Etched in Stone: Twilight Court Book 9

by Amy Sumida

  The phone went dead.

  “I don't have a good feeling about that,” I whispered.

  “But I have a good feeling about him.” Daxon kicked the brag in the shin. “We're finally going to get some solid answers.”

  “If he'll talk,” Conri said.

  Daxon looked at Conri and smiled cruelly. “He'll talk,” he promised. Then he looked at Matvei. “Take him downstairs; to the room.”

  “Got it.” Matvei hoisted the brag over his shoulder and headed downstairs.

  “The room?” I asked.

  “You're not going to see the room, Seren.” Daxon headed after Matvei. “And that's final.”

  “The hell I'm not.” I grabbed his arm. “You're going to torture him?”

  “You're damn straight I am,” Daxon growled.

  “Daxon, you're a fucking idiot,” I huffed.

  “You're not stopping me, Seren,” Daxon narrowed his eyes at me. “We need to know—”

  “I can star-cross him,” I cut Dax off.

  Daxon blinked at me and then started laughing.

  “You're right; I am an idiot,” he declared. “I'm sorry, Seren. I guess after you live a certain way for long enough, you automatically fall into a routine.”

  “You have a routine of torturing people?” I asked with a grimace.

  “You know what I mean,” he huffed. “I fell back on my criminal ways. My apologies, Princess.”

  “How many times do I have to tell you? It's 'Queen' to you, Tromlaighe.” I smirked at him. “Now, get out of my way; I have work to do.”

  “Yes, Your Majesty.” Daxon bowed as I passed him.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Delli woke up from his dream dusting only to be star-crossed. As soon as he opened his eyes, I sprinkled fairy dust into them; putting him completely under my control. He stared up at me blissfully relaxed; waiting for my orders. I had him take a seat in a chair set before Daxon and mine. Instead of the torture room, we were in an unoccupied bedroom in the basement. Daxon's people had brought in chairs for us, but that was all the furniture in the room. This left plenty of space for Daxon's Elite and my Guard to fit inside with us. They stood around the perimeter of the room; watching the proceedings with interest.

  “Delli, I need you to tell me who sent you to search Daxon's office and why,” I said.

  “Lana sent me,” he said.

  Daxon and I exchanged knowing looks. Now, we had absolute proof that it was Lana.

  “She wanted to know how to make magic bombs,” Delli added.

  “Why?” Daxon asked.

  Delli remained silent; focused on me.

  “Shit; I forgot that you had to pose all the questions,” Dax huffed.

  “Why does she want to make magic bombs?” I asked Delli.

  “To kill people with.”

  Conri snickered.

  That's the problem with someone under the influence of a crossing; they did exactly what I ordered them to do. Or, in this case, answered exactly what I asked of them.

  “Why does she need the bombs when she can already turn people into stone?” I asked.

  “She didn't tell me,” Delli said. “We're not close.”

  “This guy's a riot,” Conri said.

  “Conri, do you remember our talk on the better part of valor?” I asked him.

  “Shutting the fuck up?” He asked.

  “That would be it.” I sighed and looked back at Daxon.

  “It must be because Lana's losing the magic,” Daxon concluded. “Dylan is certain that it will run out.”

  “Do you know how Lana got the gorgon magic?” I asked Delli.

  “Took it from a head,” he said.

  “How?” I rolled my eyes.

  “With a box,” Delli said. “Lana put the head in the box, and then the magic came out.”

  “That's a little different than your box, isn't it?” I asked Daxon.

  “Well, we knew it would be,” Dax said. “There's no way to create the same device without seeing the original.”

  “Does Lana still have the box?” I asked Delli.

  “No; Queen Reese took it.”

  Daxon harrumphed. “That's why Lana killed Reese.”

  “But Lana didn't get the box back?” I asked.

  “No; Queen Reese hid it,” Delli said. “And Queen Lana killed her; so Queen Reese can't make another one.”

  “Queen Reese made the box?” I asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Well, shit,” Daxon exclaimed. “I knew it was a possibility, but I'm shocked that Reese had the skill.”

