“We have some bad news, I fear.” I motioned for the waiters to serve. We were apparently having roast beef and potatoes, and some form of berry compote.
Grieve let out a sigh. “The Wave Catcher pulled into port today—or should I say, crashed into the ice floes as it came into the harbor. She took on water and sank.”
Chatter set down his fork. “What? How many lost?”
“There’s the puzzle. The ship was empty.”
“Empty?”
“Yes, the galleon was completely empty save for a young snow lynx. Oh, there had been people aboard, all right—probably the number we were expecting. There were goods and food, but not one person or body to be found except the cat.” I pushed my food around on my plate. “We have no clue what happened to them. We must contact the Golden Isle to see if they know what might have happened. We made certain no one went down in the ship, but…”
Rhia’s voice was faint as she said, “You don’t think…”
I knew what she was about to say because I had been thinking it myself. But it couldn’t be. “Myst? No, she’s dead. We saw her die. This has to be something else.” I frowned. “Remember the stories about the Bermuda Triangle? Do you think it could be something like that?”
Rhia shrugged. “There are enough places in the world where realities intersect. The journal my mother was keeping? The one about the ley lines? I’ve been studying that, actually. New Forest resides on a huge complex series of ley lines. Think of the town as the epicenter of a Cascadia Fault line of magical energies. I was going to contact Ysandra. The Consortium should know about this.”
That was news to me. While the realm of Snow and Ice, and the realm of Rivers and Rushes, existed in different dimensions than New Forest, they both intersected in the Golden Wood. And doorways to other realities were found within the woods. And still others within the two Fae realms. We had managed to find our way to the Court of Dreams, and from there, to the home of the Bat People. All in all, the town of New Forest resided smack-dab in the center of a labyrinthine maze of intersecting dimensions.
“I wonder what her research was for. What do you think she was doing?”
It had been a little over a year and it was still hard for me to talk about Aunt Heather. I knew it had to be even harder for Rhiannon. Together, we had been forced to kill Heather after she was turned by Queen Myst. The sight of my aunt, spread out bloody on the snow beneath us, had been almost more than we could bear. But bear it we did, because if Myst had won New Forest, she would have won the world.
Rhia glanced into my eyes. She let out a long sigh. “I think she was mapping the intersection of dimensions found in the Golden Wood and New Forest. There’s no clear statement of that, but looking at her charts, that’s the closest thing I can figure out. I’ll get you a copy of it. If we both work on it, we’ll have twice as much knowledge.”
Once again, the fact that we were changing the face of the Fae Courts slammed us in the face. Never before had the Queens of Summer and Winter worked together like this. And Rhia and I were determined that division would not destroy our realms again.
“Good. For now, though, let’s just leave it all alone. Our men are examining what they can of the shipwreck. Until their return, let’s enjoy the rest of dinner in peace.” Grieve shot me a look and I realized that he wanted to keep speculation off the table among the servants.
“Of course.” I turned the conversation in a different direction. “So, what news did you have for us? Can you tell me yet?” I stared straight at Rhia, knowing full well she’d know what I was asking. We were too closely bound for her to keep it secret.
She blushed, but ducked her head and nodded. “We made the announcement in the Marburry Barrow yesterday. I’m pregnant.”
I jumped up, clapping my hands. “I knew it! I knew that had to be it. Congratulations to you, and to Lord Chatter.” What I wanted to do was run around and grab her hands, pulling her close, but I decided it would wait until we were in private chambers. No use giving the servants gossip material.
My wolf tattoo shifted and I sidled a quick look at Grieve. He was smiling and clapping with me, but I saw the light flare in his eyes and knew the news had hit him hard. He wanted to be a father. He wanted us to have a child, and I wanted that too. We had to bring an heir into the world, and I wanted Grieve’s children. But I was willing to let it happen in its own time. We had an enormous stretch of time to be together. He needed to quit worrying and let nature take its course.
Grieve seemed to sense my thoughts, because my wolf shifted again and the tension eased. He flashed me a wink. “My oath brother, I am so happy for you and your Queen. How wonderful.” The words were genuine, but still, I could sense a prick of envy behind them.
