“If there’s anything you need, anything at all, don’t hesitate to call me directly,” the concierge murmured before bowing and retreating back into the hotel.
It was probably a lot quieter due to the holidays, but some morning traffic still travelled along the many lanes of Park Avenue. I was glad I was wearing the jacket I’d left home in because December in New York was quite a different thing from December in Las Vegas, and even though there was no snow on the ground, the air was bitterly cold. As Arthur strode down the street, he seemed oblivious to the weather. I looked longingly back at the taxis which were undoubtedly toasty warm inside.
Shoving my hands in my pockets, my fingers brushed against the pink apple from Avalon and recoiled; frostbite was favorable to the unnatural smoothness of the fruit. Even though it filled me with revulsion, I hadn’t dared to leave it behind. Now that I was free of magic, maybe I could hide from Merlin, but maybe I couldn’t. We were on our way to see the Seer of New York and if anyone could help me find Guinevere, it was her. Even Taliesin had agreed, though he’d warned me that the Seer’s advice was rarely straightforward and often difficult to interpret. Still, it was worth a try. Then I would have to decide what to do with that information, but I couldn’t rule out that I might use it to bargain with Merlin for my life.
Especially now that he’s probably pissed I dropped a castle on him.
After ten frigid minutes of skyscrapers and financial buildings, we turned onto 57th Street where the shopping became even more upscale. Stores like Prada and Dior had windows lavishly decorated for the season, but were shut for the day. After several more cold city blocks, we finally stopped. On the one side of the street was the famous Russian Tea Room with its dancing gold bears on the façade. Across from it was a glass monstrosity reaching for the clouds that looked like a waterfall on crack. Also made of glass, rippled canopies hovered over the sidewalk and two doors, one with metal signage above labelling it the entrance to the Park Hyatt New York.
Arthur opened the unmarked iron and glass doors on the left and we entered into a spare, modern space where an elegant woman stood behind an opening in a marble wall. She looked up with a polite smile. “Welcome to One57, New York’s premier condominium complex. How may I help you?”
“The penthouse please. Say that Arthur is here.”
The woman’s expression didn’t change as she pressed a button on the phone on her desk and spoke quietly into the receiver, but I could sense an increase in tension in the sudden spike of fuchsia in her aura. She gestured towards the leather sectional in the center of the lobby. “Please have a seat. Someone will be down to speak with you in a moment.”
I could tell from the look on Arthur’s face that he wasn’t pleased, but he gave the woman a regal nod. He didn’t sit though, but stood facing the direction of the elevators with his arms folded.
I didn’t mind a chance to sit after walking block after block in a pair of ankle boots I hadn’t had a chance to break in; the grailfire had burned my favorite ones to ash. All except Daley followed suit; he leaned against the wall, staring at the ground. When Tynan gave him a sidelong look, I realized I wasn’t the only one Daley was distancing himself from. He seemed to be drifting away from everybody. Pale aqua ice trimmed the deep, ocean blue and pewter was laced with blue fog; Daley’s colors were edged in sorrow. Resisting their call, I looked away, shivering as I was reminded of that terrible moment standing on the spot where Melusine had died.
I was distracted by the way Isabelle heaved her knapsack onto the smoked glass table and slumped down wearily on the couch. It made me wonder if the Grail was fighting being carried by her. I could certainly feel its power reaching for me. The warmth against my leg told me Excalibur, though currently invisible, was answering that call. Or perhaps it was the other way around. There was a dominance or command I could always feel from the sword’s almost-life.
After half an hour of waiting, Arthur finally lost patience. Stomping over to the receptionist, he growled, “Woman, get Morgause on the phone now.”
“I’m sorry, sir . . .” Whatever excuse she was about to make was interrupted by the sound of an elevator door sliding open and we all turned to see a small man dressed in jeans and a t-shirt emerging from it. He was thin and wiry with snake tattoos running up both forearms, and he appeared extremely amused to see Arthur.
“Dear boy, how are you?”
“Well, Lugh.”