  “She had the skill to claim an underground,” I pointed out.

  “Very true,” Dax agreed. “I shouldn't have underestimated her.”

  “And she shouldn't have underestimated Lana,” I said. “I just don't understand why Lana would kill Reese; knowing that she was the only one who could make the box.”

  “She's not,” Delli offered helpfully.

  Daxon and I turned toward him together.

  “Who else knows how to make the box?” I asked Delli.

  “Queen Reese's second-in-command; Delun.”

  “Delun and Delli?” Ainsley asked.

  “Delun is a Chinese name,” Torquil said. “Delli is just dumb.”

  “Don't you two start,” I growled at them.

  “Yes, Your Highness,” Ainsley and Torquil said simultaneously.

  “Where is Delun?” I asked Delli.

  “Gone,” he said simply. “He ran away while Queen Lana was fighting Queen Reese.”

  “Okay; enough of that; those women are not queens,” I snapped. “Stop giving them that title.”

  “Okay.”

  “So, you don't know where Delun went?” I asked.

  “No one does. He's a huli jing,” Delli said.

  “A Chinese fox-shifter. Yeah; they know how to hide,” Daxon noted.

  “Good; so long as Lana doesn't have him, she can't recreate the box,” I said.

  “Not unless Jared figures it out,” Delli said.

  “Who the fuck is Jared?” Ro huffed.

  Daxon gave him a furious look.

  “Sorry,” Ro muttered.

  “Who the fuck is Jared?” I repeated the question to Delli.

  “He's Lana's new alchemist.”

  “The one who was going to make the magic bombs?” I pressed.

  “Yep.”

  “Do you know what Lana's planning?”

  “To kill her enemies.”

  “Well, that's novel,” Daxon muttered. “Enough of this; just ask him where she is.”

  “Where is Lana?” I asked Delli.

  “Beverly Hills.”

  “What?!” Daxon and I screeched together.

  “She fairy-struck some humans and has been living in their home,” he said.

  “We're going to need an address, Delli,” I said grimly.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  We took Delli with us; he'd make good cannon-fodder if nothing else. We had planned our attack carefully—using Google Maps for reference on the location—and I had the Helmet of Invisibility in my lap, ready to be used. It really was odd that a fairy would make such an item; practically any fairy could go invisible. But since the elf woman had crafted it for Perseus, I suppose that made more sense. Anyway, we were prepared for a fight.

  But we didn't get one.

  We rolled up to the address Delli provided, only to find the gates wide open, and the front door as well. When we ventured inside, we found a fairy-struck couple sitting calmly on a sleek, modern couch; just staring blankly ahead.

  “Fuck!” Daxon roared.

  Dax ran through the house; his Elite chasing after him. I sent my Guard to help, even though I knew Lana wouldn't be there. While they looked, I went to uncross the couple. I was the only fairy who could remove another fairy's strike. I don't know if Lana knew that, or if she just left the couple because she didn't give a damn. It was probably a combination of both.

  I put them
to sleep before I uncrossed them. The dream-dusting would wear off, as opposed to being fairy-struck—or star-crossed by me—which lasted until it was removed. So, I put them to sleep and removed the enchantment, then left them there to wake up confused but unharmed.

  “She's gone,” Daxon declared as he strode back into the living room.

  “How the hell did she know we were coming?” I asked.

  I had totally forgotten that Delli was with us, and was, in fact, standing off to the side of the living room; waiting for me to tell him what to do... or ask him a question.

  “She has a listening device on me,” Delli said as he pulled a little black microphone out of his collar.

  “Son of a bargest!” I swore.

  “Princess,” Conri whined.

  “Lana, you slimy bitch,” Daxon growled into the microphone. “You may have slithered away this time, but we'll follow your slug trail and catch you. And when we do, no amount of magic will help you.”

