Of Wolf and Peace (Providence Paranormal College Book 3)

by D. R. Perry

  Ichiro-san and Beth sat, opening the bag which smelled like heaven and erased my awareness of the cameras for a while. I had donuts and coffee with them, trying to ignore the news crew and the people who steadily filled the lawn like an army of ants marching on a picnic. Waiting for this trial was worse than waking up hours before an exam I hadn’t studied for. But, like an exam, its beginning would come on like the tide. Nothing I could do would stop it.

  I’d almost forgotten the Brownie was still on the dais with us until they crackled a few times. At the foot of the steps, a rowan wood platform appeared with a clear crystal hovering in the air above it. Clicks sounded and flashes flickered in the crowd as the audience took pictures. I tried to swallow the lump in my throat. It wasn’t just the Psychic News Network I’d have to worry about. I’d probably go viral on YouTube before noon. Not the way I’d always imagined becoming Internet famous.

  “We’ll head down there as soon as the Queen arrives.” Ichiro-san patted my shoulder. “When she makes a statement, the truth crystal’s color will change to reveal how honest your agreement is.”

  “So when she asks whether I undid the enchantment, I just say yes, and that’s it?”

  “Not exactly.” He sighed. “You’ll need to address her properly as ‘Majesty’ or ‘Highness.’ I have a list of questions here that she might ask you, depending on the crystal’s reaction.”

  “Can you tell me what they are?”

  “No. That’d make you automatically guilty of anything she thinks you might have done.”

  “Wow, that sucks.” Beth blurted out what I’d been thinking. “Nothing like a mortal trial.”

  “Are you truly so surprised?”

  “Someone should negotiate to change that.” Beth shook her head.

  “Plenty try to do just that, but in the opposite way you’d imagine.” Ichiro-san sighed again. “Many mortals think the Queen’s way is better. More reliable.”

  “That’s insane.” Beth sighed, shaking her head. “With Extrahumans in Law enforcement now, it’s way easier to analyze evidence and arrest the right person.”

  “And also one of the reasons your Headmistress opened her school to anyone with the grades. Extrahuman Law is a major anyone can take, and since the Reveal, we need more lawyers with that kind of education. If only more humans would enroll.”

  “Wait for it,” I grinned. “Lynn Frampton’s a pretty good poster-child to attract that kind of student. Maybe I will be, too.”

  “Don’t resign yourself to defeat.” Ichiro-san opened his briefcase, removing a lapel pin. He took the backing off and pressed the point through the striped wool of his suit. Beth leaned a little closer, sniffing. The corners of her mouth turned up.

  “Yeah, don’t give up.” Beth patted my arm. “It’s Mr. Ichiro’s job is to negotiate the sentencing in your favor. He’s got some tricks.” She glanced at the pin again. It was probably magic, but without my pelt, I couldn’t tell for sure or get an idea of what kind.

  “But I’m definitely guilty.”

  “And the Queen will enact the law to its letter. But sentences are flexible. Have hope.” He affixed the back of the pin behind the lapel, then patted it.

  “Yeah, I’ve heard that recently.”

  “Good.” He stood, smoothing his suit. Then he nodded to the Brownie.

  The sticklike creature guided me down the steps, one of their twiggy ends hooked in the three-link chain between my manacles. I stopped two paces behind them, next to the truth crystal platform. They let go, then stepped behind me. Ichiro-san stopped beside me. Beth went back to a chair on the lawn, next to Lynn, Bobby, and Olivia. A pair of empty seats made me wonder where Josh and Blaine were. I wanted to ask, but it was too late. The Queen stepped out of her carriage, gliding across on golden gossamer wings she’d kept folded the night before.

  She wasn’t alone this time either. A stream of Sidhe attendants trailed to each side of her. They moved together, synchronized like ballet dancers partnering their mirrored reflections. They arranged themselves prettily at the aisle points in the seating, but I wasn’t fooled. These Sidhe didn’t even have a Glamour up. Everyone could see their alabaster skin, pointed ears, white hair, longer-than-human limbs, the watchful glitter in rainbow eyes. Those who cared to check would note that the baubles at their wrists and ankles had blades, their earrings were hollow tubes, and their necklaces strung with elf-shot darts. These were militant guards, not showy attendants, and armed to the teeth.

