One Salt Sea: An October Daye Novel

In the washroom, I found a vial of something pale blue taped to the bottom of her cured-oak bathtub. There was a ribbon taped next to it, holding a dozen shining silver needles in place. I was very careful not to touch their points as I peeled back the tape and added them to the small assortment of things to be taken away.

The needles were a chilling reminder that Raysel had been working with Oleander de Merelands when she tried to use poison to assassinate Luna. Just wondering what might be on those needles made me feel like running screaming from the room. We didn’t find anything after that, and I was secretly glad; I’d had about as much as I could handle. In the end, I was grateful to take what we’d found—the box, the bottle, the needles, and the drawer of shoeboxes filled with rocks—and leave. I wanted to be gone. Even the Queen’s Court would be a pleasant change after seeing the prison Rayseline had made to replace the one she’d lost.

Tybalt carried the drawer, leaving me with the rest. I placed the needles and vial in the box of papers, waiting while Etienne opened a gateway back to the receiving hall. Tybalt cast a glance in my direction.

“Are you all right?”

“No,” I said. “But right now, that’s going to have to be good enough. Let’s get the hell out of here.”

“So soon?” He smiled wryly. “I was just becoming accustomed to the décor.”

That was surprising enough to wring a laugh out of me. I was still laughing as I stepped through Etienne’s gateway, feeling the familiar dip-and-weave as the knowe settled into its new configuration. Tybalt followed half a step behind. Grianne was already gone. I raised an eyebrow at Etienne.

“Sir Grianne had duties elsewhere,” he said, closing the gate with a crisp motion of his hand. “I shall give her your regards, if you would like.”

“Yeah, I’d like that.” I looked down at the things I was holding. “Look, I hate to ask you to do this, but can you—”

“I will inform His Grace of our findings, and make him aware that you’re removing them for further study.” Etienne’s gaze darted toward the throne room doors. “He’ll ask where you’ll be. He’ll ask when you’ll know anything.”

“Yeah, well. I’m going to be at the Queen’s Court at dusk tomorrow. She’s agreed to let me question the staff. And at some point, I’m going to be visiting Saltmist. I need to search the boys’ rooms.”

“Can you be reached?”

“I have got to get a phone.” The urge to rake my hair back was thwarted by the things in my hands. I settled for blowing my bangs out of my eyes. “If you need me, call the apartment. I’ll check in regularly, and May can pass along any messages.”

“I suppose that will have to be sufficient.” Etienne sighed. “This is a twice-cursed mess, October.”

“Oh, believe me, I know. But I’ll do the best I can to bring it to a resolution that doesn’t kill us all.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” said Etienne, and bowed before turning to walk slowly toward the throne room doors. He was moving like that to give us time to get out of the area before Sylvester could call me back. I know an escape when it’s offered to me, and I took it without hesitating. Nodding toward the end of the hall to signal Tybalt to follow, I started briskly for the exit.

It was long past time to get moving. The world wasn’t going to hold still while I caught up with it.





TWELVE


TYBALT WAITED UNTIL THERE WAS a corner and half a hallway between us and Etienne before asking, “So now what happens?”

“Now I call Walther and ask him to analyze the contents of the vial,” I said, nodding toward the box I was carrying. “I’m willing to bet that it’s poison, but I’d like specifics. I’m going to check with the Luidaeg to see if she’s arranged that meeting with Dianda. After that, I’ll head for the Queen’s Court, and . . .” I sighed. “After that comes whatever comes after that. I can’t be any more specific. A nap might be nice.”

“It’s a beginning,” said Tybalt. “Whatever comes next, we’ll confront it. There’s nothing more than that to be done.”

I smiled a little. “Deal.”