Shadowfever
Page 117

One day Dublin would live and breathe again. One day all these husks of what had once been people would be swept up and buried in a memorial ceremony. One day, tourists would come to see ground zero and reminisce about the Halloween when the walls fellmaybe even mention in passing a girl who cowered in a belfry before helping save the daythen head off to one of six hundred newly restored pubs to celebrate that the human race had taken back what was theirs.
Because we would. No matter who or what I was, I was determined to capture and re-inter the Book, then get to work figuring out a way to put the walls back up. Along the way, Id find proof that I wasnt the king, just a human woman with a lot of memories someone else had planted for reasons that would make sense when I finally knew them. I wasnt the fulcrum of a prophecy that would either save or doom the human race. I was merely the person whod been pre-programmed by the queenor who knew? Maybe the kingto track the Book in case it escaped, just like the Keltar had been manipulated: one small part of the equation for sealing it away again, forever this time.
As I sauntered through the morning, I tried to slip back into the mind of the young woman whod stepped off the plane, taken a cab through Temple Bar, and checked in to the Clarin House late last summer, bemused by the thick accent of the leprechaun-like old man behind the reservations desk. Starving. Scared and grieving. Dublin had been so huge, and Id been so small and clueless.
I looked around, absorbing the silent shell of a city, remembering the hustle and bustle. The streets had been crammed with craicvibrant life that took itself entirely for granted.
Morning, Ms. Lane. Inspector Jayne moved into step with me.
I assessed him quickly. He wore tight khaki-colored jeans with a plain white T-shirt stretched over his barrel chest and military boots laced up outside his pants. He was draped in ammo, pistols in his waistband and arm holster, Uzi over his shoulder. No place for an evil Book to hide. Months ago hed had the start of a paunch. It was no longer there. He was rangy with muscle, long limbed, and walking like a man who had his feet planted firmly on the ground for the first time in years.
I smiled, genuinely pleased to see him, but it was all I could do not to reach for my spear. I hoped he wasnt still after it or holding grudges.
Fine morning, isnt it?
I laughed. I was thinking the same thing. Is there something wrong with us? Dublins a shell, and we look ready to burst into a cheery whistle. The Unseelie-spiked-tea-drinking inspector and I had certainly come a long way.
No paperwork. I used to hate paperwork. Didnt know how much of my life it was eating up.
New world.
Bloody strange one.
But good.
Aye. The streets are quiet. Books laying low. Havent seen a Hunter in days. We Irish know to make the most of the times of plenty, for sure enough theyll be famine again. Made love to my wife last night. Children are healthy and strong.Its a good day to be alive, he said matter-of-factly.
I nodded in complete understanding. Speaking of Hunters, youll be seeing at least one in the skies soon. I filled him in on the outline of our planthat I would be scouring the streets by Hunter, looking for the Sinsar Dubh. So dont shoot me down, okay?
His eyes narrowed shrewdly. How do you control it? Can you force it to take you to its lair? We could wipe out the lot of them if we could only find the den.
Lets get the Book off the streets first. Then well help you hunt, I promise.
A promise Ill be holding you to. I dont like using the girl, but she insists. That ones had a hard enough life. She should be home, somebody watching out for her. Kills like she was born to it. Makes me wonder how long shes been
MacKayla, Vlane said.
Jayne was frozen, mouth ajar, mid-step. Not iced. Just immobilized.
I stiffened and reached for my spear.
We need to talk.
Understatement. You need to explain. I spun in a circle, spear up. For whatever reason, I still had it.
Sheathe the spear.
Why havent you taken it?
I offer you a show of good faith.
Where are you? I demanded. I could hear his voice, but he wasnt visible and the source of his voice kept moving.
I will appear when you have given me your show of good faith.
Which is?
I choose to let you keep it. You choose to sheathe it. We will honor each other with trust and confidence.
Not a chance in hell.
I am not the only one that has some explaining to do. How did you bring the queen out through the kings mirror?
Let me tell you what I dont understand. Last Halloween I got raped by Unseelie Princes. You told me you were busy carrying your queen to safety on human feet. But now I know the queen had been in the Unseelie prison forhow did you word it?many human years. Where were you really that night, Vlane?
He materialized in front of me, a dozen feet away.
I did not lie to you. Not entirely. I told you I could not be in two places at once, and that much was true. However, I misspoke when I said I was carrying my queen to safety. Instead, I was taking advantage of those hours, searching for her in Darrocs Silvers. I was certain he was behind her disappearance. I believed he had imprisoned her in one of the stolen mirrors at LaRuhe, but I could not search those Silvers until the magic of the realms was neutralized. When I crushed his dolmen for youwhich we rebuilt, and I succeeded in retrieving Christian only last night, or I would have come to explain myself soonerI endeavored to search them then. But Darroc had learned much from journals stolen from the White Mansion, and I was unable to break his wards.