Red Hood's Revenge

by Jim C. Hines

  Snow smiled and swam closer. This time, she didn’t say a word about using magic to do what brute force couldn’t. Judging from the annoyance in Talia’s eyes, she didn’t have to.

  With Talia’s help, she managed to pull herself up. Only the bottommost stones were damp. The rest were dry and easy to hold, save for where Talia had dripped against them when she climbed up. Even those were already beginning to dry. The Arathean air sucked the water from everything.

  Snow rested her back against one side of the well, bracing her legs against the other. Her hands pressed flat behind her back. Straightening one leg, she pushed herself upward.

  She soon had cramps in her feet and the backs of her legs as she made her way higher. She locked both legs and flexed her hands, trying to keep them from tightening as well. Talia made this sort of thing look easy.

  The well was almost two stories high. Enough to make her nervous when she looked down, though the narrow confines meant she was unlikely to slip, and the water would break her fall in any event.

  The cap atop the well was made of sculpted bronze in the shape of an overlapping sun and moon. Snow listened, but she heard nothing from the other side. Though if the cap was thick enough to muffle the sounds of sewer goblins, it would do the same for any noise within the mansion. She let her legs support her weight as she pushed against the cap, gently at first, then harder when it refused to budge.

  Eventually, with her legs braced and both arms pushing the edge, she raised the cap slightly. It rose about the width of her little finger before catching. Not enough space to sneak a mirror through and examine the latch.

  “Those other goblins won’t stay away forever,” Talia said.

  Snow rested her head against the stone. So long as she wasn’t trying to climb, this position was almost relaxing. She closed her eyes, then opened them again, willing her vision to focus. Given the choice between enchanting stone or metal, stone was slightly easier to work with. Neither would be pleasant, given how much she had already done today.

  She grabbed her knife, then hesitated. She could age the stone, crumbling it to sand until the catch holding the cap in place loosened and slid free, but surely there was an easier spell, one that wouldn’t add so much to her already throbbing skull.

  A year ago, she would have cast the spell without a thought. She hated having to ration her power, to plan out how much magic she could perform before the pain overwhelmed her. But she had pushed too hard already, and the hand holding the knife shook, not from anticipation of the cut, but because she knew what would come next was worse.

  “Damn it,” she whispered. Pressing the blade to her hand, she forced herself to cut a thin line across her palm. She slammed her hand against the stone and muttered the incantation.

  Nothing happened. Snow gritted her teeth and pressed harder until she felt the low warmth of fairy magic. The stones at the top were enchanted, just like the stones of the well and the reservoir below. She could punch through that extra layer of magic, but it would not be pleasant.

  “What’s wrong?” Danielle called.

  “Proper spellcasting takes time,” Snow said.

  Talia’s snort echoed clearly up the well. “When did you start worrying about propriety?”

  Snow smiled despite her frustration. She touched the stone again, when a faint chirping sound on the other side startled her. She yanked her hands back.

  “Wait,” said Danielle. “Try to lift it now.”

  Snow did so. This time, the cap rose higher, revealing a round windowless cellar. A small brown and black bird with a tufted head stood on the edge of the well.

  “Talia was getting impatient,” Danielle explained. “I thought you might want help.”

  Snow said nothing. She reduced the light from her choker as she peered around the cellar. Once she was sure nobody was within, she braced herself and pushed the lid higher. It was surprisingly heavy, falling back with a loud thud. Snow froze, but heard nothing.

  “I would have gotten it eventually,” Snow called down. She climbed from the well, shooting an annoyed look at the bird. A metal rod the size of her little finger lay beside the bird, close to an iron loop anchored into the floor. “Oh, sure. It’s easy to unlatch it from the outside.”

  The well itself was simply a hole in the stone floor. A bucket and rope sat to one side, the rope knotted to another bolt in the floor. Snow lowered the bucket to help the others climb out, then examined the room more closely.

