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THEO WATCHED AS ROSE and Philip chatted together in front of the castle as several grooms approached and began taking their baggage and their horses to the royal stables. He had watched them as they made their way down the mountain, and he had felt the pain of Rose’s rejection as she turned away from him once more.
I should be used to it by now.
But, he added to himself, it at least looked like Rose was doing better than she was when they were in the cavern. She had not had an easy night, as they camped once they arrived at the base of the mountain. Earlier that morning, he had woken up to find her restless and distressed. But when he approached her, she had gone back to her pallet, immediately convinced she wanted to try to sleep more than she wanted to talk with him.
From where he was, he could see she was happy.
And he was happy for her.
Or so he told himself.
“Rose!”
Theo glanced up to see Isra, running down from the castle steps. She held her skirts high in one hand, and he could see her black hair was tumbling free from its pins as she waved hi.
“Hi, Isra!” Rose called.
“Isra!” Philip bellowed, cupping his hands around his mouth as he greeted her. “My belovéd!”
Theo watched, confused, as Philip ran out to meet Isra.
Ethan came up beside him, his eyes bright as he held onto his satchel. “Do you think Isra will want to listen to me play my harp tonight?” he asked. “I might have to tune it, but it shouldn’t take me long to play a song or two for her.”
“Probably not tonight,” Theo said.
“Aw.” Ethan pouted. “I was able to fix it up really nice at the other palace. And I figured Isra would be able to help me out with some of the more complicated chords. It’s been a long time since Penelope taught me. I don’t want to forget before I see her again.”
“I’m sure you’ll find some time to let Isra help you,” Theo assured him. “But it’s late enough as it is. The sun is going down, and Philip still has to meet with his mother. She’s the one who is really in control of this castle. We’ll need to be on her good side if we’re going to be able to take care of our work while we’re here.”
“I know Isra and Philip are supposed to be engaged,” Ethan said. “I didn’t know there were other things we have to watch for.”
“While we’re here, I’d like to see about arranging a meeting with Ambassador Rolez,” Theo said, forcing himself to stop watching Rose as she watched Philip catch Isra by the waist and circle her around.
He could not forget that he had a mission. They all had a mission. Even though they had fulfilled their promise to Derick, they still had to find Magdalina and Everon, and Theo knew the Magdust trade was somehow connected to everything. He needed more information, and the man who had been so insistent on the good fortune the tapestry would bring to Queen Juliette’s children was a logical priority.
“Who’s he?” Ethan asked.
“The man who gave that tapestry to Juliette,” Theo replied. “I want to know where he got it, and if he knows anything else about it.”
“Because of the spinning wheel we found?” Ethan asked quietly.
“Partially. But I have other reasons as well.” Theo did not want to elaborate on his family history to Ethan. Both Ethan and Sophia had enough experience of their own when it came to family concerns. They had been neglected and abused by their father, and ever since Rose and Theo had rescued them, Theo had tried to keep his own dark past from them. He was glad when Sophia called out to him.
“What is it?” he asked, coming up to her.
“The pixie,” Sophia replied. “He’s starting to wake up.”
Theo came over to the small bundle strapped to Sophia’s saddle. He watched as the large eyes of the pixie blinked open.
Instantly, the pert little face twisted into a painful, bitter scowl. “Who are you?” the creature demanded. “Where am I?” He sat up and grabbed at his left leg. “And why is my leg aching like the devil?”
Theo stepped up. “You were injured when we found you in the cavern in the forest of Einish. We have brought you to the city so we could see to your wounds.”
“I am free?” The pixie’s large eyes were suddenly very wet with emotion instead of pain.
“Free from what?” Sophia asked.
“Where is my master?” The pixie asked. “I need to find my master.” He sank back into despair.
“We’re not sure,” Theo replied. “What is your master’s name?”
“Master Mick,” the pixie answered. He tried to sit up, but Sophia held him down. As he protested against her concern, Theo looked back over to see Rose was now talking with Philip and Isra. She was probably going over the story, he thought.
Mary came up beside him. “I can see if his master is alive,” she said. “He’s obviously too weak to use his magic, but I can check for it.”
“Check for what?” Ethan asked.
“When a pixie has a master, there’s a mark on his palm,” Mary said. “You can see it with revealing magic.”
“Let’s see if he’ll let you,” Theo said. He faced the pixie. “What is your name?”
“Bachas,” the creature replied. “I am a native of Crystal Lake. My master saved my life, and I was bound to him through a life debt.”
