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“I DON’T SEE WHY YOU had to wait, if all you’re going to do is walk up and knock on the door,” Bachas grumbled, shoveling a handful of food into his mouth as they walked along the edge of the forest once more. “We would probably get farther if we did this in the middle of the night instead of in the middle of the day.”
“I thought about it carefully,” Theo said. “And as much as I’m certain it won’t be easy, I need to try to gain my aunt’s trust before we do anything else. I am hoping you won’t be opposed to helping me.”
“I’m helping myself first,” Bachas asserted. “But I don’t want to be the one your princess comes hunting down if I don’t save you.”
Theo stopped in his tracks. “I don’t think you would have to worry about that.”
Bachas smirked. “Don’t I?” he asked. He took the seeing crystal out of his pocket. “Show me the princess.”
“Hey, come on, Bachas,” Theo said, before a quick flash of light sputtered out the small crystal.
“Look, there she is,” Bachas said. “She’s in her tower again.”
Before Theo could tell Bachas it was too painful, and he did not want to see Rose, the pixie had clawed his way up his back and shoved the crystal under his nose.
And there she was. Theo watched as Rose leaned against the battlements of her tower. He was surprised to see that, for all her beauty, her face was careworn and tired as she looked out into the distance.
“She’s waiting for you,” Bachas said.
“How do you know?” Theo asked.
“Who else would she be waiting for?” Bachas scoffed.
Theo looked back at the crystal, wishing he could just fall into the small orb and find himself beside her, as he had done countless times while they traveled together. He would walk up to her and tug at her hair, standing close enough to her that it was just natural that she would lean against him, or they would find a way to reach for each other.
She was wearing a dress. Immediately he had to wonder if she had an audience with her father. He knew King Stefanos did not appreciate Rose’s affection for her knight’s attire.
Theo continued to stare at the crystal’s light, watching as Mary came up beside Rose. He was glad she had the company, even if she still looked weary.
He was about to push the crystal out of his face when he saw her smile.
“Rose.” Theo felt his heart race as she grinned. Could she see him? Did she know he was watching her?
And then he saw the trail of horses and carriages arriving below, with the banners bearing the colors of Einish. Philip and Isra must be arriving from O’Lin. Or maybe King Derick is sending her the troops to help attack Darkwood.
He sighed and gave the crystal back to Bachas. “Like I said,” he remarked, “I don’t think you have to worry about Rose coming to hunt you down. She has other things on her mind right now besides me.”
Bachas laughed, making Theo even more irritated. He ignored him as they made their way back toward Annalora’s cottage.
“If you’re going to use your crystal, why don’t you make sure Everon is no longer here?” Theo asked.
“He’s not here.” Elva’s voice was hushed as she slid down the tree beside them. “He headed out early this morning. He said that his mother has been bothering him more and more these days, so there’s always a lot for him to do.”
“Elva,” Bachas hopped from Theo’s back to the tree in one large leap. He curled his arm around his wife’s neck.
Theo stepped forward, heading out of the shadows and into plain sight as the two of them snuggled together. After seeing Rose, he did not want to think about anything besides the task before him.
The barrier was still there, a small bubble of power around the cottage. As Theo pressed into it, a sloppy feeling glommed onto him, almost as though he were walking underwater, pressed around on all sides by immersive magic.
But he was still able to move, and he was still able to see the cottage. Theo took that as a good sign.
He reached the door and knocked.
An instant stillness came over the atmosphere as a voice croaked, “Who is it?”
Theo was surprised at the scratchy sound. It did not belong to a young woman.
The door snapped open before he could give his answer. He instantly found himself staring at the young woman, watching as wrinkles on her skin disappeared and the gray in her hair transformed into a shining ebony. His eyes found hers again, and he was surprised to see a shade of green that nearly matched his own.
“Aunt Annalora,” he said.
The now-young lady frowned. “Who are you?”
“Pardon me,” Theo said, feeling rude for staring. “My name is Theo. I’m Eleanora’s son.”
Something darkened in her eyes, and she shifted in demeanor. “What do you want, Theo?” she asked, emphasizing his name carefully, as if she were still weighing whether or not she believed him. “My sister is dead.”
At her blunt rudeness, Theo gripped the hilt of his sword in irritation. “Your sister is dead,” he agreed, “but your father is not. He sent me to find you.”
“The old man is still alive?” Annalora’s eyes narrowed. “Considering his age, I should be surprised. But I am not really that shocked. He always did everything he could to make sure he had a good life, and he kept it that way.”
