by Bonnie Lamer
Seeing this, Kallen comes to my side and takes my hand in his. He gives it a small squeeze. A warning that I need to school my face. “What would you like us to do?” he asks.
Arie sighs. “I fear there is nothing which can be done. You are no more able to track the killer than we are.” She really, really wanted me to be the killer. It gave her hope that she would be able to avenge her Queen’s death. Personally, I’m still working under the assumption that it wasn’t me.
“We may be able to do more. We will discuss the matter with our King and determine a course of action. The Fae will do everything possible to help you.”
A distinct snort comes from Kai. His wife gives him a stern look before saying to us, “We appreciate any assistance you can lend us.” Her head bows slightly. “Thank you.”
“Taz,” I call to the mumbling devil. “Time to go.” I try not to sound too eager. I fail. But if I stay here any longer, I may start to believe Taz and I were here. Beheading a Queen.
“Are you willing to let us leave without incident?” Kallen asks. The tone of his voice implies we are ready to fight our way out of this realm if necessary.
Kai’s answer is written all over his body from his pinched, scowling face down to his twitching tail fin. He wants to put up a fight. Arie, on the other hand, has a defeated air about her. She knows she can’t hold us here against our will. If I am the killer, it has been proven the Merpeople are powerless to stop me from doing anything. If I am not the killer and she attempts to hold us here, it is tantamount to declaring war against the Fae realm. “You will meet no resistance in your departure,” she says, hating every word as they fall from her mouth.
Chapter 2
For the first time ever, I am going to travel through a passageway I did not create. The nearest passage to the Fae realm is a few leagues from where Kallen and I entered the realm. At least it’s in the same direction we came from when we arrived. It keeps us from looking lost as we swim behind our escorts. Arie insisted we go with them to keep us safe from the angry Merpeople. I think it has more to do with discovering how I travel between realms than our safety.
For once, Kallen doesn’t have to lay a hand on my shoulder or squeeze my hand in warning. I remain as low key as possible, not balking or complaining when we have to swim forever to get to the passageway. There is no way I’m giving the Merpeople another demonstration of my magic. I am not worried about Kallen or me getting hurt. I am afraid a war will start between realms if I demonstrate my ability to do everything the killer did.
“You do know my toes aren’t webbed, right?” Taz grumbles. “My entire body is wrinkled and I am certain my hair is beginning to fall out.”
“Quit whining,” I tell him, my breathing heavy as my body tires from trying to keep up with our Mermen chaperones. “Sea water does not make your hair fall out.”
“Are you a Tasmanian devil? No? Then you have no idea what will make my hair fall out.”
I shake my head. “You are a drama queen.”
“Queen? Are you too daft now to remember I am male?”
“You’re still a drama queen.” I get an angry harrumph in response.
When my legs feel like they are going to fall off, we finally see the passageway. I stop swimming to admire it. How did these exist in my home realm without people knowing? It shines brightly on the surface of the water, like a lighthouse in a storm. From above, it can probably be seen a mile away.
Seeing the awe on my face and following the direction of my eyes, Kallen reads my mind. “Only those with magic can see them.” Quieter, he says, “It will feel different travelling through a passageway you did not create. You may feel ill afterwards but it will pass quickly.”
Well, that sounds like fun. I try to keep the grimace off my face as we near the light. I remember Kallen telling me the passages were where there is light. My mother named me with consideration of these lights. Xandra Illuminata, protecting men from light is what my name means. I guess I was a little too literal in my thinking. I took Kallen’s words to mean anywhere light shines a passageway can exist. Unfortunately, that’s not the first thing I’ve been wrong about in regards to magic. You would think my list of things I do not know would be decreasing, but it still seems to grow larger every day.
When we reach the passageway, I’m not sure what to do. Do we just jump through like we do when I create a passageway? Or do we have to say some sort of magic words? The latter, apparently. Taking my hand, Kallen pulls me in front of the passage and says the words, “Oscail an doras.” The light becomes blinding for a moment and I need to shield my eyes. Kallen tugs on my hand and pulls me through.
