Unfortunately, I wasn't really sure I trusted my new gentry contacts to give me unbiased advice. So I turned to my next-most relatively neutral sources.
Like always, my spirit minions took a long time in answering my question. Nandi and Volusian were compelled to answer eventually, but I think they always sort of tried to wait each other out. This time, it was Nandi who finally gave in.
"Mistress, there are many among the shining ones who could summon such creatures. Far too many for you to hunt down or investigate. To do so would be akin to counting grains of sand on a beach. The task is impossible. Were you to try, you would fall into a despair so dark and deep that it would undoubtedly shatter your mind and force you into insanity."
Volusian sighed loudly and shuffled so that he stood farther into the shadows of my bedroom. "Metaphors aside, mistress, she is correct. Perhaps there are not quite so many suspects but still enough to make a search difficult."
Finn, moving around my room in lazy circles, stopped his flight and scoffed. "Why are you wasting your time with all these other people? It's obvious who's doing it. Maiwenn is."
I sat cross-legged on the bed and swallowed a piece of my Milky Way. "Maiwenn can't control water. Besides," I added bitterly, "everyone keeps going on about how weak and sickly she is lately anyway." I honestly didn't get what the big deal was with her being so debilitated by pregnancy. I'd worked at a restaurant in high school, and there'd been a waitress there who'd stayed on her feet until the day she delivered.
"Maiwenn doesn't have to do it herself," argued Finn. "She's the mastermind. Other people hated Storm King. She's probably collaborating with them and directing them to attack you."
"That seems kind of elaborate."
I swear, Volusian almost smiled. "Spend more time around the gentry courts, mistress, and you'll find a plan like that would be childishly simplistic. Nonetheless, I find it unlikely the Willow Queen is involved. It is not in her nature. She would not kill without provocation. She is more likely to wait and observe than act on her emotions."
"Unless there was something more personal involved," said Finn slyly. "You know, maybe a little jealousy..."
Apparently my romantic difficulties were no secret. Honestly, I didn't get how gossip spread so fast in the Otherworld, particularly considering how they had no telephones, TV, or Internet.
I glared at him. "She has nothing to be jealous about. Not anymore."
"Agreed," said Volusian. "Besides, the Willow Queen is not an adolescent girl who would risk her rule to take petty revenge. She - and her peers - are far too clever. And ruthless."
Finn crossed his arms and glared at Volusian. It was kind of a bold move, considering Finn looked like a cartoon character and Volusian looked like he ate the souls of small children. For all I knew, he probably did.
"Of course you'd say that. You're trying to throw Odile off Maiwenn's trail. Makes it easy, doesn't it? Then Maiwenn's assassins can do your dirty work for you. We all know you're just waiting to kill her off." Finn jerked his thumb in my direction.
Volusian went rigid, his eyes narrowing to red slits. "Make no mistake. When I kill our mistress - and I will - I will not depend on some gentry to do it. I will rip her flesh and tear her soul apart myself."
Silence fell.
"Truly, mistress," Nandi said at last, "it is a wonder you even have the will to carry on."
"Enough," I groaned, rubbing my eyes. "Being around you guys is like being on the Jerry Springer Show sometimes. As much as I hate to admit it, I agree with Volusian." Finn started to speak, and I cut him off with a gesture. "But I still want to talk to Maiwenn. If she is guilty, maybe I can find out. If she isn't, maybe she'll help me figure out who is."
"You're crazy," exclaimed Finn. "You're playing right into her hands."
"And your opinion has been duly noted for the record. I don't need to hear it anymore."
He disappeared with a huff. I shook my head and turned to the others.
"Show me where the closest crossover to her home is."
It turned out to be an hour and a half drive from Tucson, but considering how much Otherworldly travel I probably would have had to do by crossing somewhere else, I didn't mind. This proved doubly true when the crossroads in the Willow Land deposited me within eyesight of her castle.
It was only a small consolation, considering it was still freezing in her land. Back home, the weather had been hot and perfect. Worst of all, today was Cinco de Mayo. I should have spent the rest of the day drinking copious amounts of tequila, followed by a blissful blackout under a table somewhere.
At least there was no wind now, but the air held a sharp, biting chill. It was dry too; I could sense its lack of moisture. Ice and snow drifts glittered with crystalline beauty in the stark winter sunlight, but it was a dangerous beauty. If you stared at the blankets of white too long, you could almost get afterimages from the brightness.
