Foul is Fair (17 page)

When Megan looked back around at the others, she noticed Lani, in particular, staring incredulously. "Did that just happen?"

"I'm...actually not sure," Megan responded, a little confused, with more time to process, but suddenly feeling a lot less hurt, and a lot more confident in their mission.

Justin sheathed the sword and moved to Megan's right side. "Thank you. I'm not sure what you did with their magic, but..."

"That wasn't her," Cassia said. "That's one of the things the sword is all about. How do you think those heroes of old Ireland stood up against sorcerers and Fomoire and all sorts of magical this-and-thats? You're not invulnerable—but a few sprite tricks aren't going to slow you down. Oh, and you should see what it does to undead things."

"Undead?" Megan said.

"Don't worry," Cassia said. "I can outrun them."

"That's... actually not very reassuring," Megan told her.

Cassia hooked the cats up to her chariot, now not only working, but scratch-free. "Sure it is. I feel much better." She helped Lani up onto the chariot with her, whether out of thanks for the repairs, or because she still had the worst injuries wasn't clear.

In preparation for the trip, the Count landed on Megan's shoulder, Ashling dismounting and crawling around the back of her neck to sit on Megan's other shoulder. "Besides, no one has seen any undead things in forever. There's some cults with necromantic leanings here and there around the world, but they're probably harmless. And I guess there might be a vampire or two in Washington D.C., but that's just kind of a given, right?" the pixie said.

"You're no help either," Megan replied, before setting off after Cassia and the chariot, with the others close behind.

After a few more miles of travel, Justin turned, heading off the path and deeper into the woodlands.

"The castle is this way." Lani pointed.

"We're not going to the castle," Justin said. "The stone's this way.”

Lani and Megan exchanged a glance, then Megan turned to follow. A moment later, Cassia turned the chariot and moved to follow as well.

As they walked, Ashling started muttering. For some time, and a few miles, Megan didn't pay it much mind. Then she heard the strangest thing she'd heard yet from Ashling—at least given what she knew of the pixie. "Huh... I'm not even sure where this is."

Cassia apparently heard her, too. “Well, if we get ambushed again, our hardworking young man can apparently handle things with one hand tied against his side,” she said, grinning.

Justin just stared straight ahead. “There it is,” he said, heading for a very small clearing. In it was a gray stone, perfectly cylindrical, sitting on the ground.

“Well, Justin, get the sword in the rock so we can get on with the rest of the job,” said Megan. “Matters of life and death and all.”

As Justin nodded and drew the blade, Ashling suddenly spoke hurriedly, even by Ashling standards. “Megan, I just remembered where this is, and that's not a rock. I've only ever come here with the Unseelie King, and...”

“Ashling, I'm sure it's a great story with a lot of interesting definitions, but let Justin finish his deal first.”

And in a flurry of white and blue sparks, Justin stabbed the blade into the stone.

For a moment, nothing happened, and Justin reached for the sword again. Before he could take hold of it, blue flame shot upward from the stone, shooting high into the air. Surprised, Justin staggered back. As the flame lowered, a shockwave rippled out from the stone, the outer edge ringed with blue flame. Megan dove just in time, and even then, the force rolled her backwards. Justin landed next to her, stunned and groaning, but at least still moving. The others ended up scattered around the clearing, with Cassia catching and shielding Lani with her body before they crashed into a tree. Ashling and the Count both went tumbling much further, disappearing back into the woods.

As Megan watched, blue flames licked across the surface of the stone, etching ancient Celtic symbols in the facing surface. Even after the flames passed each symbol, continuing to write something across the stone, the symbols still flickered with occasional sparks or tiny tongues of flame. Megan couldn't make out the writing, but even from where she was, could feel power and heat radiating off of the stone.

“What did that just do?” Megan asked, trying to clear her head while looking around for signs of Ashling.

