Chapter 69

Author's Note: Yay another chapter, took forever stupid writer's block. Enjoy my readers!

Capricorn seemed in better spirits when Dafne took him his breakfast the next day. He bid her good morning with a pleasantness she was found more than a little disconcerting. She assumed his good mood had a lot to do with Dustfinger. Dafne knew the man had been captured last night. He had come to the house to rendezvous with Resa only to be met by Basta, Flatnose and Mortola instead. She learnt all this Claudia. Mortola had forced the poor girl to wait in Resa's place until Dustfinger arrived. The ordeal had left the girl quite shaken. Dafne had sat on her bed with Agnese and Marianna comforting her until she fell asleep.

Dustfinger's capture was troubling news for Dafne. She knew what would happen next. The execution. Resa's execution. Her head was still filled with the terrible image of Resa burning. Yet she knew it was useless appealing to Capricorn. He had made it quite clear what would happen if she did. So feeling helpless and cowardly, she kept silent - only opening her mouth to dutifully mutter good morning in return. Good morning. Unlike Capricorn, she saw nothing good about it. The only thing that would change her mind would be Capricorn choking to death on his breakfast.

Though unlikely to happen, it was a comforting thought as she went to dress him. He was wrapped in a black bathrobe, having showered before she'd arrived. She peeled it off his body with revulsion and quickly went about covering his nakedness with a crimson suit he had picked out himself. No yellow for him today. Dafne supposed no colour suited him better than the colour of blood. The red was offset with a black tie and black boots. Black suited him too, black for his black heart. She left him standing by the window as she laid out his breakfast.

"It's going to be a fine day by the looks of it," he remarked causing her to look at him. The still damp bristles of his hair were gleaming in the sunlight. There was a smile playing on his lips. "So fine I think I shall go for a drive."

Dafne said nothing. There had to be some kind of malicious intent behind this decision. She didn't want to think what it was.

"I have a task for you," Capricorn said a moment later after he sat down to eat.

Standing by his side, Dafne clenched her fists tensely. Task?

"I think you'll find it enjoyable," Capricorn went on, "It involves reading."

Dafne relaxed her hands in surprise.

"Reading?" she echoed.

"Yes reading," Capricorn said, "Inkheart to be exact. I want you to look through it and find a description of someone called the Shadow."

Dafne processed the order in her head. She had always wanted to read Inkheart. But the fact that Capricorn was suddenly extending her the opportunity filled her with trepidation.

"Why?" she asked Capricorn. Why ask her to search for a reference to this Shadow character.

"Why?" Capricorn laid down his cutlery and appraised her with his pale eyes, "So I can have him read out using that description of course."

Read out? Dafne was confused. Who was going to do that job for him? Darius? As far as she knew Silvertongue was still on the loose. But she supposed the reader's identity wasn't important. The more important question was why Capricorn wanted this particular character read out.

Who is the Shadow? She found herself asking Capricorn outright.

"Curious pigeon? You'll find out soon enough," Capricorn said almost tauntingly, "I wouldn't want to spoil it for you." He picked up his knife and fork, leaving Dafne to speculate futilely in the ensuing silence.

When Capricorn finished breakfast, he dismissed Dafne with the instructions to report to Mortola. She was the one who had the book in her keeping. But Dafne avoided going to her straight away. She returned the breakfast tray to the kitchen before slipping back to maid quarters to change out of the red dress. It was a tricky task, blindly tugging at the back corset strings to release herself but she managed. She wriggled out of it with a sigh of relief then donned the dress Isolda had made her. She spent a second enjoying the dress' familiar comfort before reluctantly setting off for Mortola's room.

She found Mortola sitting her armchair, impatiently awaiting her arrival. Inkheart was resting in her bony lap.

"What took you so long?" she snapped. Dafne opened her mouth to respond but Mortola waved her hand abruptly for silence, "Don't bore me with your excuses. Come here!" she used the same hand to beckon Dafne closer, "Sit," she gestured to the footstool at her feet.

Dafne felt a twitch of irritation at being ordered like a dog but she sat down all the same. A footstool was better than the floor at least. Mortola held the book out and Dafne couldn't help feeling a surge of excitement to take it into her hands. She stared at the cover. Inkheart by Umberto Fenoglio.

"You will read quickly and not waste time," Mortola commanded though Dafne wasn't really listening. Her attention was on the book, her hands were itching to open it and start reading. Mortola's next words were faint in her ears, "The execution is tomorrow and Little Miss Silvertongue needs time to learn her lines."

Dafne looked up sharply, the book suddenly forgotten. Execution. Little Miss Silvertongue? She stared at Mortola in horrified confusion. The old woman smiled gleefully back at her.

"Oh dear you look confused cherub," she said in a pleased mocking voice, "Has no one filled you in on what's going to happen?" She leaned comfortably back in her chair, lacing her hands together, "Allow me to bring you up to speed. It turns out Silvertongue's brat has inherited her father's ability. Tomorrow night, she is going to summon the Shadow to execute Resa and the Fire-eater."