  Daxon crushed the microphone and tossed it on the ground. His cerulean eyes were glowing, and his hands kept clenching into fists as if he wanted to punch someone but knew there was no one acceptable nearby. And none of us wanted to become acceptable. So, we got back into the vans in silence. It wasn't till we were driving through the mansion's gates that Conri dared to speak.

  “So, what do we do with him?” Conri shifted in the front passenger seat to angle his thumb at Delli.

  “We turn him in to the Councils and let them decide his fate,” I said. “He's our proof that Lana is behind this.”

  “Boss?” Desmond—who was driving our van—looked in the rear-view mirror at Daxon.

  “Head to San Francisco,” Daxon said. “I'll call Matvei and tell him to have Sanna follow us.”

  Daxon pulled out his cell phone; casting a heavy look at me as he did so.

  “I'll call Killian and let him know we're on our way,” I said as I fished my scry phone out. “Killian Blair.”

  Soon, Killian's face filled the slice of crystal.

  “Seren, I'm glad you scried,” Kill said immediately. “The Triple Cs are breathing down my neck, and I got nothing here. You find anything?”

  “I have something better than information,” I said. “I have one of Lana's minions in custody. We're taking him to the SF Council House to prove to the Cs that it is Lana behind this.”

  “Nice!” He nodded. “I'll meet you there.”

  “Okay, see you soon.”

  “Oh, and, um... Raza scried.”

  “Raza? He scried you?”

  “He wanted to talk to me about us having children,” Killian said. “You and I 'us,' not him and I.”

  “Yeah; I got it,” I muttered. “Fucking Raza; he's like a damn dog with a bone.”

  “Or a dragon with some gold,” Killian offered. He chuckled and then said, “It was awkward, but I think it's good that he brought it up. It's one of those topics you're supposed to discuss before marriage, right?”

  “Yeah; I guess,” I muttered.

  “Anyway, he wants to have a meeting with Tiernan and me. He said we should decide on who goes first.” Killian rolled his eyes.

  “I don't know how I feel about that.”

  “Yeah; I thought you might be annoyed,” he said. “We all love you, Twilight, and the natural course of that is to want children with you. But there are three of us, and that can be problematic. Raza's just trying to find a rational way to handle a touchy subject. If you remember that it stems from love, maybe it will be easier to bear.”

  “You always know how to talk me down,” I said with a soft smile. “All right; have your meeting, but children aren't coming into the picture until much later.”

  “Got it.” Killian smirked. “No knocking you up until after the honeymoon. Do you think they make fairy prophylactics?”

  “Killian.” I rolled my eyes.

  “I love you, Seren,” he said. “See you in a few.”

  The crystal faded, and I looked up to find Daxon watching me.

  “What?”

  “I don't get to be included in the children discussion?” Daxon asked softly.

  His words were whispered but still heard throughout the van. Fairies had exceptional senses—including hearing—and in such close proximity, it was pointless to lower your voice.

  “Well, we're not married, or engaged, for that matter,” I pointed out. “I don't think they consider you a permanent part of their...”

  “Brotherhood?” Ainsley suggested.

  “Cult?” Conri countered. “The co—”

  “Don't say it, Conri!” I snarled.

  “King Cult,” Conri rolled the sound into another word.

  “Killian isn't a king,” Ainsley pointed out.

  “Don't help me, Ain,” Conri huffed.

  “I'm your consort,” Daxon declared angrily. “It's permitted for a queen to have children with her consort.”

  “As long as the husband—or, in my case, husbands—consent,” I noted. “Do you want children?”

  “I do.” Dax glanced up at me and then away. “And I'd also like to be one of those husbands. Now, that I'm a king, I think I should be considered.”

  “Did you just propose, dude?” Conri asked in horror. “Cause that was bad. I mean, even I can tell that was bad. Hell, even Cleary over here—Mr. Clueless—can tell it was bad. Right, Cleary?”

  “Huh?” Clearly glanced away from his constant monitoring of the street to look at Conri.

  “Shut up, Conri,” I growled.