“Exactly what I needed it to,” said a clear-ringing voice. Orlaith, accompanied by her General, a dozen of the sidhe knights, and twice as many brownies, stepped into the clearing from the other side. A host of pixies—Megan couldn't say how many glimmers that was—emerged from the woods, settling into the trees around the edges.

“It will fuel the balefires,” the Queen continued. “A constant, dependable energy source will keep them burning, keep the paths clear and safe. We don't need detours for maintenance. We don't need Unseelie tricks to stoke them. We will never need the Unseelie to run anything again. Now that it's obsolete, I am canceling the Dance, this year and forever."

"Canceling the Dance?" Lani was the next to speak. "That's insane. Do you realize what that will do to Earth?"

Orlaith turned her head, glancing at Lani for a few moments before answering. "Earth will survive. As soon as stability is ensured, we'll see what we can do to help mitigate any damage. We must look to the good of Faerie, first."

Cassia was next, half-growling her words as she pulled herself up to stand behind Lani. "You're asking for war. The Unseelie aren't going to stand for this."

"The Unseelie are a nuisance. They are a mess. They are a prison mob that that is allowed to run loose year after year. I am choosing to end the cycle and keep things in the hands of those of us who know what we're doing."

"By shoving a flaming sword into your delicately-balanced system?" Megan interjected.

"I can control it," was Orlaith's slow, almost staccato reply. "It can be controlled."

"But ... but won't there be a huge fight?" Megan asked.

"Here's hoping," said Cassia.

The queen just smiled. "Who knows? There are a few Unseelie who can see reason sometimes," she said with a cryptic lightness. "As for the rest, how would they become informed and organized before Samhain? Even if they did, we have the upper hand until then—and now we always will."

“When my dad went missing in the first place… ” Megan began.

“I may have mentioned how very, very impressive an E
llén Trechend would be for the Samhain feast at the ball. I may have mentioned that it was just possible for a sufficiently skilled and dashing hunter to bring in such a trophy from the Winter Marches before the paths even shifted. And then, certain reasonable people may have done what they found necessary.”

The words echoed a bit as Megan heard them. Her brain scrambled to the last time she heard a phrase like that, and the wince on her face took on several different aspects. She struggled to listen, her heart pounding with anger, hurt, and confusion, to the Queen's next declaration.

“Justin of Ludlow,” Orlaith said. “Our deal is done. You are under no further geasa.”

“Guess what?” Megan asked automatically, little though she was in the mood for another vocabulary lesson. Ashling still didn't pop up to give one, anyway.

“She doesn't have any other jobs for me before I go home,” Justin, still bowing slightly, explained in the careful tone of a boy who realizes he's pleased some very dangerous people and accidentally upset others.

“Exactly,” Orlaith said. “Ludlow is still lovely this time of year, crumbling castle walls and all. Admittedly, right now that particular path would be especially…” She glanced at the sword and the blue-sparking conduit. “…hot. Uncomfortably so.”

“So we'll all be waiting comfortably together at the castle,” Cassia asked, sneering. “With this nice comfortable escort and maybe a comfortable cell—or a comfortable pyre?”

“I don't think there'd be any point to that. I can send some pixies with you temporarily—”

“They already have one, thank you, Majesty.” Ashling's voice was cold as the Count finally flew out of the trees. “Come on,” she said, and all the Queen's pixies and all the Queen's men made no move as Ashling led the girls, the chariot, and Justin out of the clearing.

“I told you it wasn't a rock,” Ashling said.

“You also told me you evolved from baby's laughter and that he's called the Count because he has a widow's peak!” Megan replied. “Anyway, I...” There was too much. Just too much. So she seized on one thing she thought she could address. “I kind of have a feeling who might have helped with all this by arranging the Unseelie involved in the ambush.”

“The Gray Lady?”

“Ah. Yeah. So…is that why you were mad at her when we met her?” Megan had wondered, but there'd always been too many other questions.

