Chimes at Midnight

“Good. Then drive.”


It was late enough that the beginnings of the morning commute were trickling onto the roads, making the freeway a hit-or-miss proposition. I handed the flagon and cruet back to Dianda, telling her how to use them to treat her iron poisoning. Lowri drove like a native, choosing side streets and back alleys over congested intersections, and I closed my eyes, starting to relax. I was exhausted. Maybe some people can suffer a mortal wound, use a hope chest on themselves, get iron poisoning, and manipulate someone else’s magic in a single night without getting tired, but I’m not one of them.

“Is this woman’s claim to the throne really legitimate?”

Lowri sounded anxious enough that I opened one eye, and replied, “Yes, it is. She’s King Gilad’s daughter. She looks like him. His knowe opened for her. She’s the real Queen in the Mists, and she’s claiming her crown. The guy in the back is her brother. He’s been asleep for a while, thanks to the lady you used to serve. Taking him was sort of the last-ditch attempt to make Arden back down.”

“She has the support of the Undersea,” said Dianda. “In case that matters.”

“I served the current Queen because my family died in the War of Silences,” said Lowri. “I lost my liege, my home, my family . . . everything. I had nowhere else to go. But I never gave her my loyalty. Just my service.”

“We’re not the ones you have to convince,” I said. “As long as you don’t drive us off a cliff, I’m good.”

“We’d hit the water, so I’m good either way,” said Dianda.

“I want my normal sidekicks back,” I said.

She smirked at me in the rearview mirror. We kept driving.

Lowri turned off the road leading to the Muir Woods parking lot as the first rays of dawn were starting to tint the sky. True to his word, Tybalt was waiting at the gate, which was standing open for us. He stepped aside as Lowri pulled into the first available space, and she killed the engine just as the sun crested the horizon and dawn slammed down on us like a hammer. All the air went out of the world, taking the illusions that made us seem human with it. In that moment, we were defenseless.

I scrabbled for the door handle, finally managing to open the door and lean out into the fresh morning air. It had the distinct ashy taste of dying magic, but that didn’t matter; it was a little easier to breathe, and I was willing to take what I could get.

Then dawn passed, and I could breathe again. I pulled in a great whooping gasp, choked, and did it again, more slowly this time. “Everyone all right?”

“I’m good,” said Dianda. She left the flagon and cruet in the back as she got out of the car. I nodded my approval. I didn’t want to risk them getting broken when we might need them later.

“Yes,” said Lowri.

“There are human rangers in the gateway building,” said Tybalt. “I’ve found another route through the woods.”

“Oh, yay,” I said flatly, and got out of the car. “Tromping through the woods carrying an unconscious man is my favorite way to start the day.”

“That’s good, because that’s what you’re about to do,” said Dianda.

I sighed. “And apparently, the Undersea doesn’t have sarcasm. All right. Let’s move.”

“I can get him,” said Lowri. We turned to look at her. She shrugged. “I’m stronger than I look.”