The Ruby Blade

by Amy Cissell

  “A parliament?” I suggested.

  Arduinna smiled. “Precisely.”

  “Parliamentary monarchy?” I asked. “And President Murphy will become Queen Muriel?”

  Arduinna cocked her head at me. “No. President Murphy will become Prime Minister Murphy.” Her tone of voice was one I’d been hearing a lot in the last few hours. It was the ““Eleanor is being stupid” voice.

  I smacked myself in the side of the head. “Oh, me! Is that how you’re planning to avoid internecine war between my fa-Eochaid and me? He’ll rule Underhill, and I’ll rule over?” I cursed at myself. Now that I knew he wasn’t my father, I couldn’t even call him that. Dammit.

  Arduinna nodded. If she noticed, she didn’t let on. “That is part of it.”

  “And what of the Dark Sidhe? What of Medb?”

  Arduinna didn’t speak, and since my question wasn’t very specific and was probably asking her to reveal a lot more of her plans than she’d like, I didn’t blame her. However, I also wanted to know where she was going with this since it was likely to have a pretty big effect on me.

  “Are you planning on allowing Medb to keep the Dark Throne Underhill and giving me America as my consolation prize?”

  Arduinna winced and hesitated. “That is what your father would prefer.” She still believed Eochaid to be my father. This was probably the only piece of information I had about the Fae that she didn’t.

  “Why?”

  “Who can say for certain?”

  I rolled my eyes. “Seriously? That was pretty shitty dissembling. Why do you think Eochaid wants Medb on the Dark Throne instead of me?”

  Arduinna paused, searching for the words that would allow her to lie with the truth. “To avoid unpleasant conversations and allow the Light Throne to pass dynastically without drama when the time comes.”

  I thought about it. That was fairly honest. Eochaid didn’t want people to know that the catalyst was born of Dark and Light—i.e., that he was shooting blanks—and didn’t want someone else to try to claim his throne since he’d acknowledged me as his daughter. Or would, presumably, when we met.

  “Does my mother have claim to the throne through her own bloodline?” I asked.

  “Yes,” Arduinna answered. “Her grandfather was king. The family trees do not have a lot of branches Underhill. This is caused by the anathema on breeding between the dark and light; too much intermarriage between the nobility. It’s probably what also causes the fertility problems that are common among the Fae.”

  I dismissed the problems of dynastic succession and Eochaid’s plans for right now. I had no designs on his throne. In fact, since I’d not yet been Underhill, I wasn’t even sure I had designs on Medb’s throne. I did have designs on her head, though. As did, apparently, a few other people. And, since Raj and Marie were planning on delivering the head of the pretender to the Queen of the Dark Sidhe, I planned on being the one signing for that delivery.

  “Okay,” I said. “Moving on.” I shifted positions and emptied my water glass. “I know you said you hadn’t been to Mississippi in months, but tell me about your activities in New Orleans. Are you responsible for my army? And if you are, can you disperse it?”

  Arduinna looked at me, the corner of her mouth quirking up almost imperceptibly, but she didn’t answer.

  “C’mon Arduinna. I don’t need an army of Fae coming to my rescue. Are they going to be in the way at the gate opening? Are they going to try to follow me around like an overzealous honor guard? People are probably getting killed right now, and that is not okay.”

  “I am not in New Orleans,” Arduinna said. “How could I possibly have anything to do with this?”

  “Who else could’ve organized a Fae army to attack the house where I was being held captive?”

  “It worked, didn’t it? You are no longer a prisoner. In fact, you are free, clean, and fed. It forced your release.”

  “Thursday would’ve forced my release anyway.”

  “Are you certain?”

  “Yes. Marie and Raj both want the gates open, even if Medb’s people do not. Marie’s bargain with Medb’s emissaries did not include preventing me from opening the gates.”

  “Are you certain of Marie’s loyalties?”

  “Not in the least, but I am certain her loyalties do not lie with Medb. Her bargain was carefully worded and was repayment for a favor long owed, but it was not what it seemed.”

