Read Aurelia for Free Online Page B

can't protect her that way. you have to be free to investigate."
    robert shuddered. His father's voice echoed in his mind. You have to start with the victim. The key lies there if you can--
    knocking interrupted the thought. Chris lunged for the latch, and Aurelia stepped in, closing the door behind her.
    she slipped off her cloak and put on her mask. dark eyes shone within gold circles, each ring surrounded by an almond-shaped outline of deeper gold. White feathers arched back over her hairline, and a hooked beak curved from the bridge of her nose down to a fine tip just over the rounded base of her chin. The top of the beak glistened gold as well, then blended into shimmering silver.
    robert's face crinkled with approval. "A falcon," he said. "I always told you the nickname fit."
    "And why is that?" she asked.
    "because you tend to attack an opponent with swiftness and ferocity." He swept her a comic bow, then stepped closer, running his gaze over her entire outfit. she stood nearly as tall as he did, the top of her mask reaching his forehead. "my lady," he said, taking her hand in his white-gloved one, "clearly we shall have to work hard to remain your escorts this night."
    Aurelia scrutinized her companions' costumes. "I can see Chris is a rooster, complete with a comb and feathers I'm sure he plans to show off this evening." she earned a wink. "but what are you?" she eyed robert's white cravat and black frock coat with distaste. "surely you don't intend to masquerade as a gentleman?"
    Chris smirked, and robert held up a hand to ward off the accusation. "Ah, but you have not yet seen my entire costume." He retreated to his cousin's room, where he grabbed a mask and a pack of cards on a string. The man's face in the mask grinned up at him with a curling black mustache. robert slipped the face over his head and returned to the sitting room.
    "A gambler!" Aurelia proclaimed, snapping her fingers in approval.
    "Not just a gambler." Chris flipped over the cards in robert's hand to display them faceup. "If you look closely, you will notice he has stacked the deck."
    "yes, my dishonesty astounds me." robert hung the cards around his neck.
    Aurelia slipped back under her cloak, and her companions did likewise with their own. "your cheating doesn't surprise me." she linked an elbow with each young man, pulling them toward the door. "How else could you have received the best marks in class?"
    robert raised an eyebrow, unable to let the remark slide. "As I recall, your name was as often at the top of the class as mine."
    "yes." she waved her head airily. "but that made sense."
    "I am insulted." robert put on a look of mock offense. "you may receive my forgiveness by holding the door for my cousin and me."
    Chris reached a hand toward the latch, and robert slapped it away. His cousin pretended to reel back from the sheer force of the slap by flinging himself against the wall. "I wouldn't if I were you, Aurelia," Chris teased, getting into the spirit of the conversation. "With a friend like him, you might not come back in one piece." The words slipped like a shadow into robert's mind.
    Aurelia swung open the door. "I do this not for your forgiveness, but because I have no wish to argue until the festivities are over. Let's get on with it, shall we?"
    "Hear, hear!" Chris chimed in.

    Aurelia hoped Chris would manage to help her escape the palace grounds without turning it into a performance. As they approached the front gate, he took off his mask and slung out a hand in a casual greeting. "Hey, Filbert, seen any dangerous characters pass through here tonight?"
    Filbert grinned, failing to ask the identity of the rooster's companions. "Not as terrifying as you." He reached out a hand as if to pluck a feather from Chris's plumed tail.
    "Test not my fowl wrath!" Chris jerked away, pushing Aurelia and robert before him and herding them to safety. soon all three friends wound down the sloping road without an armed escort.
    "Who was that at