I trudged down the cold road, admiring the castle in spite of myself.
Unlike Aeson's and Dorian's, it lacked the blocky, fortress look. It was...well, pretty. Graceful, fluid spires rose up, their silvery white surface gleaming and sparkling. The entire structure had a curved, almost sinuous look, like a calla lily. I wondered if this simply resulted from the difference between male and female monarchs. Maybe Maiwenn just had better taste.
The guards turned rightfully alarmed when I informed them who I was. They tried to coax me inside to wait for Maiwenn's admittance, but I refused to take one step until they'd requested hospitality for me. It took awhile - during which time the number of guards circling me doubled - but Maiwenn finally sent back word that I could see her and would be under the protection of her home.
A lady-in-waiting led me to Maiwenn, and she made it clear in both body language and words that I had no business disturbing her queen. She led me through twisting halls, at last leaving me in a cozy, brightly lit sitting room. Maiwenn rested in a comfy plush chair, propped up by pillows. A heavy satin dressing gown wrapped around her, and someone had tucked a blanket over her lap. Even pale-skinned and messy-haired, she looked gorgeous.
She smiled at me and gestured for the servant to leave. "Lady Markham, what a pleasant surprise. Please, sit down."
Uneasily, I eased onto a delicate plush pink chair. "Call me Eugenie."
She nodded, and we both sat there awkwardly. Watching her, all I could think about was how she was carrying Kiyo's baby. It would create a lifelong bond between them that I could never share. Not that I wanted anything like that, of course. Kiyo was out of my life.
Maiwenn's sense of propriety, being better than mine, soon kicked in. "I'm happy to receive you, but I suspect this isn't a social call."
"No...I'm sorry. I wanted to talk to you about..." I hesitated, suddenly feeling foolish. What had I been thinking to come here and ask her outright if she wanted to kill me? Well, it was too late to back out. Might as well go for it. "I've had a couple of nasty attacks lately. Attacks meant to kill me. And I was wondering if...if maybe you knew anything about them...."
Her turquoise eyes regarded me knowingly. "Or more to the point, you want to know if I had anything to do with them."
I averted my eyes. "Yes."
"It's no wonder Dorian likes you so much. Your bluntness must amuse him to no end." She sighed and leaned her head back in the chair. "You may believe me or not, but the answer is no. I neither ordered nor know anything about any attempts on your life. What happened?"
Figuring it couldn't hurt regardless of her involvement, I told her everything about the fachan and the nixies. Her face stayed mostly blank, though I did see surprise flash in her eyes a few times. When I finished, her response was not what I expected.
"Why do you live in a desert anyway? Willingly even?"
I felt surprise cross my own face. "It's my home. It's not that bad."
She shrugged. "If you say so. But Dorian is right in his assessment of getting those creatures to you in the first place. Someone powerful and motivated would have had to do it."
"Do you know who?"
"No. Like I said, you have no reason to believe me, but I had nothing to do with this."
She was right. I had no reason to believe her. And yet...some part of me noted that Kiyo trusted her. Whatever anger I felt over his withholding of information, I had to believe he wasn't an entirely unreliable judge of character.
"Could you give me names of people who could do it?"
"I could give you dozens. Wouldn't do you much good."
I scowled and slouched into my chair. The same response as the spirits.
"I'm sorry I can't be more help." She sounded sincere. "I won't lie: The thought of you having Tirigan's grandson terrifies me. But I don't believe in punishing you for something that has not yet happened - especially when you are trying to not make it happen. However..." That placid expression turned hesitant. "May I ask you a question?"
"Sure."
"I know what you told me, and yet...well, I hear more and more stories about your involvement with Dorian. Kiyo said..." She tripped over the name. "Kiyo said I had nothing to worry about."
"You don't. It's an act. Dorian's teaching me to use my magic, and in exchange, I play his girlfriend." No point in mentioning our recent bargain.
She considered. "So you've decided to embrace your heritage after all."
"Only enough to not do something stupid."
"You're right to do that...though I'd feel better if you had another teacher. Your bargain may seem safe enough for now...yet I doubt he'll let it stay that simple for long. Don't let his charm blind you to his agenda. He'll use you to get what he wants - and he wants the prophecy fulfilled."
