The Stepsister Scheme (43 page)

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Authors: Jim C. Hines

BOOK: The Stepsister Scheme
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Stacia had truly loved him. “I’m glad you found one another.” The broken blade slid easily from her stepsister’s body. Danielle set it on the floor with the hilt of her sword.
Movement in the shadows on the stairs made her jump. The Duchess smiled as she followed her darkling bodyguard down the steps. “Stacia played a dangerous game.”
Both Talia and Snow started to cross the room. The Duchess waved her hand. “I wish to speak with Princess Danielle.”
Princess
. Danielle nodded to her friends. She was safe now.
“Great rewards require great risks,” the Duchess went on. Danielle wondered if she was talking about Stacia or herself. “She was a strong, resourceful, intelligent, and determined young woman. More like you than her own sister, in truth.”
Danielle shook her head. “They both tried to murder me. They used magic and deceit to take Armand. They—”
“Yes, yes, you’re a nice girl and they were evil,” said the Duchess, a touch of impatience in her voice. “They tried to steal your man. You simply slaughtered my servants, killed several of my guests in my own dining room, ripped one of my bridges from its mooring, terrorized my poor goblins, and interrupted my dinner.”
On the other side of the table, Snow cleared her throat. “Actually,
I
did most of the slaughtering, Your Grace.”
The Duchess ignored her. She glanced at the chandelier, and the candles flickered to life. A pair of darklings scurried out to begin clearing the debris from the floor. “You killed several of my children as well.” This time, the threat in her voice was clear.
“Your children?” Danielle repeated, trying to hide her revulsion.
“Not in the same fashion as your own son. But the darklings are mine. That which I can create, I can also destroy. They know that, and they obey me.” She waved a hand. “Fortunately, midsummer will be here soon, and I will be able to restore what you’ve taken from me.”
“I had no choice,” said Danielle. “I came to save my husband. I killed her to protect my son.”
“And you took her husband in the process. There’s an almost fairylike justice to it.” She stepped over Armand and walked toward the table. “Once this mess is cleaned, would you care to join me for dinner, Princess? We were about to begin the main course when you and your companion . . . arrived. Griffin tongues roasted over dragon fire, glazed with honeysuckle sauce. My own recipe, and quite good.”
“Stacia wasn’t the only one playing a game, Your Grace,” said Danielle.
“What are you doing?” Snow whispered. Danielle ignored her, all of her attention on the Duchess.
The Duchess turned around, spreading her fingers on the edge of the table. “Of course, Queen Rose played a role as well. A powerful witch, to postpone death for so long. I wish I’d known her while she lived.”
“You came so close to usurping the fairy queen, years ago,” said Danielle. “When the king took you as his slave, you escaped him as well. Yet I’m to believe such a master of deception was fooled by my stepsisters? By a pair of young, spoiled humans? How humiliating that must be for you.”
If she hadn’t been watching so closely, Danielle would have missed the slight stiffening of the Duchess’ features. The Duchess straightened her robe, brushing away imaginary specks. “Fairies and humans have always played at such games, child. This time, your stepsisters and Queen Rose were the losers.”
The terseness in her words told Danielle she had scored a point. Whether or not that was a good thing was impossible to say.
“Actually, Charlotte is still alive,” said Danielle.
The Duchess blinked, the only sign of surprise. “I see.”
“Once we’re gone . . .” Danielle glanced at Talia. Charlotte had already tried to murder Danielle, as well as her unborn child. She had helped kidnap and enchant Armand. She and Stacia had destroyed the hazel tree which held her mother’s spirit.
Talia nodded once. Danielle would be well within her rights to have her stepsister imprisoned, or even executed.
“Yes?” asked the Duchess.
“Please give her whatever she needs, then send her on her way,” said Danielle.
Talia cleared her throat. “Princess, your stepsister is still a danger. You can’t—”
“I can,” Danielle said. “Charlotte is alone for the first time in her life. My birds killed her mother. I killed her sister.” She turned to Snow. “When we get home, I want you to use your mirror. Charlotte is a poor witch. Without Rose and Stacia, I doubt she has the power to hide from you. You should have no trouble casting a spell to tell us if she ever comes within a hundred paces of the palace.”
