anger...

  Only for Captain Harrian Wildecrest to spin around in shock and outrage until he realised it was me, or Jaeda, who made the dramatic entrance.

  "Jaeda, I am glad you could join us." His words may have been a greeting, but his voice was an unhappy grumble.

  He stood tall on the other side of the room, standing in front of a desk. His chocolate brown hair was maliciously groomed, framing a square jaw and hazel eyes.

  Wildecrest was one of the few Elites who were not also cerulean. Although blessed with a strategic mind for battle, he was not gifted with powers, hence the hazel eyes. Eyes that frowned at me underneath thick brows.

  "Us?" I replied in confusion as beads of sweat started to form on my brow, my palms growing clammy.

  I tried to calm myself, even as I felt the carefully laid out plan we had devised shred into multiple pieces.

  Wildecrest turned to his side to reveal...

  "General Kolvar Volorn."

  I dipped myself in a curtsy whilst internally cursing. My chances of pulling off the heist had just considerably decreased.

  Volorn himself was a striking man, a strong jaw with about two days' worth of stubble across his chin, thick golden-brown hair which was pulled back from his face to expose piercing cornflower eyes surrounded by thick lashes and high cheekbones. A small scar marked the top of his lip, likely a close call whilst in battle. At the same time as I studied him, that lip strained upwards in a little smirk before he spoke,

  "Nice to see you again Madam Wildecrest."

  I shook myself out of my stupor, gave him a small seductive smile and replied, "I'm glad to see you again too General. Although, I do admit I did not know you would be here tonight. What a pleasant surprise that is."

  I turned towards Captain Harrian, lifting my eyebrows in question but found him gazing at me with a mixed look of desire and disapproval.

  Ah, the dress.

  I had to control the blush from taking over my face when he said, "We arrived moments ago from the back entrance. The servants told me you were out, but they must have been mistaken."

  I furrowed my brow in what I hope he perceived as confusion.

  "I have only been in my room."

  He studied me before giving a slow nod before announcing, "Food should be prepared for us by now. Why don't we speak over dinner."

  He made a gesture for us to leave the room. We all trailed out and made our way into the hallway, heading towards the dining hall when he grabbed my arm in a tight grip and remarked, "Jaeda, perhaps you should quickly change into something...more suitable."

  I gave him a stiff smile and replied, "Of course. I will join you soon gentlemen."

  He let me go, as small throbbing pain left from his grip. Fighting the urge to rub the mark, I turned back towards Jaeda's room, listening out for when they reached the dining room on the ground floor. Hearing the soft drag of chairs on a hardwood floor, I quickly dashed to the office where the shield charms were held.

  I quietly crept into the office, gently pushing the door until it gave a soft click. Moving forward, my eyes darting around the room, searching for the safe.

  A large mahogany desk stood in the center of the room, ink pots and papers spread across the surface and multiple maps stashed in a pile. Probably what the Captain and the General were looking at before I interrupted.

  Turning away, I looked to the walls were bookshelves and hundreds of books lined the room, showing off wealth and education in a way that made me envious. To have so many books when the masses stayed uneducated... it filled me with such rage and disgust that I had to take a breath.

  For now, my concern was the shielding charms, not the books. However, now I know how many were here... perhaps I would disguise myself as Jaeda again and help myself to some after the job was finished.

  Tearing my attention away from the glorious books, I continued investigating around the room for the safe, but couldn't see it.

  I cursed myself for being so naive in thinking the safe would be out in the open for all to see and tried harder. Stepping lightly, I made my way towards the desk in the center of the room and opened up its drawers, hoping there would be some clues there.

  After a thorough scavenge, I gave a huff of disappointment, only found the house's finances.

  Shutting the draws, I scanned around until my eyes snagged on an oil painting of the Captain. Although the portrait fit the setting of the room, something about it screamed different to me.

  I moved towards it and gently lifted it off its hanger, placing it on the floor. Uncovering a bulky and black safe.

  I barely stopped myself from dancing in glee, reminding myself that finding it was only part of the job.

  Now that I could see it, I wondered why I didn't feel the faint buzz of a shielding charm surrounding it before. The small vibrations ran over my fingers as I lifted my hand to touch the safe's door, letting the shielding charm sense my identity.

