I wasn't all that happy about putting Ivan into Tzariene's line of sight. Hell, I wasn't that happy about putting myself there. What if she thought of taking me and handing me over to Brendi, just to make nice with the new Obsidian Queen?

  Ick…stop thinking so negatively. You're just worked up about Robin. I looked at Kyle and Ivan. "Ready?"

  "Sure," Kyle said.

  "No," Ivan answered. "But I'll do my best."

  Ina smiled. "Venus is leading the build right now. The Circle's been cut. I'll come get you when they're ready. Oh, and you remember the challenge response?"

  Circles were created by the gestalt of the Circle's participants. The theory was that everyone had the same visual, knew the same words, and did everything the same way. Cowens wouldn't have the same feeling involved in cutting a Circle the way the God Mother's children would. The children felt the cut of the athame into the ground and the spherical shape of the sacred space as it was locked into place.

  And from the buzzing that started in the back of my head, these students of Ina's were good at what they did. I knew the second that Circle was set to the stones.

  Grey sat outside the Circle, a happy wolf watching along the edge. But I knew from the perk of her ears she was listening. And watching. And ready to tear this queen a new asshole if needed…or bite her head off.

  Ten minutes later, we were led to the Circle, rightly challenged, and then led in around the fire pit. The flames crackled and popped, and I felt the old, familiar energy reawaken memories of nights in robes, the smell of burning wood, and the musty scent of incense.

  On Ina's command, everyone turned and faced the outside of the Circle. They were to keep the Circle up and listen, but not look. If they looked, Ina would know, and they would be warlocked. She didn't want them getting any funny ideas about calling up Faerie queens and asking favors.

  The three of us formed a triangle in the south quadrant. We each recited our part three times and waited.

  A tall, thin pillar of white smoke appeared in the center. It moved and writhed and spun until it finally took form. I'd seen Tzariene before. Kyle and Ivan hadn't. And it was obvious in their expressions and Kyle's gasp.

  Tzariene was tall, with white skin and black hair. Her eyes were coal black points on her delicate face and moved to each of us. Her fingers were long, elegant and fussed with the flowing, almost smoky texture of her gown.

  Her most striking feature was the great horns protruding from her head, like the branches of a great oak.

  I noted the smell. The same as earlier in the day.

  Arcane.

  I looked at Ivan. He was staring wide-eyed, but there was no mistaking the look of revulsion in his expression. When he put his hand to his head, I knew he was seeing Arcane.

  "Well, this is a pleasant surprise, Samantha. Brendi will be very upset to hear you've called upon me and not her." Tzariene's voice was light and airy, and yet deep and seductive. "And I love upsetting that woman. So, shall we invite her as well just to make this interesting?"

  TEN

  That comment blew any fears of being traded off to Brendi out of the water. I stepped forward and bowed before I turned and gestured for Ivan to follow me. "I think it would be best to leave Brendi in the dark. This way, you will have knowledge she doesn't."

  Ivan brought the pitcher of milk and honey and offered it to her on bended knee. "My Silver Lady, we offer you this milk and honey in exchange for the answer to a question that will benefit both our people."

  I held my breath and watched Tzariene. I was ready to act in case she pulled anything with Ivan. I was pretty sure she couldn't sense Ivan's Gift, but I was also a guardian, a protector by birthright.

  Tzariene's smile was dazzling, except for the rows of needle-point teeth. What was it with Faeries and their teeth? She took the pitcher from Ivan, sniffed it, nodded, and handed it off to someone we couldn't see.

  Tzariene stood in two worlds. Her own, and ours. They couldn't see us, nor us them.

  "Such a beautiful offering, Samantha. What is this one's name?"

  "We call him Daisuke," I said, blurting out a name that just fit his look. Something she wouldn't question. Faeries liked using names to gain power, and so far they didn't know Kyle's name and they wouldn't know Ivan's if I had anything to do with it. They knew mine because of my deal with Brendi. But while that deal was in place, using my name for gain wasn't allowed.

  Sometimes dealing with the Faerie was just too damn complicated.