“That’s how it usually happens,” Mary muttered. “You know that can be faked, right?”
Bachas blinked at Mary, before his face contorted with disgust. “You’re a fairy,” he spat. “Your kind was the reason I was in danger in the first place.”
“Still, she has nothing to do with your personal situation. And she can see if you are still bound by your oath,” Theo said. “Mary, check his palm.”
“No!” Bachas twisted away from her. “I won’t let a dirty fairy touch me.”
Mary shot Theo a hard look. He glanced at Ethan and Sophia and gave them a quick signal. Together the three of them grabbed one of the pixie’s small limbs.
“Go, Mary,” Theo said, torn between feeling sympathetic for Bachas and angry at him, as the small creature kicked at his face relentlessly. “We got him.”
“Stop twitching!” Mary shouted. She grabbed his hand and he cried out in pure, angry terror. A flash of light sparked, followed by a rush of energy. Mary backed up and grabbed her hand. “You stung me!”
Bachas grimaced. “Small reward for my trouble.”
“Are you okay, Mary?” Ethan asked.
Sophia turned on Bachas. “You’ve got some nerve hurting our friend! If we hadn’t taken care of you, you could have died.”
“I wouldn’t have died,” Bachas insisted, but Theo was certain he saw a small amount of remorse at Sophia’s chiding.
Or maybe fear, he thought. Bachas had to realize he was still too weak to get too far away if he tried to run. And with a fairy and weapons nearby, Theo had a feeling Bachas knew he could easily get in further trouble.
Mary fluttered up beside him. “I didn’t see any seal,” she said. “But if he’s powerful enough to burn me, he’ll be able to see it himself.”
Bachas stuck his tongue out at her, but he did check his right hand. A moment later, he was struggling not to cry.
“So it’s gone?” Sophia asked. “You’re free?”
“Yes.” Bachas blinked his large eyes up at her. “I am free now. My awful master is dead.”
No one said anything for a long moment, with Bachas only letting his tears fall. “I can return to my family,” he said happily, and then he stopped. “Assuming they are still alive.”
“Can you tell us what happened to you?” Theo asked. “We have a few questions about what was going on in the caverns as well.”
Bachas hesitated. “I don’t want to help any fairies,” he said. He added, “Or anyone who is working with them.”
“We might be able to help you get back to your family,” Theo said. “We have friends here. Someone can take you back. We can also get some medicine for you, to help you grow stronger. We can also provide supplies to you, if you need it. Believe me, we face a bigger foe than a fairy.”
“Who is that?” Bachas snorted. “That wicked fairy ruler, Magdalina?”
“Yes.”
Bachas stared at him for a long moment before he laughed. “Well, you’re on the losing side,” he said. “She’s managed to hang onto her power for years, even after she was kicked out of the fairy realm by Oberan.”
“The King of the Aragonian Fairies?” Mary asked.
“Who else? Stupid fairy.” Bachas scowled at her.
“Hey,” Mary snapped, “I don’t know much about him for good reason. He’s not my ruler!”
“Doesn’t matter. If Magdalina was able to find a place to take refuge in your world, it’s your own fault for letting her.”
“We want to stop her,” Theo said. “After all the help we’ve given you, by setting you free and offering to get you back home, won’t you help us some? All we need are some answers.”
“I’m tired, and my leg aches,” Bachas said, yawning. “Maybe in the morning. If I’m alive. I don’t see any reason to trust any of you.”
“You can trust me,” Theo said. “I was raised in the church and I know the demands of the priesthood.”
“But you’re not a real one,” Bachas pointed out. “God’s power won’t protect you like it would protect a real priest.”
“Priests are protected from your magic?” Ethan asked. “I didn’t know that.”
“There’s a reason we stay away from the churches,” Bachas said. “It’s harder to make mischief there.”
“We still protected you,” Sophia said. “I carried you in my arms as we walked over the mountain. Ethan was the one who made up a sling for you so you would be comfortable when I got tired.”
In the darkening light, Theo thought he saw Bachas’ cheeks turn a dull shade of gray. Sophia was making him uncomfortable, he realized. Maybe the pixie had a soft spot for ladies.
“Fine.” Bachas eventually gave up. “But I want to eat first.”
Theo smiled. “I think we can arrange that. Let me go and speak to Isra.”
“She is waiting for you, by the look of it,” Ethan said. “She keeps looking over this way.”