  The inside of my head was too quiet. I actually missed Grandpa’s sound and fury. What would he think of all this? What about Dad? Would they call me foolish for risking them like this, or praise me for doing the right thing by owning my actions? The only way to find out was to get through this.

  The Queen stopped opposite us. Unlike the other Sidhe, her hair was streaked with amber that matched her eyebrows. Whether that was natural or some cosmetic she used, no one knew. One of the attendant warriors flicked his wrist a few times, straightening the monarch’s jet black gown. I wondered why she’d worn that color, then realized how it made her white skin stand out in stark contrast. Black and white, no gray. Seelie justice. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

  “You are Nox Phillips.” The Queen’s voice was quiet but commanding.

  “Yes, Your Highness.” A faint trace of gray formed at the center of the crystal. I closed my eyes. Of course. I should have said no and stated my full name. I opened my eyes. “No, Highness. My full name is Equinox Delta Phillips.” The crystal cleared and brightened again.

  “We need no further test questions.” The Queen narrowed her eyes. “You undid an enchantment of mine, a binding on a creature who betrayed my trust eons ago.”

  “Yes, Your Majesty.” The crystal stayed bright and clear.

  “You did this to stop their attack while they worked under the command of a Summoner.” One of her perfectly shaped eyebrows went up, hinting that she doubted that statement.

  “That’s true, Your Majesty.” My guilt and the reason for it was crystal-clear to everyone. I heard more shutter snaps, and flashes glittered like the wings of carpenter ants all over the audience.

  “You let the Sprite, a convicted criminal amongst my people, leave without attempting to apprehend them or informing the Seelie court.” She tilted her head slightly, and I noticed the tresses beside her face quivering although there was no breeze. Great Goblin’s Garters, but she was angry. That was the exact moment my give-a-damn busted.

  “Yes, Your Highness.” I felt a flush of heat rise in my cheeks. I wasn’t embarrassed. Instead, my anger matched hers.

  “You will state your reasons for that decision.” Her glare threatened to pin me to the spot, unable to speak. I couldn’t just tell everyone here what I thought, but if I lied, the crystal would show it—and any falsehood would give the Queen a reason to slap me with the worst possible sentence.

  “Fine, Your Highness. Your enchantment was torture. Looking at that Spite was like standing next to a polluted river. I’m a Kelpie. We don’t abide that kind of thing. Water runs free, and I can’t bear to see anyone or anything bound that way. So I broke the bonds, exactly like my ancestors used to break down dams. And then I saw how mangled the Sprite was. Their wings are just rags now. They’ll never fly again. I couldn’t bear to cause them any more anguish, even indirectly. Your Majesty.”

  The clear crystal gleamed so brightly I couldn’t look at it. Neither could the Queen, judging by her lowered eyelids though I doubted the crowd could tell from a distance. But Ichiro-san noticed, too. I watched one side of his mouth tilt the tiniest bit and the corner of his eyes crinkle. No one spoke until the light dimmed back down to normal.

  “Very well.” The Queen turned sideways as though about to leave. Then she looked over her shoulder. “One more.” I could tell from the flare of her nostrils and the set of her jaw that this last bit was the most important to her.

  “Yes, Your Highness.”

  “A Selkie pelt wen
t missing a few years ago. You know something of its whereabouts.”

  “No, Your Majesty.” The crystal grayed out on the first syllable. My mouth dropped open. At least it wasn’t black. A hush fell over the entire crowd. I began to understand. I did know something, but I’d thought it was all speculation until that moment.

  “You will tell me all you have heard and deduced of the missing Selkie pelt.”

  “It got lost in a car accident on a bridge, Your Majesty. That was in the papers back then, which anyone can check. It belonged to a drunkard, the man who caused the accident. That pelt has nothing to do with me.” The crystal stayed bright and clear this time.

  “And where is it now?” The armed attendants fingered their necklaces and rubbed their bracelets. If I lied now, a fight might break out.

  “I…hold on.” I raised my chained hands to rub my forehead. I’d been about to say I didn’t know, but maybe our guesses in the lounge had been correct. “I think someone has it. Someone could have picked it up that night. There’s been a Selkie around lately, too.” I had to think harder, figure it out. I wasn’t Lynn Frampton or Blaine Harcourt, but neither of them had been at Swan Point that night. I’d have to rely on my own wits instead of borrowing theirs.