  Tzariene slowly nodded and turned back to me. "Offering is accepted. For a single question. But I would like to know the nature of the summons."

  I told her as quickly as I could, recapping what had happened in the shop, the other Changelings, and Medbh's suspicions. It was common knowledge in Alfheim that Medbh's head lived in this world. Funny how they were okay with that. Apparently, Medbh's reputation was so bad they wanted her in another world.

  I didn't know what kind of response I would get from Tzariene, but the expression she gave me was a little freaky. Somewhere between livid and pissed off.

  "No other is allowed the use of Faerie Magic. If there is someone using our ways, then I would very much like a word with this individual."

  That would be bad for them. A word with Tzariene was usually a nice long stay in her dungeon.

  She straightened. "If you had not brought me the milk and honey, I would demand ownership of this person. But, as it is, the bargain is struck. Ask your question."

  I licked my lips. I could feel the strain of keeping the Circle up starting to wear on the Dianics. "Are there any other Faerie living in New Orleans, other than Medbh's head?"

  Tzariene closed her eyes for a few seconds, then, "No. The only Faerie in your world is my sister." She showed her teeth again. "I would give you a word of advice, Samantha. Order my sister to tell you the truth. And if she keeps silent, burn patchouli."

  I blinked. "Patchouli?"

  "Yes. She hates the smell." Tzariene gave a low bow and vanished. The smell of Arcane lingered for a second, then disappeared as well.

  The group took the Circle down, and we all moved back into the house. The members immediately took their leave and as they were saying goodbye to one another, the four of us huddled in the herb room once again.

  I moved close to Ivan. "Tell me what you saw."

  His eyes grew to the size of goose eggs. "Sam—it was everywhere. It wasn't just worms that pulsed and moved. I could see the door that woman stood in the middle of. It was like some weird, long oval mirror. She had one foot in our world and one foot in her own, and the stuff…it swirled around her in mixing colors of black and red. When she moved it sparkled like tiny stars in the black," he paused and made a face. "And it smells so bad."

  "I was wondering if your sense of smell of it would be stronger since you can detect and actually see it." Ina put her hand on her worktable. "The black and the red are interesting. Sounds like a blending of powers or magic."

  "That pitcher," Ivan said. "When I handed it to her, I watched it transform from just a pitcher into this magnificent silver flask made of the same sparkling stuff. And when someone else touched it, it transformed from the stars into the black misty stuff. I don't know if there's a correlation or not, but I sort of saw it as a transmutation. When the Queen took it, she changed its core from something in this world to something in her own."

  I looked at Ina. She looked at me.

  Kyle whistled. "Dude…this new power of yours is freakier than the usual."

  "Yeah," Ivan said and put his hand to his head. "It's also giving me a headache."

  "Food will help that." Ina patted the table as she straightened. "But first," she said as she turned and went to one of the drawers in the shelving. She pulled out a long-handled knife and set it on the table. "What does this look like to you?"

  Ivan frowned. "It's covered in those red worms. What is it?"

  I looked at the knife and all I saw was a knife. "You can see those same worms, the ones you saw attacking me and Kyle, on the knife."

  "They're not just on the knife. They're in the knife."

  I started to put my hand on the knife, but Ina grabbed it and shoved it back in the drawer. I stared at her. "What the hell? You have an Arcane knife."

  "No, it's not Arcane. Not originally. I just needed to know something about it. So, let's get everyone some stew and—" she said as she turned and stopped. "Arwen—what are you still doing here?"

  I spun and saw the irritating blond on the other side of the herb room's entrance. She had her coat on and her purse over her shoulder. Just how long had she been standing there? And what the hell did she hear?

  "I didn't know if you wanted me to lock up." Arwen's gaze slipped from Ina to Ivan in the back of the room. "The fire pit's out and the instruments have been put away."

  "Yes, yes. Lock up. And thank you for your time, Arwen. Now get home and get some sleep. Tonight's work was exhausting." Ina threw me a worried glance before she led the young girl back into the house to the front door.

