Late Eclipses

TWENTY-ONE

ETIENNE LOOKED MORE DISTRESSED THAN ever when he returned. “His Grace didn’t answer when I knocked. I’ve called for Jin, but it may take some time.”

“That’s okay.” I raked my hair back, grimacing as the movement tugged on my bandages. “I could use a moment to catch my breath.”

“If you don’t mind my saying so, you don’t look well,” said Etienne, hesitating before adding, “I’ve never seen you maintain a human persona inside the knowe.”

“What?” I felt the rounded edge of my ear, resisting the urge to laugh. “Oak and ash, Etienne, I didn’t even realize I was still wearing the damn thing.” I hesitated before adding, “I’m not sure I could put it up again if I took it down right now. I’m not exactly at my best.”

“You could try.”

“That seems too much like work.”

Etienne smiled a little, looking relieved to have me back on what he viewed as familiar ground. “Still lazy, I see. I’ll never know how you survived your training.”

“The Puck looks out for the lazy and suicidal?” I suggested.

“Possibly the only explanation,” he agreed.

I was trying to figure out how to say “by the way, I’ve been poisoned” without freaking either Etienne or Quentin out when a door opened in the wall across from us, cutting off any further conversation. We turned, almost in unison, to see Dugan—the Queen’s messenger—step through. He was closely followed by Rayseline, Manuel, and five men in the Queen’s livery. All of them stopped when Dugan did.

I straightened, wishing I’d thought to drop my human disguise when I came in.

“My lady—” Etienne began.

Raysel cut him off with a sharp gesture of her hand. There was a strange, bright triumph in her eyes. “I told you she was here,” she said. “Do your duty.”

“With pleasure,” said Dugan, stepping forward. “October Daye, you stand accused of murder and attempted murder. Will you come quietly?”

“Don’t I even get a title when I’m being arrested?” I asked wearily.

“His Grace—” began Quentin.

“This isn’t his concern,” said Dugan.

“Yes, it is,” I said. “He’s my liege. He has a right to be here.”

“No, he’s not,” said Raysel, the triumph in her eyes bleeding into her voice. “You may be my father’s knight, Daye, but you’re the Queen’s Countess.”

I froze. “You’re kidding.”

“No, she’s not,” said Dugan. “When you took that title, your fealty changed.”

I wanted to protest. I couldn’t. Fealty is a tricky thing; it’s a debt, of a sort, one you pay with loyalty, duty, and action. Goldengreen was in the Queen’s own lands. Oberon help me, but I was hers.

“Will you come quietly?”

“Tell me what I’m accused of,” I countered. “You owe me that much.”

“We owe you nothing,” Raysel said sharply.

Too sharply; Etienne’s eyes narrowed. “My lady, she is sworn to your father. You overstep your authority.”

“Fine,” said Raysel. “Dugan, read the charges.”

Dugan looked at her sharply, clearly displeased by her casual orders. Then he cleared his throat, and said, “You stand accused of the murder of the Lady of the Tea Gardens and the attempted murder of the Duchess of Shadowed Hills.”

“What makes you accuse me?” I asked, fighting to keep my temper in check. Getting mad wouldn’t do me any good. Etienne looked like he was fighting the same battle; he was glaring daggers at Raysel. “It could have been anyone.”

“I saw you run out to the terrace just before the Duchess collapsed,” said Manuel, with unconcealed malice. “You went out and spoke with her, and then she fell.”

“You know I’d never hurt Luna.”

“Like you didn’t hurt my sister?” he hissed.

“You were a captive in the Tea Gardens, and now their Lady is dead.” Raysel ignored Manuel’s outburst. “You became a captive because of my mother, and now she’s dying. An interesting coincidence, don’t you think?”

“That isn’t all we have against you,” said Dugan. “Manuel?”

Manuel pulled a leather pouch from his pocket, handing it to Dugan. Dugan held it toward me, asking, “Do you recognize this?”

“No. What is it?”

“Open it and see.”

I took the pouch, feeling the weight of it. My heart sank, and kept sinking as I untied the strings and looked inside, seeing the contents for the first time.

Lily’s pearl looked like some strange, half-rotten fruit. It was the size of my fist, and glossy white, except for the black streaks marring its lower half. I reached into the pouch and scooped the pearl into my hand, turning it until the blackness was all that showed. Gouges scored the enamel at the center of the decay.

“That was found at the edge of the Tea Gardens,” said Dugan, taking the pearl from my unresisting hand. “An uncorked vial was driven into the mud a few inches away. It was empty when we found it, but had it held poison—”

“—the current would have carried it over the pearl and into the scrapes. Oh, root and branch, how could we have been so stupid?” Of course Walther’s samples tested pure. The poison was so diffuse by the time it reached the main water system that it registered as normal contamination of the groundwater. “When was this found?”