“He’s the Reverend Father at a church,” Theo said.
Annalora suddenly laughed, her chortling tart and brisk. “Now, that is surprising,” she said as she turned around and headed back inside. She waved him in behind her, as she pulled a pair of teacups down from her cupboard. “I guess my threats worked.”
“Threats?” Theo tentatively followed her into the cottage, feeling tall as his hair brushed against the ceiling rafters. He glanced around, taking in the different features of his aunt’s house. She had a largely open house, with a fire in the chimney that still glowed with an ominous blue color. He followed the blue residue’s shadow and saw that it came crawling out of the back room.
“I told him to stay away, or I would curse him,” Annalora said. “He was always afraid of my mother, after he found out about her skills. It didn’t take much to convince him I was a threat, too.”
“I can well imagine it would have been easy for him to believe,” Theo said. “Especially after my mother and father were killed.”
Theo moved toward a corner of the room, trying to angle himself to where he could see back into the other rooms. He wondered if any fairies were still alive in the house.
“I’m surprised you’re so calm about it,” Annalora remarked, still carefully watching him as she boiled water for the tea.
She was curious, Theo realized. She wanted to know more about him. Probably just to make sure I am her relative. She wants to make sure that was the only reason I was able to get past her barrier.
“It’s been many years,” Theo told her simply, hoping she was satisfied with his vague answer.
He caught sight of Bachas and Elva in the window. They were both waving their hands erratically. As Theo locked eyes with Bachas, he heard a small whisper in his mind.
Don’t drink the tea.
Theo sighed, moving around some as Annalora poured some tea for him. “You look a lot like my mother, but I know she was younger than you.”
“Wondering about my beauty?” Annalora smirked. “You know that I’m a witch. It’s a simple trick to look young again.”
“Just like spinning Magdust into tapestries?” Theo asked.
Annalora did not blink at his question. “That’s a little harder,” she said. “But I thrive on the challenge. If you’re like me, you’ll understand that.”
“The Reverend Father said that you did not want to make one for King Stefanos,” Theo said. “My mother did.”
“What do you care for the crown?” Annalora scoffed. “Eleanora’s downfall came after she saved the crown, too, thanks to her wretched husband.”
“He was a good man,” Theo insisted, struggling to keep his voice neutral.
“Yes, and that was the problem. Good people always want you to help them get rid of other peoples’ problems. I warned Eleanora not to fall in love with him. She was beautiful; surely you remember that. But no, instead of finding someone who had power, she didn’t listen. She tricked him into marrying her, and look where it got her. Nothing good came from that.”
“I was born,” Theo reminded her.
“So what? Even when Henry did come eventually to love my sister on his own, do you honestly think it was good for them?”
Theo felt a rush of shock, hearing that his father really did love his mother. He felt a small prickle behind his nose at the news, grateful to know the truth. His mother and father had their problems, but their love had been real.
He made a mental note to tell Thad what he knew when he returned to Havilah.
“Eleanora was a fool,” Annalora continued. “She fell in love with Henry, that knight, and he was a fool, too. She used her magic to get him to agree to marry her and gave up her craft. She was running out of her supply of Magdust when she finally was killed.”
Theo told himself to keep calm, but his anger continued to burn. “How do you know that? Did Everon tell you that?”
“So, you know about Everon. It seems I underestimated you.”
“I know he killed them, and Uncle Thom as well,” Theo told her. “Uncle Thom went to defend them that night. Did you know?”
“I knew,” Annalora said. “Eleanora and her precious knight had protection until her power and the Magdust were gone. The instant they tried to get more, Everon found them and killed them. And I was glad for it.”
“Why? She was your sister!” Theo shifted his weight carefully. He knew that he had promised the Grand Father to bring her back, but he knew if he was going to keep his word, he would likely have to fight her—and he would have to make sure he would not allow himself to hurt her any more than he needed to.
Temptation is not sin, he reminded himself carefully.
“She might have been my sister by blood, but once she married that man, she was no longer the same. She no longer cared about power,” Annalora said.
“And that is all you care about,” Theo accused. “Isn’t it? That is why you helped ambassador Rolez; you didn’t care if people got hurt, so long as you could disrupt their kingdom. And that’s why you accepted Hebert’s commission.”
Annalora laughed. “My, my,” she said. “You have been busy.”
Theo glared at her, but she only smirked in return.
