To Catch a Queen

by Shanna Swendson

Her gateway took her to the gardens of a palace—her palace, she supposed, since that was where her throne and crown were. But she didn’t live there and had no desire to do so. In fact, once she’d fulfilled a promise, she doubted she’d come back, other than to make enough of an appearance to remind the fairies who she was.

  Not that it was a bad palace. It was luxurious beyond imagination, as long as she didn’t look too closely. The throne room doors opened for her and she entered the vast space. The ceiling soared above her, the tall, narrow windows cast light on the marble floors, and far ahead stood the silver throne she’d won with her blood.

  She spared a passing glance for the servant scrubbing the floors. Maeve’s golden beauty had dimmed somewhat, and Sophie would have felt at least a little bit bad for her if Maeve hadn’t been the reason for all this trouble. Maeve didn’t even look up from her work, but the other courtiers and servants all stopped at Sophie’s approach and bowed. There seemed to be fewer of them than on her last visit. She wasn’t sure how many of them were bound to the palace because of consuming enchanted food or drink there, since Maeve was the only one she’d seen drink, but it made sense that those who weren’t bound would drift away once they realized the palace wasn’t going to become the hub of power and social life in the Realm.

  Most of the courtiers went back to what they were doing after she acknowledged them, but Sophie was gratified to see that one remained, smiling eagerly, like she was truly glad to see Sophie. She appeared to be a couple of years younger than Sophie and was much taller, but she still looked like she could be a distant relative. They had similar coloring, with reddish hair, fair skin, and blue eyes (half blue in Sophie’s case). That was what had got Jennifer Murray into this situation, when she’d been mistaken for Sophie’s sister and kidnapped to bait a trap for Sophie. “Your majesty, you’ve come back to us!” she said.

  “Sophie,” Sophie corrected automatically. “And, yes, I want to have another of our chats.” She waved away the fairy man who hovered at the woman’s side and hooked her arm firmly through her elbow to lead her out of the throne room and down a hallway to a modest bedchamber. “Now, Jennifer, let’s have tea,” she said, once they were inside with the door closed.

  “Emma. My name is Emma,” the woman corrected stubbornly.

  “No, it’s not, and you haven’t even been using that name very long. Before you met my sister, you’d forgotten your name entirely. Your name is Jennifer, but people close to you called you Jen.” Ignoring Jen’s pout, Sophie took a thermos from her bag and poured cups of tea, then opened a small tin of cookies. “Here, drink your tea,” she said, her tone turning the invitation into an order.

  Sophie made sure Jen drank at least one full cup of tea and ate several cookies. She thought while observing the other woman that it seemed to be working. Jen looked more human, more substantial after consuming the human food. If only her mind were changing, as well. Sophie noticed Jen’s gaze straying to the photo sitting on the table. It showed Jen in a bridal gown and veil next to a tall, dark-haired man in a police dress uniform. “Do you remember him now?” Sophie asked gently.

  “I remember he was in the market, and he came to help take Emily home,” Jen said, but Sophie was sure she was lying. Jen had a touch of fondness in her eyes when she looked at the photo.

  “He’s your husband. He misses you. Don’t you remember marrying him?”

  Jen’s face softened further. “I–I don’t know,” she whispered, her voice distant. Almost as though she was channeling a spirit from the ether, she said dreamily, “It took him three tries to get the wedding ring on my finger, his hands were shaking so badly. I thought he’d drop it.” The faintest trace of a smile crossed her lips. “He’s so brave about things like murderers and criminals, but a wedding terrified him. His brothers teased him about being afraid of commitment, but I think he was scared because he takes commitment so very seriously.”

  That he does, Sophie thought to herself. It was a rare man who’d remain faithful and keep wearing a wedding band nearly seven years after his wife’s disappearance. But she didn’t dare speak out loud. She didn’t want to break the spell. This was what she’d been working toward for the past two months. She’d never be able to get Jen out of the Realm if she didn’t want to go, and Michael was the one thing that might make her want to leave.

