by J L Collins
“Please take a seat, Miss Brady,” she finally spoke up, her voice silky as she pointed to the small chair in front of the tree desk.
I did as she asked, silently crossing my legs while she sat down in the throne, her electric-blue eyes on me. I decided to wait and let her start the talking. That was how royal etiquette worked, right?
She adjusted her posture to fold in her wings just as elegantly as she hovered with them over the floor. That was one thing I’d always been jealous of when it came to the Fae. They were extremely graceful. I was like a lumbering troll compared to them with my heavy boots.
She folded her hands down in front of her, a polite smile appearing on her face. “You have a patience with others that your uncle does not.”
I wasn’t sure whether I should thank her or not, so I simply nodded. “He can be a bit . . . off-putting when he is working a case.”
“Indeed.” Her smile didn’t budge.
Okay, so apparently, she wanted me to do the talking after all. I cleared my throat. “Your Majesty, I understand wanting to protect the citizens of Arcadia. Please believe me when I say that it is not the MARC’s intention to offend you or your hospitality. We’re only doing our duty, trying to get to the bottom of a very prominent figurehead’s death. Rourke . . . our Keeper of the Pages rather, had a very important job within the Athenaeum. We fear that his death may not have been personal, but instead, was seen as vital to accomplish something else.” I wasn’t sure I should say much more. The Queen could do the talking now if she wanted me to continue.
She studied my face for a moment, tilting her head to one side. “We. You keep saying ‘we’ as if you’re included. You are no longer part of the Shadow Hand organization. Am I correct in this?”
I blinked, blindsided by the statement. I hadn’t expected the conversation to veer in this direction. Yet somehow, I knew she had every intention of trying to provoke me anyway. “Well no, I’m not. But I’ve been asked to help with it.”
Nodding, she leaned forward ever so slightly. “And this is a personal loss to you, the loss of this Keeper?”
“Yes.” What was she getting at?
“The Keeper’s role and duty is mainly to your land—the land of the Witches. However, your library is full of many Fairy texts as well. Not to mention, historical artifacts that have been generously distributed through time by my ancestors. I myself, have donated such things to the Athenaeum. I do not wish to see these belongings stolen or defiled in any way.” She settled back against the throne, her eyes steadily on me. “I believe An Leabhar na Ciallmhar is now missing, correct?”
I sat there stunned. Had someone sent this information ahead before we even arrived? Surely Uncle Gardner would’ve waited to discuss all this in person?
“Yes. It was found missing when the MARC began conducting the investigation. A separate mission has been ordered to find the spell book. As I’m sure you know, having it fall into the wrong hands would be unfortunate for all of us.”
“This is true. And I do hope the MARC is able to locate it. I may send some of my own elders and advisors, as well as our top soldiers into Spell Haven to help with the search efforts. As you’ve said, this is a larger issue.”
I wasn’t sure whether to feel grateful to her, or to be irritated. “I’m sure my uncle and the rest of the heads at the MARC would appreciate any help you’re willing to lend, your Majesty. We would also appreciate the help with answering questions about this particular investigation into Rourke’s death.”
Her brilliantly blue eyes narrowed. Clearly, she thought differently. “As I’ve said Miss Brady, I do not believe anyone from my kingdom need be implicated in your Keeper’s death. And for that matter, has your investigation actually proven that his death was at the hands of another? That it wasn’t something that could be considered an accident?”
It was growing incredibly difficult to keep the frustration off my face. As if we were dumb enough not to know the difference…
“We’re sure of it. His throat was crushed from being strangled. There were marks on his neck that back this up. And considering that the spell book was stolen, there was a definite motive. I don’t know how they knew that they needed the book.” I bit my lip, realizing I’d already said too much.
The Queen smirked. “You need not worry. I already know that the Keeper’s role is specifically to protect those precious objects. Therefore, it would be common sense to realize what the Athenaeum’s weakness was.”
My eyes widened. How in the world did she know this? Was it really that common of knowledge, especially here in Arcadia? I could understand the heads of MARC and the Shadow Hands knowing about the Keeper’s importance. But the Fairy Queen, too?
“The sword your uncle mentioned. This was not used to harm the Keeper. Therefore, whether its presence on the library’s grounds has any significance to your investigation or not, my people will not be further questioned by the MARC on this matter.”
Was she serious? “If a Fairy was at all involved, the MARC has every right to question them. That is the law, even across the Lands Accords.”
It was true—the Lands Accords were something every single Shadow Hand was well-versed in. The laws across all lands in Danann were few but overruled everything else. And one of those rules was that if another land’s authority figures needed access to the lands’ people to determine if there were unlawful actions taken by them in the authority’s land, it was automatically a given right.
“Do you have a specific suspect in mind to interrogate?” she countered.
“No, not yet. With the weapon that was found at the crime scene, we have reason to believe it would be best to start with your Fairy Knights, your Majesty.” I wasn’t one-hundred-percent sure about this, but I figured that was where Uncle Gardner would want to start.
The Queen didn’t seem to suspect otherwise. “Start with the Fairy Knights, and then what? If you do not find the link you’re looking for, will you move on to the rest of the kingdom? Question my maids? The people of Arcadia? I don’t suppose you’ll then question the Royal Family afterward? I have to admit that I would find great pleasure in seeing the vitriol my daughter, Rosea, would hurl the Shadow Hands’ way that dared question her.”
Heat rose in my cheeks while she remained just as cool-headed as ever. I suppose that’s how queens are taught.
I thought very carefully before speaking. “If we do not find any connection between your knights and the Keeper’s murder, then we will re-assess from there.”
“Oh, I am sure. And then your uncle will find another reason to stay past his welcome to exploit more of my people. It is the way of the Witches, I’m afraid,” she replied, pursing her lips.
“We do not exploit any race of creature,” I said through gritted teeth. “And my uncle would only follow the laws that have been laid out in front of him. It’s as simple as that, Queen Mabily.”
She stood up, looking down on me with a sneer. “You shall address me as ‘your Majesty.’ Do not make the mistake of thinking we are on more informal terms, you and I,” she said, her haughty expression on the verge on something deeper. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one getting frustrated by the conversation.
The air was crisp between us. Outside the windows behind her I could see lightning flicker across the sky, giving her an eerie presence on her throne.
“I apologize, your Majesty” Feeling bold, I pressed on. “I do have to wonder though. Can you tell me if you have any knowledge of your subjects being involved in the Keeper’s murder?”
She paused, looking as though she were choosing her words just as wisely. She and I both knew she couldn’t get around this one.
“I can tell you.”
I clapped my hands together. It felt rude, but I knew I was getting somewhere finally. “Fantastic. And, your Majesty, have any of your subjects been involved in the Keeper’s murder?”
“You know Miss Brady, I find your loyalty to your uncle and his group of lawful cohorts to be
strange in nature. If you are no longer part of this organization, then why concern yourself with such a thing?” she said, gracefully folding her arms.
“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 boyfriend,” 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.”