The man made a face. “Please, I haven’t been called that since the Tuatha Dé Danann drove me out of Ireland. Thankfully the Norsemen were much more accommodating.” He bowed from the waist to the rest of us. “Allow me to introduce myself. My second name, and the one I like best, is Loki.”
Loki. I’m living in a comic book.
The man’s eyes were practically sparkling with glee. “By the looks on your faces, I think my fame has preceded me.”
Arthur was not so amused. “Take us to Morgause immediately, Loki.”
The man pretended to sigh sadly. “Unfortunately, my mistress has directed me that she is not to be disturbed. Her right hand man is out of town just now, if you know what I mean, and she prefers his guidance when dealing with unexpected visitors.”
I could feel that strange anger building in Peter again. “But we’re not unexpected and this is Arthur, the Earth King. Get out of the way, trickster.” I didn’t like the ugly tone in his voice.
“Protector . . .” Arthur murmured but Peter ignored him.
“This guy’s being a jerk! He should show some respect!”
Loki smirked. “What’s with the moose?”
“You little . . .” I didn’t know what exactly Peter intended to do to Loki, but when he tried to grab the man, his hand went straight through. Loki’s image wavered for a few seconds and then cleared.
When Arthur patted Peter’s shoulder and smiled, I could feel Peter respond with something close to adoration. I shouldn’t have been surprised; King Arthur of Camelot had always been one of Peter’s literary heroes, but it would make things complicated if Arthur and I ended up on separate sides again.
Arthur gestured towards the still grinning man in front of us. “The real Loki died long before my birth. Some necromancer called up his shade for Morgause while she was still at court in Camelot. She uses him as her private security system now. I’m sure he discourages all but the most determined of visitors.” But when Arthur tried to step through the man and go into the elevator, its doors closed firmly. I glanced back at the receptionist, but she was bent over her desk, determinably not seeing the scene right in front of her.
Arthur frowned. “I have no time for your tricks, Loki. I’ve brought something which will save Morgan. I need to see her right away.”
“I’m sorry, my king, but you’re right—I’m the security here and my lady has instructed me to secure her privacy for the moment. She will see you when her associate Bel and the Messenger return from their business trip. She did say to tell you that Morgan le Fay’s fever has stabilized and she’s no longer in imminent danger of expiring. The Seer has reserved rooms for you in the Park Hyatt. The hotel occupies the lower floors but the entrance is just next door. The Seer asks that you remain there until she sends for you. I’ll be in touch.” The shade waggled his fingers at us and disappeared.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
ROUGE
I had to admire Arthur’s restraint. If I wanted to wring Loki’s skinny little neck, I could barely imagine what he wanted to do. Bowing his head and concentrating for a moment, he looked up with a relieved sigh. “Loki’s correct. Morgan’s condition is still dire, but I can sense that we have some time to acquiesce to Morgause’s wishes. The woman was always flighty and paranoid, and I don’t wish to risk upsetting her while Morgan is in her charge.” His gaze darkened. “But one day only, and only if I don’t sense any change in Morgan. Longer than that and I’ll tear this glass monstrosity down with my bare hands if I have to. Still, it appears that Taliesin’s misgivings about the Seer of
New York were mostly unfounded. Morgause has taken care of her sister and brought her fever down.”
Miko’s eyes narrowed. “What kind of poison causes fever anyway?”
Titania frowned. “The girl is right, my lord. You didn’t say that Morgan le Fay’s condition was due to fever. I know you’re still unfamiliar with the modern world, but this sounds more like some sort of illness.”
Arthur nodded impatiently. “Yes, Morgan has explained to me the many advances the physicians of this age have made, but she didn’t appear to be ill except for the unnatural heat of her body. And there was a note . . .” The sudden anguish on his face was just as quickly smoothed away. “Perhaps I misinterpreted both it and her condition. We will see to these rooms which Morgause has arranged and then wait for Loki to contact us. For a time.”
A flare of bright anger from Peter crossed our bond. “You’ve got to be kidding me! That’s it? Why don’t we just, you know, storm the castle, so to speak?”
