Chimes at Midnight

“I can get him,” said Lowri. We turned to look at her. She shrugged. “I’m stronger than I look.”

Glastig are essentially part goat. Even the weakest among them could win a human weightlifting competition. I nodded. “Okay. Lowri, you carry Nolan. Tybalt, you’re on point; Dianda, guard the rear. Now let’s move before the rangers come to see whether we need help.”

Working together, we were able to lever Nolan out of the car. Lowri hoisted him into a fireman’s carry. Tybalt gestured for us to follow him into the trees, and the five of us melted into the brush. For once, I wasn’t the loudest as we walked toward the knowe: that honor went to Dianda, who couldn’t seem to avoid stepping on every twig and branch we passed. Tybalt moved like a shadow, and Lowri was almost as quiet, her hooves finding easy purchase on the uneven ground. I was somewhere in the middle, not pureblood silent, but not a walking advertisement for our position, either.

Tybalt slowed to match me, murmuring, “I fear we may be walking into something.”

“That’s not encouraging. Didn’t you check the knowe?”

“The door is guarded by the Queen’s men. Either Arden has swayed them to her side . . .”

“Or we’re about to walk into a trap, got it.” I looked back over my shoulder at Dianda. “You want to cut down to the beach and see what’s going on with the Undersea?”

“No. I want to punch your former monarch in the throat until she sees starfish. But I’ll go. We may need reinforcements, and I’m not sure how much longer I can stay on my feet.” She grimaced. “I mean that literally. My knees are starting to go wobbly. I need to get into the water.”

“Send whoever you can. We’ll see you soon.”

“Kind tides,” Dianda replied, and turned, hiking off in a different direction. I didn’t question whether she’d know where she was going. Merrow can always find the sea.

The rest of us kept going. The air shimmered around us as we stepped from the well-traveled walkway onto the final approach to Arden’s knowe, and the open door in the gnarled old tree became suddenly visible. Two of the Queen’s men were standing there, flanking the opening. I looked to Lowri. She was frowning.

“I know them,” she said. “There’s no way they’ve turned against the Queen.”

“Okay.” I turned to her. “This is where I trust you, and you either prove me right, or you betray us the minute our backs are turned. I want you to stay out here with Nolan. Guard him with your life. Can you do that for me?”

Lowri blinked. Then, sensibly, she asked, “What’s in it for me?”

“If Arden wins, she’s going to need a guard. I’ll praise you to the skies. And if she loses, you’re in the perfect position to either tell the old Queen you were on her side all along, or run like hell. You can’t lose if you don’t walk through those doors. So will you do this?”

“If Arden doesn’t take the throne, I’ll run,” said Lowri, and nodded. “I’ll be here.”

“Great. That’s a start.” I turned to Tybalt. “Now let’s go for the finish.”

We stepped out of the bushes, walking toward the doors to the knowe. The Queen’s men turned to face us, dropping their spears into position. I ignored them, continuing to walk.

“Halt,” said one.

“Bite me,” I replied.

“In the name of Her Majesty, Queen of the Mists, I command you to halt,” said the other.

“In my own name, I refuse,” said Tybalt.

The two guards exchanged a look, clearly puzzled. Then, to my surprise, they raised their spears. “Then pass,” said the first.

I blinked. Normally, getting past a guarded door isn’t as easy as going “nuh-uh” when you’re told you can’t come in. “Oooookay,” I said. Eyeing the guards warily, I walked to the door. They didn’t stop me. I pushed it open and stepped through, with Tybalt at my side. The guards didn’t say a word as they closed the door behind us.

The Hobs had clearly been hard at work: the cobwebs that had choked the hall when we first entered were gone, revealing a vaulted ceiling of polished redwood and stained glass. It was beautiful. It was also empty.

“I don’t like this,” I murmured.

“Neither do I,” said Tybalt.

We kept walking. At this point, there didn’t seem like any other option. The people had to be in the knowe somewhere; two conflicting armies, however small, don’t just disappear . . .

My head was starting to throb again. I shook it, hoping I could will the pain away. It got worse, and I realized I could hear humming from the receiving room. “Oh, crap. Tybalt.” I grabbed his arm. He kept walking, dragging me with him for almost a foot before I let go. He didn’t seem to notice. He just kept going.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, and turned, running back the way we’d come.

The guards blinked when I burst through the door. “Don’t mind me,” I said, grabbing the nearest fallen redwood branch. It was sticky with sap, clinging to my fingers like glue. Good. “Carry on,” I said, and went charging back inside. They might have stopped me if I’d given them time to realize what I was doing, and I couldn’t afford that.