Snow nodded.
“That won’t stop her from sending someone else to kill you,” Talia muttered.
“No, it won’t.” Danielle smiled. “That’s why I have you.” She faced the Duchess. “Please tell my stepsister . . . tell her to leave Lorindar. If I ever see her again, I’ll have her locked away for the rest of her days. Tell her she’s free, and to find her own life.”
The Duchess bowed her head. “As you wish, Your Highness. And for yourselves, I would be happy to provide an escort to guide you down to my borders. I’m afraid it wouldn’t be prudent for my people to lead you all the way to the hedge, but—”
“Don’t worry about it,” said Snow. She had flipped open the mirror in her knife, and was studying the left side of her face. She tugged on a strand of gray and pursed her lips. “Once we’re outside, I can have Arlorran summon us back.”
“Thank you,” said Danielle. She looked up into the Duchess’ cool eyes. “I’ll be sure to remember everything you’ve done for me once I’m queen.”
“Yes.” The Duchess glanced at Stacia’s body, then back at Danielle. “So alike,” she whispered.
Danielle ignored her, limping over to pick up the broken pieces of her sword.
“When you wish to contact me, simply call me three times,” the Duchess said.
“Call you
what
?” Talia muttered.
Danielle brought her sword to Armand. She removed his sword belt and slid the blade into his scabbard. “I can’t imagine that time will ever come.”
“Oh, but it will.” The amusement in the Duchess’ voice was enough to make Danielle turn around.
“What do you mean?”
“I’m talking about your son,” said the Duchess with mock-surprise. “Only a few months along, and already he has been immersed in dark enchantments. Black witchcraft, not to mention the fairy magic of my darkling children.” She spread her hands. “Who knows how that might affect a developing babe?”
Danielle spun. “How dare—”
Talia caught Danielle’s arm. Strong fingers dug into her elbow. “Act against her, in her own palace, and she owns you,” Talia whispered.
Danielle forced a stiff nod. “Thank you.” She drew a deep breath, then glanced at Talia, who loosened her grip. “Which staircase will lead us from your tower, Your Grace?”
“Either, if I so wish it,” said the Duchess. “One last thing, my dears, before you leave me. My people value their privacy. I trust you’ll keep my humble home a secret.”
“Not from Beatrice,” Danielle said. “And
I
trust you will treat my stepsister well until she leaves here, and that neither you nor any of your people will trouble us again.”
The Duchess gave a grudging nod. “‘Trouble’ is such a vague word, Princess. But you have my word that none of mine will harm you.”
 
As promised, the Duchess’ staircase brought them out at the base of the tower, where glowing waves lapped a beach of smooth black stones. The stagnant smell of salt water made her grimace, and she could hear the roar of the Duchess’ waterfall behind her.
Talia and Snow had rigged a crude travois from a pair of goblin spears and one of Stacia’s cloaks. With Stacia dead, the Duchess had offered her belongings to Danielle. It was a blatant attempt to earn her favor, one Danielle would have refused if there had been any other way to transport her husband out of the cavern. She would dispose of Stacia’s things as soon as Armand was able to walk on his own.
Between Danielle’s injuries and Talia’s broken arm, Snow was the one stuck pulling Armand’s weight along behind her. A pair of belts at the back of the travois allowed Talia to steady Armand’s descent down the steps.
“You’re sure he’s going to recover?” Danielle asked. He was so pale. She knelt and held her palm above his mouth, needing to feel the warmth of his breath.
“As sure as I was the last four times you asked.” Snow set the prince down and stretched. She drew her knife and uncovered the mirror, trying again to contact Queen Beatrice.
Danielle stepped away to rest against the damp stone of the tower wall. As short as the Duchess’ staircase was, she had barely managed to keep up with the others. Between her wounded leg and the extra weight of pregnancy, she felt completely crippled. She couldn’t even help with her husband, and the sight of the carved stone bridge leading out over the lake made her want to weep.