He’s right, this is nothing like the passages I create. We do not swim from the Merpeople realm directly into the Fairy realm. Instead, we are sucked into a vacuum. I feel as if it is trying to pull my stomach and intestines out through my ears. I’ve never thrown up from my ears before. I don’t think it will be pleasant.
After what seems like hours, the vacuum spits us back out. It does not spit us back out in water. Nope. We tumble onto the forest floor. Well, I tumble. Kallen lands on his feet and is trying really hard not to laugh at my less than graceful landing. On my butt.
“That was horrible,” I say, swallowing back bile.
Kallen loses the battle with his laughter. “You get used to it.”
“I think I’ll stick to my way,” I grumble, taking his hand and letting him pull me up. Looking around, I ask, “Where are we?”
“About a mile from the village,” he says. “It is a fifteen minute walk home.”
“Walk?!” Taz exclaims. “You try to drown me then pull me through the bowels of the universe and now you want me to walk?”
After swimming as long as we did, I agree. I shake my head. “I’m beat.” Keeping a tight hold on his hand, I teleport us back to our bedroom in Isla’s mansion. Taz grumbles his way out onto the balcony to dry his fur in the sun.
I give Kallen a kiss before saying, “I’m going to take a quick shower to get the saltwater off my skin.”
“Good plan,” he says with a lustful grin.
So very tempting. But, I shake my head. “It wouldn’t be a quick shower with both of us in there.” I hope he can see the disappointment on my face mirroring his. “We need to talk to Isla and Dagda about all the evidence pointing to me being the one who killed the Merpeople Queen.”
Instantly, his face sobers. “Perhaps we should ask Tabitha to make sure you are not once again harboring extra souls.”
My mouth drops open and I’m too stunned to say anything for a moment. When I regain control of my facial muscles, I say, “You think I did it?”
Guilt flows over his face in bright red blotches. “Of course not. Not you, but maybe something inside you?”
Afraid of what I may say to him next, I decide it’s time for my shower. I stomp away, slamming the door behind me. Kallen calls my name, but I respond by locking the door. Yes, he can easily open it, but I know he won’t. My dear husband is smart enough to not seek my company at the moment.
He is waiting on the bed when I open the bathroom door. He is freshly showered and even in my anger, I cannot help but appreciate the sleek muscles under his dark blue t-shirt. His beautiful green eyes drink me in and I want nothing more than to be in his arms, kissing him, making love. But his eyes are clouded with guilt and shame, reminding me why I’m angry with him.
My voice terse, I say, “I’m going to the palace.”
“I will come with you.”
“I don’t know, are you sure you want to be in the presence of a killer?” I snap.
Rising from the bed, Kallen walks to me. Placing his hands on my cheeks, he says, “You are not a killer.”
I step back. “No, but you think something inside me is.” Truth be told, I’m beginning to think so myself. How else can the evidence be explained?
“Xandra,” Kallen pleads.
With a hearty sigh, I try to shed the anger and fear I am taking out o
n him. Looking down at the towel I’m wearing, I say, “I don’t want to take the time to get dressed.” He knows what I mean and I am instantly wearing an emerald green sarong and dark blue t-shirt. Giving him the barest trace of a smile, I take his hand in mine and we startle Dagda when we suddenly appear in his office.
Chapter 3
“I believe we have discussed this,” my biological father says through gritted teeth. “Please excuse the interruption,” he says to the two Fairies sitting in the chairs in front of his desk. I recognize one as the Minister of Economics. I can’t remember his name, but I do know he doesn’t like me. I was rude to him at Kegan and Alita’s hand-fasting and he hasn’t forgiven me. I do my best to smile sweetly at him but he turns his head with a sniff.
“We’re here on urgent business,” I say to Dagda. “We really need to talk to you and Isla.”
The other man sitting across from Dagda says, “If it concerns the realm, we should all be informed.” He looks to be about fifty, but it’s so hard to tell with Fairies because of their long life spans. He could be a hundred and fifty.