She paused, allowing the horrible words to sink in. Dafne looked at the book at her hands with dawning horror.

"Which is why you're here sweetling," Mortola carried on tauntingly, "To find the words to make it all possible."

Dafne grit her teeth. She understood Capricorn's cruelty in sending her here now. He undoubtedly found the idea of making her do such a thing rather amusing. Mortola did too, judging by the look on her face.

She sprung to her feet, feeling sickened.

"Take it," she yelled, thrusting the book at Mortola, "I won't play any part in my friend's death."

Mortola's expression soured and darkened. She drew herself up in her chair like a bird puffing up its feathers.

"Would you like to join Resa on the execution block," she snarled, "Because that can be arranged if you refuse to cooperate."

Dafne glared at her but she felt her resolve weakening. Capricorn wouldn't be pleased if she didn't play his game. He might not sentence her to death but there were other ways he could punish her. She dropped down onto the stool in defeat.

"A wise decision," Mortola said, sounding a little disappointed. "Now get on with it."

Dafne sorrowfully went to prise the book open but stopped.

"Please Mortola," she raised her head to plead with the woman face to face, "Can't Darius to do this instead?"

Mortola shook her head.

"No," she said bluntly with undisguised smugness, "Start reading."

Dafne's shoulders slumped. What had she expected? Pity from Mortola? The woman hated her. Why would she pass up an opportunity to watch her suffer?

Sorry Resa, she thought as she opened the book to the first page.

The start of book set the scene by introducing two kingdoms, Argenta and Lombrica. Argenta was ruled by the Adderhead. Dafne remembered his name. He was the king Capricorn worked for. From his description he sounded repulsive in appearance and personality. Lombrica was ruled by the Laughing Prince. The Adderhead and the Laughing Prince were enemies and the narration hinted at the possibility of war between the two kingdoms. The story then moved away from the fueding kings to describe a society of gypsy entertainers called the Motley Folk. One of them was a young man who was friend to the fairies and could speak to fire.

Dustfinger. Dafne couldn't help feel a flutter of excitement to see his name in ink when she knew him in the flesh. But then her heart sunk. Dustfinger was going to be executed alongside Resa. On the page, he was a happy and carefree, not yet scarred by Basta's knife. It was an awful knowing what terrible things awaited him, in the book and in real life.

Dejectedly she continued on. The story left Dustfinger and the Motley Folk and went on to describe a place called the Wayless Wood. There was a fortress, occupied by a band of criminals. They worked as mercenaries for the Adderhead but also liked to spread chaos independently. Their weapon of choice was fire. Dafne knew who their leader before his name was even mentioned. Capricorn. She skipped over his description. She already knew what he was like.

A man called Firefox was mentioned next. He was Capricorn's second in command. Dafne was surprised. She assumed Basta had always been Capricorn's right hand man. Her eyes rowed down the page, past Firefox, searching for his name. Cockerell. Flatnose. Slasher. She turned the page. A bit more about Slasher. Humpback. Pitch-Eater. Piper...

Here he was!

The most loyal of all Capricorn's men was Basta. One of the youngest Fire-raisers, he was short and boyish in stature with dark hair. His face was thin like the rest of his frame, not unhandsome but very intense. His eyes, which he routinely narrowed, were the colour of amber. When he spoke, his voice was rasping like a cat's tongue...

Dafne paused to smile at the physical description. Not unhandsome but very intense. It was funny to have Basta's face put into words. She reminded herself it actually the other way around. These words had shaped his face into flesh.

She read on.

Basta had served Capricorn since the age of ten. He considered the man a father and loved him fiercely in this belief. But Capricorn saw Basta more as a dog than a son. A dog he had raised from a pup to be vicious and obey his every command. It was useful having a servant with a dog's devotion in Capricorn's eyes. A servant who did his bidding without question, begging for praise afterwards with desperate eyes. The eyes of a dog and a son forever trying to please the man he secretly called father...

Dafne paused again, this time with no trace of a smile. She was already aware of how Capricorn little cared about Basta. Her attempts to persuade Basta of this had always been met with vehement denial. She wished he could read this paragraph and see for himself that Capricorn considered him nothing more than trained pet. But that was impossible. Even if she could somehow show him the page, he wouldn't be able to decipher any of the squiggles apart from his name.

Swallowing her frustration, she carried on reading.

Basta's skill lay not with fire but with his knife. He adored his knife almost as much as he adored his master. He was quick with the blade and feared because of it, his temper was hot and Capricorn had taught him to be cruel. He was never without his knife, nor was he ever without the talisman he wore around his neck. He claimed it protected him from evil, though it did little to stop the darkness festering away in Basta's heart...

Dafne bit her lip. There wasn't anything positive about Basta in this account.

