by J L Collins
“Could you please answer my question, your Majesty?”
“If you so insist. As far as I know, no one who resides in my kingdom has played any part in your Keeper’s untimely death,” she said, shrugging. “Now, I feel, you owe me an answer as well.”
Processing her words, I tried to find holes to poke through but her statement was air-tight. At least within the castle walls, no one had been a part of the murder. It didn’t strike me as all that weird that she was this certain as she seemed to know pretty much everything about what went on inside these walls. And that included her Fairy Knights, who would’ve been the ones carrying around that short sword.
I didn’t feel I owed her anything, but in light of her honesty I just went with it. “I may not be a part of the Shadow Hands anymore, but keeping Spell Haven safe will always matter to me.”
The smirk on her face twisted her beautiful features. “Is that the real truth of it, then? You care about your land’s safety? Pardon me, I just find that rather amusing considering you abandoned it.”
Blood drained from my face slowly, yet my heartbeat picked up the pace. “I’m sorry?”
“Gardner Brady’s own protege leaving Spell Haven unannounced was quite the talk at the time, as I’m sure you’ve heard. And pregnant by a human, no less! Quite the scandal, I must say.”
Everything in me tensed. My ears felt hot. I glared at her, no longer caring about etiquette or the lack thereof. “Despite whatever scandal I caused—and I’m sure it is much less of a scandal here in Arcadia where you hold your Royal Court in the midst of your courtier’s taking certain pleasures in one another,” I quickly added, seeing the small victory in the cold stare of the Queen, “—I still care about Spell Haven. Rourke was my friend and a great mentor to us all. His death is no less than a tragedy.”
The cold look turned to one of arrogance. She moved her piece on the chess board she must have imagined in her mind, ready to win. “And the death of your lover? The human? What was his name again . . .?”
The air was thin as I tried to quickly breathe it in. How could she know any of this? Who would’ve told her anything about me—about him? “Adam,” I whispered, my voice shaking. “His name was Adam. And I would consider that a tragedy to my daughter as she never got to know her father. Not that any of that has to do with you, nor is it any of your business. Your Majesty.”
She waved me off. “No need to take offense, Miss Brady. I was merely pointing out that your values have changed since. You claim to care about Spell Haven, yet you immersed yourself and your child into the Human Realm without looking back. The only reason you returned was to help find your brother. And we see how well that turned out. Brennrie has told me of his containment in your uncle’s home.”
“Again, I don’t see how any of this has to do with the investigation,” I said, trying to steer the conversation back on-topic.
“I wouldn’t expect you to. Seeing the deeper meaning in things is more of a Fairy skill than a Witch’s. You may care for certain individuals, and maybe more now than before, but your caring of Spell Haven is a bit lacking. Would you be here if not on a quest to seek justice for your friend? For the Keeper of the Pages? Your magic has a certain flavor to it . . .” she wafted the air in front of her. “The smell of secrets and lies.”
Okay, now she had just lost her mind. “Sorry, I’m not following.”
“It’s similar in the way the Athenaeum works. Its magic is in its deception. What appears to be, is not always the case.” The steely look she gave me cut through the reply on the edge of my tongue. Deception? What did she mean?
She impatiently sat back down, the throne creaking. “You deceived many in your absence. Yet more importantly, you greatly deceived your child. You kept your true heritage from her and in effect, kept the truth of her own life from her. The magic of deception is something you know very well. Maybe use that to your benefit during this investigation, Miss Brady. I have given you the truth of my knight’s innocence and I shall see to it that you and your family are escorted out of the castle as graciously as you were received. If there is any other question your uncle may have for us, he may send it along through fire message, though I feel this is the final conversation I’m willing to have on the matter.”
I didn’t like how she made these huge judgments against me, but I knew better than to argue with her any further. What would it accomplish? Jack-squat, as my boss Henry would say. And I wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of seeing how much her words about Fiona-Leigh had gotten under my skin.
