by Cat Adams
Tal sighed because he doubted he’d believe his own explanation. “It’s a long story. But come with me. I might need your help in this.”
Kris looked at Alexy and then at him, and shrugged. “I suppose we could spare a few minutes to help a overworlder get back home. This is no place for anyone other than enforcers to be. Any idea where she might have gone?”
He nodded, smiling. Alexy shouldn’t have any problem opening Jason’s gate, which would speed up the process immensely. “Follow me.”
Kris was still growling about the gate minutes later when they exited a few blocks from Tree Park. “Jason has some explaining to do. I’ll see him stripped of his rank the moment he shows his sorry face.”
“Let it go, Kris.” Tal’s voice was a warning. While he didn’t disagree that Jason deserved some sort of punishment for his activities, now wasn’t the time.
“I will not let it go, Talos. I … what in the world is that?” She was staring at the massive Tree, which was now glowing with a bright blue light.
Tal raced forward, not even caring if the others followed. “Mila!”
She was kneeling beneath one of the branches again, her hands deep within the bark. The thrumming in his chest began again, and the sensation nearly dropped him to his knees. He reached the park’s edge just as Mila started to tug her hands backward and it spurred him forward, heart pounding.
“I’ve got you!” Adrenaline raced through his system as he grasped her arms and yanked. Her hands popped free almost immediately and they both tumbled backward down the small incline. She’d apparently cleared a path through the offerings, so they didn’t land in rotten vegetables again.
He wrapped his arms around her frantically, one hand in her hair to pull her close. “You had me worried sick. What in the world were you thinking?”
She pulled slightly out of his grip until his hands were resting on her shoulders. He realized his hands were shaking and his stomach felt queasy. “I didn’t want to wake you. I finished the eggs and I was afraid that if I didn’t get them put in the Tree right away, Dareen would be in trouble during her meeting.”
Alexy and Kris caught up just then, while Kris walked over to the Tree, brows furrowed and Alexy tipped his head in greeting. “Bit strange to see you in this setting, Mila. But glad you’re okay. How’s your luscious friend Candy, then? Her niece better?”
Mila’s face lit up and she rose to her knees. “You’re out of jail! I’m so glad for you, Alexy. Or—” she added with a cautious look, “should I be worried that you’re out of jail?”
“Relieved,” Alexy said, his blue eyes twinkling. “You should be relieved. I was released, and Tal’s been likewise cleared.”
Mila turned from Alexy to look at him, with joy clear on her face. She threw her arms around his neck and let out a little squeal. “Yay! I’m so glad. I could tell that was bothering you.” Tal accepted the hug and held her tight, a little worried that her well wishes meant so much to him, but trying not to think about it too much.
Kris raised an eyebrow at their embrace and then went back to examining the Tree. She poked and prodded where Mila had been attached, and seemed to be examining the bark closely with an odd look on her face.
Mila gave him a quick kiss on the cheek as she moved back and then motioned to the Tree. “I’ve got three of four installed. One more and Dareen will be set for her meeting.”
“Actually, the meeting’s already happened.” He nodded his head toward Alexy. “That’s part of why Alexy was released. King Mumbai called King Kessrick. I don’t know if the Tree had anything to do with it. But how did you manage to install the eggs and get your hands out by yourself?”
“Gloves.” Kris’s voice was odd, and she was staring at Mila with an expression of concern that bordered on fear. “There are gloves buried in the bark of this Tree.”
Mila nodded and then winked. Speaking to Tal softly, so that neither Alexy nor Kris would hear she said, “I like to think I’m smarter than the average Tree. I did feel a little bad about sneaking in that shop to grab them, but the window was already broken out and they were just lying on the floor. I don’t mind paying for them. Do you use money down here?”
Tal got his feet under him and joined Kris under one of the branches. The wide ribbed cuffs of what were obviously men’s light cotton work gloves were sticking out of the bark as though they’d always been there. No wounds or cuts marred the surface. They were just … embedded, with no apparent harm to the Tree. It made perfect sense and a rush of admiration made him chuckle.
“The Tree grabbed the gloves but because they were so big, your hands slipped right out. Brilliant.” He turned and smiled at her and she preened.
