Camille IX: The Undiscerning
As if Camille wasn’t unpresentable enough as it was, Clochaîne’s blood had splashed all over the sleeves of her coat. Her gloves weren’t really clean either, but in the dim moonlight, that was easy to miss. Less so for the green coat Mary had lent.
In the end, Camille had been forced to turn it inside-out, then roll the sleeves back slightly, leaving a cold gap between them and the gloves where her wrists were exposed to the night air. But what’s the alternative, walking around trying to inspire people while looking like I stepped out the back of a butcher's shop?
Sacrifices to Levain were so clean it was hard to even imagine them as comparable acts. Would Uncle Emile and Duke Fouchand have pressed me to step up and perform them when I was seven, if it had involved opening their throats and drenching myself in their blood?
It was hard to imagine, and yet…
If that had been the tradition established with Levian all those centuries ago, the safe path plotted out by brave ancestors forming invaluable traditions to guide the family, wouldn’t they? And I’d have been raised not to question it, not to be bothered by it, just the same. Had that been the way of it, Camille certainly would have been better prepared for this…
Hopefully Eloise had found out where Luce was being held by now. If he died, if Camille failed to honor her deal, everything could fall apart.
As if I don’t have enough going on right now. The Prince of Darkness had really fucked everything up, getting himself caught like that.
Camille spared a look towards the seaside before ducking back into the tunnels. If the Guardians had discovered the people sheltering at the temple, Cadoudal was to put up a signal fire, and Camille had promised to aid them.
Not in front of a spirit. Not in a way that’ll really hurt me, if they’re all arrested or killed anyway. But it would be better not to have to choose. They could hang in until Luce was safe, and everything could go back to the way she’d planned it.
Fortunately, the sky was clear, so Camille moved on.
The mass of people beneath the underground had mostly faded, returned to their homes or taken refuge at the temple, but the occasional few still stumbled by looking for directions one way or the other, and Camille did her best to oblige them. That included more of the temple-bound, who ended up following behind her for safety.
The days of these tunnels being a secret network for Leclaires had basically come to an end, the situation growing so complicated and messy that the decay of secrecy had become a necessity. But it didn’t rankle as much as it should have.
They’re a tool to be used, and I’m using them to help people. Revealing intricate, hidden knowledge was a trick that could only really be used once, but it was still ultimately a tool, and this was the best way to use it.
A pair of guardians spotted Camille’s group through the murky shadows and cried out, but the same trick she’d used with the candle criminals worked to subdue them without expending too much energy. By the time they were up, everyone was out of sight and on their way.
Ysengrin arrived at nearly the same time the rest of them did, for some reason accompanied by a middle-aged man and, presumably, his daughter.
Camille sent the people in her group on towards the temple run across the darkened beach, then turned to address the surprisingly knowledgeable criminal. “Did you find out where the prince is being kept?”
He snorted, shaking his head with a measure of careless insouciance that just couldn’t be faked. “Eloise was doing that. I had other stuff to do.”
Unfortunate that he’s got Eloise’s sense of humor, though. “Really though, where is he?”
“Really though, I haven’t the slightest idea. Eloise went to that meeting, I was busy… uh…”
“Collecting random people?” Camille turned towards the father and daughter, the former of whom was glaring at her like she’d just thrown him off the docks, while the child seemed shyer, averting her face. “Ysengrin, I’m not sure if you’re aware, but this is a serious situation. I contracted the two of you to do something important, so if you’re just going to run off…”
He snapped, pulling Camille’s attention back towards him. “I had to! Eloise’s ‘disagreement’ with Jacques… She couldn’t be free to do the work without… Hmm, shit.” He rubbed his jaw, clean shaven and square, obviously trying to come up with a good lie to redirect Camille’s attention.
Oh, you poor thing, you are just hopelessly outmatched here. “While her loved ones were being threatened, perhaps? She tasked you to secure them outside of the guardians’ reach, so you brought them here?”
Looking more closely at them, they had her same light brown hair, a similar cast to their features. And the girl… “Wait a moment, you were the one who offered me psyben root a few hours ago.”