If there was one thing I knew about the way Queen Mabily operated, it was that she was a firm believer in the truth being a weapon she wielded like a sword. And she traded in secrets and valued information more than the beautiful gowns displayed around the room, or that gemstone encrusted tiara.
This only made her more dangerous in my opinion.
Taking her polite nod in my direction in stride, I stood up slowly, making sure to give her my best curtsy before turning away. All I wanted to do now was to put as much distance between me and the memories she’d managed to drudge up, as possible.
Cracking open the door, I waited for the guards posted outside to move out of my way. I took to the spiraling stone steps as fast as possible, my feet silent and quick. The guards at the bottom both gave me a once-over and determined that I had not committed some kind of crime against their ruler, uncrossed their swords from the doorway allowing me to pass.
Everyone’s eyes were collectively burning a hole in the back of my head as I kept moving. I took no time to slow down or wait. I was ready to get the heck out of Arcadia, and away from the unsettling knowledge that the Queen knew much more than we thought.
As I broke back out into the crowd of the open, steepled market place, I scanned the area, looking for my family. The guards at the bottom of the steps had told me they’d be here.
They were standing out in the open floor area, only noticeable by the way everyone else seemed to fly right past them as they stood still, waiting. As soon as they caught sight of me, the relief on both Uncle Gardner’s and Aunt Bedelia’s faces was clear. I gave them a little wave, motioning for them to come along with me. “Let’s go,” I called out loud enough for them to hear me.
They followed me and Nicolex and Brennrie were right behind, those two finally tagging along once we made it out of the open area, closer to the cliff-side entrance.
Even with the Arcadian magic hitting me like a cotton-candied high-five to the face, I was anxious to get back to the main outpost, and back into the transport to relay what the Queen had told me. I didn’t dare say anything out in the open. Not when I still wasn’t sure how Queen Mabily knew so much about well… everything.
I wasn’t sure how far Brennrie and her brother would be ‘escorting’ us, but I was surprised to walk out of the cliff’s tunnel and only find my aunt, uncle, and Brennrie there.
“Looks like we lost someone,” I said, shielding my eyes from the blazing sun that had broken through the storm clouds, now miles in the distance. The wet ground practically sizzled with evaporation around us, soft steam rising lazily into the air. If we would’ve gotten here any later, we really would’ve felt the effects of Queen Mabily’s stormy mood.
Brennrie glanced backward but shook her head. “Nicolex . . . doesn’t do well around Witches, in case you hadn’t noticed. I just wanted to make sure he stayed put and didn’t try to do anything stupid. He’s got a real knack for alienating others. So I told him to go ahead and leave us. He wasn’t a fan of the idea, but I didn’t really give him a choice in the matter.” The corner of her mouth turned up as she produced a small ball of bright blue light in her open palm, shrugging. “Your coast is clear.”
“Thank you,” Uncle Gardner said. “We don’t need things to get . . . more complicated.”
She nodded and I went to give her a hug, thanking her too as she pulled away. “See you around the manor?”
“If I want any chance of seeing my boyf
riend,” she said wryly, glancing over at Uncle Gardner. “Will you be there more often now?”
This time I shrugged. “At least for a little while. Whatever I can do to help figure out who’s behind Rourke’s murder.”
Brennrie’s eyes softened. “And he was a very important person to you? This Rourke?”
“Yes. He was sort of like a mentor, especially to Erie,” I explained, knowing how she and Erie got along well, too. “He was a good man with a huge heart and even bigger mind. It was like he knew almost everything. He was important, sure. But he was a friend. And I hate to think that someone was so full of hatred against him, against all of us even, and thought he deserved to die because of it.”
“We still don’t know that, Gwendolyn,” Uncle Gardner said, raising a bushy brow at me. Behind his words I could feel a warning. Official MARC investigations are not to be discussed with others.
I sighed. “Anyway. I think we can probably make it back to the outpost with no issues. Thanks again.”
