Bloodfever
Page 39

The amulet, he said, ignoring my question, is one of the gifts the Unseelie King fashioned for his favored concubine. She was not of his race and possessed no magic. He wished her to be able to weave illusions for her amusement, like the rest of his kind.
But the auctioneer made it sound as if the amulet did more than weave illusions, Barrons, I protested. I wanted it to work. I wanted it. He made it sound like it impacted reality. Just look at the list of prior owners. Whether they were good or bad, they were all incredibly powerful.
Another problem with Fae relics is they often transmute over time, especially if they are used near or corrupted by other magic. They can take on a life of their own, and turn into something other than what they were meant to be. For example, when the Sifting Silvers were first made they rippled like the silver of a sun-kissed sea. In those hallowed halls was beauty beyond compare. They were pure, magnificent. Yet now theyre
Black around the edges, I exclaimed, thrilled to have some nugget of knowledge to contribute to the conversation, like theyre going bad from the outside in.
He looked at me sharply. How do you know that?
Ive seen them. I just didnt know what they were.
Where? he demanded.
In the Lord Masters house.
He stared.
You didnt go inside the house?
I was in a bit of a hurry that day, Ms. Lane. I went straight to the warehouse. So thats how hes been getting in and out of Faery. I wondered.
Not following, I said.
With the Silvers a human can enter the Fae realms, undetected. How many did he have?
I dont know. I saw at least half a dozen. I paused before adding, There were things in those mirrors, Barrons. Things I saw in my nightmares sometimes.
To my surprise, Barrons didnt ask what. Were they open?
What do you mean?
Did you have to uncover the glasses to look into them, Ms. Lane?
I shook my head.
Did you see any runes or symbols in the mirrors, on the surface?
No, but I didnt really look. After Id glanced into the first few, Id refused to regard the others with anything more than peripheral vision. So youre saying these mirrors are doorways into Faery? I could have walked into one?
Its not quite that simple, but under certain circumstances, yes. The Silvers are one of the Unseelie Hallows. Most believe the first Dark Hallow the King created was a single mirror. A few of us know it was actually a vast network of mirrors, linking dimensions and connecting realms. The Silvers werethe Tuatha Ds first method of locomotion between dimensions, before they evolved to the point where they could travel by thought alone, although some say they were created for a more personal purpose of the dark kings that history failed to record. At some point in the Fae timeline, this Cruce we keep hearing about cursed the Silvers.
When I regarded him expectantly, he shook his head. I dont know what curse, nor do I know who Cruce was or why he cursed them. I only know that not even the Fae dared to enter the Silvers, under the direst of circumstances, after hed done it. Once they started to turn dark, the Seelie Queen banished the glasses from Faery, not trusting them in their realms, for fear of what they were becoming.
I felt that way about myself lately; turning dark and afraid of what I was becoming. At that moment, I had no idea how light I still was. But then we so rarely understand the value of what we possess until its gone.
I shook off the spell of Barrons story. I needed some sunshine in my life, and soon. In the interim, a lighter topic would do. Lets get back to the amulet.
In a nutshell, Ms. Lane, its rumored to amplify human will.
If you visualize it, it will come to pass, I said.
Something like that.
Well, it certainly seems to work. You saw the list.
I also saw the long gaps between ownership. I suspect only a handful of people possess a will strong enough to make it work.
You mean you have to be epic already, for it to make you more epic? I was supposed to be epic, wasnt I?
Perhaps. Well know soon enough.
Hes dying, you know. I meant the old man. He wanted the amulet to live. When we took it from him, it would be one more inadvertent death on my conscience.
Good for him.
I dont always get Barrons sense of humor, and sometimes I dont bother trying. Since he was being so voluntarily informative, I broached another line of inquiry. Who were you fighting when I called you?
Ryodan.
Why?
For talking about me to people he shouldnt be talking to.
Whos Ryodan?
The man I was fighting.
I took a detour around the dead end. Did you kill the inspector?
If I were the type of person to kill ODuffy, I would also be the type of person to lie about it.
So, did you, or didnt you?
The answer would be no in either case. You ask absurd questions. Listen to your gut, Ms. Lane. It may save your life one day.