The girl opened her mouth, closed it, then smiled. “Can’t resist a good opportunity. And sages are even crazier about the stuff than their acolytes.”
She’s not wrong. “If you actually have a supply source, perhaps we should talk later.” Malin’s last importer just left an opening for the position.
Ysengrin jumped in front of them, holding out his arms protectively. “We’re going to be going now. Eloise will meet up with you later.”
“Why? You need them out of the way, the temple’s the perfect place for it. We’ve got warmth, food, water, and it’s free of nosy guardians. Obviously that was your first thought, so I don’t see why…” Khali’s curse. “Do you actually think I’m going to threaten them for concessions from Eloise?”
The wolf boy grimaced. “It wouldn’t be smart to risk it, the possibility of it, you know? El wanted me to keep it to myself, get them the fuck out of the city as soon as possible.”
Eloise’s probably-sister snorted. “Yeah. Good luck finding a ship that can break the ice floes, or finding the supplies to walk through snowed-in roads.”
“Margot, could you just…?” Ysengrin wiped his face, still maintaining his protective posture. “They’re not part of the job. They have nothing to do with our agreement.”
“Of course! Obviously!” It was hard not to be a bit annoyed by the implication. “You’re both welcome in the temple,” she told Eloise’s family. “If you don’t trust me, it might comfort you to know that Pierre Cadoudal is running the main operations inside. But you’re also welcome to leave. As Ysengrin said, you have nothing to do with any prior agreements I made.”
Ysengrin let out an audible sigh of relief, his posture adjusting. “We’ll just wait here for Eloise, then. She’ll want to be with them either way.”
“And you’re sure she’ll be back?”
“Her leg isn’t in great shape, but that cane you gave her helps. And Ms. Sunderland wouldn’t just kill her in the middle of a business meeting, and she knows how to be slippery. As long as you held up your end of the bargain and kept Jacques back, I’m pretty sure we’ll see her soon.”
“Rest assured, I did.” Camille didn’t elaborate further, trying to banish the bloodstained image from her mind. “So it seems we’ll need to wait.” That was frustrating, honestly; it wasn’t like there was a dearth of places Camille was needed. But the alternative was giving the pirate a chance to break her word and leave the prince’s location unknown. Better to see that through first.
The man glared at her again, but Ysengrin patted him on the arm and helped lower him to a sitting position against the wall.
“Did you know Claude?” the child, Margot, asked, creeping up from the side. “He was an acolyte of your order, right? You both have the same cool hair.” Finally, someone here understands!
“A little bit,” Camille answered honestly. “He worked for Pierre Cadoudal first, and Clochaîne second. Levian didn’t really enter into it at all, like most of them here. But he helped me out of a very sticky situation when we first met, and was friendly enough afterwards.”
“What situation? Where did you meet?” Her clothes were rumpled and torn, but her face still beamed with bright childhood innocence.
“Jail. And jail,” Camille answered, the absurd thought that she’d spent so much time there inadvertently bringing a smile to her face. “He was part of Florette’s scheme to rob the railyard for plans on their technologies. But distantly involved, so the solicitor was able to secure his freedom. And mine along with it, as a favor.”
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Margot smiled wistfully. “I heard about that job. Claude never said a word to anyone. Not this time either…” She folded her arms, nostrils flaring. “It’s so unfair, what they did to him. He never hurt anyone.”
“Sometimes that’s the way things go. Life is unfair until we make an effort to make sure it’s not.” Camille inhaled. “Like by wiping Avalon off the face of the map, starting with Perimont and Stuart.”
“Jacques wanted him dead too, for what he knew,” Ysengrin added. “Your sister stepped up and helped him escape. If only it had been enough…”
“It’s horseshit. Doing everything right and still ending up dead for it. Even at that railyard, he was the only one who ended up in a cell and that started all of this.” She blinked. “Wait, what were you doing in the jail?”
Camille frowned, reaching back for a suitable lie that just refused to materialize before the little girl. “I was hoping to have a spiritually fulfilling experience using the appropriate substances, but during the act of purchase, I was… seen.”