  The first thing she noticed was a low humming that reminded her of air playing over the mouth of a jug. The sound came from a round hole in the ceiling. Metal bars crisscrossed the hole, which was wider than the well and appeared to be a chimney of some sort.

  The cellar was a small room with open doorways to either side. Heavy curtains had been tied back from the doors, allowing a strong breeze to pass through. The air chilled Snow’s wet skin.

  Clay jugs lined the walls. Most were painted in brown and orange designs, with images of animals both magical and mundane. Dust covered the floor, save for the paths from the well to the doorways.

  Roudette emerged next, followed by Danielle. Danielle smiled when she spotted the bird.

  “Thank you,” she said. He fluffed his wings and flew into the air, disappearing into the hole in the ceiling.

  “What is that thing?” Snow asked, pointing to the ceiling.

  “Windcatcher,” said Talia, pulling herself up onto the floor. “Remember the tall structure we saw outside? The wind flows past, sucking the air up through the tower and pulling cool air from the cellar throughout the mansion. The only downside is how easily a good thief can use them to sneak inside. Eventually people started building bars into the towers to keep out unwanted visitors.”

  Snow peeked up into the windcatcher, her pain momentarily forgotten. She had read of these structures but had never seen one. “There should be shutters at the top to control the effects of the wind.”

  “That’s right.” Talia coiled the rope and bucket onto the floor, then pulled the well cover back into place.

  “So we made it to the cellar,” Roudette said, looking around. “How do you intend to reach the gardens?”

  Talia smiled at Roudette, her expression as wicked as Snow had ever seen it. She cut a length of rope from the bucket, tucking the ends away to hide them. She tied a quick loop in the end. “Where else would we take the newest addition to Rajil’s menagerie?”

  Wet wolf smelled a great deal like wet dog. Talia grimaced as she strode through the hallway, one hand clutching the rope tied around Roudette’s neck. They passed the baths and several storerooms before being stopped by a young man in a sleeveless white tunic trimmed in red. He was carrying an enormous bundle of soiled clothes.

  He jumped back at the sight of Roudette in her wolf form. “Who are you?”

  “This beast is a gift for the raikh,” Talia said. “Where can we find her?”

  The man shifted his burden. “You’re soaked. What happened?”

  “Have you ever tried to bathe a wolf?” Talia demanded. “Believe me, the raikh would be most displeased if we delivered this animal smelling the way she did before.”

  Roudette turned her head, growling at Talia. The servant backed away, and Talia used the opening to drag Roudette another step toward the stairs. Roudette fought, and Talia had to grab the rope with both hands to keep her grip. Danielle grabbed the rope, adding her strength to Talia’s. Roudette was putting up a good show. At least Talia hoped it was a show. “I’ve brought this animal a long way, and I’m eager to be rid of it. Where would the raikh be at this time of day?”

  “Her private dining room,” the man stammered, his eyes never leaving the black wolf.

  “Thank you. And the garden?”

  He gave hasty directions to both, and hurried past.

  Following his instructions, Talia led Roudette toward the spiral stairs at the end of the hallway. A marble pillar rose through the center of the steps. Dozens of candles burned in
small niches in the pillar, appearing perfectly normal except for the green tint of the flames that danced with the air’s movement. As she climbed the steps, Talia could see that each candle was actually carved from white stone. More fairy magic.

  Talia hurried past the first floor, heading for the gardens. She blinked as she passed the first of many narrow windows in the outer wall. The sun outside was surprisingly bright.

  “What do you intend to do about Rajil?” Snow asked.

  “There is only one punishment for a raikh who betrays her people and her city.” It was a punishment rarely carried out. Every raikh took a vow, severing all familial ties and accepting the king or queen of Arathea as the head of his or her new family. Raikhs lived out their lives in the city, never stepping beyond its boundaries except by direct order of the king or queen. The people of the city became their children, and the raikh was expected to guard them as fiercely as any parent. But Talia had only to look at Snow’s past to remember that not all parents put their children’s welfare first. “We’ll worry about her after we find Faziya.”