"Hey, I can handle Dorian. And his charm."
"There's more to it than just that, however. Your very life may be at risk."
"From Dorian? I doubt it.""From his enemies."
That was a new one. "I didn't really know he had any unless...well, you and he differ in opinion...and I guess he and Aeson don't get along either." I sat up straighter. "Do you think his enemies are the ones trying to kill me? To get back at him?"
"Any number of people could be trying to kill you. The list of his enemies is no shorter than the ones I referred to before. Most of his have nothing to do with where he stands on the prophecy. He's powerful, and many fear that - with good reason. When this part of the Otherworld rearranged itself, he fought to seize much more of it than he did. Only at the last minute did Katrice, queen of the Rowan Land, emerge as a contender and slice up more. The land recognized her and allowed her a portion, cutting Dorian out of larger territory."
I shivered. I had heard Roland speak of the Otherworld's sentience, how it continually changed form and boundaries. Still. The thought of it "allowing" someone to do something creeped me out.
"Many know he has never accepted that outcome," she continued. "He would like to expand, and they see you as the means of doing it. Your human powers have been feared for years. If you manifest Storm King's as well, they believe you and Dorian will conquer the other kingdoms. And possibly beyond."
"Everyone's so obsessed with conquest," I grumbled. "Why can't they just leave things the way they are?"
"Your king has grander plans than that, I'm afraid."
I wondered not for the first time who was getting the better end of this deal Dorian and I had contrived. What was it he really wanted from me? "So even people who agree with the prophecy don't necessarily like him."
She nodded. "They would rather see your son fathered by someone less ambitious - someone they could control. Those same people could very well attempt to remove Dorian. Or, others who wanted Storm King to succeed in theory secretly believe it will never happen, so now they simply worry about the immediate threat you present to the kingdoms here."
This new development, that I was a threat because I wanted to conquer the Otherworld, was almost more ludicrous than the prophecy. "Why the hell would I want to rule in this world? Haven't they noticed I'm human? Or at least half? I don't have any claim on gentry real estate. And I don't want any."
"The shining ones view things differently than humans. Humans always feel the need to point out any drop of foreign blood in a person. As far as we care, you have our blood, and that suffices. You may have a human mother, but for all other intents and purposes, most of us now regard you as one of our own."
I thought about how common "outsider" labels were back in my own world: African American, Asian American, etc. She was right. People usually called attention to "foreign" blood.
"Yeah, but all that aside, I've made a career out of hunting them down. Doesn't that bother anybody or seem weird for a potential queen?"
"Some, yes," she conceded. The slightly distasteful look on her face informed me she was among them. "And they won't get over that anytime soon. But really - for everyone else - well, as I said, most consider you one of us now, and killing wantonly isn't that out of line for a powerful leader. Nothing that Tirigan or Aeson or Dorian hasn't done."
I exhaled loudly. "This doesn't make me feel better. I suddenly feel like I have more enemies than before."
"I'm sorry. If it's any consolation, Dorian's enemies may seek you out because of your connection to him, but that very connection will compel him to protect you by whatever means he can. Conniving or not, he's a powerful ally."
I remembered the nixies. "Yeah. He is."
Another uncomfortable silence descended, and we sat there watching each other. Regardless of how wussy I thought her condition was, she did look pretty exhausted. I hadn't really decided if she was an enemy or not. Honestly, I'd received more things to worry about than any sort of answers from this visit.
"Well," I said stupidly, "thanks for the...help. I guess I should go."
She nodded and gave me a faint, tired smile. "You're welcome here anytime."
"Thanks."
I stood up and moved to the door. My hand was on the knob when she called my name.
"Eugenie..."
I turned. A pained look crossed her face, one that had nothing to do with her physical discomfort.
"He loves you," she said haltingly. "You should...you should forgive him. He didn't mean to hurt you."
I held her gaze for several painful moments and then walked out without another word. I didn't want to think about Kiyo.
And then, as irony would have it, I ran into him when I was about halfway out of the keep. The universe was harsh sometimes. Whatever feelings her words had kindled in me dried up at the thought of him coming to visit her. The look on his face implied I was the last person he'd expected to see there.
I forcibly kept my expression cold, trying hard not to show how much I was drinking in his appearance and presence. He was as stunning as ever with that tanned skin and silky black hair curling slightly behind his ears. I wanted to run my hands through it. The heavy coat he wore couldn't hide that graceful, athletic body.