“Yesterday morning. The Undine guard such treasures fiercely. How many people knew that fiefdom well enough to know its location?”

“You found this before Lily died?” Fury rose hot in the back of my throat. I tamped it down, demanding, “Why didn’t you save her? Why didn’t you try? The Queen—”

“Has no jurisdiction in the park,” said Dugan.

“So why is she trying to prosecute me for a crime committed outside her jurisdiction?” I snapped.

“It was in her Kingdom. She could not prevent, but she can punish. Now will you come quietly?”

“I don’t think she has to,” said Etienne.

“Stay out of this,” snapped Raysel. “It’s not your concern.”

“Actually, it is. She’s your father’s knight, Rayseline, just as I am. Would you turn me over so easily?” Etienne shook his head. “This isn’t right. The Duke must be told before we allow them to take her.”

Dugan was opening his mouth to answer when a tired, familiar voice said, “The Duke must be told what?” We all turned, even the Queen’s men, to watch Sylvester step into the room. “Have I missed something, Rayseline?” he asked. “Hello, October.”

“Hello, Your Grace.” I bowed. The Queen’s men hastened to do the same. “These nice men were just arresting me.”

Rayseline shot me a look dripping with hatred. “They’re taking Countess Daye for questioning, Father. They think she might help them answer some questions about Mother’s illness.”

“Is that so? Interesting. Are you here on the Queen’s orders?” His question sounded almost aimless. I knew better. Sylvester’s at his most dangerous when he sounds like he doesn’t care.

“Your daughter requested our presence, Your Grace,” Dugan replied.

“As I expected. She’s a good girl, but sometimes she rushes things.” Sylvester smiled, looking no less exhausted. “You’ll have to speak to the Queen before I let you remove my knight from my fiefdom. I’m sure you understand.”

“She’s a danger!” Raysel snapped.

“You’re not in charge yet, Rayseline,” he said, tone sharpening. “I appreciate your initiative. Now get your friends out of my knowe before I get angry.”

She stared at him before she whirled and stormed past me, the Queen’s men following in her wake. My fealty might belong to the Queen, but Sylvester was right; without either a direct order from her or his consent, they couldn’t take me.

“This isn’t over,” Manuel hissed as he left.

I held myself stiff as I watched him go. So this was the way they wanted it? Fine. At least we all understood where we were coming from.

It was only a few moments before Sylvester, Etienne, Quentin, and I were the only ones in the room. Sylvester sagged. “Toby, I’m sorry. I didn’t know she would … ”

“It’s okay,” I said. “You didn’t know, and she hates me. She always has.”

“I expected more from her.”

“I’m sorry.” What else was I supposed to say? Raysel was his only child, and his wife was dying. He wasn’t going to get another chance unless I somehow solved this.

“I know.” He shook his head. “Did you come here for a reason? Etienne seemed quite set that you should see me.”

“Yes, I did,” I said. “I think I know who’s behind this.” I tensed, waiting for him to fly off the handle again.

He just looked at me dully, and asked, “Oleander?” I nodded. Sighing, he said, “I assumed you’d try telling me as much. I’ve had Jin prepare a calming tonic to keep me … reasonable while this is going on. Is there proof?”

“More all the time. Someone poisoned the meat Tybalt feeds to his Court with pure extract of oleander flowers; several Cait Sidhe are already dead. The Queen’s men have Lily’s pearl. They found it next to an empty vial.”

“Poison?” asked Etienne.

“I think so. And … I went to see a Tylwyth Teg named Walther, who used to work for Lily. He ran some tests on my blood. I’ve been poisoned, too. Low-grade—it’s intended to confuse me, not kill me—but it’s still poison.”

Sylvester’s mouth thinned into an angry line. “You say these things and then expect me to let you go charging back into danger.”

I sighed. “Because I know you will. It may be Luna’s only chance.”

“You’re right,” he said, softly. “Toby, you can’t come here again. I’ll send Quentin or Etienne if I need you, but I can’t stop the Queen if you’ve been accused.”

“I understand. Go back to Luna; stay with her. If I can fix this, I will.”

“If you can’t fix this, she’ll die.”

“And so will I.”

“I know.” He turned away. I started to reach for him, but stopped myself, shaking my head. There was nothing left to say.

Etienne stepped up beside me, offering his arm, and I took it without hesitating. Shadowed Hills was no sanctuary for me anymore. In the end, there’s never a sanctuary. You run until there’s nowhere left to run to, and then you fight, and then you die, and then it’s over. That’s how the world works, and if there’s a way to change that, I hope someone’s eventually planning to let me know.