Table of Contents
Dramatis Personae
Trifienne
Synopsis
1. Pulling Strings
2. Out of Control
3. Relative Intelligence
4. Vindication
5. Reckless Abandonment
6. Miranda Warnings
7. Cloak and Dagger
8. Poetic Justice
9 Fiat Lux
10. Sacred and Profane
11. Reinforcements
12. Visitations
13. Reversals
14. Machinations
15. Haunted
16. Some Dissembling Required
17. Exeunt
18. A Little Friendly Advice
19. Trumped
20. Indecent Proposals
21. Face-Off
22. Dusty Old Skeletons
23. Apprehensions
Acknowledgements
Glossary of Terms
About the Author
Also by Douglas J. Bornemann
Dramatis Personae
Albert Graves
Curator of Profanities in the Holy City; the Primal’s confessor
Alexi Reysa
Dona’s classmate at Exidgeon University
Alistair Nevinander
Aging patriarch of the Nevinander family
Alphonse
Alexi’s fencing buddy
Amanda Merinne
Dona’s mother and Rayen’s sister and caretaker
Amehtan Shoruga
Hathaway Professor at Exidgeon University; Shunese defector
Arerio
Marguerite’s manservant
Arietta Charwick
Dona’s gangly and unpleasant classmate
Armand Goodkin
Monsignor who arrives to investigate the disturbance at the University
Aunt Olivia
Nathalie Nevinander’s sister
Captain Dunsmore
Captain of Trifienne’s militia
Caroline Caldor
Dona’s classmate
Chancellor Wiggins
Chancellor of Exidgeon University
Clarke Reston
Professor of History at Exidgeon
Constable Connelly
Count Laslo
Blond-haired advisor of Crown Prince Nathan
Crown Prince Nathan
Sovereign of Trifienne
Crown Princess Irina
Wife of the Crown Prince
Damien Nevinander
Alistair and Nathalie’s eldest son
Darron Goodkin
Primal and brother of Monsignor Armand Goodkin
Dominick Everson
Professor of Grammar at Exidgeon
Dona Merinne
Daughter of Henry and Amanda Merinne; student at Exidgeon University
Dreamweaver
Legendary niece of Phrendonian, reputed to have invented Daemonology
Eloise
Nathalie and Alistair Nevinander’s maid
Francesca Harcourt
Mother of Jonas and Mathilda; they call her ‘Nanna’
Father Cartier
Priest of St. Sophia’s Church in Trifienne
Garvin
Caretaker at St. Sophia’s Church
Giles Boothby Harcourt
Jonas and Mathilda’s dead father
Gregory Delauren
Dona’s friend and sometimes classmate; an up-and-coming tenor at the opera
Helena Dunkirk
Dona’s friend and roommate at Exidgeon
Jamie
Nephew of Father Cartier, waiter at Tabalaria
Jonas Mapleton Harcourt
Traveling merchant dealing primarily in spirits
Josephus Vane
Inquisitor with a reputation for ruthlessness and discretion
Magister Celeric
A Magister at the Academy
Magister Treust
A Magister at the Academy, former mentor to Michlos, creates Amulets
Magister Wellsbrough
Provost of the Academy
Marguerite Serrola
Matriarch of the Serrola family
Mathers
Librarian at Exidgeon University
Mathilda (Tilly) Harcourt
Sister to Jonas, owns and runs a brothel in Trifienne
Michlos Serrola
Son of Marguerite and Spiros Serrola
Miranda Connelly
Dona’s friend and roommate at Exidgeon; Constable’s daughter
Miss Maxtine
House mother of the women’s dormitory at Exidgeon
Morissant
Gregory Delauren’s wealthy patron
Mr. Lop Ears
Dona’s childhood stuffed toy
Mrs. Caldor
Mother of Caroline, Member of the Venerable Assembly of Church Mothers
Mrs. Laverne Temrich
Hard-of-hearing member of the Venerable Assembly of Church Mothers
Mrs. Muscany
Member of the Venerable Assembly of Church Mothers
Mrs. Myra Curtsik
Member of the Venerable Assembly of Church Mothers
Mrs. Tibbleman
Senile but lovable member of the Venerable Assembly of Church Mothers
Nathalie Nevinander
Alistair’s wife; Member of the Venerable Assembly of Church Mothers
Newcomb
Princess Celeste’s manservant and personal guard
Ordinal Bittern