"Eugenie," he said softly, "what are you doing here?"
"I had to chat with Maiwenn. You know, girl talk." I hoped my tone conveyed that I did not want to elaborate on our conversation. He picked up on the hint.
"Well. It's good to see you. You look...good. How have things...I mean, have you been okay?"
I shrugged. "The usual. Propositions. Attempts on my life. You know how it goes."
"I worry about you."
"I'm fine. I can take care of myself. Besides, I do have some help."
Those dark, caring eyes narrowed slightly. "I suppose you mean Dorian."
"He saved me from a pretty nasty attack the other day and," I added, feeling mean, "he's going to help me go get Jasmine."
"That's a bad idea."
"Which part? Getting her or relying on Dorian?"
"Both."
"Well, you knew I was going to go for her one of these days. Better sooner than later." I started to walk past him, and he caught my arm. Even through the coat, his touch sent shock waves through my body.
He leaned close to me. "I want to come with you."
"I don't need your help."
"You need all the help you can get."
"No." I broke his hold.
He moved and blocked my way again. I could feel some of that animal intensity radiating off of him. "Last time you didn't want gentry help because it hurt your pride. You're doing the same thing with me for the same reasons, and there's no point. Forget how much you hate me, and worry about what's best for the girl. I'm going with you."
He had a point about what was in Jasmine's best interests, but his attitude bothered me. "What, you think you can make something happen by just telling me it will? You're not going, so get over it."
"There's nothing to get over. If you're in danger, I protect you. I'll be there."
"Well, I guess you're going to have to go stake out Aeson's 24/7, because I'm sure as hell not letting you in on the secret planning meetings."
Some of his feral demeanor dropped, and suddenly he was relaxed, collected Kiyo again. "There are secret meetings? What are you guys now, the Superfriends?"
I rolled my eyes and walked past him, back to the crossroads and the warmer weather of Arizona. That ache in my chest, the one I'd had since Beltane, burned steadily the entire time. I hated what had happened to us, but I didn't know how to fix it. I didn't know how to forgive Kiyo.
I tried to get my mind on something else as I drove home, like planning the logistics of the next Jasmine rescue. Or, considering her resistance, maybe it would be more like a smash 'n' grab. Regardless, I was eager to get it over with. Damn Dorian's clause about my magic. And his stupid nobility about sex.
I was almost home when I drove past a Barnes & Noble. An idea leapt into my brain, a strange one admittedly, but one that couldn't hurt.
I hadn't stopped thinking about how much potential I allegedly had with magic. For years, I'd relied on human magic - or rather the human ability to extract magic from the world. I could banish spirits and monsters. I could walk worlds. But this so-called power within me offered so much more, according to both Dorian and Maiwenn - not to mention my own barely remembered longings. I had resisted it at first, but now...now I wanted so badly to advance to higher levels. Dorian and I would meet tomorrow night for another session, and I hated the thought of more inactivity. He'd told me I had a lifetime to catch up on magic, but I didn't want to wait that long. I wanted to close the gap.
Naturally, the store had no books on real magic. They only carried the silly and trumped-up commercial type stuff. But they did have a science section, and within that, I found a couple shelves on weather and meteorology.
I doubted these books would make me a magical dominatrix overnight, but actually knowing the science behind what I worked with had to help. It was something tangible, something I had more experience with than the weird, esoteric nature of magic itself. Volusian had once commented that as a child of both worlds, I could take the best of each lineage. I was both gentry and human. Magic and technology.
I spent over an hour skimming through books on storms, the atmosphere, and assorted weather phenomena. When the store made its closing announcement, I could hardly believe it. Time had flown by. Scooping up the ones I deemed most useful, I paid and went home.
"Reading is hot," Tim told me when I walked in the door with my heavy bag.
I ignored him and retreated to my room. Dumping the books on the bed, I picked the most remedial-looking one and sat down at my desk, where the Eiffel Tower still lay unfinished. I hadn't had time for puzzles lately. With a wistful last look, I swept the pieces up into the box and put it away. The tower would have to wait.
Shifting my legs into a comfortable position, I spread out the glossy, full-colored textbook. Flipping through the title pages and introduction, I finally found the meat of the book.