“Any luck?” asked Talia.
“Not yet.” Snow slammed the knife back into its sheath. Something about the Duchess’ cavern blocked her from reaching Beatrice. It made sense, really. If the Duchess wanted to keep this place a secret, she wouldn’t allow people to use magic to peer into her domain.
“I’m sorry about your sword, Danielle,” said Talia. “I can talk to the smith at the palace, see about having a new one forged for you. It won’t be as light, but—”
“Thank you, but I’ll keep this one.” Danielle touched the pommel, smiling at the faint warmth that greeted her fingers. She had used Talia’s whip to tie the hilt into place, as the broken blade wasn’t long enough to hold it in the scabbard.
Talia frowned. “I don’t understand. The sword broke when Stacia attacked you.”
“I used the broken blade to stab Stacia.” Danielle held up her hand, showing the unbroken skin of her palm. “If the magic had been destroyed, I would be short several fingers. Whatever power my mother wove into the glass is still there. I’ll take the pieces to my father’s workshop. I’ll need new tools, but I’m sure I’ll be able to repair it, with Snow’s help.”
“Good. Once you and the sword are both repaired, I’ll see what I can do about teaching you to use it. I saw you fighting Armand. That was disgraceful, Princess.” A faint smile belied the harshness of her words.
“I won, didn’t I?”
Talia’s smile grew. “Do you need more time to rest?”
Danielle craned her head to study the tower. On the walls, dwarves and darklings scurried about, repairing the damage Snow and her mother had caused. Already they had lowered chains to haul the broken segment of walkway back into place. “No. The sooner we’re out of here, the happier I’ll be.”
Talia pointed toward a patch of darkness on the far side of the bridge. “That tunnel should lead us out to the water. Assuming the Duchess hasn’t planned any surprises.”
“The Duchess gave her word,” Danielle said, limping toward the bridge. “She won’t stop us from leaving.” As an afterthought, she added, “Unless she decides she wants her silverware back.”
“Her silverware?” Snow frowned.
“Talia?”
Talia glared at Danielle. “Tattletale.”
Danielle gave her a quick smile before turning her attention back to walking. The bridge had no railing, and it would be too easy to fall.
“I don’t trust her,” said Talia. Dark shapes darted through the water as they crossed the bridge. “Fairy plots have too many layers. What are we missing?”
“What do you mean?” asked Snow.
“No matter how things turned out, the Duchess stood to benefit.” Talia tugged the back of Armand’s travois closer to the bridge’s center. “If Stacia had borne Armand’s child, the Duchess would have earned the favor of the future king of Lorindar. Then they discovered Danielle was pregnant and brought her here. In addition, she knew they planned to give her Armand, so she would have a human prince as a prize, and the whole time, she made certain no blame would cling to her. According to fairy law, we can’t prove her guilty of a single crime. Nobody who plans so thoroughly would let us walk away after everything that’s happened with nothing to show for it.”
They were finally approaching the far side of the bridge. Danielle could see the bottom of the lake rising to meet them. Water lapped the foot of the bridge, and they waded through shallow water until they were out of the lake.
There, Danielle rubbed her sweaty hands on her shirt, then flexed her fingers. “Snow, was the Duchess telling the truth about my son? Could all of that magic have hurt him?”
Snow set the travois down again and touched Danielle’s stomach. “I don’t know. The curse Stacia cast on you is broken. I can’t find any trace on you or within you.” The baby squirmed, and delight suffused Snow’s face. “Hey, I felt that!”
Danielle’s smile faded as she looked up at the tower. “Fairies think in the long term, Talia. Remember? The Duchess won’t stop us because she wants me to return of my own volition, to ask for her help. She wants me in her debt.”
Neither Snow nor Talia spoke, which only solidified Danielle’s suspicions. And Danielle would do it. She already knew that much. If there was truly something wrong with her son, and if Snow or Trittibar or Arlorran couldn’t help, Danielle would call the Duchess.

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