CHAPTER 12Well, you do know how to make an entrance,” Olivia said from Vespa’s narrow bed. She was propped against the pillows, almost as pale as the sheets. Her hair streamed across her shoulders in waterfalls of gold. Her eyes widened as her gaze fell on Syrus, and Vespa followed it to realize that Syrus was still quite naked.
“Here,” Vespa said, grabbing an old opera cape from a chair and throwing it around his shoulders. She tried not to see the horrible wounds at his throat and the thread marks still imprinted across his ribs before the cape covered them.
Syrus turned red as fire as he clasped the fabric around him.
Olivia inclined her head, wincing a bit. “Pedants, Artificer. I am glad to see you safe.”
“Majesty, we have grave news,” Bayne said.
“I reckoned as much. Especially since some of you came sans clothes.” She smiled, but it was a faltering one. “Tell me.”
Bayne told her of Ximu, of the strange melding of Lucy Virulen and the Shadowspider Queen. He explained how the Heart had freed all the magic in the world, both dark and light. And how Ximu had sworn to retake Scientia.
“But not before she takes you, Your Majesty. She expects to come collect you soon and overrun New London on her way north.”
“She does, does she?” Olivia said. “What of our envoy? Does she not also wish for peace? Surely she will see reason. Surely there is still some humanity left in her.”
“Majesty,” Bayne began. His voice was very tired. Olivia frowned at him. “Your envoy is dead. Ximu does not wish to have peace with you. You are but a small obstacle in her plans to take Scientia.”
Syrus added, “She has my people, Majesty. She is turning them into xiren. My uncle is the one who captured us, and he is helping her do all this. I’ve seen the caverns where she keeps her prisoners trussed up like sacks of meat. There is no humanity in that.”
Olivia lowered her eyes for a moment, and her hands moved restlessly on Vespa’s worn quilt.
Vespa said, “Your Majesty, it has been our experience that once this type of melding occurs between human and Elemental, they become an entirely different creature. Reason and appeal to human decency never worked with Charles after he accepted the Grue. Lucy seems to show the same condition.”
“Is there no magic that can separate them?” Olivia asked.
Vespa looked at Bayne.
“That has not been tried, Majesty,” he said. “Perhaps some Elemental magic might separate them, but we would not even know how to begin. There is the danger of killing them both, which is against the Great Law. No Elemental would aid in that.”
“That Law may need to be changed,” Syrus said darkly.
“Then what are you both suggesting we do?” Olivia said at last.
Bayne said, “Flee, Your Majesty. My family’s airship can take you to Scientia, where there are powerful fortifications and defenses. You can at least buy yourself some time and decide what to do there. And we should warn them of what is coming.”
“But might something also be wrong in Scientia? I have not yet been able to fully decipher the message, but it is most certainly a code. What if there is danger there, too?” Olivia said.
“That is very possible, Your Majesty. But it seems to be our only option. There is no way we could make the harbor and commission a ship elsewhere before Ximu’s army overtook us,” Bayne said.
“But what of my people? What of this City we have worked so hard to rebuild?”
Bayne shook his head. “We must warn them and take whomever we can with us. The Sullen Harpy is a large airship, but she cannot accommodate everyone. The sooner the better, so the choices they need to make can be made in time. Ximu will not wait long to cross the water, I promise you that. We’ve called Council for this afternoon. You can make your decree on what should be done then.”
Olivia’s face was ashen, and she cradled the bandage on her neck as if it pained her all the more for the news she’d just heard. Vespa understood how difficult it must be for her. Olivia had been trapped in the Tower all her life. Like all of them, she’d believed the story was simple and easy—that once the Elementals were freed, all would be right again with the world.
They’d all been wrong.
“Is there nothing else that can be done?” Olivia asked.
“I would advise sending your guard, and anyone who is willing to stand with them, to the River, but they will only buy us a little time,” Bayne said. “Without a standing army, there is no way we can turn back the tide.”
Olivia nodded. Her jaw was stiff as she said, “Escort me back to the warehouse.”
Council was called in Olivia’s receiving room. The faded elegance of the room’s furnishing seemed a palpable reminder of all they were about to lose. It was chilly, and Vespa rubbed her arms, wishing for a coat. They’d left Syrus at home, presumably to pack but mostly to rest and allow Truffler to minister to him and his wounds.
A contingent of the Empress’s guard had been dispatched to watch the River bank. “At the first sign of trouble, send a messenger to let us know,” Olivia had said to them. “Do not try to be brave. You are meant only to give us information. Do whatever you must to protect yourselves.”