  “He's right; this isn't the place for this.” Daxon sighed. “I had something much grander planned, but I allowed my emotions to get the best of me. My apologies.”

  “You had something grand planned?” I asked in surprise. “I didn't realize we were to the engagement phase.”

  “You don't want me to propose?”

  The van went silent; the backdrop of engines and traffic seeming strange with Daxon's glowing, blue eyes locked on me.

  “I...” I blinked and then laughed. “I guess I do want that. But I'd prefer a more private moment to discuss it.”

  Daxon's face shifted back into its usual suave mask; which meant that he was relieved.

  “Of course,” he said flippantly. I started to relax too, until he added, “As long as I'm included in the children meeting.”

  “Damn, Princess.” Conri whistled. “You're going to have babies in two different realms and three different kingdoms.”

  “I think I may be developing acid reflux,” I murmured as I rubbed my chest.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  We found some parking right in front of the San Francisco Council House. They had a charm in place to keep the prime parking spots open for visitors, so it wasn't as miraculous as it sounds. The Council House was actually two houses—two Victorians to be specific—and although they were joined together inside, they still had two front doors. I'd spent most of my life working out of this council house, and it still bothered me.

  We went in the right door because the elevator was nearest to that one. Delli was led between our ranks. I had removed the star-crossing just as we parked since it was technically illegal, and I didn't want to explain it to Murdock. It left Delli a little dazed and a lot confused, so he didn't put up a fight as we carted him along.

  I had been elf-shot once on the doorstep of this council house, and it had left a wary edge in my blood for the place. I could vividly remember Raza roaring and fighting off his own Guard to get to me. I scanned the block with both of my visual senses, but there was no one who looked threatening lurking on the street. I stretched my shoulders to try to get rid of the shivers as Matvei closed the door and blocked my view.

  Just inside the house, three extinguishers were waiting to take custody of our prisoner, and Killian was waiting to take custody of me. As I hugged Killian hello, Delli looked from me to the extinguishers, and I could tell from his expression that he was remembering being star-crossed. He knew he'd given up the goods and it wa
s putting him into a panic.

  “Your best bet is to try to make a deal with the Councils,” I said to him. “Be honest, and maybe they'll be lenient.”

  Delli's face hardened, but he nodded at me before being led down to the cells.

  “Look at you,” Councilman Karmen Dinello lounged against the railing of the staircase that led to the upper floors. “That's my girl; getting shit done. So, it was that Lana bitch, eh?”

  “Just as we said,” Daxon answered for me.

  “She escaped before we could apprehend her,” I added; glancing up at Killian. “So, all we have is what Delli told us.”

  “Deli?” Karmen raised a dark brow.

  “The brag we just brought in,” I clarified.

  “His name is Deli?”

  “With two Ls,” I said.

  “Why am I suddenly craving a corned beef sandwich?” Killian mused.

  “Because you're a man, and all they think about is food, fighting, and... the other F-word,” Extinguisher Abigail Teagan, my best extinguisher friend, sauntered down the hallway.

  “Abby!” I exclaimed and went to hug her.

  “Why didn't I get greeted like that?” Karmen huffed.

  “I just saw you the other day,” I said. “I haven't seen Abby in ages.”

  “I've been out hunting for the runaway monarchs,” Abby explained as she eased out of the hug and flipped her choppy, strawberry-blonde hair back. “But Murdock called me in to help with this latest drama.”

  “Good; we're happy to have you,” I said.

  “Abigail.” Torquil strode up and smiled softly at Abby. “How are you?”

  “I'm good, babe.” Abby slid into Torquil's embrace and kissed him soundly. “Now, I'm better.”

  Torquil—normally so reserved—didn't seem to mind this public display of affection; much to my shock and amusement. In fact, he hugged Abby closer and went back for seconds.

  “You're off-duty for the extent of our Council House visit,” I said to Torquil. “Enjoy.”

  “Thanks, sweetie!” Abigail's green eyes brightened as she grabbed Torquil's hand and instantly made off with him.

  “But...” Torquil glanced back at me.