  "I don't like her," Kyle spoke up. He'd been oddly quiet for the night.

  "Me either."

  After the house was locked up, and all three of us were full of Ina's wonderful stew, she shuttled us upstairs to bedrooms, insisting it would be safer to stay with her for the night, and not return to the broken magic shop.

  I'd changed into a pair of soft cotton loungers and a threadbare Inferno t-shirt I kept in my room upstairs. Grey, full from her own bowl of stew, snored on top of the bed as I crept back downstairs. I summoned a little Fire Salamander to light my way. Cowens and other Witches would use a candle or a flashlight. Elementals? Well…we're just wired different. And though I wouldn't have brazenly used my magic in my own home or shop like that, I felt safe at Ina's. We all did.

  That, and I thought the Salamanders were cute and I wanted the company. Don't let anyone ever tell you different, but Elementals had their own personalities. Some were quite boring and all play by the rules. Fire Elementals? Way too much fun.

  I stepped into the herb room, and the Salamander immediately started dancing in his tiny pool of light. Whatever was in the room—he didn't like it. How did I know it was a he? Did I look to see if it had the right parts? No. Fire was a male Element, so most of the time the creatures I asked to help me were male.

  I assumed the presence of Arcane set it off. Which meant the knife was still there. I opened the drawer. The shiny metal blade reflected the Salamander's light. The hilt felt cool in my hand. Nothing tingled. Nothing felt wrong about the blade as I lifted it out of the drawer and turned to hold it up to the Elemental's light.

  I instantly recognized it as an athame. The symbol of a Witch's will and intent. These blades were consecrated and often used to focus power, but they never drew blood. If that ever happened, even by accident, the blade was unconsecrated and buried at a crossroads for a hundred years.

  "It was your mother's."

  I yelled out at Ina's voice and nearly dropped the knife on my bare foot. That would have been a very bad thing, not to mention excruciatingly painful. I set the knife on the table and stepped back. "I—damn, I'm sorry, Ina. I just wanted to see it. You pulled it away so fast—" And then what she said sank in. "My mother's?"

  "Yes." Ina wore a long gown of soft blue beneath a warm, fuzzy bathrobe. She had matching blue slippers on her feet and picked up the knife. "She used this as her athame all the years I knew her."

  I always knew Ina and my mom had been friends, though she never talked about my mom much. I assumed that was because my dad always got upset when we did. He never liked her job as a detective and begged her to quit till the day it killed her.

  The only real things I knew about my mother's magical life were that she was an Elemental like me, and that she was a good Tracker. Like me. And that I looked a lot like her.

  I focused on the athame in her hand. "But…why do you have it? Aren't magical tools deconsecrated and buried when their wielders die? And why does it have Arcane in it?"

  Ina shook her head as she returned the athame to the drawer. "Those are all good questions, Samantha. And you'll have answers when you're ready. Just know for now there is an answer that makes sense." She turned and touched my cheek with the back of her hand. My little Salamander chittered at her and put up his tiny front hands like fists. Elemental entities could also be very protective. "For both of us."

  "I don't do cryptic well, Ina. You know that." I moved away from her and my Salamander did as well. I asked him to move higher and illuminate the room. He did, but begrudgingly.

  "Why can't you sleep? You have your answer. You need to confront that head again. I've got plenty of patchouli. Take a few sticks of it before you leave in the morning."

  I nodded, but my attention wasn't on Medbh or Tzariene or the Changelings. It was focused on that athame.

  "You're going to tell me what's eating at you?"

  After a few minutes, I finally turned and faced Ina. She held her arms open, and I knew she sensed I was sad and needed comfort. So I moved into those arms, reveling in the embrace that had helped me through my mother's death, the throws of puberty, and my first love, Henry Akin.

  I confided in her about the wound on Robin's side. She listened and held onto me as I cried. She never said a single word, and after a while, I have no idea how long, she pulled back and took my hands in hers. "I can help you, but I can't cure that kind of magic. It's Arcane, so even if I could, to do so would change me, if not kill me." She let go of my hands and moved past me to the shelf and started taking things down. "Grab the mortar and pestle."