Theo craned his neck, looking over at where Philip and Isra were talking with Rose. He watched as Rose hugged her sister, obviously glad to see her safe.
As she held onto Rose, Isra caught his eye. She waved at him, beckoning him to come over.
“Well, I guess you’re right, Ethan,” Theo said. “I’m being summoned. Stay here and keep watch over Bachas. Make sure he doesn’t try to hurt Mary or run away.”
“I will,” Ethan promised. He lowered his voice, “Will you ask Isra about letting me play the harp for her?”
“You have my word,” Theo promised, before he made his way over toward Isra.
Rose’s younger sister sometimes made him wonder what Rose might have been like if not for Magdalina’s curse. She was smart and insightful, and she knew how to wield her wit as sharp as a weapon. She was also much more cheerful—or at least she was when she was around him.
He noticed that, as she stood next to Philip, she looked like she was having the time of her life.
“Theo!” she cheered. “I’m so glad to see you. I’ve saved all your letters since we last met.”
Rose rolled her eyes. “It wasn’t that long ago, Isra.”
“My life might as well have begun again, Rose,” Isra told her in her most demure tones, while she leapt into Theo’s arms. “It’s nice to see you again, brother,” she whispered into his ear. “I have missed you.”
“It’s nice to see you again, too,” Theo said.
“I am really happy everyone is here,” Isra told him. “I worry about you, you know.”
Theo let her go, carefully setting her back down on her feet. “There’s no need to do that.”
Isra’s kind eyes blinked up at him, the dying sunlight transforming the amber to gold. “Rose makes everything more difficult,” she said, loudly enough to let Rose hear. “That’s why I wanted you to write to me. So I could interrupt her monopoly on your time.”
“Is that why?” Rose crossed her arms. “I thought it was just to annoy me and make me feel like someone else was trying to keep tabs on my every movement, just like they did when we were younger.”
Isra gave her a brilliant smile before she turned back to Theo. “Come and walk with me,” she said. In a lower voice, she added, “It’ll make Rose upset.”
Theo did not argue with Isra, but he did ask, “Why do you think it would be good to upset her?”
“So she will be less angry about the party Philip’s mother is planning for us at the end of the week.”
“Oh, I see.” Theo smiled. “She won’t like to hear that.”
“No, she won’t,” Isra agreed. “I know she wants to get home quickly, but Philip’s doing so much for our group of friends. I feel like we should try to make his mother happy. She is an older lady and suffers from the vapors a lot.”
“A lot?”
“Let’s just put it like this. If I ever suffer from the vapors, please kindly don’t take me seriously unless I am dying.”
Theo chuckled. “So how many false alarms has there been since you arrived?”
“Plenty,” Isra said through gritted teeth. “The Dowager Queen, Utopa, is quite dramatic.”
“You think Rose will like her?”
“Tolerably.”
“That’s all?”
Isra shrugged. “That’s all I need, right?”
Theo paused. “Are you actually going to go through with the wedding?” he asked. “I thought you were lying about it. You said you needed to confess some terrible things in your letter.”
“I know. I think I forced Philip’s hand,” Isra said. “I mean, we talked about marriage when we first met—”
“What?” Theo’s eyes widened. “Why?”
“Because. We just ... fell in love.” Isra blushed, but she held her ground as he stared at her. “Come on, Theo. I expect this sort of response from Rose, but not you.”
“He didn’t tell me.”
“I told him not to.” Isra tightened her grip on his arm. “I didn’t want Rose to punish him or try to scare him off. And I thought it was prudent when he went off with you guys, because I thought it was a very small way I could help protect you. I had no idea I would be off on my own adventure, if you would even call this an adventure.” She nodded toward the high castle towers before her.
“You don’t think this is very adventurous?” Theo asked.
“No. Dealing with actual dragons seems infinitely more stimulating than dealing with my future mother-in-law and her love for etiquette. You would think she and Ms. Winston, my old governess, were long-lost sisters! They chitter-chatter together every day for tea and it is appalling to watch them. Especially when they are criticizing me, and thinking themselves the better for it.”
“I’ve got to admit, I’m looking forward to meeting the Dowager,” Theo said. “Between delaying Rose, throwing fits and throwing parties, and being compared to dragons, I’m curious to see her.”
“Her fangs are probably not as visible,” Isra warned. “You might regret your enthusiasm.”
Theo patted her arm. “There’s no need to accustom me to disappointment, Isra. I’m well taught, from traveling so long with Rose.”