“Who are you?” I ask.
Dagda’s eyes narrow in my direction as he says, “This is the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Luden, you are no doubt aware this is my daughter, Princess Xandra.”
I will never get used to the title. “Nice to meet you,” I manage before saying, “Our business is more of personal matter.”
I get my ability to sigh heavily from Dagda. “Gentlemen, if you will excuse us. We will meet again tomorrow at the same time.” Both Fairies rise and bow their heads in his direction before retreating from the room. Neither of them is happy. Too bad, neither am I.
“What is so urgent you needed to send me a message instead of simply knocking on my office door?” a new voice says from the open doorway. A very annoyed Isla is standing there and I believe she has a headache now.
Sheepishly, Kallen says, “Sorry, we have urgent news from the Merpeople realm. It is important enough to fall within the parameters you set forth for sending you telepathic messages.” Isla narrows her eyes, doubt puckering her face.
“If this is regarding the Merpeople realm, Luden should be present,” Dagda says, rising from his chair.
“Only if you want him to know the Merpeople think I killed their Queen,” I say.
He sits back down. Isla comes farther into the room and closes the door. Both look at me expectantly. Suddenly, I am without words.
Kallen comes to my rescue as he so often does. “There is overwhelming evidence pointing to Xandra,” he says. Okay, he didn’t come to my rescue. He implicated me. Seeing the murderous expression on my face, he hurries to say, “We need to figure out how Xandra’s magical signature was left at the scene of the beheading.”
Dagda’s is practically shaking with shock and fury. Unfortunately, I am not quite sure who he is angry with. “The Merpeople believe you beheaded their Queen. Do I dare ask what you had to do to escape them?”
I’m still not certain who will get the brunt of his fury. Part of the answer may depend on my answer to his question. “I didn’t kill anyone,” I say defensively.
“No, I do not believe you did. That does not mean you did not perform actions to incite war,” Dagda counters. I guess I’m the target of his fury.
Sensing my rising fury, Kallen does a better job of coming to my rescue. “Uncle, we have convinced the Merpeople of Xandra’s innocence.” Not fully, but I’m going to keep quiet at the moment. “We promised them assistance with finding the true killer.”
Relaxing a tiny bit, Dagda leans back against his chair. “Why do they believe you committed this crime?” he asks me as Isla says, “Their invitation was a ruse to get their hands on you?”
I look to Kallen pleading with my eyes for him to do the explaining. I seem to get myself into more and more trouble when I speak. After a brief hesitation, he nods and turns to the mystified Fairies staring at us. “Grandmother, would you like to sit?” he asks, indicating one of the chairs in front of Dagda’s desk.
“I would suggest you do,” Dagda says dryly. “I believe their explanation will make it difficult to remain standing. They generally do.”
Ouch. I would be insulted if it wasn’t true. I rarely come to them with a minor problem. If they don’t like it, how do they think I feel?
“Explain,” Isla says between teeth which appear to be glued together. She opts to remain standing.
Clearing his throat to stall for more time, Kallen finally begins the story. “A hundred Merpeople witnessed someone with a strong resemblance to Xandra drag the Queen into a room with no windows. When the Xandra lookalike exited the room, the Queen had lost her head.” He pauses, not really wanting to finish the story.
I guess I will. “When we went to the room, Kallen and Taz both sensed my magic. Taz even detected waste that smelled like his own.” I feel silly saying this but it is significant.
“The Merpeople let you go after determining this?” Dagda says in disbelief.
“No,” Kallen says. “I was not forthcoming with all the information.” It rankles him he had to lie.
“They also saw my lookalike open a passage between realms.”
Dagda interrupts to say, “I believe the correct word is doppelgänger.” I roll my eyes. My way of speaking seems to bring out the grammar police in Fairies.
“Fine, my doppelgänger opened a passage between realms. She also had a Tasmanian devil with her.”
“You are certain you read the magical signature correctly?” Isla asks Kallen. “Could it be Xandra drew magic and you were sensing this?”