  “I wonder what he thinks of me,” Jen asked, her voice cracking.

  “He wants you back home with him,” Sophie said. “I could take you to him.” She held her breath, waiting for the response. Was this the moment of truth?

  “I—I don’t know,” Jen stammered, looking away. “I don’t think I can go.”

  “I could help,” Sophie said gently, leaning forward and placing a hand on Jen’s wrist. Jen seemed so close that it wouldn’t take much to push her in the right direction, just a little mental nudge. It was so tempting. A few months ago, she wouldn’t have thought twice about it—wouldn’t even have realized she was doing it. She just took it for granted that people did what she wanted. Then she’d learned that her other notable ancestor had been the enchanter for whom the fairy queen left her throne, and that one of his legacies was the ability to bend things to her will. Now she felt acutely conscious of the effect she had on people.

  No, it wouldn’t be right, she decided. The only way this would work was if Jen decided of her own free will. How much free will she actually had while in the fairy realm was another question entirely, but Sophie was fairly certain that the magic that might allow her to return to the real world wouldn’t work if she hadn’t truly made the decision on her own. It might be worth looking into, just in case. She was running out of time and needed to cover all possible angles.

  “You don’t have to worry about that today,” she said lightly, lifting her hand from Jen’s and pulling away. “Think about it, though. Try to remember Michael. I could bring you more pictures.” Unfortunately, that would mean talking to him in person. She didn’t feel bad about taking something that was in plain view on a bookcase, but she drew the line at rummaging through his apartment when he wasn’t there.

  “No, this is enough,” Jen said, her eyes straying to the wedding photo. “I remember this.”

  “You could remember more.” The urgency in Sophie’s voice surprised her and seemed to startle Jen, and Sophie forced herself to dial it down a notch. She was so close that it would be a shame to sabotage her own efforts by scaring the poor woman. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly before nudging the tin of cookies across the table. “I’ve got to go now, but you can keep these. Have one whenever you like, and if you want more, I can bring some.” They were her very best recipe, and she’d never met anyone who could stop at just one. She hoped they’d be enough to tempt someone accustomed to fairy food. Maybe if Jen ate them regularly instead of just during Sophie’s visits, it would help.

  Jen looked up at her like she knew there was something she was supposed to say, but then her eyes clouded. “You’re welcome,” Sophie prodded, adding, “It’s okay to thank me. I’m human, so I don’t have issues with that.” She gave a little laugh that she hoped didn’t sound as fake as it felt. “In fact, I’m from the South, so I expect to be thanked. A written note wouldn’t be entirely out of place. Now, I’ll drop in on you tomorrow, if I can.”

  “Th–thank you,” Jen whispered, choking out the unfamiliar words.

  “You are so very welcome,” Sophie said, fighting to dampen her enthusiasm. She felt like jumping in triumph. In fact, she did so as soon as she was well clear of the palace. For the first time, she started to allow herself to believe that she might actually pull this off. Then she immediately felt a pang of regret that she brutally brushed aside. She paused for a moment to collect herself before opening a gateway and stepping through.

  She came out into a wooded area within Central Park in New York City and stopped to take her jacket out of her bag and put it on, since it was cooler here than back home or in the Realm. The biggest perk so far from
being queen of the Realm was the ability to travel within the Realm to anywhere else in the world. That had done wonders for expanding the boundaries of her life. Once her cell phone had a chance to connect to the local network, she checked it and made sure she had just enough time to get to her professional-level ballet class.

  Three

  New York City, the Upper West Side

  4:00 p.m.

  The bell over the door jingled as Sophie entered the little basement antique shop. “Why, this is a surprise!” Athena Abercrombie said when she saw Sophie. “Amelia! Sophie’s here!” she called toward the back of the shop. In deference to the upcoming holiday, the tiny old woman wore a sweatshirt with a giant jack-o’-lantern appliquéd on the front. “It’s funny, I was just talking about you with Detective Murray. He called us with some questions.”

  “Oh, lovely,” Sophie said, her smile feeling tight.

