One Salt Sea: An October Daye Novel

“Now?” I turned to face him. “Now we go in.”


He eyed me. “I don’t suppose they’ve installed a more convenient door since the last time I was here?”

“You are feeling optimistic tonight.” On a whim, I reached over and took his arm. “Come on.”

I know the route into Shadowed Hills better than almost anyone—practice makes perfect—but that didn’t stop Tybalt from practically running rings around me all the way up the hill. I was in the best shape of my life. Tybalt was still better, a point that was driven home when he reached the top of the hill a full ten steps ahead of me.

He smirked. “Should we take the long way next time?”

“Very funny.” A door appeared in the hollow oak. I knocked three times, and had barely pulled my hand away when the door opened, revealing a short, sleek-haired woman with gauzy mayfly’s wings. She looked harried, but she smiled when she saw me.

“Toby! Hey, honey, I was just thinking about you. Largely in the capacity of ‘I wonder what she’s managed to break recently,’ sure, but . . .” She trailed off when she spotted Tybalt. She tilted her head, wings twitching. “The King of Dreaming Cats, I presume?”

“You presume correctly,” said Tybalt.

“Hi, Jin,” I said. “Is the Duke in? I need to see him.”

Jin’s been Sylvester’s personal physician for as long as I can remember, but she’s only been short and dark for a few months. Ellyllon change appearance periodically, shedding their old skins like butterflies breaking out of cocoons. She swears it isn’t any more painful than losing a few strands of hair when you brush. I find that difficult to believe. Still, to each their own.

“Given that people are taking potshots at his Undersea equivalent during formal events? Yes, he’s in.” She offered Tybalt her hand. “I’m Jin.”

“Tybalt.” He took her hand and kissed it before letting go. “A pleasure.”

“Aren’t you sweet?” Jin smiled wearily before turning to head into the knowe. “Come on. His Grace will want to see you.”

“Right,” I said, and stepped inside.

The entrance hall was bustling with pages and courtiers, all shuttling fabric-wrapped bundles into the ballroom. I looked toward Jin, raising an eyebrow in silent question. She shook her head.

“Not my place, Toby, so don’t even ask.”

“Right,” I repeated, frowning as I followed her down the hall. Tybalt paced silently behind me. I took an odd degree of comfort from his presence.

Jin stopped at the throne room doors, giving us an apologetic look. “This is where I leave you,” she said. “I have some things I need to take care of. I only got the door because everybody else was busy.”

“I’m pretty sure we can handle it from here,” I said.

“Good.” Jin squinted at me. “You’re tired. Please get some sleep once you’ve made sure we don’t have to host a war.”

“Is that an order?” I asked, amused.

“Mmmm.” She turned to Tybalt. “You’re a big boy. If she doesn’t go to bed on her own, get some rope and tie her down.”

I couldn’t even shake off my shock enough to sputter as she vanished in a hail of green glitter. Tybalt gave me an amused smile that I could swear was almost gentle as he reached past me and rapped on the throne room doors. They swung open.

“After you,” he said.

Gathering my dignity as best I could, I stepped inside.

All of Shadowed Hills is built on the “way too big, way too gaudy” blueprint, and the throne room is no different. The walls are draped with watered silk in the Duchy’s colors, and the floor is checkerboard-patterned marble that always makes me feel like a misplaced chess piece. Tybalt’s footsteps are naturally silent, but even my shoes made no sound against the stone.