The Fall of the Keepers

Chapter 8 Jasper's Revenge

It took me a minute to process the words she had just spoken.

"Where is he?"

"Come with me, quickly!"
Glass grabbed my arm, dragging me off behind her.

My heart was pounding and my brain was doing cartwheels. I wasn't entirely certain if I would stop Jasper from doing something to Legato when we arrived, or if I would help him do it. I hated the noble boy with a passion and the feeling had only grown stronger as I'd seen the continued effects of his actions in Vienna's life.

We burst into the ballroom to find an audience of nobles, eyes glued on the unfolding scene in the front of the room. Quetta was nowhere to be seen and the only rebels present seemed to be keeping the nobles at bay.

"What no cameras?"
I asked sarcastically.

"My mother's not an idiot. She's doesn't want the people to see this. She does, however, want the nobles to know perfectly well where they stand in this new Itova."
Glass whispered.

So it was a power play, for their eyes only. Why was Jasper playing into Quetta's hands? He should have been smarter than that. But as I edged along the room and caught sight of my friend, I knew for once in his life he wasn't operating on logic.

"Are you trying to get me in trouble? If I stop him your mother is going to hate me for it."

"Probably, but what will happen to Jasper if he goes through with it?"

Glass had a point. Jasper's eyes were snapping with fury as he circled Legato. The Eddington boy was kneeling on the floor, the terror evident in his eyes. Blood dripped from his nose, that now sat crooked on his face. A dark bruise was forming on his shoulder, where his fancy clothing had been torn. Anger welled up inside my chest at the sight of him. He deserved to be tortured. He deserved to die for what he had done to Vienna.

I started to turn back to Glass, only to find she had disappeared. I snorted. It figured that she wouldn't openly go against her mother, she'd let me have that honor.

Jasper slammed his fist in Legato's ear, fury making the punch carry more power. The young noble cried out, cowering from my friend.

"Not so arrogant now are you? No one left to protect you?"
Jasper sneered.

Somewhere in the crowd, I heard a woman weeping and I wondered if it was Legato's mother or Jasper's. Many of these nobles knew Jasper Hayes, had grown up with him, and here he was beating one of their own. It added an extra element of shock to the whole matter, as I'm sure Quetta had intended for it to.

"I asked Quetta for all of you, the ones who thought it was funny to dare Legato to rape an innocent girl. I only got you Eddington, guess I'll have to make that enough."
Jasper slammed his heel down onto Legato's hand, breaking the bones.

He began to shriek like a child and my lip curled upwards in disgust. I spotted two of Legato's friends cowering in the back of the room, as close to the exits as the rebels would allow them to be.

"You might want to stop him before it's too late."
A gravelly voice whispered in my ear.

Startled I whipped my head around, but there was no one there.

"Ghost."
I muttered under my breath, noting the signature whirring and clicking.

I hadn't seen or heard the strange robotic man since Christmas and I wasn't horribly thrilled with his presence now.

"Did Quetta murdering the King bring back any of the lives he took? Did it fill the hole in your heart that Angelica Coften's death left?"
Ghost continued.