Close ally of Ordinal Laitrech
Ordinal Cronsett
Eldest of the current crop of Ordinals
Ordinal Isrulian
One of Darron’s more recent and regrettable appointments
Ordinal Kuypers
One of the current crop of Ordinals
Ordinal Laitrech
Advisor of Primal Darron Goodkin; one of his more recently appointed Ordinals
Ordinal Lavicius
Charming and rapacious Ordinal; A patron to the Accipitrines
Ordinal Marius
One of the current crop of Ordinals
Ordinal Shelby
One of the current crop of Ordinals
Ordinal Stohl
One of the current crop of Ordinals
Phrendonian
Legendary codifier of Phrendonic Heresy
Princess Celeste
Sovereign of the Island that is home to the Artist’s Colony
Professor Amberton
Scrawny Professor at Exidgeon, confidant to Professor Reston
Professor Bartholomew Driessen
Professor of Geometry at Exidgeon University
Professor Fenton Tamry
Professor at Exidgeon, confidant to Professor Reston
Randolph Brent
Bursar at Exidgeon
Rayen the Magnificent
Dona’s uncle; subject to occasional seizures, he believes they reveal the future
Reginald Nevinander
One of the twin sons of Alistair and Nathalie
Spiros Serrola
Marguerite Serrola’s dead husband
Stuart
Former caretaker at the Academy
Terulla Kardell
Dona’s classmate at Exidgeon
Thaddeus Nevinander
Alistair and Nathalie’s youngest son, younger brother to Verone
The Old Priest
Thurman’s mysterious ally
The Widow Bainbridge
Reston’s unexpected visitor
Thoren Theratigan
Famous Demon hunter
Thurman Goodkin
Armand Goodkin’s son and ass
istant
Venji
Verone’s horse
Verone Nevinander
Daughter of Alistair and Nathalie Nevinander
Zachary Hepplewhite
Professor of Rhetoric and Theology at Exidgeon; old friend of the Monsignor
Trifienne
Synopsis
A House of Cards is the second volume of the Heiromancer Trilogy, to which The Demon of Histlewick Downs serves as a stand-alone prelude that sets the historical stage. The trilogy’s first volume, Practical Phrendonics, recounts the adventures of Dona Merinne, a college student at Trifienne’s Exidgeon University, when she encounters a secret society of scholars led by Professor Reston intent on researching magic, a practice the Church forbids. When, together with classmate Alexi Reysa, Dona finds Reston’s copy of the heretical text Practical Phrendonics glowing in the library and runs off with it, she becomes the target of threats and a failed kidnapping attempt. The chief suspect is Professor Dominick Everson, who, until recently, had been Reston’s uneasy ally. But Professor Everson has himself fallen prey to the machinations of Verone Nevinander, scion of a powerful heretical family, who wants the book for her own purposes.
The situation is complicated by the appearance of the Church’s Inquisitor General, Monsignor Goodkin, and his son Thurman to investigate reports of heretical events on campus (instigated by Verone). Dona meets the Monsignor when he sits in on some of her classes, including one in which she gives a presentation about a woman who, unbeknownst to Dona, turns out to be the Monsignor’s mother.
Dona soon learns Alexi is Reston’s assistant, and Alexi attempts to recruit Dona to Reston’s cause during a date at the legendary Sultan’s Respite restaurant. Before Alexi clinches the deal, mysterious heretic Michlos Serrola disrupts a meeting at the next table between Thurman and Jonas Harcourt, a local ne’er-do-well. In the ensuing commotion, Thurman glimpses Dona wearing a glowing necklace Alexi gave her (which marks her as a heretic), the Respite burns to the ground, and Dona is injured. Jonas assists in her rescue and offers to let Alexi and Dona lie low at his sister Tilly’s brothel.