“Really? I’ve done it for years and I never had any problems.” Margot shrugged, plastering a smug expression on her face. “Maybe you should have tried not getting caught.”
“Ha!” Camille couldn’t help but laugh at the girl’s misplaced confidence. “Something to consider next time.”
Ysengrin raised an eyebrow at that, but he didn’t comment.
“Who’s Florette, though? Yse never told me about anyone else doing the rail heist with them.”
“Probably blocking out traumatic memories.” Camille clicked her tongue. “Your sister certainly could have chosen someone with a bit more of a head on her shoulders, but I suppose their relationship is probably over anyway, being in different cities and all.” Somehow, both of them seemed too unpleasant to wholly justify inflicting one on the other.
“Relationship? Did—”
“Alright, that’s enough,” Ysengrin cut in. “Your sister’s already going to kill me for letting Lady Leclaire see you, no offense to you, Leclaire. But enough questions, please, Margot.”
“But we were going to negotiate a deal! I did the networking and everything. Never thought those classes would actually be useful, but there you go.”
Camille patted the girl on the shoulder, holding back a smile. “We can talk about all of that once the dust settles.”
“But if we have to leave, then—”
“She’s here,” Ysengrin announced as Eloise hobbled into view of the dim light.
“What an introduction,” Eloise said dryly. “Did you have any luck with—” She dropped her cane and lunged forward, sweeping Margot into her arms. “Where were you?”
Margot scoffed. “I was just in the market. Calm down. Even when the guardians came in and started busting heads, we lost them in the tunnels.”
Camille raised an eyebrow. “I seem to recall leading you to safety because you were lost.”
“Well… we got away, is the point. Even got a lead on a new business relationship.”
Eloise grit her teeth, looking back and forth between Margot and Camille and Ysengrin with an expression alternately relieved, irritated, and befuddled. “You were just… going to market? Are you serious? Do you have any idea how worried—I can’t fucking believe this.” She stopped and took a deep breath, releasing her sister and standing to face the other adults.
Camille couldn’t help but be amused at the sight, Eloise’s awful personality apparently receding in at least some circumstances. “How did the meeting go?”
“Jacques showed up and killed me, obviously. Total failure.” And now it’s back. “I know where Luce is. Don’t fuck me on this deal, and I’ll tell you.”
“Why does everyone assume I’m being sinister? We made a deal and I intend to honor it. I’m not…” Camille bit her lip. “About your ‘professional disagreement’, was Clochaîne a danger to you?”
Eloise snorted. “He’s just mad I lied about Claude. Planning to kill me, tarnish my name, hurt my loved ones, that kind of thing. It’s fine.”
Alright, it should be safe to say, then. “Better than fine. He’s dead.”
“What?”
“Yeah, I got him alone, offered him a deal, and he refused. Backing Avalon and Perimont to the last.”
“I—How?”
“Slit his throat, it was nice and quick. No need for cruelty.” Try as she might, Camille couldn't quite keep the shaking out of her voice, but no one seemed to notice it.
“...Good.”
“Are you insane?” Ysengrin barked out. “He runs this town! You can’t— Do you know how many people are going to be after you now?”
“Do you know how many people are already after me? He corrupted the acolytes; he gouged people for basic candles they needed to stay alive; he supported the coup; he sent his people to kill Eloise, and he would have killed your friend Claude, given the chance. He had to go. I saw my opportunity and I seized it.”
Silence filled the air for a moment, punctuated only by the sound of the old man tapping his fingers against his leg, pointedly facing away from all of them.
“So,” Camille began, cutting into the still air. “If you felt like you needed to get out of town in a hurry, that might change things.”
“What? Aneouf and Sunderland and everyone else are just going to be even more invested in seeing me dead now. There’s no way they don’t think I’m involved.”
“You were marked as his successor. You just went to a big meeting to fill in for him, incidentally giving you a perfect alibi for his death. I don’t know what he put in his will, but if you’re on good terms with his solicitor, I’m sure that can be worked out too. It’s an open seat, and it would be… it would be nice to have someone predictable dealing with that side of things.”
“You’d seriously trust me with that?” Eloise didn’t seem to have quite recovered, asking normal questions like a regular person instead of her usual thing.