  When Tawney and I first tried this years ago, we were unsure if the charms would pick up that I was an intruder, but it seemed my powers overpowered the magic of the shielding charm, completely convincing the magic that I was the person whose identity I was overtaking.

  There was a faint click and the door popped open, revealing bundles of coin, five shielding charms, two books and a stack of papers. I quickly looked towards the door, making sure no one was coming. Given the amount of time I had searched for the safe, I wouldn't have surprised me if someone came to check on me.

  Thankfully, it seemed everyone was still occupied. I hastily grabbed three charms from the safe, placed them into my thigh holster given to me by Tawney and substituted them with the fakes.

  After the way Tawney had been acting lately and the injuries he has suffered, I wanted to bring back a charm just for him. It would help put my mind at rest and protect him at the same time.

  I moved everything back into its original place and shut the safe door. Once I was satisfied, I replaced the painting back onto the wall before making a dash out of the room. Half of the job was done. Now it was ju
st getting out of here before the General and Captain realised I wasn't Jaeda.

  Just as my hand left the doorknob to the office, I heard footsteps climbing up the stairs in a steady thump. I hurried into Jaeda's room as silently as I could and rushed to her wardrobe.

  Just as I opened the closet door, I heard a faint knock and I spun to see a servant standing at the entrance with her head bowed.

  "Madam, the Captain said you may need my assistance in changing your clothes. He said you had been up here a while and were requested downstairs." Her voice a soft murmur.

  Heart thumping madly in my chest, I crossly informed her, "I do not need your assistance. Tell the Captain I will be down in a moment." I kept my voice abrupt, keeping in character even as I wished to apologise for my behaviour.

  The servant gave a small curtsy and shut the door, running from her bad-tempered mistress.

  I spun back towards the wardrobe and looked at the collection of dresses Jaeda had in her collection.

  Each dress was dyed a vivid colour. Reds, greens, blues, yellows, most of them with thick bones corsets and deep necklines, which were useless for me to get into myself.

  Damn it.

  I flicked through the assortment, trying to find anything that I could get changed into quickly and not arouse any suspicion. Eventually, I found a midnight blue dress, made of a clingy fabric that hugged every curve and outline but thankfully had a high neckline, long sleeves, and no corset.

  Almost singing in gratitude, I stripped off and slipped on the new dress in seconds, leaving on the same shoes to save on time. With a couple of seconds to straighten out any creases, I breezed out of the room and down the stairs.

  As I moved closer I heard the faint whispers of conversation from the dining room. I made my way towards them, mentally counting down the moments until I could leave this place without suspicion.

  As I turned the corner into the dinner hall, both General Volorn and Captain Wildecrest snapped to attention and stood at my presence.

  "Ah, there she is. I was beginning to think you had fallen asleep on us," Wildecrest offered a tight smile that seemed at odds with his words.

  "But here she is, looking ravishing as always," General Volorn smirked and raised a glass of whiskey in my direction.

  "Oh, do stop." I breathlessly replied, hoping I had Jaeda's flirtingly careless tone correct, whilst internally rolling my eyes.

  The General's eyebrow rose and he stared into my eyes for a moment, studying me. I tried not to get caught in their glow but something about him almost seemed to magnetize me. For someone so young he had an air of knowledge and intelligence that intrigued me. So much so it was a conscious effort to break eye contact.

  "The Captain has been a great help over the last week but it seemed he missed you dearly. He demanded we get back to Ebonhost by today, so he could see your lovely face." General Volorn sounded amused but there was a slight edge to his voice that made my eyes dart back to him and study him closer.

  His lips were twisted up in a small smile but his eyes were serious as they took in my face and I tried not to panic. Is that a hint? Did he know that I was not truly Jaeda?

  I tried to laugh it off with a careless laugh, "I missed Harrian too, it's almost a shame you are here and I can't show him how much I missed him."

  "Yes, almost a shame." He repeated back with that same small smile.

  Captain Harrian cleared his throat and gestured to the table, "Why don't we all take a seat? It's been a long day and I'm starved."

  We took our seats, Captain Harrian at the head of the table, me to the right and the General to his left, so I was directly facing the General. Internally I cursed. He clearly knew something and I had to try everything I could to deflect any conversation.