On returning to the University, Dona receives a ransom note that seeks Reston’s book in exchange for releasing her good friend Gregory Delauren, and she demands that Reston’s society help rescue him. When their rescue fails, out of desperation Dona enlists Michlos’s aid, despite knowing almost nothing about him. While Michlos temporarily neutralizes Everson as a threat, Dona and Alexi learn that Gregory was never actually kidnapped.
Alexi and Dona regroup at the brothel, whereupon it is raided by the Inquisition. Jonas and Tilly’s mother Sacrifices herself to enable their escape, and the four of them go into hiding. Dona’s absence causes Reston to contact Dona’s mother, who then unexpectedly arrives on campus to search for her. A chance meeting between Verone and Dona’s mother (and her seizure-prone Uncle Rayen) alerts Verone that Dona is missing, and Verone offers the aid of her church group to find her.
When the Primal (the Monsignor’s brother) calls the Monsignor back to the Holy City, the Monsignor leaves Thurman in charge of the ongoing Exidgeon Inquisition. Thurman aggressively ramps up the Inquisition—an approach the Monsignor had taken great pains to avoid. When the Monsignor discovers this development, he rushes back to Exidgeon, but on arriving, Ordinal Isrulian (who is complicit in Thurman’s deal with Jonas) arrests the Monsignor on trumped-up charges. On his assistant Cartier’s advice, Thurman flees to the Holy City to report the deed, leaving Cartier in charge of the Inquisition.
Meanwhile, Dona learns that Thurman has engaged Jonas to rob graves in support of a clandestine project, and she convinces Jonas and Tilly to return to Exidgeon. The four of them, together with Michlos and Reston’s society, seek a way to use this information to blackmail Thurman and the Monsignor to abandon the Inquisition. Before they can implement their plan, however, a battalion of Inquisitors arrives outside Trifienne, bound for the University.
Chapter One
Pulling Strings
It was mid-morning before Verone finally got a chance to take a break. The ladies of the Venerable Assembly of Church Mothers had been enthusiastic when she suggested they carry signs to help search for Mrs. Merinne’s missing daughter, but she had not anticipated how competitive they would be—each group wanted its sign to be a little better than everyone else’s. Whenever someone came up with a new idea, all the teams rushed to incorporate it. After several groups had started over more than once, Verone finally insisted everyone make exactly the same sign. By the time they were prepared to strike out across the campus in search of Dona, Rayen had recovered enough from his seizure to accompany them and generously offered to take Verone’s place.
Verone’s break was short-lived. She barely had enough time to touch up her nails when the chapel door creaked open.
Mrs. Tibbleman called out querulously. “Hello? Is anybody here?”
“I’m here,” Verone said, “but it seems the rest of your team has already left.”
Mrs. Tibbleman’s brows drew together in puzzlement. “Did we win already?”
“It wasn’t that kind of team. They went to find Miss Merinne.”
“Oh, yes, of course—such lovely signs. I’m sure they’ll find her in no time. But what am I to do in the meantime? I so wanted to help.”
Verone patted the elderly woman’s gloved hand. “Perhaps they’ll come back for you once they realize you are missing.”
“I’m missing? Where did I wander off to this time?”
Verone tried a different tack. “Perhaps you’d like to join my team to help find Miss Merinne?”
“Oh, that would be splendid, especially since I seem to have misplaced my other team. I do so want to be helpful.”
“I don’t recall assigning anyone to watch the entrance to the University. Maybe we could be of some use there?”
“Oh yes—it wouldn’t do at all to have her leave while we’re trying so hard to find her.”
“Agreed, but if you’re going out in the sun, you’ll need a proper hat.”
Mrs. Tibbleman’s hand went to her tulle-wreathed head. “Oh, I completely forgot about my veil—is it time for services already?”