  “Is she on our side?”

  “Our side, Arduinna? Are we on the same side?”

  “For the time being.”

  “Then yes, for the time being, I believe Marie is on our side. However, I think Marie is mostly on her own side.”

  “As are we all, Highness,” Arduinna said. She glanced at the sun that was now well above the horizon. “I need to leave soon, Highness, if it is okay.”

  “Yes, of course. I need to get some real sleep.”

  Arduinna made motions as if to stand. “Wait!” She froze. “One more thing. You need to get rid of the army. I am free.”

  Arduinna opened her mouth as if to argue but I headed her off. “If you feel more comfortable, pick a dozen or so of your most trustworthy and least likely to go off the rails people to attend the gate opening since I won’t have my vampires. They will not be traveling with me, though.”

  “Do you know where you’re going next?” Arduinna inquired.

  “No. I can’t even feel the New Orleans gate right now, much less the next one. I’ll know when I wake.”

  “Your journey is almost done.”

  I looked at her and my mouth opened to speak of its own accord. “The journey has only just begun. Blood and steel will sustain me when the world is my burnt offering. The fire leaves only ashes, but the dragon will not fall.”

  I slumped back, exhausted. Prophecy was tiring. I tried to hold on to the words. I needed to write them down for Florence. She loved that shit. I opened my eyes, and Arduinna was staring at me, mouth agape. It was the most unguarded expression I’d ever seen her exhibit. I thought for a minute. She was usually impassive. Did that mean her terrible poker face of late was deliberate? I didn’t have time to follow that train of thought, but it probably was. Dammit. Was anyone what they seemed?

  I rose to my feet, and Arduinna hastily followed suit. “Thank you for attending me so quickly today,” I said. “You may go.” I didn’t want to answer any questions. I turned to walk back into the house knowing that her sense of courtly etiquette would not allow her to do anything else after I’d dismissed her so thoroughly. Sure enough, when I glanced back a couple seconds later, I saw her fading into the large oak tree we’d been sitting under.

  Chapter Twenty

  I WOKE, NOT completely refreshed, but feeling much, much better, several hours later. I wasn’t sure at first what had woken me, but when my stomach growled noisily, I decided it was hunger.

  I went downstairs for breakfast, or rather a late lunch judging by the cant of afternoon sunlight on the walls. There were warm muffins, several strips of bacon, and hot coffee on the kitchen table but no sign of either Florence or Emma. I wasn’t going to question anything in this magical house of hot showers and warm, cooked food and relished the solitude that was so different than the forced isolation of my vampire dungeon.

  For the first time in weeks, I allowed myself to think about Isaac. I hadn’t been able to feel him through our bond since I’d been tattooed and thinking about him without knowing how he was feeling—or if he was feeling—was too painful. I still couldn’t feel him, but hopefully, I would be able to again. I missed him. It had been a quarter turn of the earth since he’d stepped through that gate and away from me. I knew why he’d done what he’d done. I couldn’t fault him; it was who he was. I wouldn’t have judged him harshly if he’d decided to leave Emma until the gates were fully opened and we could’ve gone together to attempt a rescue, but this decision, for all it angered me, did not surprise me.

  But I missed him. I missed his steady pres
ence in my life. His ability to see to the heart of the problem while I was still looking at things sideways. I missed his strength—both literal and figurative. I missed his warmth, and his ability to be at my side in daylight. I missed his arms and lips and…other parts.

  But…and wasn’t there always a but, I thought to myself ruefully. Even if Raj was a giant assbucket who deserved several shin kickings and needed to wear a bell because he kept sneaking up on me, he was my other constant. What was wrong with me? Between my colossal misjudging of Finn, diving headfirst into a relationship with the first werewolf I met who later left me because of his stupid sense of honor, and then allowing myself to develop intense feelings for an ancient vampire who’d made no secret of the fact that he’d betray me, I was certain I shouldn’t be allowed to make any more decisions. I sighed. That’s why I hadn’t been in on the plan. My judgment was suspect, my mental shielding was deficient, and I wasn’t an intrepid heroine. I was the comic relief. The comic relief who almost never got adequate laughs for my awesome puns.