  “You will tell me who has it.” The Queen turned to face me again.

  A flight of gasps escaped the crowd as two attendants guarding the nearest aisle moved aside for no one. It was like they’d been unaware they’d done it until other people noticed. Now that was a mystery I could solve because I’d seen it before. Umbral magic. More than one someone had just walked past the guards under its cloaking effects. Was this some attempt to break me out? I wouldn’t go.

  A murky shimmer appeared like a smudge in mid-air. It melted away until I could see Maddie May standing next to a smiling Kimiko and a man with beige skin, hazel eyes, tawny sun-bleached hair, and more lines than I ever thought I’d see on his face. The salty tang of the ocean met my nose so strongly I sneezed. Here was my answer.

  “Ren Ichiro, Your Majesty. He’s got the Selkie pelt. We thought he’d died in the accident, but he must have used the pelt to save his own life.” Ren and Kimiko rushed to their dad’s side for a big group hug.

  “Equinox Delta Phillips, you are guilty as charged of breaking my enchantment and of no other crime. Your solicitor will negotiate your sentence with me before his family reunion progresses further.” The Queen beckoned, and Ichiro-san followed her. The Brownie accompanied me as I hurried to talk to Maddie.

  “Where’s Josh?”

  “I don’t know.” She glanced around and saw the two empty seats. “He should be here. I just came from repaying that favor to Gee Nome. I had to hide Ren and bring him here because Gnomes are at risk around this many Seelies. But I haven’t seen Josh or Blaine since last night.”

  I shivered, peering at the empty seats. Over where the cars had parked, the Harcourt limousine had just pulled up. I squinted since the sun was in my eyes. A woman strode down the hill, holding a burlap sack in one hand and an oilcloth pouch in the other. Hertha Harcourt. She went straight to Lynn, whispering something in her ear. Lynn went deadly pale, her eyes flicking to me. Then, she shook her head. I saw her mouth the word “No.” Hertha murmured, opening the bag. Lynn went an unhealthy shade of green. She shut her eyes and shuddered. Bobby put his arm around her. Olivia put her hands on her cheeks. Beth froze like a statue, hands gripping her elbows. Maddie nudged me, then jerked her chin at the limo.

  Josh had finally arrived. Blaine and Mr. Harcourt supported him between them. His feet dragged furrows in the grass. He sweated despite the brisk temperature, lips an unhealthy shade of blue. His eyes met mine, and he gave me a grim grin. My injured knees wobbled, threatening to buckle. Maddie grabbed my arm. The Brownie snapped the chain between my manacles. I glanced up to see Mrs. Harcourt handing an oilcloth pouch out to the Queen. I couldn’t bring myself to care. Josh looked like death.

  “Go.” The Brownie’s voice was low and not unkind. Maybe they weren’t just a stick bug.

  By that time, it wasn’t far to Josh’s side. Blaine and his dad put him on the ground, and I stretched out next to him. My stupid leg wounds made it impossible to squat.

  “You’re a mess, Dennison.”

  “Just getting you out of one, Phillips.” His voice was raspy, and his eyes looked hollow. He shivered. “Your sentencing done?”

  “Not just yet.”

  “I need to see that, know you’re okay.”

  “No. You need rest.”

  “I can rest when you’re safe.” He closed his eyes. When he opened them again, they were that amber wolf color. “And maybe I’ll even haunt you for a while.”

  “Why are you talking like that?”

  “I’m dying. Cockatrice venom. No antidote. Even the brainiac doesn’t know of one.” He shuddered. I reached out to smooth his hair.

  “There has to be some way.” I shook my head, tears cold against the hot rise of defiant anger.

  “One.” I looked up. Ren stood over us. “Water magic can purify his blood, but we’d need to be extremely lucky to pull that kind of spell off. And we have to work together, even with the opposing Faerie energy.”

  “I can’t help.” The words came out as a growl. “Queen’s got my pelt.”

  “No, she doesn’t.” Blaine stood there, holding a familiar oilcloth pouch. “She’s got a pelt. This one’s yours. The one my mom’s handing over, not so much.” Blaine shrugged. “Put it on and save your man, Equinox.” He smirked.