The walk back was quiet, and I could practically hear the questions I was getting ready to be bombarded with.
Sure enough, once we were inside the MARC transport (which thankfully, hadn’t been stolen or damaged in any way that we could tell), Aunt Bedelia let out a slow whistle. “It seems Queen Mabily is quite the little busy bee. Finding out every little scrap of knowledge that she can about her guests and all.”
“What do you mean?” Uncle Gardner asked as he tapped the holoscope.
“Rifling around in my head again,” I said, unable to help myself from rolling my eyes. “The Queen knew some stuff about me that I . . . well, that weren’t exactly public knowledge. But that’s not what’s important. She told me flat-out that the Fae had nothing to do with Rourke’s murder, so there’s that.”
Uncle Gardner huffed. “Just because she found a way to get around giving you the full truth—”
“You and I both know she can’t do that. The Fae don’t lie. They can’t. I mean sure, there are ways for her to get around it, but she honestly believes what she said at the very least.”
“But the short sword you found . . .” Aunt Bedelia began.
I waved her off. “I know, I know. It’s weird. But she thinks it was a weird coincidence. And honestly? I kind of have to agree with her. She seems to know a lot more than we give her and the Fairy Court credit for.”
“The Fae are masters at finding the truth within words. Everyone knows that,” Uncle Gardner said as the transport lurched to life.
“I think she understands a little more than maybe even we do. She somehow knew that with Rourke gone, the Athenaeum is defenseless until we appoint a new Keeper.”
He shrugged, not at all surprised. “The elders of each land know much more than the people, even about one another’s dominions. The Queen does know that a Keeper is needed in Spell Haven to guard our history and artifacts.”
I sat on this, mulling it over, figuring out how I could make him understand without totally dragging up my past with Adam and bringing up the bad blood that it caused between me and Uncle Gardner specifically.
But I didn’t need to think too hard on it before Aunt Bedelia sighed. “Gard, I think the Queen’s knowledge runs deeper than that. There are things she knew about Gwen that hardly anyone else knew. With this being the case, I think the only conclusion we can draw from it is that Queen Mabily has a wider net in Spell Haven than we realized.”
Uncle Gardner stared straight ahead, the muscle in his jaw twitching. He wasn’t someone who spoke freely but rather, waited until he had the exact words he needed before proceeding. Me on the other hand… sometimes the filter didn’t do its job between my brain and my mouth.
“I just think it’s something we should be aware of is all. And if you want me to be a true part of this investigation, I’m going to need to fully understand how the Keeper’s magic works. I know how important it is to keep it under lock, and you know me, sir. I won’t fail you there,” I said softly. I held back from placing my hand over his. It was more of a comfort for me than him, anyway. And I didn’t want him to see just how vulnerable I was feeling after the brutally honest conversation with the Queen.
Passing back through into Spell Haven let some of the tension out of my shoulders. Had I really been breathing that shallowly? Even still, it was crazy to feel the difference between the two lands, and a familiar comfort settled into my bones and anchored me. I couldn’t imagine trying to live anywhere else… well, with the exception of Midnight Pitch, of course.
Waiting until we’d made it back to the manor house, Uncle Gardner finally acknowledged me. “I believe you, Gwen. And you’re right,” he sighed, sliding the holoscope away. “I should trust you with the information about the Athenaeum. But I have a lot of work waiting for me at the office, and to be perfectly frank with you I need a break after holding back all that Arcadian magic.” His face soured at the mention of the Fairy lands. “I will discuss this further with you later. I hope that is acceptable.”
I quickly nodded, that old familiarity of wanting to follow my uncle’s orders stretching out inside my mind. “Of course. I look forward to being briefed on it.”
On the outside it probably seemed a little stiff and formal considering we’re family, but at one point I’d known him better than almost anyone else aside from his sister and wife. This was his way of compromise and there really wasn’t room for much else.
