Shadowfever
Page 137
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Do you hear that? It was driving me nuts.
What?
You dont hear someone playing a xylophone?
Barrons gave me a look.
I swear I hear the faint strains of Qu Sera Sera.
Doris Day?
Pink Martini.
Ah. No. Dont hear it.
We walked in silence. Or, rather, he did. In my world, trumpets were blaring and a harpsichord was tinkling and it was all I could do not to go spinning in wide-armed circles down the street, singing: When I was just a little girl, I asked my mother, What will I be? Will I be pretty, will I be rich? Heres what she said to me
The night had been an abysmal failure on all fronts.
The Sinsar Dubh had tricked us, but I was the one to blame. I was the one who could track it. Id had a tiny part to play and hadnt been able to get it right. If I hadnt clued in at the last minute, it would have gotten Vlane and probably killed us allor at least everyone that could be killed. As it was, Id given Vlane just enough warning that hed been able to sift out before it could turn the full brunt of its evil thrall on him and get him to take it from the hand of the sidhe-seer whod been standing there offering it to him.
It had conned Sophie into picking it up right under our noses, while wed all been focused on where it was making me think it was.
It had been walking along with us for God only knew how long, working its illusions on me, and I had misled them. Very nearly to a mass slaughter.
Wed run like rats from a sinking ship, scrambling over one another to get away.
It had been something to see. The most powerful and dangerous people Ive ever knownChristian, with his Unseelie tattoos; Ryodan and Barrons and Lor, who were secretly nine-foot-tall monsters that couldnt die; Vlane and his cohorts, who were virtually unkillable and had mind-boggling powersall running from one small sidhe-seer holding a book.
A Book. A magical tome that some idiot had made because hed wanted to dump all his evil from himself so he could start life over again as patriarchal leader of his race. I could have told him that trying to shirk personal responsibility never works out well in the end.
And somewhere out there tonight or tomorrow, though nobody would go looking for her or try to save her, Sophie would die.
Along with who knew how many others? Vlane had sifted to the abbey to warn them she was no longer one of them.
What was going on with the Hunter up there, Ms. Lane?
No clue.
Looked like you had a friend. I thought maybe it was the concubines Hunter.
I hadnt thought of that! I forced myself to exclaim, as if stunned.
He gave me a dry look. I dont need a Keltar Druid to know when youre lying.
I scowled. Why is that?
Ive been around a long time. You learn to read people.
Exactly how long?
What did it say to you?
I blew out a breath, exasperated. It said I used to ride it. It called me old friend. One nice thing about talking to Barrons was that I didnt have to mince words.
He burst out laughing.
Ive heard him laugh openly so few times that it kind of hurt my feelings that he was laughing now. Whats funny about that?
The look on your face. Life hasnt turned out like you thought it would, has it, Rainbow Girl?
The name slid through my heart like a dull blade. Youre leaving me, Rainbow Girl. Then it had been laced with tenderness. Now it was merely a mocking appellation.
Clearly I was misled, I said stiffly. That damned harpsichord was back, the trumpets swelled.
When I grew up and fell in love, I asked my sweetheart, What lies ahead? Will there be rainbows, day after day? Heres what my sweetheart said
You dont really believe youre the Unseelie King, do you?
The trumpets warbled, the harpsichord fell silent, and the needle screeched as it was abruptly yanked from the record. Why did I even bother talking? Where did you get that idea?
I saw the queen in the White Mansion. I couldnt think of any reason for her memory residue to be there. Occams razor. Shes not the queen. Or she wasnt then.
So who am I?
Not the Unseelie King.
Give me another explanation.
It hasnt presented itself yet.
I need to find a woman named Augusta OClare.
Shes dead.
I stopped walking. You knew her?
She was Tellie Sullivans grandmother. It was to their home Isla OConnor asked me to take her the night the Book escaped from the abbey.
And?
Youre not surprised. Interesting. You knew I was at the abbey.
How well did you know my mothIsla?
I met her that night. I visited her grave five days later.
Did she have two children?
He shook his head. I checked later. She had only one daughter. Tellie was babysitting her that night. I saw the child at her house when I took Isla there.
My sister. Hed seen Alina at Tellies. And you think Im not the Unseelie King?
