The Winter Long

GETTING QUENTIN AND RAJ to stay behind was surprisingly easy after Chelsea revealed that she had an Xbox and a number of video games that allowed for cooperative play. The boys needed the break. Tybalt and I left Bridget and Etienne’s quarters to the sweet sound of teenagers arguing viciously over who was going to drive the blue car. I smiled despite the situation as I slipped through the open hole in the wall and back into the servants’ halls beyond.

Tybalt glanced at my expression and raised an eyebrow. “Something amusing?”

“Just the kids,” I said. “I like teenagers. I never really thought I would.”

“Ah,” he replied. “Well, I suppose that’s excellent luck on your part, as we’re stuck with them for the time being. Teenagers turn out to be surprisingly difficult to get rid of.”

“I’m pretty good at it.”

“I meant for longer than the duration of an action movie.”

“Yeah, that’s harder.” I shrugged. “But they usually bring me back popcorn, so I’m okay with it.”

Tybalt snorted. “You are too flippant for your own good,” he said. “October, what we are walking into . . .”

“Is dangerous, I know.” I reached out and took his hand, lacing my fingers through his. “Luna sent me to face her father without telling me who she really was because she was scared. I know that. I also know that I haven’t trusted her since then, and that her daughter is in an enchanted sleep because of me. We used to have this really straightforward, sweet relationship, and now it’s like I’m afraid to be alone in a room with her.”

“Growing up often comes at the cost of our heroes,” he said.

I glanced in his direction, even though it was dark enough that all I could really see was the outline of his body. “So what does that say about my relationship with Quentin? I’m a hero of the realm now, remember?”

“You’re his hero, but also his friend, and he idolizes you less than he used to,” said Tybalt, with patient thoughtfulness. “Perhaps if you had never become his knight you would have betrayed his sense of who you were one day—and perhaps it would have been as bad as the betrayal the Duchess Torquill offered you. But you removed yourself from any pedestals he could build as fast as he assembled them. I don’t think you’ll break his heart. Not in that manner, anyway.”

“I’m not planning on breaking any hearts any time soon,” I said, giving Tybalt’s hand a squeeze. “I’m going to talk to Luna, she’s going to tell me what I need to know, and then we’re going to figure out what happens next. Hopefully, it involves punching. All this skulking around is starting to get on my nerves.”

“It’s true, you’ve had few opportunities to bleed all over everything and ruin my best shirt.”

“I can’t have ruined your best shirt every time.”

“Ah, but you see, each time you ruin one best shirt, another must take its place, and your aim is impeccable.” Tybalt stopped walking. I stopped with him, dropping his hand as I reached out to feel the wall.

The servants’ halls in Shadowed Hills are marked internally with wood carvings, little icons and patterns that identify where the nearest door will access the knowe. The carving here was of a stylized rose, with each of its petals made from a differently positioned crescent moon. I lowered my hand. We were standing outside of Luna’s private quarters.

“I will wait for you here,” said Tybalt solemnly.

“I’ll be right back,” I said, reaching into the dark until I found his shoulder and pulled him to me for a quick kiss. The contact was reassuring, and all-too-quickly broken as I stepped back, put my hand against the rose of crescent moons, and opened the door into Luna’s quarters.