  “Come, now, he’s a perfectly nice young man, and he knows you’re doing all you can to get his wife back,” Athena soothed.

  Sophie hoped that the red flush she felt spreading across her face would be excused by the fact that she’d just been walking outdoors on a crisp fall day after taking a strenuous dance class, but no such luck. Amelia Abernathy, Athena’s sister, joined them and picked up the conversation as though she’d been there all along. “You know, dear, it’s him falling in love that would jeopardize our efforts to rescue Jennifer,” she said. “You falling for him doesn’t matter.”

  Arching an eyebrow, Sophie sat in one of the bentwood chairs by the table in the corner. “I’m enchantress and fae. If I want him to fall for me, he will. I may have a lot of self-control, but the fae aren’t known for resisting temptation, and I’m still learning to use my enchantress powers. There’s a risk that if I want something, I could will it to happen without even realizing what I’m doing.” She shook her head. “No, it’s safest if I just avoid him for now and not encourage any little crush I might have developed.”

  Athena’s face softened, and she reached over to pat Sophie’s knee. “So you are in love with him.”

  Feeling her face grow warmer, Sophie looked down and slipped off her shoes to flex and stretch her feet. “I wouldn’t go that far. I hardly know him. Maybe it’s just that I finally got away from my hometown and met a man who’s not a dancer.” She straightened, absently tucking one foot under her, and said with great resolve, “It doesn’t matter, because nothing is going to happen and I’m going to get his wife back for him in the next couple of days, and besides, my position in our little trio rather precludes that kind of relationship for me for the time being.”

  She was currently serving as the “maiden” in the “maiden, mother, crone” trio of enchantresses, thanks to having had so little life of her own that she still counted as a maiden after the age of thirty. She’d barely noticed that aspect of life passing her by until a night spent holding a grief-stricken, semiconscious Michael Murray had awakened her long-dormant libido and left her with a raging and very inconvenient schoolgirl crush. She hadn’t yet written “MM+SD=true love 4ever” on the cover of her notebook, but otherwise she was belatedly living her teenage years suddenly and all at once. Next thing she knew, she’d be screaming her head off at boy band concerts.

  “I’m sure you’ve got it all under control,” Amelia said in a way that made Sophie feel like she was being humored. “You’re close to getting Jennifer out, aren’t you?”

  Sophie sighed as she gratefully took the cup of tea Athena handed her. “I think so. She seems so very, very close. Today, she even remembered her wedding to Michael.” She tried to will away a pleasant little frisson at the mental image of Michael’s hands shaking too badly to properly put the ring on Jen’s finger. It was so adorable. “I was wondering, would there be any benefit to giving her a tiny nudge? I know it wouldn’t work to put her under a compulsion and force her out, but she seems to already be heading in that direction. It wouldn’t take much pushing at all, and we’re running out of time.”

  The sisters exchanged one of their glances that made Sophie wonder if they could communicate telepathically. “It’s never come up,” Athena said at last. “But then, I haven’t found any stories about enchantresses or other fairies freeing a fairy captive. Religion seems to work in some stories. Do you know if she’s religious?”

  “Michael is, and he’s a minister’s son, so I’d imagine she’s at least not hostile to religion. Thanks, I should have remembered that. The Lord’s Prayer comes up in a few of the stories, but I’ve never been sure if they’re inspired by true events or are meant as morality tales—knowing your prayers could save your life, so learn your prayers, and all that. It’s worth a shot the next time I see her.” She pulled her foot out from under her and felt around on the ground for her shoes, preparing to leave, but Amelia cleared her throat.

  “There’s something else you need to know,” Amelia said, her face and voice grim enough that Sophie automatically tensed. “There may be an impostor queen. If you had a message from Detective Murray that you’ve ignored, that’s what it’s about. He called us about a case that turned out to be someone who’d been forced out of the Realm after decades in captivity.”

  “Ouch,” Sophie said, wincing.

  “Exactly,” Amelia said. “There was a fairy nearby who claimed they were cast out of the Realm by the queen. Detective Murray was sure that wasn’t you.”