Guilt and irritation crowding for space on his face, he glances at me and says, “Yes and no. Yes, I read the magical signature correctly. It was identical to Xandra’s. No, it was not magic she was currently holding. It was several days old.” I didn’t know he could determine how old a magical signature is. He is always amazing me.
“Have you seen Tabitha since returning?” Isla asks me.
Great, she thinks I’m guilty, too. “No. I don’t have anything or anyone inside me,” I say defensively.
“You were not aware the last time this occurred,” Dagda pushes. He calls out, “Sindri!”
His assistant enters through a door in the corner of the room. “Yes, Sire?”
“Please send a carriage to retrieve Tabitha from Isla’s home. Her presence is urgently needed. Also, send Alita here at once.”
Grudgingly, I drop down into one of the empty chairs. “Glad to know my family thinks I’m a killer.”
“No one said any such thing,” Isla says. “We simply need to rule out all the possibilities.”
I know she’s right. But after having Nixie inside me, I know I would be able to tell if I was possessed again. At least, I’m pretty sure I would.
Kallen sits in the chair next to me and takes my hand in his. “We’ll figure this out.” I want to continue to be petulant and snatch my hand back, but I don’t. I need to face this situation with courage, not with cowardice and temper tantrums. I smile weakly at him.
“Was there anything else?” Dagda asks. “Any other clues?”
Kallen shakes his head. “None. Apparently the doppelgänger left after committing the horrific crime.”
Turning to me, my biological father says with worry lines on his forehead, “You say your Familiar recognized his own scent?”
I nod. “He did.”
“But neither of you had been in the room previously?” he pushes.
I shake my head. “No, when Kallen and I were in the Merpeople realm last time, we were only on the top floor of the Queen’s house. Taz has never been there.”
Isla’s eyes narrow. “The top floor of her home which you blew up?”
My cheeks flush. “Yes. Oh, I forgot,” I say in surprise. How could I forget this detail? “Before the doppelgänger killed the Queen, she razed a bunch of the Merpeople’s houses.”
“Apparently, her magic is as strong as Xandra’s,” Kallen a
dds.
“All of you are convinced I’m possessed, but what about Taz? He and I can’t be possessed by the same soul, right?”
“True,” Isla says, “but as your Familiar, you are able to manipulate him with magic.” Does she know Taz? I can hardly manipulate him to be nice let alone cover up a murder.
“Do you believe she erased his memory?” Kallen asks.
“So, we’re back to me being guilty,” I grumble.
There is a timid knock on the door. Voice gruff, Dagda says, “Come.”
Alita opens the door and enters the room shyly. “Close it behind you,” Dagda tells her. She does.
“How can I be of assistance, your Highness?” Alita asks, her voice as timid as her knock.
Waving a hand at me, Dagda says, “Do what you do with Xandra. We need to determine if any type of black magic spell has been used on her.”
My face pales. There has been a lot of black magic around here lately. Would I be able to tell if a spell was placed on me? I shake my head to clear it. Of course I would be able to tell. Regardless, I sit still and let Alita ‘do her thing’ as Dagda put it.
Coming closer, Alita walks around me. It’s a good sign when she doesn’t fall to her knees in agonizing pain. After circling me three times, she turns to Dagda and says with confidence, “I do not sense black magic.” Mine is not the only relieved face in the room.
“One possibility ruled out,” Isla says. “Kallen, please send a message to Raziel insisting he accompany Tabitha. We will badger him if we must to make him tell us what is going on.”
Unease causes me to shift in my chair. Do I really want to know if it is me who killed her? I suppose I do, but will Raziel risk not rejoining the Angels by telling me of my future? I am not going to count on it.
“I will have the archive staff search for any information on doppelgängers,” Dagda says, rising from his chair. He opens the door Sindri used earlier and speaks quietly to someone. Closing the door and coming back into the room, he goes to the table against the far wall where his decanter of scotch sits. He pours a large amount into a glass before returning to his seat. “I have mentioned how you are driving me to drink, correct?”