The fauns had bowed, and their new Captain had said, “We will do what we must to keep your realm safe, Majesty.”
Vespa had struggled to hide her tears as she watched them go.
That had been several hours ago, and now the last of the Councilors were finally straggling in. Half of them were elected from the surrounding Forest and the River—the most powerful of the Elemental denizens. Doctor Parnassus took his place next to a naiad who huddled uncomfortably in a tub of water that had been brought for her. There was also a hamadryad—hemlock, by the looks of his dark pointed leaves and even darker eyes—who was already snoring at the table. The rest had been elected from the human population that resided in New London. There was some restlessness and shuffling, but Vespa could see that none of them had any idea what news was about to be thrown at their feet.
Olivia came through the door near the dais. She was still very pale. Her hair had been put up, and she wore a high-collared gown to hide the bandage over the xiren bite. Vespa noticed that the skin looked raw just above the collar, and Olivia pulled it higher as if to avoid scrutiny.
Still, she stood on her own, and her gaze was serene as she looked at everyone. “Please be seated,” Olivia said.
Chairs scraped as people sat. The naiad leaned closer to the table.
“Some of you may have heard that our Imperial Unnaturalists have brought us grave news. Pedants Lumin and Nyx, would you care to share your findings with us?” she asked.
Vespa deferred to Bayne, and he reported. The mere mention of Ximu, her joining with Lucy Virulen, her history and plans, made the air above the table thicker and darker. Many Elementals shook their heads, but others had grim looks that made Vespa wonder if they’d known more than she’d thought.
Everyone was silent at the end. The weight of all of Bayne’s warnings hung heavy in the air. There had been many a Council meeting that had gone awry because he’d insisted there should be a standing army, a Wall, magical protection—all things Olivia had refused to allow because she believed in peace.
Murmurs began around the table.
Bayne raised his hand for silence. “I have one question for our Elemental brethren before we move on.”
All of them looked at him warily.
“How many of you knew that the Umbrals had been released? And, if you knew, why did you not tell us?”
They looked at one another, and then someone elbowed the hamadryad, their spokesman. He cleared his throat with a sound like leaves being swept from stone, and said, “We suspected that perhaps the freeing of Tianlong had also freed those who had been bound in the Great War. We were gathering evidence to place before this Council in hopes of persuading Her Majesty to pursue greater fortifications. We were apparently too late.”
“Apparently,” Bayne said.
“What should we do?” a human woman asked. Her name was Verity, and she was the head of the newly formed baker’s guild. Piskel especially liked her because she often brought pastries to Council meetings. She had not done so today, and Piskel was sulking on the table next to Vespa’s elbow because of it.
Olivia spoke, her words cracking with emotion. “I believe we must evacuate our fair City. It has been made clear to me that we will not be able to treat with the enemy in any reasonable fashion.”
The chorus of voices rose beyond a murmur this time.
Bayne stood and held his hand up for silence again. “There are several things we can do to help us prepare. Vespa and I can work to craft some sort of shield. It will be weak, but it may buy us some time. We can help people decide where they will go and by what method. Some can be escorted to the harbor and take ship for Newtonia and Babbageburg. Others may wish to take their chances and shelter with the Elementals in the Forest, though I’d not advise that. Depending on the capacity of the airship, we will certainly take as many as we can that way. The Grimgorn Ambassador has been alerted and is even now drawing up his recommendations for us.”
Bayne had to shout his final words. “But all this must be done in an orderly fashion! If we allow panic to overtake us, then we will certainly doom more people than we will save.”
Orderly fashion? Vespa resisted the urge to shake her head. The panic had already begun. Everyone would be running over top of one another to get out as soon as they left this room.
Then shouting came at the door. A faun sentry burst through it, his eyes white with fear and his jacket smeared with blood. He was one of those who had been sent to the River.
Vespa hoped he wasn’t the only one remaining, but her worst fears were confirmed when he shouted, “The xiren have crossed the River! We held back what we could, but they’re invading the City!”
Bayne’s eyes took on a feverish glow. He turned to Vespa. “Take the Empress and get her ready. Pack only the most necessary things. I’ll get the Ambassador and the Captain.”
Vespa nodded.
“Piskel,” she said, “warn Syrus and Truffler, if you please. Tell them to meet us at the airship landing stage.”
His sulking completely forgotten, Piskel nodded and zipped out through the open door.
Vespa hurried to Olivia’s side, fighting the teeth-clenching fear that seized her. “Let’s get you to the airship, Your Majesty.”