We finished dinner and then retired into our private chambers, along with Strict and Edge. The guards stayed outside.
Once the heavy doors were shut, we relaxed. Crowns could never come off, not in any public setting, but we all dropped into our seats. Rhia lifted one of her feet, groaning.
“My feet are swollen, my hands are swollen…everything feels bloated.”
“How far along are you?” I moved to her side, motioning for her to lie back on the sofa. “Rest. I’ll rub your feet.”
She gratefully reclined, closing her eyes. “Thank you. Only four months. I think this will be a boy. I just have a feeling. I always expected to have a girl first, but you never know, I guess.”
I took her feet in hand, rubbing them, gently compressing her swollen ankles. Rhia had always been tall and wisp-thin, but since our transformations into Fae Queens, she had grown more sturdy, and I had no worries about her handling the pregnancy.
Strict cleared his throat. “Your Majesty, about the shipwreck—what should I tell the populace? Some of them are waiting for family members.”
I let out a short sigh. “I hate to bring it up, but we’d better discuss this now. Rhia, I think both Courts should release a joint statement, because some of those Fae were bound for the Marburry Barrow. If I release the news now, or you release it before I do, then word will spread and whoever is slow in getting the word out will be inundated with pleas for information.”
She nodded. “I think you’re right. What will we say?”
I turned to Strict. “This is your department. Why don’t you and Edge draft an announcement, we’ll okay it, then on the stroke of midnight, both Barrows can release the news. It’s obvious something is wrong since we didn’t come home with anybody in tow.”
Strict bowed. “As you will, Your Majesty.” He withdrew with his sister to the side of the room and they began their work.
Meanwhile, I went back to rubbing my cousin’s feet.
She snuggled back against the cushions. “Did you ever think, in a million years, this is how we would end up?” She closed her eyes and murmured softly as I worked the tension out of her toes.
I laughed. “Not so much. Hell, Krystal dragged me to hell and back. Honestly, when Heather called me, asking me to return to New Forest, I was just hoping to kick back in the only house that ever felt like home to me. I was just hoping to stay in one place for more than a few months. I never expected anything like this.”
“I may have grown up in the Veil House, but I never envisioned this, either.”
I paused, lightly kneading her calves. “Sometimes, it’s almost too much. I went from street urchin to Faerie Queen. Some nights I wake up, scared that I’ll have to pack up and head out again. But those days are over, aren’t they? The Faerie-tale ending only led to a new beginning. I found my prince, and he came attached with a kingdom and all the accompanying responsibilities.”
In the months since we had fought Myst’s armies, I had tried to relax, to adapt. But the intensity of that battle, the bloodshed and the death and the loss…it still invaded my dreams. There were nights when I dreaded closing my eyes because I would slip into a pale somnolence, unable to fully sleep, but instead, I would relive the carnage, the memories vivid and
fierce.
“Sometimes, I think…if I hadn’t come back, none of this…Myst…it wouldn’t have happened.” I seldom broached that thought. For one thing, it terrified me to think maybe I was the cause of the war. But logically, I knew that wasn’t the truth. Logic and emotion waged war, though, and logic wasn’t always the frontrunner.
“No. We would have just lost. She had already made incursions. She had taken over the Courts of Rivers and Rushes, and that of Snow and Ice. She was making inroads on New Forest, and she would have ravaged her way through the land with no one to stop her.” With a sigh, Rhia pushed herself to a seated position again. She gave me a light kiss. “Thank you for my foot rub. I needed it. But I think we’d best be going home, if Strict and Edge have finished.”
Speak of the devil, the pair returned to our side, document in hand. “We have a short statement here, Your Majesties…if we may read it?”
Grieve and Chatter stopped whatever conversation they were having and joined us.
I nodded at Strict. “Proceed, please.”