“Not until after we search for Miss Merinne, which you can’t do while wearing that. Fortunately, I brought a spare hat. You wait right here, and I’ll get it.”
From her things near the sacristy, Verone produced a hatbox. Inside was an enormous straw hat festooned with fake pansies and draped with two lengths of lavender sateen for securing beneath the chin. Humming tunelessly, she slipped a small glass vial from an internal pocket of her pinstriped jacket, uncapped it, and sprinkled its contents over the pansies. Then, she pulled two fist-sized rocks from her leather case, weighed them in her hands, nodded, and shoved them back inside. After tidying her ginger-blonde coiffure and smoothing her coat to ensure it showed her ample figure to best advantage, she snatched up a much smaller box sporting a little purple bow. With the case tucked firmly beneath her arm, hat in one hand and box in the other, she rejoined her companion.
Mrs. Tibbleman clapped excitedly at the sight of the purple bow. “Oh, is it my birthday again already?”
Verone proffered the hat. “Not quite yet, but the gift of a fine hat is an occasion unto itself. Why don’t you try it on?”
“Oh, how adorable. I used to have one just like that years ago—they were all the rage when my little Eva was married. I even learned how to make the paper flowers.”
Verone helped Mrs. Tibbleman remove her veil. “Let’s get this on you, and then we can be on our way.”
Mrs. Tibbleman inhaled deeply. “Why, this is delightful. It not only looks all floral, it smells that way too. I wonder how they manage that with paper flowers?”
Verone flashed a little half smile. “They are amazing, aren’t they? Shall we head out?”
Clear skies had done little to banish the evening chill, and while Verone welcomed the relief from the heat, Mrs. Tibbleman shivered whenever the
y passed through a patch of shade.
“You poor dear,” Verone said. “I’m not taking another step until we warm you up.” She stopped at a bench, put down the box, and rummaged through the leather case. “Aha—this should do it.” She draped a floral wrap over Mrs. Tibbleman’s shoulders. “Now, please try to remember—the University is not as safe as once it was. While we all want to do our best to help Miss Merinne, we don’t want to get ourselves in trouble.”
Mrs Tibbleman adjusted the wrap. “Surely not. Isn’t that why we have teams?”
“Indeed, it is. Now, we’re coming up on the gate, and I think we can best keep an eye on it from just over there by that hedge. You see it?”
“I do—is it honeysuckle?”
“Very possibly. Now, I have a quick errand to run, but I’d like for you to stand right over there by the honeysuckle and keep a close eye out for Miss Merinne. Could you do that for me?”
“Of course. Oh, I do hope she drops by.”
“And remember—while I’m gone, if you see anything suspicious, promise me you’ll get back to the chapel just as quickly as you can.”
Mrs. Tibbleman grew misty-eyed. “Things aren’t like they were in the old days, are they? Why, I remember—”
“Mrs Tibbleman—do you remember what you are to do if you see anything out of the ordinary?”
“You mean like this hat?”
“No. I meant more like something threatening or suspicious. Do you remember what you are to do?”
“Why yes, very well. I’m to return to the church at once.”
“Chapel,” Verone corrected.
“Oh yes, of course.”
“Perfect. Now, I’m going to run my errand. I’ll be back just as soon as I can.”
Mrs. Tibbleman made her way over to the hedge. “Never you worry. No living soul will pass that gate without me knowing.”
Verone retraced a few steps and then ducked into an alley. Circling behind buildings, she positioned herself next to Dexter Hall. From there, she could see Mrs. Tibbleman dutifully standing guard. She faced entirely the wrong way, her attention focused on the hedge, apparently attempting to confirm if it really was honeysuckle. Taking a deep breath, Verone stepped out into the open and made a beeline for the front door. It was unlocked, and before Mrs. Tibbleman had any chance to spot her, she slipped inside.
Verone was immediately confronted by a young man arrayed in the embroidered vestments of the Inquisition. “Sorry, ma’am, these premises are not open to the general public.”