  At the top of the stairs, a doorway opened onto an open walkway. They were in one of the wings of the mansion. Talia could see another staircase at the end of the walkway, leading up to the gardens atop the central part of the building. Two guards stood on the front step, just far enough back to be shaded from the sun.

  Unlike the guards outside, these wore formal armor of lacquered black breastplates. Their heads were shaved, even the eyebrows. Blue tattoos masked their eyes, giving the impression of feather masks.

  “I’ve never seen tattoos like that,” Snow whispered.

  “Rajil is a fairy worshiper,” Talia replied. “The wings are a symbol of the peri.” Yet another sign where her true loyalty lay.

  Both men watched closely as Talia pulled Roudette onto the walkway. They wore enormous scimitars at their sides, along with more practical war clubs.

  Roudette tugged at the rope.

  “Not yet.” If Roudette truly wanted to break free, Talia wasn’t strong enough to hold her. “This is a lousy place for a fight.” Talia glanced over the stone railing. The fall wouldn’t kill her, but it would certainly hurt. The grounds below were mostly empty. Most of the people should still be indoors, enjoying the cool shade and the breeze generated by the windcatcher.

  One of the guards stepped out into the sunlight. “We weren’t told of any new additions for the menagerie.”

  “The wolf is a gift from Father Uf’uyan and the fairy church,” Talia said, continuing forward. “I was instructed—”

  “I’m sorry, but nothing enters the gardens without permission from the raikh or her adviser.” He gave a slight bow, appearing genuinely apologetic. “There are too many valuable creatures, and if that wolf hasn’t been properly prepared, it could slaughter the raikh’s other pets.”

  “Slaughter?” Talia stared at Roudette. “You think so? She looks so gentle.”

  “If you’ll wait here,” he said, “I can—”

  “Go on.” Talia dropped the rope. “Show them how gentle you are.”

  Roudette was on the first guard before his sword could clear its sheath. Talia followed close behind. She hopped onto the rail, arms outstretched for balance as she ran past Roudette. Then the second guard started to draw his weapon, and Talia leaped. Her shoulder hit him in the chest, knocking them both onto the steps.

  Talia ducked a thrust of the guard’s sword, then dodged a kick. She caught his foot in her arm and lifted. He fell again, his armor hitting the steps with a loud crack. Her own sword was at the inside of his thigh before he could recover.

  “I don’t want to kill you,” Talia said. “You know how quickly you’ll bleed to death if I cut you here?”

  He set his sword on the step and raised his hands.

  Talia risked a quick glance behind. “I said we don’t want to kill them.”

  Roudette growled. Snow and Danielle were already pulling her back from the bleeding guard.

  “Get their weapons.” Talia waited, then led both men up the stairs at swordpoint. She readied her zaraq whip in her other hand, but there were no guards at the top of the stairs. Nor was there any gate or door to keep the animals from escaping. Only magic held the raikh’s creatures in place.

  The stairs might as well have led to another world. A fairy world, full of life and color. Fruit trees grew on two sides of the reflecting pool in the center of the garden. Familiar plants grew side by side with the exotic. Talia recognized several fairy species, including the pebble-skinned graniteberries growing along the wall and the long, silver-leafed elven pear trees bordering the stairs like a living doorway. The smell was overpowering, the sickly-sweet scent of the fruit mixing with the perfume of the flowers growing alongside paths of crushed green stone.

  A white owl perched in the pear tree to her left. It cocked its head as Talia pushed the guards into the garden. Coyotes and jackals sunned themselves on stone benches. A desert cat batted lazily at a yellow fruit Talia didn’t recognize. A brown snake as long as a man slid past a mouse, but neither animal paid the slightest attention to the other.

  Talia pushed both guards against the wall, where they couldn’t be seen from the stairs. The second guard was rather bloodied, but none of the wounds appeared deadly. Roudette had been toying with him. With a pointed glance at Roudette, Talia said, “I’d wait quietly if I were you.”