“Very well.” He held out the paper. “IT IS WITH CONCERN THAT THE COURT OF SNOW AND ICE REGRETS TO INFORM YOU THAT THE WAVE CATCHER, THE SHIP BOUND FROM THE GOLDEN ISLE, HAS SUNK OFF THE SHORE OF THE CRASHING SEA. A THOROUGH EXAMINATION HAS BEEN MADE. IT HAS BEEN NOTED THAT NO SIGNS OF LIFE WERE FOUND. THERE WERE INDICATIONS THAT THE CREW AND PASSENGERS HAD BEEN ABOARD, BUT BY THE TIME THE SHIP REACHED THE SHORE, ANY AND ALL PERSONNEL HAD VANISHED. WE CURRENTLY HAVE NO OFFICIAL EXPLANATION FOR THEIR DISAPPEARANCE. A JOINT INVESTIGATION IS BEING LAUNCHED BY THE COURTS OF SUMMER AND WINTER. PLEASE LIMIT SPECULATION AS TO WHAT HAS HAPPENED UNTIL WE HAVE SUBSTANTIATED EVIDENCE ON WHICH TO PROCEED. AS SOON AS WE HAVE FURTHER INFORMATION, WE WILL ANNOUNCE OUR FINDINGS.”
I thought over the wording. Apologetic without taking responsibility—very apt and very important. “It works. Please make certain that the Court of Summer has a copy to take home with them.”
I stood, wishing that Rhia and Chatter could stay, but a knock on the door forestalled any more discussion of the issue. Strict answered and ushered Check into the room.
My personal guard saluted and gave us a quick, stiff bow. I had come to rely on him for so much. He was loyal to the core, and he never failed to give his opinion, though always with respect, when I needed it. Now, he had a perplexed look on his face.
“What’s wrong, Check?” I knew that look. It meant that something had happened and he wasn’t sure whether it was something he should bother me about.
“One of the Wilding Fae is waiting to see you, Your Majesty. The Snow Hag.”
I blinked. I hadn’t seen the Snow Hag in months. The Wilding Fae had managed to settle into the Court of Snow and Ice and were slowly but surely making their home here. They were an odd lot, far more ancient than any of the other Fae, and all were unique, with odd manners and powers that—I suspected—far outstripped our own.
“Please show her in.” I arranged my gown as Rhia slid her shoes back on.
The Wilding Fae had helped us during Myst’s siege, but they were aloof and insular, and they tended to stick to themselves even though they had reached out to me. I honored their solitary natures, and seldom required they visit the Barrow. And the Snow Hag…she had been invaluable to us. And she had become a friend—of sorts—to me.
As Check ushered her in, I stood as a sign of honor. So did Rhia, Grieve, and Chatter. We all recognized just how much she had done for us.
She entered and, once again, I was struck by how disparate her looks were from the power behind those cunning eyes. Short, the Snow Hag wore a patchwork dress that trailed behind her. She might as well have dreads, her hair was so matted. Her face was a topographical map of her life, and her body was slight—thin to the point of being frighteningly gaunt. She was gnarled, and hunched. One of her teeth curved up like a fang, giving her an overbite from the bottom lip.
“A Queen of Ice does not make a guest wait long at her door. The honor is welcomed.” She swept into a deep curtsey, bending one knee almost to the floor.
All the Wilding Fae spoke in riddles, and it was important to match their cadence. It had taken me some time, but I finally had the pattern down…for the most part.
“A guest such as one of the Wilding Fae must never be overlooked—especially one so welcome in the Court’s chambers.” I inclined my head.
“Pleasantries are indeed pleasant, and a guest from the Wilding Fae might well bid greetings and respect to a Queen’s guests.” Once again, the odd cadence flowed off her tongue like smooth honey.
Rhia, Grieve, and Chatter gave her solemn nods, smiling as they did so.
“What may a Queen do for a guest this ice-filled evening?”
The Snow Hag cocked her head, her eyes twinkling. She winked, very soft and quick, but it was still a recognition seldom offered by their kind. “Perhaps a Queen might listen to a tale of fear and worry from her subjects.”
“A Queen would bid her guest to rest, and to speak freely.”
She sat in one of the chairs cautiously, as though not used to the comforts of our Barrow. I wasn’t sure what her home was like. Hell, to be honest, I had no clue where the Wilding Fae actually lived. They never invited anyone to their homes, and I wasn’t entirely sure they were fully within our plane of existence.
