“I will make every effort to do that. Especially knowing how much it could help our cause.” I thought I managed to say it without any irony, but she gave me a look that was half-stern and half-amused.
“Finish your Guild business with Bryna and your assignment by one tomorrow afternoon.” Marisol paused and glanced at her tablet. “Technically, that’s this afternoon. Then report back here. I want you to keep close to our new changeling while she’s early in her homecoming.”
Irritation spiked through me again, more strongly than before. But I couldn’t refuse an order that came directly from the sovereign to whom I was sworn, and this was very much an order despite the informal tag she put on it.
I had no choice. I was going to have to get Bryna to tell me where to find Van Zant, bring the vamp in for the bounty, and get back to the stone fortress. And I had less than a day to do it.
Chapter 21
I ENDED UP crashing on the sofa in my stone fortress quarters so I wouldn’t have to waste any time getting back here to turn the screws on Bryna. I didn’t particularly want to sleep, but I was going to turn into a stumbling mess if I didn’t get at least a couple of hours of shut-eye. The door to the bedroom was closed, and as far as I could tell, Nicole didn’t even know I’d come in.
Early the next morning, before I went into the bathroom for a speed shower, I called fortress food service for breakfast delivery and charged it to Nicole. I wasn’t a resident of the fortress, so I didn’t have the right to many of the services. I thought the person on the other end might push back, but word of Nicole’s presence must have spread. Then I had to go into the bedroom for a clean shirt. My sister was curled up on her side under the covers, facing away from me.
“Nicole?” I whispered.
I had the sense that she was awake, but she didn’t respond, so I let her be.
The food arrived right as I finished dressing, but it wasn’t for me—I’d never been much of a breakfast person, and I’d grabbed a sandwich from Oliver’s fridge before I went to sleep. I was still a little bitter I’d missed out on the fancy Duergar court dinner, after all the time and effort that had gone into getting me prettied up. I left half of the breakfast food in the fridge for my sister.
The other half I put on a plate. Then I drew my sword. I nicked the edge of my left palm on the blade and let a bead of blood grow and drip onto the metal near the grip. My broadsword vibrated in my hands as my blood connected with the magic imbued in the spellblade. I waved the sword over the food and chanted in a whisper, and violet flames of magic licked out from the metal and over the plate, coiling down into the food and disappearing, like watching steam in reverse.
I left a note for Nicole, letting her know who to call on the apartment phone if she needed anything, and that I’d be back later to check in with her. There was no danger in letting her use the phone—calls couldn’t be made into the Earthly realm, or even beyond the fortress.
When I set out toward the fortress jail with the plate in hand, it was still early, but Stone Order business was getting into high gear. Pages walked the hallways with their tablets, and various other New Gargs were already engaged in their tasks for the day.
I rounded a corner and nearly rammed into Maxen.
I couldn’t help my surprise. “You’re back?”
He passed a hand over his eyes. “There wasn’t much more to do on a diplomatic visit after Periclase’s official appeal to Oberon,” he said. His voice was low, with a hoarse edge. He still wore court clothing, but his shirt was untucked and the top button undone. He looked exhausted.
“I didn’t exactly help matters,” I said ruefully.
He lifted a shoulder and let it drop. “Honestly, in the end I don’t think it mattered. The way things were going, it was all coming to a head regardless. And now with this demand that we return the changeling, well . . .” He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Going to Oberon is a direct shot. Diplomatic discussions are done. I, for one, am glad you got her out.”
The way he spoke, with such finality, brought an uncomfortable stirring deep in my gut. I had no love for Fae diplomacy and courtly back-and-forth, but to say the time for talking was over meant things were taking a turn for the serious. Periclase had been gunning for us, trying to force the Stone Order into his kingdom, and it was escalating in a way that suddenly felt very real. And uncomfortably personal. Because somehow, I’d become entangled in all of it.
“Is Lochlyn okay?” I asked. I knew my roommate could handle herself, but I felt bad about having to leave her so abruptly.
“She’s fine. She actually sang beautifully last night, and for a moment I think it distracted everyone from the tension. She said to tell you she’d see you at home whenever you make it there.”
“Unfortunately, I don’t think that will be any time soon,” I said. “I’m heading down now to press Bryna, and then Marisol has assigned me the unofficial role of Nicole’s New Garg BFF.”
He shot me a look edged with confusion. “Bryna?”
“Oh damn, you probably didn’t even know. Yeah, we ran into Bryna on the way out of the Duergar realm. I knocked her out and brought her here on the charge of attempted murder in the netherwhere. She’s going to lead me to the vamp I’ve been hunting for the Guild. Marisol knows, by the way. I had the pleasure of a late-night chat with her.”
“You need to hold Bryna accountable for violating the void,” Maxen said sharply.
“No,” I said with as much finality as I could muster. “It’s my choice, and I don’t want to go down that path and get tangled up in the High Court. I’ll take care of it.”
“Petra, you can’t just let that slide.”
“I’m not,” I said through clenched teeth.
He held up his hands in surrender.
“Good luck with Bryna,” he said. He started down the hall, walking backward so he was still facing me. “I’m glad you’ll be sticking around the fortress, whatever the reason.”
“Ha. That makes it all so much better,” I said sarcastically, but it actually was kind of nice.
“Oh,” he called from down the hall. “Jasper said to tell you hello.”
My pulse bumped, and I stopped short before I could catch myself. I pivoted and looked over my shoulder, trying to play it off. “Okay, uh, good to know.”