“Yeah, it was, wasn’t it? And like I say, there’s only one left. Well actually,” she amended with a small grimace. “There are really two left. But I haven’t got a clue what the fifth egg should look like, and I couldn’t find instructions in the papers Baba gave me. But here has to be a fifth egg—the life egg, because it mentions there should be one duszat for each guild and our guild should be represented, wouldn’t you think? I’d imagine that would go in the trunk. But I couldn’t see it, so I wondered if maybe it’s in the roots or some such. Anyway, even if Dareen didn’t need it, I’ve noticed there’s more sky around the park so it’s having some effect. Did you see that when you arrived?”
“Who would do something like this to a Tree? What’s happening to the world? If I weren’t a man of faith, I’d track ’em down and—” He didn’t complete the thought, but Alexy’s voice was shocked and outraged as he touched the bit of glove. Mila opened her mouth to reply, but he stopped her with a warning look and a frantic shake of his head. She looked confused but closed her mouth when she saw Alexy drop to his knees and put his hands reverently on the bark and begin to pray.
“Blessed Tree, maker of all things, forgive those who would violate the sanctity of your home.”
Now Mila looked taken aback, especially when Kris joined him on her knees and whispered similar words with eyes closed. They’d always been devout in their beliefs, and a part of Tal wanted to follow their lead. Mila had used her brain in putting on the gloves, but not her heart. It was the equivalent to Alexy and Kris as embedding a chunk of metal through a stained-glass window in an overworld church. Even if it didn’t harm the window, it was a violation of the spirit of the place. “Where’s the fourth egg?” he whispered while holding tight to her hand.
She motioned to the fluffy cloth they’d cleaned the dishes with, spread open at the base of the tree a few yards from where the others knelt.
Alexy and Kris didn’t even notice him slide sideways and pick up the egg. He handed it to Mila. It was when she started to put it in her pocket when Kris finally noticed. “What’s that?”
“It’s—” She paused and looked at Tal for guidance. “An egg? I dye eggs as a hobby.” She held up her fingers to show the mottled colors decorating them.
Kris nodded and smiled, her face showing the same calm reverence it had when she and Mom used to return home from Blessing Ceremonies. “That’s a lovely offering. I’m glad your parents taught you the proper values, even so far away.”
Offering? Well, that had some possibilities. “Yes, Mila has always wanted to make an offering at one of the Trees, haven’t you?”
She caught on immediately. “Oh! Yes, that’s why Tal brought me down. He thought there wouldn’t be as many people worshiping at this Tree.”
Alexy stroked the bark like you would a sick pet and sighed. “A shame, that is, but you’re right. I only wish someone could figure out why they’re doing so poorly.”
He nudged Mila, hoping it was enough of a hint to hold her tongue, and she gave him a look that nearly spoke words—do I look like I’m stupid?
“We’ll leave you to your worship. I’ll go around to the other side so I don’t distract you. Tal, could you come with me?”
“We’ll just be a minute,” Kris agreed and then turned back to stare at the trunk. “We ne
ed to get you home and back to normal before Tal joins us to catch Vegre.”
Mila stared at him and spoke from the corner of her mouth. “Back to normal? What’s she talking about, Tal?”
Tal’s breathing stilled as the realization came home to him. Alexy must have explained to Kris how they came to meet Mila. Naturally, his sister’s first thought would be the security of Agathia, as it should be, but that would mean … she intended to wipe Mila’s memory of the entire event—from seeing the gate to living with Sela and … meeting him. He needed time to think. Things were happening too fast for him to both deal with the moment and imagine all the possibilities and implications that might occur. “Which branch is left?” He spoke softly as he pulled her away from them.
“What is back to normal?” Her voice was likewise a whisper, but a tense one. Still, she followed him and pointed to the branch that was farthest from the others. They shouldn’t be able to see her craft, and he could stand watch to make sure they didn’t get too close.
“We only have a few minutes for you to finish. We can’t let them see.” Because he had noticed the sky over the park, the entire park—when just yesterday it didn’t extend beyond the farthest branch.
She stopped and shrugged off his hand on her arm. “No. Not one more step until you explain. What does that woman intend to do to me?”