Do you hear that? It was driving me nuts.
What?
You dont hear someone playing a xylophone?
Barrons gave me a look.
I swear I hear the faint strains of Qu Sera Sera.
Doris Day?
Pink Martini.
Ah. No. Dont hear it.
We walked in silence. Or, rather, he did. In my world, trumpets were blaring and a harpsichord was tinkling and it was all I could do not to go spinning in wide-armed circles down the street, singing: When I was just a little girl, I asked my mother, What will I be? Will I be pretty, will I be rich? Heres what she said to me
The night had been an abysmal failure on all fronts.
The Sinsar Dubh had tricked us, but I was the one to blame. I was the one who could track it. Id had a tiny part to play and hadnt been able to get it right. If I hadnt clued in at the last minute, it would have gotten Vlane and probably killed us allor at least everyone that could be killed. As it was, Id given Vlane just enough warning that hed been able to sift out before it could turn the full brunt of its evil thrall on him and get him to take it from the hand of the sidhe-seer whod been standing there offering it to him.
It had conned Sophie into picking it up right under our noses, while wed all been focused on where it was making me think it was.
It had been walking along with us for God only knew how long, working its illusions on me, and I had misled them. Very nearly to a mass slaughter.
Wed run like rats from a sinking ship, scrambling over one another to get away.
It had been something to see. The most powerful and dangerous people Ive ever knownChristian, with his Unseelie tattoos; Ryodan and Barrons and Lor, who were secretly nine-foot-tall monsters that couldnt die; Vlane and his cohorts, who were virtually unkillable and had mind-boggling powersall running from one small sidhe-seer holding a book.
A Book. A magical tome that some idiot had made because hed wanted to dump all his evil from himself so he could start life over again as patriarchal leader of his race. I could have told him that trying to shirk personal responsibility never works out well in the end.
And somewhere out there tonight or tomorrow, though nobody would go looking for her or try to save her, Sophie would die.
Along with who knew how many others? Vlane had sifted to the abbey to warn them she was no longer one of them.
What was going on with the Hunter up there, Ms. Lane?
No clue.
Looked like you had a friend. I thought maybe it was the concubines Hunter.
I hadnt thought of that! I forced myself to exclaim, as if stunned.
He gave me a dry look. I dont need a Keltar Druid to know when youre lying.
I scowled. Why is that?
Ive been around a long time. You learn to read people.
Exactly how long?
What did it say to you?
I blew out a breath, exasperated. It said I used to ride it. It called me old friend. One nice thing about talking to Barrons was that I didnt have to mince words.
He burst out laughing.
Ive heard him laugh openly so few times that it kind of hurt my feelings that he was laughing now. Whats funny about that?
The look on your face. Life hasnt turned out like you thought it would, has it, Rainbow Girl?
The name slid through my heart like a dull blade. Youre leaving me, Rainbow Girl. Then it had been laced with tenderness. Now it was merely a mocking appellation.
Clearly I was misled, I said stiffly. That damned harpsichord was back, the trumpets swelled.
When I grew up and fell in love, I asked my sweetheart, What lies ahead? Will there be rainbows, day after day? Heres what my sweetheart said
You dont really believe youre the Unseelie King, do you?
The trumpets warbled, the harpsichord fell silent, and the needle screeched as it was abruptly yanked from the record. Why did I even bother talking? Where did you get that idea?
I saw the queen in the White Mansion. I couldnt think of any reason for her memory residue to be there. Occams razor. Shes not the queen. Or she wasnt then.
So who am I?
Not the Unseelie King.
Give me another explanation.
It hasnt presented itself yet.
I need to find a woman named Augusta OClare.
Shes dead.
I stopped walking. You knew her?
She was Tellie Sullivans grandmother. It was to their home Isla OConnor asked me to take her the night the Book escaped from the abbey.
And?
Youre not surprised. Interesting. You knew I was at the abbey.
How well did you know my mothIsla?
I met her that night. I visited her grave five days later.
Did she have two children?
He shook his head. I checked later. She had only one daughter. Tellie was babysitting her that night. I saw the child at her house when I took Isla there.
My sister. Hed seen Alina at Tellies. And you think Im not the Unseelie King?