“Well, you’re almost right. I accepted Hebert’s commission because of his payment.”
Before he could ask her what Hebert had paid her, his aunt said, “Everon’s mother is after the throne of Rhone. I would be more foolish than you to stand up against her.”
“Did you know she’s trying to force Rose to marry Everon for the throne?” Theo asked.
“Rose?”
“Princess Aurora,” Theo corrected himself.
“I didn’t know about that,” Annalora said. “But I do know it doesn’t matter. One day, Everon will be king and I will be his queen, no matter what his mother says.”
Theo felt a new rush of fear for Rose. Not only was she in danger from Hebert, she was in trouble from his aunt. “I won’t let you hurt her,” he declared.
Annalora cackled. “You won’t need to worry about it. You’ll be dead before too long yourself, especially if you are still adamant about taking me to see my father.”
“He wants to see you again,” Theo said. “Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”
“Why would I need to see him? I have no need for his forgiveness.”
“What of God’s?” Theo asked. “Given all the destruction you’ve caused, it wouldn’t be inappropriate to feel sorry for it.”
“I have done nothing wrong,” Annalora said. “Sure, I make magical tapestries. So what? It was Everon who killed your parents, after finding out they saved King Stefanos. And what about all the people who commission me to make my tapestries and charms? It seems to me that they’re the ones who should pay in the end. I’m just a means to their ends, and they pay me well enough to assuage any conceivable guilt. I make a living this way, and even more. You’re the one who has killed people, right? As a knight for the king?”
Theo frowned. “Going to war for your home is different from selling things that destroy lives.”
“Hardly.” Annalora laughed.
Theo followed her gaze as she gestured toward the back room. He watched as the blue aura of fairy blood continued to leak freely from the doorway.
As if Annalora sensed his discomfort, she pushed the cup of tea closer to him. “Here.”
“No thank you,” Theo said politely.
“Shame,” Annalora told him, as she picked the cup back up. “I’ve been told there’s no tea in the world like mine.”
“I’m sure.” Theo kept her eyes on her, watching as she took a sip of the tea from the cup that she had offered him. Her lips, red and youthful, curved into a smile. Theo was just wondering if he had made a mistake, listening to Bachas, when she flung the cup at him.
Theo ducked and slid behind her small table, as the hot liquid burned into the wall behind him. Smoke came up from the point of impact, leaving an acrid taste in the air.
Annalora grabbed her own cup and threw it down at him. Theo rolled away, barely managing to escape her second attack. “You fool,” she hissed. “You didn’t really think it would be so easy to get me to leave this place, did you?”
Theo stood up and used his sword to block the teapot’s assault. As she reached for her herbs, Theo dashed out of the kitchen, heading down the hall. He heard Annalora call for Elva as he headed for her backroom.
“You can tell my father that I have no need to atone for my sins anymore,” Annalora called. “I have no need for forgiveness, now that mortality no longer has any power over me.”
“You sound pretty certain of that,” Theo called back. “But even your blood seal wasn’t enough to keep me out.”
“I wondered if you noticed that,” Annalora replied coyly. “It is good to know you are reckless, then, rather than just a blundering half-wit. Just like your simpleton parents, no doubt.”
“Leave them out of this,” Theo shouted back. “I came to retrieve you for your father, nothing else.”
“I’m not going to see him.”
“Even though he wants to see you? What if he dies without seeing you again, without making peace with you?”
“Let him die,” Annalora said. “Let it be quick, too, and if he has regrets about our relationship, all the better.”
She jumped forward, throwing a handful of dust at him; it scattered around him, landing on him and burning his eyes. He shielded his face and ducked into the room beside him as Annalora cursed and called out for Elva again.
The blue aura encompassed his body the moment he stepped into the small room. Theo saw the area was full of Magdust and felt his breath catch at the terrible pressure in the room.
He made his way toward the spinning wheel in front of the fireplace, where another magical barrier pushed back the aura. Stepping into the small bubble, Theo immediately felt the magical effects recede and he was able to breathe correctly.
Just then, Annalora appeared in the door with Elva by her side. “Elva, get rid of him!” she ordered.
Theo felt his first shot of doubt as he looked at the nervous pixie. He saw the anguish on Elva’s face as she lifted up her hands and began to work her magic. Little streams of blood-red power leaked from her hands.
Glancing around, Theo realized with a sinking feeling that he was trapped. His eyes squeezed shut as Elva unleashed her power at him.