What were you expecting, she chided herself, something along the lines of "but he wasn't a bad person deep down, he just wanted to be loved" or "he could change for the better if he met the right person"?

Why would the book mention anything along those lines. Inkheart wasn't a story about Basta finding love or redemption. He was simply one of the book's villains. His various unsavoury deeds were spread throughout the book. Capricorn had once read them to her. He had done it to convince her that Basta wasn't capable of being a good person. Dafne believed otherwise. She wouldn't have fallen in love with him if he was completely black-hearted villain. His actions in the book might have been all bad but in real life he had warned Sara. This was proof he could do the right thing.

And although he was short-tempered and often brusque, the Basta she knew was sweet and caring. He loved her. He loved her more than he did Capricorn. She knew this because he had agreed to leave the village with her. If he cared about her less than his master he would have refused. In the book he might have served Capricorn until death. But in real life he was going to start a new life with her. This was Basta's new story and he was writing it himself. The words on the page no longer had any sway over him.

"Have you found him?" Mortola's voice broke through her thoughts sharply.

"Hmm?" Dafne lifted her head.

Mortola gave her a look of exasperation.

"The Shadow, you dopey girl. Is he on that page you're reading?"

Dafne found herself remembering the terrible reason she was here. It wasn't to read about Basta and compare him with his real life counterpart. It was to find Resa's executioner.

"No," she said softly to Mortola's question.

"Then why have you been staring at it for so long?"

Dafne felt a blush creeping onto her cheeks.

"Er... no reason."

Mortola regarded her irritably.

"No reason?" she growled, "If there's no reason turn the bloody page and keep looking!"

Dafne mournfully did as she was told. She paid little attention to the story now. Her eyes searched for two words she dreaded to find. But find them she did.

Folk called him the Shadow.

The words seemed to lunge at her like snapping jaws.

He came only when Capricorn called him. Sometimes he was red as fire, sometimes gray as the ash to which fire turns all that it devours. He darted out of the earth as fast as flames lick their way up wood. His fingers and even his breath brought death. He rose before his master's feet, soundless, faceless, scenting his way like a hound on the trail and waiting for his master to point to the victim.

Dafne stared at the page in horror. Mortola must have seen the fear in the whites of her eyes.

"You've found him. This time I'm certain."

Dafne raised her head slowly. Her expression told Mortola she was correct. She didn't have to nod. The old woman looked smug. She leaned forward to take the book out of Dafne's trembling fingers. Dafne watched mutely as Mortola inspected the page herself. Her eyes found the spot and she slowly mouthed "the shad-ow". Dafne felt the sudden compulsion to snatch the book back and start ripping up the pages. The monster couldn't be summoned if she destroyed the words.

Don't be stupid, a voice of reason popped into her head, destroying the book won't save Resa. Capricorn will just kill her some other way.

Dafne heeded this awful logic. She sat on the footstool like a sad little bird as Mortola dog-eared the page.

"I imagine it must feel rather terrible," she remarked rather cheerfully, "Knowing what words will spell the death of your friend."

Dafne said nothing but the silent agony on her face was enough of an answer. Mortola closed the book and stroked the cover almost tenderly. Resa's executioner was nestled dormant on its pages.

"Go back to the kitchen," she told Dafne.

Dafne left, grief and fear following her like a shadow.

Someone called her name in the hallway and she turned to see it was Basta. She felt a surge of relief to see him. He was a comforting sight. She threw herself into his arms as soon as he got close enough. She clung to him and tried to forget about the Shadow and what was going to happen. But of course she couldn't.

"You're just the person I wanted to see you know," Basta told her, oblivious to her inner turmoil. He pushed her away a little so he could reach into his jacket pocket. He scooped out a handful of folded bits of paper. He held them out for her to view almost excitedly. "Have a guess what these are."

But Dafne didn't care to guess.

"Capricorn is going to have Resa killed by the Shadow," she blurted.

Basta stared at her in slight surprise. Then his expression softened into a look of sympathy dashed with guilt.

"Yes I know," he said.

To be continued...

Yeah Basta was planning on making Dafne hide the cursed notes for him. I don't think she'll be that interested since her friend is about to executed! Poor Dafferz.

As for the plot of Inkheart this is what I imagine happening. Argenta and Lombrica are on the brink of war and the plan for the peace is marry Vio and Cosimo to form an alliance. In the meantime Capricorn is working Adderhead. He already has the Shadow (it was created by a witch right Ziliverina :D) but he's still interested in how to use fire more effectively. This is where Dustfinger comes in. I think Basta told Cappy all about Dusty after he had mutilated his face over the whole Roxanne thing. Cappy then had Dusty kidnapped but he eventually escapes. Sooner or later he gets captured by Basta and Cappy and that's the point when Mo reads them out of the story (with Basta shaking Dusty like the bad dog he is for running away).

I gave Fenoglio a first name. I think Umberto suits him.