  I sighed again. I was going to forgive Raj. I probably already had, and that pissed me off. I didn’t want to be one of those stupid women in romance novels who is with the douchecanoe that everyone hates because he treats her so poorly. I hoped I wasn’t making another stupid decision. He was definitely going to have to make it up to me. I was going to have to think of conditions. And he was going to have to let me hold his precious sword.

  “Oh, I will always let you hold my sword,” Raj said behind me, causing me to jump enough to spill my coffee. He’d shoved so much entendre into his sentence that I almost felt like blushing.

  I turned and glared. “I just spilled my coffee.”

  Raj came forward, his movements as graceful as a stalking panther, and refilled my cup. He stepped closer than was necessary to replace the now-full cup in front of me and for the first time since I’d been imprisoned; I made no effort to move away from him.

  “How long have you been listening to my internal monologue?” I asked, cursing myself silently for how breathless I sounded.

  “Quite some time.” He sounded amused, but whether it was because I was breathless with his proximity or at the memory of what I’d been thinking earlier, I didn’t know.

  He took a small step back and proffered his shin. “Would you like to have a small kick?” he asked. The corners of his mouth twitched, and I knew he was trying not to laugh at me.

  I didn’t much like to be laughed at, so I took him up on it and kicked as hard as I could from a seated position. I knew it wouldn’t hurt him, being a big tough vampire, but it did make me feel a bit better, so I pulled back my leg and had another go. This time he almost winced, and I smiled a little viciously and decided he deserved one more. Before I could make good, he stepped out of reach.

  “Let’s save the rest for another time,” he said.

  “Why on earth would we do that?” I asked. “I was having such a good time.”

  This time he didn’t bother suppressing his smile. “Emma and Florence are approaching, and I’d rather keep our domestic dispute private.”

  I huffed in disappointment but conceded his point. I picked up my coffee and turned my back on him. I didn’t hear him step forward, but I felt his lips brush the juncture of my neck and shoulder, and I shivered.

  “Soon,” he said.

  Once everyone had gathered in the kitchen, I gave a brief recap of my conversation with Arduinna. “She said that she’d disperse the Fae army attacking Marie’s people and leave only a small honor guard to protect me during the opening. I’m going to make sure they also protect me from being shot because I’d rather not repeat that experience.”

  “Does this mean the battle is over?” Emma asked.

  We all looked at Raj. “There were a couple pockets of fighting remaining when I left the city, but for the most part, it was over. Marie still has her ghoul army patrolling the streets, but since her home was burned down, there’s nothing for them to guard unless she wants to give up her current location.” He looked at me. “Do you need anything else to prepare for tomorrow?”

  I wracked my brain, but couldn’t think of anything else. “I don’t think so. Florence and I know what we’re doing, I have my army of Fae who presumably will protect me and Emma who will protect Florence.” I glanced at Emma. “I can’t count on the Fae to protect her the way they’ll protect me, so you’re in charge of that, okay? Don’t let me down.”

  Emma’s blue eyes flashed a fierce gold. “I won’t. Florence will be safe as long as I’m alive.”

  “Don’t sacrifice yourself for me, child,” Florence said.

  “I’ve no intention of sacrificing myself, but I will protect you while you protect the world.”

  I smiled to myself. I loved how fierce she was getting.

  “What about the car?” Petrina asked.

  “What about it?”

  “Don’t you need to get it as far away as possible, just in case something goes wrong?”

  Dammit. She was right. There was no way anyone, save maybe Raj, could get the car far enough away to not be caught in the main magical blast and make it back in time for the gate opening, but since Raj was already out of the picture due to his sun aversion, that wasn’t an option.

  “I can take the car tonight,” Raj said. “I’ll drive it…” he trailed off and looked at me expectantly.

  “West,” I supplied.

  “West,” he confirmed. “I’ll take it to Texas tonight.”

  “And how will we get there?” I asked.