12
Back in the Real World
The look on Erie’s face was priceless. She stood on the sidewalk facing the house, her eyes wide.
“This is your home?”
I smiled, brushing past her with keys in hand. “Yep. This is it. Welcome to Chez Brady.”
“Oh, you’ve named your home as well?” she asked, falling into step behind me.
“Ah, no. It’s just the French term . . . I was being sarcastic. Anyway.” Unlocking the door, I pushed inside, fully expecting to see my house completely torn apart by Jax. And even more likely, Oisín.
One pillow shredded to bits. A pile of half-eaten kibble on the floor. It was the best I could ask for, really.
“Sorry for the mess,” I said, throwing my bag onto the sofa. “Between the dog and Oisín, I’m lucky this place isn’t on fire.”
Erie squealed with delight as she flopped onto the sofa. “This is so cute, Gwennie! It’s like one of those little cottages in those old storybooks! Don’t tell me, you have an adorable garden in the back full of beautiful birds and all sorts of furry little creatures.”
“Not unless you count the fat raccoon that occasionally tries to go through our garbage at night. And I’m not much of a gardener.”
“Though her boyfriend has quite the green thumb,” a voice drawled from in the kitchen.
Erie peeked over the arm of the sofa, grinning as Oisín made his way into the living room, fluffy black tail swishing back and forth. “Hello, stranger. It’s been a while.”
His yellow eyes flickered at her. “Indeed. Tortured any more animals lately?” The corner of his mouth quirked, revealing sharp teeth.
“Just because I wanted to do a little research into your transformation . . .” she groaned, sitting back up. “Look, I was only trying to help! Cait sidhe are very rare! And to see one at its final stage is remarkable.”
Rolling his eyes, Oisín jumped up to the coffee table to sit in front of her. “As unique and stunning a specimen as I am, I hardly appreciate being poked and prodded in the name of research.” He licked his paw slowly, still staring her down.
“What kind of research are we talking, here?” I asked, curious.
Oisín had mentioned something about it before, but with his dramatics who knew how much of it was real?
This time Erie rolled her eyes. “I literally took one vial of his blood via a summoning spell we use at the Menagerie. It doesn’t hurt the animals. I studied his blood to see the differences between humanoid blood—from when he was in his Witch form—and his current feline form.
I checked it against mine, made some notes, looked through dozens of books at the Athenaeum . . .” her voice trailed off. “Rourke helped me find what I needed. Anyway,” she said, standing back up. “I barely touched him. He’s just a big baby.”
“Pfft! I was dizzy for several minutes afterward. Despite what you may think of animals, we too, have feelings you know.”
Big baby, indeed. “I think if anyone knows that, Osh, it’s Erie. She runs the Mystical Menagerie now.”
He let out a soft hiss before jumping back down from the table and padding down the hallway. “Those poor creatures.”
“So nice to see him in such good spirits,” Erie said, glancing around the room again. “This is a really cute place though. What’s in there?”
“Just our bedrooms. Nothing too special, and I’m sure Fi’s room is a wreck. Even though I sprung for new furniture and repainted the walls how she wanted it, she still treats it like her own personal dumpster.” I shook my head. There was no way I was that messy when I was fourteen.
“And your kitchen is in there? You mentioned a dog, right?”
“Oh yeah, Jax. He’s our little mutt, but he’s the sweetest. Fi probably scooped him up this morning. We don’t like to leave him alone for very long without anyone here. Even with Osh.”
She smiled. Animals were definitely Erie’s calling.
I pulled her into the kitchen, giving her a quick little tour of modern human appliances. Never before had I seen someone so amazed by the stacked-up washer and dryer hidden away behind a curtain.
She threw open the dryer door, looking inside. “So, it just soaks the clothes and they’re magically clean? Where does the water come from? And how does this dryer thing work, exactly?”
Once I got us settled with some breakfast at the table, I dug into my omelet, savoring it after not eating since early yesterday evening. Something about going between realms always left me starving.