  “What about the Luck?” I took the pelt out of the pouch and pressed it to my stomach.

  “Covered.” Kimiko held something small and gleaming in her hand. “Lifted it off Dad at just the right time. Lucky, huh?” She held the lapel pin. Of course, a Tanuki lawyer would wear a Luck charm at trial. Its golden glow confirmed my earlier suspicions.

  “It better be.” I called to the water nearby and under the ground as I had at the fight the night before. Ren had already put one hand on Josh’s right wrist and the other on his ankle. I mirrored him. I knew from my coursework that the Seelie and Unseelie energies in our Water magic would act like opposing magnets. If we did this right, we’d flush the cockatrice’s venom right out of Josh’s system.

  We focused, each murmuring words under our breath, Ren’s in Japanese and mine in a surprising mix of Gaelic and some other tongue I didn’t recognize. One of my ancestors had done this before, but he was so far back in line I’d never heard him until now. I shut my eyes, trying to see his face in my mind’s eye to get a better grasp of his knowledge. He’d been an ocher-skinned man with gleaming straight black hair and high cheekbones. His eyes twinkled, so dark a brown they were nearly black, like chips of obsidian in terra cotta clay. Now I understood why Taki Waban had given me the church-keys. Somewhere way back, we were related.

  Josh’s sweating went into overdrive, now tinged with green. The poison and water we flushed it with had to go somewhere. The longer we worked, the more color came back into his cheeks, although his eyes were still hollow, and his lips stayed blue. My whole body drooped, limbs heavy. My pelt’s magic had also gone toward healing my legs, enough to make me worry I’d run out of steam before Josh was out of the woods. I glanced at Ren, looking for some sign. He shook his head and looked at Kimiko.

  She sat at Josh’s feet, holding the pin in her cupped hands. She seemed to be waiting for something. When Josh started seizing, she acted. A gilt glimmer rose from her hands, dissipating as it went. She blew gently on the shimmering air in front of her, tilting her fingertips to point at Josh’s feet. Golden motes wafted down over him, Ren, and me. A renewed surge of magic rushed over me like a big roller down at Scarborough Beach. Josh threw his head back, then broke Ren’s grip. He turned on his side, brackish water gushing from his nose and mouth.

  When he pushed up from the ground, he sighed. There was no more blue around his lips, and his skin was back to its normal shade. He still had those dark circles under his eyes
, but I’d take it. He flung his arms around me. I hugged him back so tightly, Grandpa got on my case about not breaking his ribs.

  “Why don’t you bring girls like this home, Blaine?” I glanced up at Mrs. Harcourt. She wasn’t looking at me. Josh pulled me in for a kiss before I could figure out who she was talking about.

  “They turn me down.” Blaine snorted. “They’re right, too, Mother.”

  When I could look around again, the Queen and her attendants were gone, along with the truth crystal. So were the Ichiros. The Harcourts brought everyone back to campus. They dropped me, Beth, and Josh back at the Dennisons’. I could have slept for days, but only got until the next morning.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Josh

  “I can’t believe you’re stuck in my old wheelchair.” Beth set the glass with vodka and orange juice in it on the table in front of me. I glanced up and around, glad I’d been able to get down to the basement in this contraption. I don’t think I could have handled another minute of being coddled by my parents upstairs.

  “Yeah, but only for a couple more days.” I sipped the tart beverage, glad I wasn’t on any painkillers. Vodka tasted so much better than horse pills. “Leaping Luna! I missed my exam.”

  “I think the Headmistress will insist they let you make it up.” Bobby sat across from me, steadily putting away bagels with cream cheese and lox.

  “Yeah, you were on the Psychic News Network and everything.” Lynn made more bagels topped with cream cheese and lox, keeping one for herself and passing the rest to Bobby.

  “That was a Hail Mary pass, Hertha Harcourt coming out of left field like that with another Kelpie pelt.” Fred opted for donuts instead of the bagels, inhaling a half-dozen of them. “You’d have died if she’d taken Nox’s.”

  “Equinox, you mean.” Blaine leaned back in his chair, smoke rising steadily from his nose. “I can’t let anyone forget that’s her real name.”