  “I’ll come back for you tomorrow evening. It won’t take long, even taking you one at a time.”

  “And how will we get to New Orleans in the morning?” Emma asked.

  “I’ll steal a car,” Florence said. My mouth fell open a bit.

  “We could probably buy one,” I said. “I have cash.”

  “Not very many people are taking cash anymore,” Florence said. “And most people’s cars aren’t working. I’ll find an older one, hotwire it, and be back in a couple hours. Don’t wait up.” She stood and strode towards the door before I could come up with a better idea.

  “I’ll come with you,” Petrina said, following her outside. Just before the door closed, hiding them from view, I saw Petrina’s hand brush Florence’s and a niggling suspicion teased at my brain. My mouth quirked up at the corners.

  “I’m going to bed,” Emma said. “See you in the morning.”

  She walked out of the room, then ran back in, hugged me, and said, “I’m glad you’re back.”

  It was just me and Raj now. I looked around the room, checking out the furnishings and noticing things I’d never before noticed, like the wallpaper border along the top of the wall was chickens, was covered in chicken wire, and had real bits of straw stuck in it. Huh. That was an interesting decorating choice. Now that I’d seen it, I started noticing all the other chickens. Chicken hand towels, chicken decorative plates, a chicken cookie jar. The cabinet handles were bronze roosters. Whoever’d lived here before had been in dire need of a decorating intervention.

  “Are you going to ignore me in favor of the chicken decor much longer?” Raj asked.

  “Shouldn’t you get going? It’s a long drive.”

  Raj pulled my chair away from the table and spun it around so I was facing him. He knelt between my legs, grabbed my hands in his, and looked up at me. “Eleanor…”

  “Don’t. Please don’t.”

  “I have to. Let me say what I need to say, and then I’ll leave.”

  I tried to pull my hands away, but his grip was unrelenting. “Fine.”

  “I have lived more than a thousand years, and in that time, have more often than not taken the long view of things. It’s hard to pay attention to the short-term effects of an action when you know you’ll be there when the full effects become known. I’ve known for centuries that I and my sword would be present at the breaking, even when I didn’t know what that meant. Without me and my ruby blade
, you will fail and all the work you’ve done, everything that’s been lost, will have been for naught. I have to look at the big picture because I will not let your sacrifices be in vain. You mean too much to me, too much to this world, for me to let you fail when it’s in my power to prevent it.”

  I took a deep breath and felt it catch in my chest. I didn’t know what to say.

  “You don’t have to say anything. I’m not finished yet.

  “The way we went about this was wrong, of that I’ve no doubt. But we didn’t see another way—Florence didn’t see another way. If I had the chance to go back and do it all over again, I would, even if it means losing a chance to see where we would end up. I know I hurt you. I know you’re angry and you feel betrayed. I regret that more than anything, but the alternative is that I don’t get my sword back and you die. I’d rather never have the chance to hold you again if that means you will live. I hope you can find your way back to me, but if you don’t, at least I know you’ll still be breathing at the end of all this.”

  He reached up and touched my face, caressing my cheek with his thumb. “I’ve never cared for anyone the way I care for you, Eleanor.”

  Tears sprang into my eyes, and I blinked them away, hoping he wouldn’t notice. I was still angry, but I knew I wouldn’t be for much longer.

  “I have a favor to ask you, even though I haven’t the right,” Raj said.

  I looked down at him, and I felt that strange ache in my chest again. I closed my eyes, trying to stop the tide of emotion that overwhelmed me when I saw the way he was looking at me, soul bared for me to see. Dammit! I was pretty sure I was falling in love with this man. His hands tightened convulsively on mine, and I tried to push that thought out of my head. I swallowed the lump in my throat, opened my eyes, and said, “Ask.”

  “Will you come with me to New Orleans tonight? Marie would like to speak to you.”

  “What if I say no?”

  “I will not force you. I am not sure I could, even hampered as you are. One call to your puppy and I’d have to fight when I don’t want to. That’s not even considering what Florence and my daughter would do to me when they found out.”