  She stepped away, footsteps crunching on the gravel path. “Faziya?” Several of the animals looked up at the sound of her voice, but she saw no recognition from any of them. “Snow, is there any way you can tell which one is Faziya?”

  Snow studied a hawk that was bathing itself at the edge of the pool. “Their thoughts . . . there are no memories beyond the animal.”

  “What does that mean?” Talia asked.

  Snow approached the hawk, one hand extended. It spread its wings, but it allowed her to touch the feathers of its neck. Snow jerked her fingers back. “This is more than shapechanging. Whoever this used to be, that person is gone.”

  Her words sucked the air from Talia’s chest. She shoved past Snow and crouched in front of the hawk, staring into its eyes. “Maybe some of the animals are natural. Maybe this one wasn’t transformed.”

  “I can feel the curse running through his bones,” Snow said. She bit her lip and turned to Danielle, as though she was asking for help. “I’m sorry.”

  Talia backed away. “Try the rabbit.”

  Danielle started toward her. “Talia—”

  “No!” Talia spun, searching the bushes. Faziya was here, somewhere. “These are Rajil’s prisoners. She could have killed them, but she didn’t. What would she do if she needed to question one further? There has to be a way of reversing whatever was done.”

  “There probably is,” Snow said slowly. “But this is fairy magic, stronger than anything I’ve seen.”

  “Deev magic?” Talia asked.

  “Maybe.” Snow shook her head. “Give me time alone with them, with Trittibar’s help and access to my library, and I might—”

  “We’re in the middle of the raikh’s mansion! The Wild Hunt returns tonight!”

  “I know that!” Snow turned away, rubbing the back of her neck. “I can’t do it. I’m sorry.”

  “Then we find Rajil.” Talia pulled out her sword. “We do whatever it takes to make her restore Faziya.” She was halfway to the steps when she heard shouts from below.

  “I don’t think finding Rajil will be a problem,” Snow said.

  Danielle readied her sword. “How many guards does your average raikh keep on hand?”

  Talia smiled. “Let’s find out.”

  CHAPTER 14

  TALIA MOVED TO THE SIDE OF THE STAIRS, hiding behind one of the pear trees. She calmed her breathing, listening as the footsteps slowed. She gripped a low branch and stepped around, kicking high enough to catch the first guard on the chin. He fell back, to be caught by his companions.

  Talia swore. She counted si
x men in the lacquered armor of the raikh, as well as a creature of smoke and shadow. Men she could fight, but fairy magic was another matter. She jumped to the side, taking cover as a spear flew past.

  “What’s the plan?” Snow asked.

  “I’m working on it.” Talia could probably handle the guards, and Snow might be a match for Rajil’s fairy adviser, but an open battle in the garden wouldn’t help Faziya. Even if they won, the commotion would only attract more attention.

  The next guard through carried a short spear in one hand and a northern-style club in the other. He raised the spear, but Talia made no move to attack. She jabbed her sword point down into the dirt and spread her hands.

  The rest of the guards moved quickly to surround them. Roudette bared her teeth and growled.

  “Wait!” Talia lunged to catch Roudette’s rope, catching her in midleap. Talia was tugged off her feet, but she managed to pull the wolf back. Before Roudette could turn on her, Talia pushed herself to one knee and whispered, “Not yet.”

  The two men they had captured before gathered weapons from Talia and her companions. Talia clenched her jaw but waited as they disarmed her. It was a slow process, and Rajil’s men were thorough, taking even the slender metal spike tucked through her hair. Two others grabbed Roudette’s rope, dragging the wolf away.

  Talia and the others were herded into a tight circle against the wall. The smoke shadow approached so closely Talia could smell him, like burning leaves.

  Only when he turned away did Rajil herself enter the garden. She wore a gold robe that shone like satin, held tight by a wide white belt. The silver buckle was cast in the huma bird and tiger design of the royal crest. A blue-green tourmaline mounted in the center marked Rajil’s status as ruler of Jahrasima. Her face was as Talia remembered, stern and narrow, the lips perpetually frowning. She wore the same feathered mask tattoo as her men.