“Not unless I’m forced to it. The Seer is more powerful than you know, young man.”
Peter snorted. “What’s she going to do? Break all our fortune cookies? Throw crystal balls at us?”
“Peter . . .” I cautioned.
Arthur motioned for us to follow him out of the building, and only after he’d looked up and down the street to make sure we were unobserved did the king seem prepared to speak more freely. “There are some things about this new world that Morgan has made very clear to me, and one of them was her sister. Morgan warned me not to cross her at all costs. The Seer of New York has many powerful friends, both in the world of magic and in the mundane one. They come to her with their secret desires and they leave with answers, but the Seer keeps those secrets. This great city is built on the backs of the men and women Morgause has lifted up and could just as easily bring down. She could raise an army with a simple call on one of your phones. It may come to that, but we can bide our time for a little while as long as I feel that Morgan is stable. I should have trusted in Taliesin and brought Morgan to him instead of here, but . . .” He left the rest unsaid.
Maybe he’s not so OK with Morgan and her relationship with Taliesin.
In the weak light, strands of grey at his temples gleamed dully. There were more than when I first met him after he was awakened. More wrinkles in the corners of his eyes now too.
I guess a few hundred years of beauty sleep has to be good for something.
It was a reminder that while Arthur might live much longer than other men, he was still mortal. Just like Taliesin, he would live only as long as the earth magic had a use for him. I’d been looking at the king as an almost invincible figure, but since Excalibur in its scabbard strapped around my waist was evidence of his complicated relationship with the earth magic, I suddenly felt much less secure in his company.
When we entered the hotel, the concierge appeared to be waiting for us and directed us away from the polished black front desk. Presenting us with a handful of key cards, he escorted us personally to our rooms on the 25th floor. Apparently the Park Hyatt was also one of the finer establishments which catered to supernatural clients. The girls were settled in one suite and the boys in another down the hall. Arthur was given his own on the same floor.
The suite was coolly modern in tones of grey and taupe. A multi-level coffee table decorated with several black sculptures sat in front of a curved couch upholstered in grey wool. The floors, walls and draperies, as well as several chairs and low benches, were all variations of the same pale taupe. A dining room table sat in front of the bank of windows which looked out at the skyscrapers of New York. The only contrast in the room came from the silver vase of branches dotted with yellow flowers and the large painting hanging above the second couch on the other side of the coffee table.
The painting seemed strangely out of place. Everything else was comfortable, but minimalist, while this was bright and lush. It depicted a field of red flowers filling the canvas from edge to edge. The paint and brush stokes were so thick and wild that I wasn’t quite sure what the flowers were, but I thought they were poppies.
Miko immediately began raiding the minibar—which was more like an armoire filled with gourmet treats— and placing them on the actual bar provided in the suite, proffering some items to Titania like gifts. She put out a graceful, long-fingered hand and accepted a bottle of sparkling water. Despite the rebellious red mohawk, the fairy naturally accepted the homage of a subject; she was the fairy queen, after all, at least, that was what William Shakespeare had called her. I was curious to learn more about her and Oberon and what happened with Goodfellow, but Miko took every spare minute of her attention.
Isabelle dropped the bag with the Grail carefully on the desk in front of the window and collapsed into the chair with a sigh. As a welcome gift, the hotel had left a blueberry tart under a glass dome and a bowl filled with pears. When the ginger-haired woman picked up one and bit into it, I secretly hoped she didn’t have a sweet tooth because the tart looked enticing. As she closed her eyes wearily while she chewed, I would have placed bets that the Grail had been fighting her. The Grail wasn’t like Excalibur—meaning that the sword somehow picked and chose who it let carry it—but it still seemed to have a will of its own.
Without purse or bag, unsure of what to do, I asked, “Did anyone else think to bring a change of clothes with them or even a toothbrush? I thought this was just going to be a day trip.”
Isabelle opened her eyes but only to pick up the newspaper on the desk and begin reading. By the look of the jeans and shirt she was wearing, they’d already seen a day or two of wear.