“Sort of. I didn't know anything, but she's been on his case for years. A few nagging whispers about his travels and all. And—”

“She's into will o' wisps.”

“Yeah. I'm going to give her such a piece of my mind after I've taken you home.”

Megan paused for a moment. “You're talking to Justin, right?”

“No,” Ashling said. “Easier to just bring him to Seattle, too. He'll deal.”

Justin, walking along with an ornate empty sheath at his side, wisely made no objection.

“Oh, then we've got a problem,” Megan said after a pause. “I don't know that I want to go home anytime soon.”

Chapter 28: Over Lunch

The trip back to An Teach Deiridh, after Ashling stared at Megan for a moment, then changed course, was made in uncomfortable silence, with no one sure how best to address the situation—or willing to risk other pixies, sprites, or will o' wisps listening in. This might well have been the only thing that held Lani back as she looked intently at Megan throughout the walk. Despite the obvious discomfort amongst the group, they stuck together.

Cassia did not unhitch the cats from the chariot. Instead, she drove it directly into the front atrium. A brownie scurried up to them. “We prefer no vehicles inside,” she—definitely she; Megan could tell—said with a big nervous smile at the satyress.

Cassia glared, and the brownie started to retreat under her gaze, but Megan stepped in between them before Cassia said a word. "Can you please see that food is delivered to my father's room?”

"To your... father's room? Yes, yes, of course, Highness," the little faerie agreed, almost stumbling over her feet trying to get some distance. She did not try again to stop Cassia from just driving in, and neither did Megan. The wheels occasionally made a clacking sound against the smooth stone floor, but not enough to drown out the Click-Click-Click sound the cats' claws made.

"To your father's room? Why are we going there?" Lani asked as they all headed right into the Unseelie wing. The wheels on the floors soon went more Rumble-Rumble-Rumble as the stone texture shifted. There were still crowds in the halls, but everyone got out of Cassia's way.

“Well, for one thing, we're going to eat. Here's hoping with dessert, too.” Megan sniffed the air. “Like that apple cobbler somebody's baking. That'd hit the spot.”

"We don't need anything from any of the Queen's ass-kissers," Cassia snarled. "I should start gathering the mob."

"Then don't eat," Megan said, "But stay with us a while before you do anything. You heard her, and Ashling. She has allies all over. Do you really trust all the people in your mob?"

Cassia, shaking her head and muttering, directed the cats forward, past Riocard's chambers. Maxwell strode on, snarling. Jude, however, attempted to turn towards Megan.

Cassia halted the now-skidding chariot before it fell over. She looked at Jude, who now sat beside Megan in his aviator helmet. The helmet was the color of rich coffee with cream that smelled like aged leather and…strawberries? Megan could only guess that maybe Jude had gotten into something requiring Cassia (or more likely, Cassia's girlfriend) to give the poor kitty a bath with whatever shampoo was handy.

“Seriously?" Cassia said, staring at him.

The leopard growled something in response.

"Okay, okay. So we couldn't trust most of them before all of this," Cassia agreed out loud, "You're still being a traitor."

The cat didn't move.

"Okay, fine. You have a plan. Let's go. But no lunch. Her Anal-Retentiveness would probably have us poisoned."

"If she wanted us dead, she'd have killed us. No one would have known," Lani said.

"She might want us dead,” Megan said as she mimicked Ashling's previous words to open the door, then got them all safely in. Even the Count decided to perch above the inner doorframe this time. “But she definitely wants something else more. I figured that much out."

"Wait, what?" Lani said as the door closed.

“My Dad was able to talk to me, back near the city,” Megan said as she casually lifted a hand to offer Ashling a path from the perch to her shoulder. It was accepted. “She imprisoned him. She didn't kill him. She expects him back someday, even if she hopes it's way after she's totally secured her super-rule and all. When he does, she knows after all he went through to protect me, having actually directly hurt me would mean she wouldn't be able to manipulate him into some kind of settlement. So we're a peace offering.”