Bile rose into his throat as he stared at her face, filled with a mix of anger and worry. It was just one night. Just one. It shouldn’t matter. She’ll go back to her life and I’ll go back to mine. No, it shouldn’t matter.
But it did.
He felt his muscles unclench as determination filled him. He squared his shoulders and put a solid hand on her arm. “That woman is my sister, Kris. And I don’t care what she thinks she’s going to do, she’s not. Nobody is going to lay a hand on you or do anything to you. Okay?”
She looked at him for a long moment, searching his face and eyes. Finally, she nodded. “Okay. I said I trusted you, so I will. Let’s finish this egg and then we’ll start planning how to capture Vegre.”
He held his tongue on that one. Just like he had decided that Kris wouldn’t wipe her memory, he’d decided that he couldn’t risk her being involved with Vegre any further. Nobody will lay a hand on you or harm you. Not while I live.
“Oh, hell. We left the gloves over there.” She started to turn around but he stopped her.
“No gloves. I hadn’t considered how sacrilegious it might seem to others. Can you perhaps place the egg just under the surface, rather than deep inside the branch? Then we can pull you out easier.”
“Sacri—” She paused and then winced. “Crap. You actually worship the Trees? I thought it was the spirit you worshiped and the Trees were like … I don’t know … like churches. Places to worship.”
He motioned her forward frantically, continuing to speak in low tones. “It’s both, and the gloves were like kicking over an altar. I didn’t think about it, but I understand why they’re upset.”
She nodded and hurried to the branch. The egg was a pleasing mix of blues and yellows, bearing the wave symbol of the illusionist guild among the dots and circles and tiny, precise diamonds. Mila closed her eyes and the little egg began to glow and hum. He’d forgotten about the shrieking hum. He heard the voices and footsteps of the others, hurrying toward them. Craters! There’ll be no hiding that sound. “Just hurry. I’ll do what I can to stall them.”
Blue light began to fill his peripheral vision as he hurried toward Alexy and Kris. But by the time they rounded the corner, both the sound and light were gone. He stumbled to a stop and turned. Mila was sitting under the branch with a racoon-ate-the-corn look on her face—full of guilty innocence. She wiggled her bare fingers, without a trace of bark on them, and smiled at him.
“What was that? I heard a noise from over here.” Alexy and Kris both had their gloves on, and looked around frantically, their postures battle-hardened, prepared to take on Vegre himself.
“What noise?” He tried to look calm and curious.
“Bloody hell,” Alexy said. “You must have heard it.”
He shrugged and looked over at Mila, who was the picture of calm indifference. “Did you hear anything, Mila?”
She was patting the ground where she’d apparently dug a small hole and then filled it in. “No. Just you two saying your prayers. Maybe the spirit was speaking to you?”
It was the perfect thing to say, for Kris and Alexy both blinked and stared at each other—awe plain on their faces. Alexy couldn’t seem to quite grasp the implication, but Kris did right away. She clutched his upper arm with an amazed light in her eyes. “Don’t you understand, Alexy? We were chosen. The Tree spoke to us … rewarded us for our faith in this trying time.” She looked at Mila with warmth but then noticed her cleaning the dirt from under her fingernails. “Why have you been digging? Didn’t Tal tell you not to dig near the Tree?”
Mila was a wonderful actress, for she put on a sad face, but filled with hope. “I buried my offering. So many things have been taken from here and it’s so fragile.” She held up her hand and spread her thumb and first finger just a bit while squinting her eyes and looking pathetic. “It’s only a little beneath the surface. I hoped it would be okay.”
That caused Kris to look around at the mangled, scattered offerings and sigh. “I can’t argue with that. It was a pretty thing. Someone was bound to take it if left out in the open.” She shook her head. “Such a shame so many have lost their way—like Mom. I fear for her, Tal. I haven’t heard from her for days. Not since that … cult came and befuddled her mind. I’ve looked everywhere in Rohm but she’s nowhere to be found.”
“She’s here in Vril. I saw her yesterday. But you don’t want to find her, sis. She’s not … herself.”
Kris nodded, her face filled with both sadness and anger. “I know, and I can’t believe it’s natural, even though every spell trace I did on her was negative. But she was a gatherer, Tal—one of the church leaders, since I was a child. I just can’t imagine she would betray the Tree for a false goddess who’d never even been mentioned in ancient texts.”