Miko, however, was more concerned. “Is anything open so we can pick up a few things?”
I shrugged. “It’s Christmas day.”
Titania pulled a cell phone out of one of the orange straps on her Bondage R Us outfit. “I’ll take care of it.” She made a quick call and less than an hour later, a woman appeared at the door pulling two large suitcases behind her.
“Darling,” she murmured as she air-kissed Titania.
“Isolde,” the fairy murmured back.
The woman was stunning with honey-colored hair that had been chemically treated with subtle highlights, a narrow waist, and long legs clad in skin-tight, strategically ripped jeans. Miko was staring at her with her mouth open. Isabelle looked up from her chair by the window with a disinterested smile and then went back to reading the news. As Titania and Isolde huddled together like old friends, Miko was forced to my side.
“Is that who I think it is?” I asked under my breath, even though I already knew the answer; my consumption of pop culture had been one of my few joys through my high school years.
Miko picked up a magazine sitting on the desk and showed it to me. Isolde stared back at us from the cover in a swimsuit with a neckline cut so low that it was really a hipline.
Titania was now helping her friend dump clothing, toiletries, and accessories out of the suitcases and onto the dining room table. Isolde waved us over with a flourish of long, skinny arms. “I was on my way to a party so I can’t stay, but this should tide you over. Some of the designers have been getting stingy lately with some of the girls, but they always save the best stuff for me. It’s all sample sizes, but most of you should be OK.” The most of you was directed at Isabelle in her stained jeans, but the ginger-haired woman didn’t even look up. “You’re lucky. Just last week I convinced Oliver to give me some pieces from the new makeup line he’s developing, so I had lots of it. It’s not in production yet, so don’t show them to anyone. Call me if you’re going to be in town for more than a couple of days, ‘Tania. We’ll do lunch.” More air kisses and murmured darlings between them and then one of the most famous models in the world breezed out. It had all taken less than five minutes.
Miko rushed over to the table like a kid in a candy store. Even Titania was pawing through the jewelry. I picked up a pair of oversized sunglasses. “She gets all this stuff for free?”
When
Miko grinned, I saw again the vibrant young woman she used to be. “One of the perks. I told you about fairies and models, though I never realized Isolde was one.”
Titania was putting a gold hoop earring though the hole in one ear; it was at least three inches in diameter. “That’s because she’s only part fairy, like you. Only she lucked out and got the wings.”
The light in Miko’s eyes dimmed and she wandered back to the couch. “Maybe I’ll just take a scarf and some makeup. Everything else will be miles too long on me anyway.”
While I had a normal girl’s desire to wear nice things, the way Titania was looping jewelry around her neck and wrists reminded me of a bird attracted to something shiny. A little disturbed, I gathered a few items and took them to the bedroom. As I turned to close the door, the poppy painting on the far wall of the living room caught my eye again. Seen from a distance against the backdrop of the elegant, minimal décor, it looked even more wrong. Suddenly tired, I closed the door and lay down on the bed without even putting away the beautiful things I’d taken from Isolde’s stash.
There was a sound of knocking and I jolted awake. Miko was standing in the open doorway. “Hey, sleepyhead, we’re going to get some dinner with the boys. Do you want to come?”
I sat up groggily. Rubbing my eyes to get the fuzziness out of them, I followed her back into the living room. “I can’t believe I slept? What time is it?”
“It’s almost ten. We all konked out for hours. Isabelle didn’t even make it to a bed. I normally don’t find travelling a Path so tiring. I’m starved now and I know you are too.” One of Miko’s gifts was an ability to perceive what people really wanted. “Tynan called and said for us to meet them downstairs in ten minutes. Can you be ready in time?”
“Sure. I’ll just go get changed.”
Sauntering back to Titania at the bar, Miko tossed the tail of an orange scarf over her shoulder. I remembered seeing the color poking out from under the darker pile of clothes on the table. The silk looked like fire against the black of her hair and the white of her skin.
Sword of Elements Series Boxed Set 2: Bound In Blue, Caught In Crimson & To Make A Witch Page 40