  Sophie tried not to sigh wistfully and grin like an idiot when she said, “Well, at least he gives me the benefit of the doubt.” Then she did sigh, but wearily. “And that’s one more item for my to-do list, but I’ll deal with it next week.”

  The sisters exchanged a glance. “There’s more,” Athena said with a wince. “Detective Murray is worried about Emily. He thinks she’s acting strange, like she’s trying too hard to sound normal.”

  Sophie nodded. “Lately, she’s been avoiding me as badly as I’ve been avoiding Michael. Something must be up. I’ll check on her.” She glanced at her watch. If she got another teacher to cover her first class, she could meet Emily after the matinee and still get back in time for the rest of her schedule.

  As she left the shop, Sophie reflected on the irony of trying to reunite the man she loved with his wife and fighting to keep a throne she’d never wanted. When would she ever get to fight for something she wanted for herself?

  Four

  The Theater District

  4:45 p.m.

  Emily Drake reveled in the applause as she took one last curtain call. She’d always lived to perform, but never more so than in the last couple of months. Only when she was onstage did she truly feel alive. But the applause eventually died, and the last members of the audience trickled out of the theater. Still, she hated to leave the stage. She stood there for a long moment after the curtain fell for the last time, until her friend Olivia gave her a nudge.

  “Getting a bit greedy with the curtain calls, are we?” Olivia teased. “You’d better hurry and change before the crowd at the stage door gets ugly.”

  “Ugly?” Emily asked as she allowed Olivia to steer her toward the wings.

  “They’re waiting impatiently for you to make an appearance. You’ve got them eating out of your hand. You’re on fire. Say, you aren’t taking secret music lessons from some scarred guy who lives in the basement, are you?”

  Emily twitched. “Why? What makes you think that?”

  Olivia paused, frowning, and stared at Emily for a long time. “Are you okay?”

  “What makes you think I’m not?”

  “You’re a theater geek and a Phantom of the Opera joke just flew right over your head.”

  Emily shook her head. “Oh, sorry, now I get it. It’s funny, really.” She held still while the sound tech removed her body mike. “I’m just off in la-la land, I’m afraid.”

  “You’ve been spending a lot of time there lately.”

  “Well, it’s not like I have time to take a real vacation. Not that I’m complaining about eight shows a w
eek. It beats not working.”

  One nice thing about being a star was not having to share a dressing room with the rest of the girls in the chorus, so she was able to ditch Olivia and get some peace while she removed her stage makeup, took down her hair, and changed into her street clothes,. She put on enough ordinary makeup to make herself look vibrant instead of drained and pulled her red curls back in a scarf before putting on her jacket, throwing her bag over her shoulder, and heading to the cast exit.

  She paused for a moment before opening the door, bracing herself for the crowd that would be waiting outside. The surge of applause that hit the moment she opened the door gave her a lift, so she was able to smile and wave enthusiastically, even though she felt like she was watching an old movie on faded film stock. It wasn’t quite black-and-white, but the colors had washed out to the barest tint.

  There was one person in the crowd who stood out in sharp contrast, like fully restored Technicolor. Her strawberry blond hair seemed to burn, and her odd eyes, one blue and one gray, were bright enough for their color to be visible even at this distance. The blue eye was a vivid blue, and although Emily wouldn’t have thought gray could be bright, the gray eye had a silver gleam. Emily didn’t understand why the crowd was so focused on her when Sophie was standing right there, so radiant that it was impossible to look away from her.

  Emily signed a few Playbills as she worked her way through the crowd to her sister, who shone like a beacon against her drab surroundings. “Hey, this is a surprise,” Emily said, hugging Sophie and making a concerted effort to look as normal as possible. If Sophie thought she had reason to worry, there was no telling what she might do, and she usually went for the nuclear option at first strike.

  “I was in town to take a class, and I got Deb to cover my first class in Maybelle, so I thought I’d stop by before I headed back. Do you want to grab a bite? I’m starving.”