  "What are you doing?"

  "Making a salve. I can stave off the poison. Once it's done, rub it on the scratch as often as you can. I don't know how long it'll work, or if it'll work at all. But I have to try, just like you do. Now, follow my directions as precisely as you can."

  With my attention now refocused on Robin, I did what Ina said, all the while trying to puzzle out in my mind why something, or someone, would want to catch Medbh's attention so bad they felt they had to kill to do it.

  ELEVEN

  After a solid night's sleep (I slept till nine!), I woke to find Kyle and Ivan had departed hours ago at dawn. Kyle had told Ina they were going to open the shop and clean.

  Dedicated employees.

  I kissed Ina after enjoying one hell of a breakfast of eggs, toast, biscuits, bacon, sausage and gravy, and drove Grey and myself to the hospital. The sky still threatened rain and the temperature had dropped enough for me to need my jacket. I left my weapons in the lock box with Grey on top of it.

  Robin was sleeping in the waiting room, curled up in the farthest corner in the middle of two chairs pushed together. Seriously. Hospitals needed to get it together and have rooms ready for the families for just this kind of emergency.

  He lay on his right side, which gave me access to the bandage. Pulling up a chair, I set the glass container with the salve to my right before I pulled Robin's shirt up. The white tape came up with just a bit of coaxing, and when Robin stirred, I instantly pushed him down into a deeper sleep with a little nudge of Spirit. I wasn't as proficient in this aspect of my Gift, but I was learning the small stuff. Spirit, being the fifth Element, was a combination of the four and not always easy to manipulate.

  Making someone sleep—that was easy. Using it to calm an entire auditorium or city?

  Nope.

  There were three gouges into his side, and the edges of his skin had puckered. I cursed that damn Changeling, even if it did look like Robin's niece, and slathered the salve on liberally like Ina said. The inflammation instantly disappeared and the redness lessened, but the gouges remained.

  We didn't know how long it would last, but for now, it would stop the poison from progressing as fast as it normally would.

  I closed the glass container and shoved into the pocket of my jacket before I set the bandage back, lowered his shirt, and ran the fingers of my non-salve-coated hand through Robin's soft, blond hair.

  He stirred and eventually opened his eyes. When he saw me, he smiled. But when he remembered where he was, and why he was there, that smile faded and I helped him sit up. "Seeing you is the best thing that's happened to me all night."

  I stood and we put the chairs back so we could hug and kiss. He was less inclined on the kissing, insisting he hadn't brushed his teeth. But I didn't care. I just wanted him to hold me.

  We spent the rest of the morning in the cafeteria, drinking bad coffee and talking about anything to keep his mind off of his sister. But eventually it had to come back to it, and I was gonna make sure I was there for him.

  "I can't…" he said in a soft voice as we sat facing each other, our fingers entwined in the center of the table. "I just can't bring myself to believe I killed my niece."

  That was what was going to haunt him the most. I could see it. Even if Rose didn't survive, killing wasn't part of Robin's nature. I believed there were souls whose moral compass was skewed the day they were born from the Well of Souls, but there were others who refused to accept the idea of pain and murder. Robin possessed one of these souls. Killing what he believed was his family?

  This was going to leave a scar even I couldn't heal.

  Robin's suffering reinforced the need to find the exchanged children alive and deliver them back to what was left of their families. "Robin…listen to me." I made sure to gather his gaze with my own. "What happened wasn't your fault. You didn't kill your niece."

  "But I did—"

  "No. You didn't. The…" I hesitated. What was I going to call it? I couldn't tell him it was a Changeling. "What attacked you and your sister wasn't your niece. Do you understand?"

  He narrowed his eyes at me. "Are you trying to say this has to do with the magic stuff?"

  "I'm trying to say…" What the hell was I trying to say? I recalibrated at light speed. "Things may not be as bad as you think. But just for now…think about Rose, okay? Keep her in your thoughts."

 

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