They’d started walking back toward the gate. “Well, they certainly turned her into a harpy,” Mila said with obvious distaste. “I’m sure she’s normally a lovely woman, since I can’t imagine someone with that temperament could have raised people like you and Tal. But I’d imagine that Vegre has methods the average crafter couldn’t trace. Otherwise he probably would have been caught before he started the plague. Right?”
Kris and Alexy looked at each other with wide eyes and then at Mila. It was Kris who spoke. “What does Vegre have to do with Mom?”
Of course, that made Tal and Mila look at each other before he responded. “He’s the leader of Demeter’s Children, sis. Didn’t you say that King Mumbai called King Kessrick?”
Mila nodded. “That’s why Dareen went to Shambala to see the king in the first place. She went undercover into the cult because she recognized Vegre as the cult’s leader, Reilly.”
Kris stopped cold and waved her hands in front of her, green eyes confused and frustrated. “Wait, wait. When did this happen? How could Vegre, who just broke out of prison two days ago, be leading a religion that’s been around for two years?”
Well, this complicated things. “What exactly were the details you heard about the call from King Mumbai?”
She’d crossed her arms over her chest and was tapping her boot on the cobbled brick. “I was there when the call came in, Tal. He said that a dirtdog from Vril, mother of one of the O.P.A. agents—which we later figured out was Jason—had come to him with a wild tale about Vegre attacking Buckingham Palace on New Year’s Eve, to assassinate the queen. Mumbai asked for at least a squadron of our best agents to infiltrate the palace and capture him before he could get to her. He said his own guard was too stretched keeping the peace there, because of all the evacuees. So, that’s what we’re doing.”
Tal sat down on a small stone wall that su
rrounded what used to be the pretty flower garden of a residential building. “No mention of the Children? Nothing about the volcanoes, or sacrifices? Nothing?”
Mila was shaking her head and reached out to touch his shoulder. “Something must have happened to her, Tal. That’s not the message she went there to give. She was so adamant about what was happening here.”
“Or,” he mused, in total agreement, “Mumbai wasn’t as innocent as we hoped.” He looked at Kris and raised his brows. “The call was from the king … personally?”
She shrugged and rolled her eyes. “His defense minister. Same thing.” Apparently she noticed his immediate suspicion and anger because she let out a frustrated breath. “The kings never talk directly to each other, Tal. That’s why they have staff. But it’s the same as talking directly to the kings—the ministers have all taken oath spells of allegiance and truthfulness.”
He nodded and let out a small, bitter laugh. “So had Commander Sommersby … and Sela.”
Mila let out an exasperated breath and threw up her hands. “But if the kings don’t know about the plot, they’re not going to send people to the right spot. It’s not Buckingham Palace. We already know that. It’s the Palace Hotel, right in downtown Denver.” She paused and the realization of the gravity of the situation came home in her face. “Geez, if all the best agents are halfway around the world, Vegre’s going to be able to do anything he wants before anyone can stop him.”
Alexy frowned while Mila was speaking. “That doesn’t make any sense. Why would Vegre attack a hotel?” He shook his head, revealing another long cut on his forehead that his hair had been hiding. “No, I’ll buy him attacking Buckingham. After all, it was King Charles II who insisted that the guilds intervene and capture him when the red death spread to the humans.”
“It is the Palace Hotel. We worked it all out—how Vegre has been getting out of prison off and on for decades. He even has a human identity up there, and owns the Palace Hotel. Tell him, Tal.”
He kept his eyes on the ground, trying to work things out in his head. It had sounded so good last night when they were all sitting around the table. But this morning … he was inclined to agree with Alexy and Kris. It just didn’t make sense that Vegre would raise a volcano in Denver. “We never did come up with a reason why he’d pick that location, Mila. And, too, we don’t know if Mumbai got independent information after Dareen left. I can understand why you’d worry, considering the documents you found, but—” He hooked his thumb toward Kris. “I’m going to have to go with them on this. I think he’s after bigger fish … whether it’s a seat of power to rule from, mass chaos among the world’s rulers, or some other reason. Denver just doesn’t seem … well, vital to anything.”