“I said predictable, not trustworthy. I don’t doubt you’ll be another self-interested merchant criminal diving after every last copper on the table, but I’m hoping you won’t murder acolytes to make it happen.”
She blinked. “No, of course not, but…”
“I can’t believe you just fucking did it,” Ysengrin exhaled.
“Sorry, were you close? I just assumed it was fine since, you know, he was trying to kill you and everything.”
“No, it’s fine. And you’re right. The last thing I need is uprooting everyone again.” Eloise folded her arms. “He’s on Stewart’s ship. The Ferrous Ram, anchored out in the bay. I’m not sure how to get there without her guns tearing so many holes in the boat that even the spirits don’t want it, but there you go.”
“Excellent.” Other than the location itself, anyway. That steel-plated ship was a veritable fortress in its own right, and not liable to be flipped or disrupted without a life-ending amount of energy. But at least I know where he is. I can start planning a way out.
Somehow.
“As I said, I don’t have the funds to pay you right now, but once all of this settles out… I know exactly what you have in mind if you don’t get what you’re owed. Hopefully my making it easier for you to stay here shows that I’m perfectly willing to pay it. Now I just need to plan the rescue mission. Presumably Luce is being held—”
“We’re done.” Yse shook his head. “Eloise has earned a rest. She got what you needed. She’s injured, she needs to spend time with her family. We don’t give a fuck about some prince of Avalon, whatever concessions you made getting into bed with him.”
“I did not—” Camille took a deep breath. “Fine, if you need to leave, leave. But I’m not doing any of this for him, it’s about Malin. My people. And if you think Avalon’s going to be happy about where this ends up, I’m afraid you haven’t been paying attention.”
Eloise hesitated, looked at her sister and presumably father, and then nodded. “Good luck.” They left together, though Margot started complaining just before they were actually out of earshot.
“And you, Ysengrin? It’s not like the wolf to flee.”
He grit his teeth. “I told Florette not to interfere. Once Jacques marked Claude for death, that was it. But she did anyway, and she got him away. For a while at least. It would have been enough without a fucking elite Avalon bloodhound after him. And then with Eloise… It’s easy to talk shit, you know. Complain about everything fucked in the world. But when the time came to do something, I didn’t. Florette reamed the shit out of me for it, and she was right.”
Camille forced herself not to smile too obviously. “Are you offering to help?”
“Jacques went down. Avalon can too.” He nodded. “Let’s fuck em up.”
They managed to avoid detection on the run across the darkened sands to reach the Great Temple, though Camille was thoroughly winded after the sprint, solely due to how exhausted and drained she was already.
A couple pinches of pixie powder helped take the edge off, though, and Ysengrin was decent enough not to laugh at her for it. Sitting beside a warm, hidden hearth didn’t exactly make staying awake easy, but there wasn’t time to take a proper rest. Just a brief moment of respite before moving on to the next challenge.
Luce had to be rescued, or Camille’s soul was forfeit. No effort could be spared to defend him from enemies within Avalon, nothing to be gained from leaving him to his fate, not until the sun returned. And depending on how the battle went in Guerron, there was no telling exactly when that would be.
“Leclaire? I’m really hoping this is part of your plan somehow.” Ysengrin shook her arm lightly, his hands warm at the point of contact.
“What?” Camille jerked her head up from where her chin had been resting against her chest, demonstrating her alertness.
Everyone was standing, agitated but quiet as Cadoudal stood resolutely in the doorway. When his eyes reached hers, he jerked his head over his shoulder, then turned and left.
Blinking, Camille roused herself and followed him into an empty courtyard beneath the temple’s outer walls.
Cadoudal pointed through a cracked sliver, and so Camille peered past it into the dark horizon, ready to focus her vision on some faraway threat.
She needn’t have bothered.
Over a hundred torchlit guardians marched towards them across the sand, Captain Whitbey at their head. They were already starting to spread, encircling the temple on all sides but that of the sea, a crescent of fire and steel.
“Well?” Cadoudal asked, arms folded.
And for once, Camille didn’t have an answer for him.