The Unfailing Light

I jumped up, checking the Koldun's wrist for a pulse. There was still one present, barely. "Someone help us please!" I cried. "We need a doctor immediately!"

"Katiya? Mon Dieu, we thought we'd lost you!" It was my brother, pushing through the crowd of soldiers.

Close behind him was George Alexandrovich. He stopped when he saw the Koldun. "Duchess, what have you done?"

I couldn't meet his eyes. "The Koldun needs a doctor, right away. Can you send for the Tibetan?"

He left without another word. Petya called for his men to find a cot for the Koldun. They helped make Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich comfortable as we waited for Dr. Badmaev. "Good God, Katiya," my brother said. "Why would you do such a dangerous thing?"

"What else should I have done? Where are the crown prince and Sucre?"

"They have been arrested and taken to the Fortress of St. Peter and St. Paul, along with Papus. The tsar will see them in the morning. Do not worry. They are held at the fortress by strong magic. They cannot hurt anyone anymore." Petya embraced me tightly. It was as if he did not want to let me go. "I never thought I would see you again, brat," he whispered.

I smiled and sniffed back a few tears. "You couldn't be so lucky."

"Katerina Alexandrovna?" Princess Alix pushed her way through the imperial guards and would have pushed Petya away if he hadn't smartly stepped aside. She threw her arms around me. She whispered in my ear, "Thank you, for everything you did tonight. I will never forget that you risked your own life for mine."

The tsarevitch was standing behind her, and bowed smartly. "Nor will I, Duchess," he said softly. Alix stepped back and allowed him to take her arm. "I am escorting the princess of Hesse back to Smolny. Will you be joining us?"

I shook my head. "I want to look after the Koldun until Dr. Badmaev arrives. But thank you kindly, Your Imperial Highness."

"I will talk with you tomorrow, then," Alix said, squeezing my hand once more. "God bless you, Katerina Alexandrovna."

"Thank you," I said, not knowing what else I could say. I did not know if God looked favorably upon any of my actions that night. I had upset the natural balance, and defied death, by bringing the Koldun back.

Dr. Badmaev finally arrived sometime after Alix and the tsarevitch had left. I might have fallen asleep briefly, because Petya shook me gently to get out of the doctor's way. I stood up and moved away from the sleeping Koldun.

The Tibetan doctor smiled at me. "You have done a very brave thing, Duchess. Why don't you return to Smolny and get a good night's rest?"

I shook my head, stifling a yawn. "I want to stay. Please."

A pair of arms wrapped gently around me, steering me toward the hallway. "You need rest, or you will make yourself ill." George led me to a leather settee in an empty sitting room a little way from the noise of the Great Hall.

I got a good look at him under the gaslight lamps. "George, you need rest more than I! You're pale as a ghost!" It filled me with alarm. "Were you injured?" Without thinking, I grabbed his coat and went to open it. "Did Danilo hurt you?"

He gently grabbed my hands with his and pulled me off of him. "Duchess, please refrain from undressing me. And no, Danilo did not injure me."

I ignored the sarcasm in his voice. "But you are hurt. What is wrong? Can Dr. Badmaev help you?"

"I will be fine. Do not worry about me, Katiya. I will have your brother take you back to Smolny."

My heart sank. I knew I had to return to the institute, but I had hoped that the grand duke would take me in his own carriage. I should have realized he had more important things to tend to.

"Katiya, I want nothing more than to accompany you. But I'm afraid if I had you in my carriage I would take you far away from all of this and never let you go again."

I almost laughed as I realized he was reading my thoughts again. I threw my arms around him, laying my head on his chest. "George, you've come back to me."

"I never left you."

"But you were in Paris, and I was behind the empress's spell at Smolny, and you couldn't hear me. And I was hearing such terrible things about you." My fingers curled around one of his golden buttons.

"From Crown Prince Danilo?" He pulled back from me, an eyebrow raised.

"The devil! Is there no way I can nullify the blood bond with him?"

George gathered me in his arms again and pulled me close. "We'll find a way, love," he murmured against my ear.

"Ahem." My brother sheepishly cleared his throat, just outside the door. "Katerina? Dr. Badmaev said the Koldun is being taken back to Vladimir Palace. He should recover with no difficulty. Are you ready to return to school? It's almost morning."

"Mon Dieu!" I said, leaping up. "Elena. She came with me tonight. I haven't seen her in hours."

George stood as well. "No one has mentioned seeing her. Perhaps she has already returned."

"You shouldn't worry about that Montenegrin witch, Katiya," Petya said. "Most likely she was part of the crown prince's plot to make sure you were here."

I shook my head, frowning at the scorn in his voice. "I don't think so." I had to believe that Elena had been ignorant of her brother's treachery.

"You must hurry." George took my hand and kissed my fingers. In front of my brother. I couldn't help blushing. "I will see you soon, Duchess."

I curtsied. "Your Imperial Highness."

Petya bowed his head as well, with a military click of his heels. "Your Imperial Highness."

In the carriage, Petya seemed embarrassed as he escorted me back to Smolny. He was silent for a long time before asking, "Does Papa know?"

"Know what?" The sky was already beginning to lighten. An enormous gray bird swooped over the roof of our carriage as we crossed over the Fontanka Canal, and it landed on the elaborate iron railing that lined the bridge. An owl, apparently resting its belly after a successful night of hunting. Its enormous green eyes seemed to follow us as we rolled past. The sun would be coming up soon. I would be expelled for certain.

"About you and the grand duke. Maman will be pleased."

I groaned. "Please do not say a word to Maman. Or Papa. There is no way the tsar would approve of a marriage between his son and me. Do not get Maman's hopes up for nothing."

"What do you mean, for nothing? The grand duke has no business behaving in such a manner if he does not intend to marry you."

"Calm down, Petya," I said with a sigh. We were pulling in through the open gates at the school. I grabbed my brother's arm. "The grand duke still has hopes for his parents' blessing. But until he receives it, I don't dare to even dream. Please promise me you'll say nothing of this to anyone."

He looked as if he would object, but finally nodded his head. "All right, Katiya. But I don't see why you should worry about their approval. Why wouldn't they want you as a daughter-in-law? You're an Oldenburg. With imperial blood."

"And aligned with the Dark Court. You know the empress is jealous of anyone who is friends with Grand Duchess Miechen." The footman opened the door of the carriage. "Please, Petya. Not a word to anyone."

He looked troubled, but he nodded at last. "I promise."

My brother stepped out of the carriage after me, intending to escort me inside, despite my hope to sneak in silently before the school was awake. "You were tending to a family crisis," he said. "I will vouch for you."

"A family crisis?" I smiled as I took his arm.

"Imperial blood, Katiya," my brother said, his chin jutting up in the air. "We are family."