  The servants surrounded us and placed food banquet style in the middle of the table. A variety of roasted meats and vegetables were laid out, the aromas drifted through the air and made my mouth water. Sadly, I didn't plan on sticking around long enough to feast like my grumbling stomach wanted me to.

  "How fortunate we both got to see you tonight Jaeda. The servants confirmed whilst you were changing that you were not home when we returned." Captain Harrian remarked whilst talking a long drink of his wine that the servant had poured. "You returned quickly."

  Crap. I tried to keep my face neutral as I scrambled for an excuse.

  "My apologies Harrian, I was going to go out visiting mother as she's not been well." I adopted a worried face, hoping I came off as convincing as possible. "I had only gotten a few streets away then I received a letter asking me to delay half an hour. Seems she was busy then."

  "Ah, I'm sorry to hear that my darling." He murmured back.

  I nodded and reached for my own glass of wine, my throat suddenly parched.

  "Although it was an interesting dress you decided to wear to your ailing mother." Volorn's voice sliced through the air and made me stiffen.

  What was this guy playing at? I snapped my eyes to him, only to find him casually leaning back in his chair with an eyebrow raised, as though he knew what was going on and was living to make my life a misery.

  I opened my mouth to give a sharp remark when a servant stepped forward with a letter in her hand.

  "Madam, this was just delivered for you."

  I almost let out a sigh in relief. This must be the letter that Tawney said would come.

  I took the note and ripped it open, making a show of reading its contents to avoid the awkward silence after Volorn's remark.

  I lifted my hand to my mouth as though I was stifling a gasp before stammering out, "Mother has taken a turn for the worse. I must leave."

  I pushed myself away from the table and was about to stride towards the door to make my escape when a hand came down on my wrist, pulling me to a stop.

  "We can't allow you to go on your own at this time of night my darling, we will accompany you." Harrian tried to say in a comforting tone but came out a little suspicious.

  Crap, what was I supposed to do now? This was not a part of the plan.

  I rested my hand on his and replied, "No please don't put yourself out. I'll take a servant with me, you have to host the General."

  "Please don't stay on my account, in fact, I would love to escort you to your Mother's home to make sure you get there as quick as possible," Volorn replied graciously with that gleam in his eye.

  I fixed a smile on my face and gave them a slight nod before turning towards the door again.

  No, no, no. What am I going to do now? I need to lose them before they realise I was not Jaeda.

  I reached the door, about to walk through it when it suddenly swung open. I snapped my gaze upward, staring into startled emerald green eyes. Eyes that were exactly the same as what mine looked like.

  Jaeda was home.

  Chapter 3

  Everyone froze staring at us both, a mirror of each other.

  "WHO IS- "

  "WHAT TH- "

  "Jeada?"

  They all suddenly exclaimed at once, a clashing sound of astonishment and confusion erupting through the air.

  Jaeda's mouth fell open in shock, her smokey emerald eyes widening until they nearly took up her whole face, her mouth gaping like a fish. If it were any other situation, she may have looked comical. Except this was a heist and she was not supposed to be here, not yet!

  Jaeda seemed to recover from her shock first and took a menacing step towards me, her hand reaching out to grab my arm.

  Her movement allowed me to recover from my shock and I let instinct take over, bending backward to dodge out of her grasp whilst I flinging myself out of the house in a speedy dart.

  I sprinted as fast as I could out of the impressive estate, which now seemed so threatening from the shouts ringing from behind me.

  I tuned out the noise and focused on running towards the street ahead, yearning for the shadows where I could hide long enough shift before anyone could see me. But this was an upper-class street with torches lig
hting every nook and cranny, dimming my chances of a swift escape.

  My hopes darkened further as I heard General Volorn and Wildecrest bellowing for their soldiers to capture me. Soon after the sound of pounding feet erupted as I continued to try and getaway.

  I dashed down the street as I tried to remember the maps Tawney had shown me with escape routes in the event anything went wrong. Unfortunately, this is as bad as the situation got.

  As I heaved air into my lungs, I recalled the I need to stay clear of main roads and spied a trio of small roads darting off the street.