“The Wilding Fae have been attacked. There might be fear in the heart of a guest about the attacker. There might be fear that the attacker may be as fiercesome as a departed enemy shared by many.”
I caught my breath. Twice now, the fear that Myst might be returning had been brought up. Two times too many for one day.
“A guest would please tell a Queen what happened to those attacked.”
The Snow Hag inclined her head. “One of the Wilding Fae, and yet a second, were found murdered. It is surmised the killing happened this morning, but circumstances only brought their deaths to light during the quietude of dusk. There may have been a search, but no sign found of who chose to attack. The bodies might have been torn to bits. Indeed, a guest might have memories of the Vampiric Fae because of the savagery of the attack.” The singsong of her cadence was mesmerizing, but as her words drifted to a stop, a cold chill settled over the room.
I froze. Myst was dead. It couldn’t be her, could it? Yes, the Vampiric Fae were still out there, but in raggle-taggle groups, hiding in order to save their lives. They were in no shape to launch an attack, especially against the Wilding Fae.
Or could they have banded together? It had been a year, after all.
Ulean…are you here?
I am here. Fear not. What is wrong, Cicely?
I ran down the situation for her—I always thought of Ulean as a “she” even though she wasn’t really any gender.
Do you think that the Vampiric Fae could be massing again, under a new ruler? Or…I returned from a past life to find Grieve. You don’t think Myst may be back?
I do not sense her—no, but there is a shadow overreaching the area, and I have no idea what it is. Let me search and find out what I can. As for Myst, I do not think she will ever return. I could be wrong, but it would take a far greater power than a year’s time out of body for her to be able to regroup after you destroyed her heartstone.
And with that, Ulean swept out of the room.
I turned to the Snow Hag. “A Queen may send out a search party to find out what she can glean. She may also send soldiers home with a guest, to examine the tragedy. Is there anything else a Queen might do for a guest, to ease the loss for the Wilding Fae?”
A moment’s pause, then another.
Finally—“A Queen may have given hope to a guest, for the guest is feeling weary this evening. A guest might be nearing the long last ends of her life, when weariness comes easily, and such a guest may tire from little exertion.”
A sharp pain hit my chest. We had lost so many in the war against Myst. I truly liked the Snow Hag, and to lose her, too…
“Please tell a Queen if there is a way she can
help a guest to ease her pain and weariness. To heal what is wounded and worn out?” I knew the answer to that one already, but I had to ask, had to hope. Always, always strive for hope.
The Snow Hag smiled gently, then, and surprised me by reaching out a hand. I slowly took her fingers in mine, surprised to find her so warm against my own flesh.
“A Queen may help by simply asking. By being the friend she is. And a guest honors and values the offer and hope. A Queen should be at peace. Death is not coming quite yet to claim an old body, though it is sniffing at the outskirts of the village, and will eventually come riding through. Everything must perish, in its own time. A Queen will never be able to stave off the turn of the wheel—to do so is simply not within any grasp.” And she let go of my hand, cocking her head to the side again.
I understood her. She was dying and nothing anyone could do would stop the eventuality. How long she had, who could say? I swallowed hard, wanting to cry. I hadn’t realized just how much I liked the crafty old woman. I didn’t have a clear grasp on the nature of the Wilding Fae yet, and I didn’t know if I ever would, but I knew they were a rare breed, and each one was a unique part of their culture.
“A Queen understands what a guest is saying. And that Queen would have that guest know how very much this saddens her heart, and how very special that guest is to the Court of Snow and Ice. Several of the Queen’s soldiers will go with a guest whenever she is ready, to examine the losses.”
The Snow Hag gazed into my eyes, holding my attention. She was ancient, old beyond the trees in the Golden Wood, old beyond the formation of the country, perhaps even predating the first humans who walked on this land. But she was right…everything came to an end. Even the Sidhe. While I could die through being killed, my life stretched out to the possibility of thousands of years. But eventually the Sidhe faded if they did not die and they became one with the world to the point of being walking, breathing memories.
indigo court 05.5 - night shivers Page 3