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Queen Asteria smiled, laughing lightly. Her voice rang with the sound of wind chimes. “I have known since this young man first came into the employ of the Otherworld Intelligence Agency, but it was not time to tell him. We had to wait and see how his destiny played out. And now, we have some glimpse of his future.”
Chase coughed. “You know my destiny?” He sounded terrified.
“No, Chase. No one can ever predict destiny except for the Hags of Fate. But we have seen possibilities…and we want you to be prepared, so when you come to a crossroads, you can make an informed decision.”
She held up her hand. “Back along the lines of your maternal blood line, a thousand years ago, one of our people met a woman named Rosalia. She was an herbal woman, living on her own in what is now Italy, near the coast along the Ionian Sea. She never married, but an elf named Tristan fell in love with her. She became pregnant but was too afraid to come over to Otherworld.”
Chase was listening raptly. It was as if the rest of the room had disappeared and her voice was the only sound in the world.
“Rosalia bore twins—Io and Cris, and both thrived. They were half elf, and Tristan interacted with them. Io chose to return to Otherworld with his father when he was a young man, while Cris stayed Earthside. Cris hid his heritage, but he married and had children, and they grew strong. He told his children about their lineage, but he fell off a ledge when he was still young—by both human and elfin standards—and died. But his children remembered his story, and passed it along as they grew and had children. Elves and those with elfin blood are long-lived, but accidents were common in those days, and many of them died young.”
“I never heard any of those stories. None of long-lived relatives or romantic trysts with Otherworld beings.” Chase exhaled slowly, shifting in his seat. He absently reached for another cake.
“I am not surprised. As the generations evolved, the bloodline thinned, especially with no new infusion of elfin blood, and the stories of Rosalia and Tristan disappeared into legend, and finally, into history. But Tristan always kept watch over his children and grandchildren and their grandchildren from a distance.” She paused. “Would you like to meet him? Tristan, the father of your line?”
Camille jerked her head up. Smoky stared at Queen Asteria as if she’d just grown a second head. And I…I did a spit-take, cake crumbs spewing out of my mouth.
Chase grabbed my hand and squeezed it so hard I almost flinched. “Can…is it possible?”
Queen Asteria glanced at Trenyth. “While I talk to Delilah and her sister, please escort Chase to meet the elf who fathered his bloodline?” And before we could say a word, Trenyth had swept Chase away, through one of the doors, to meet his past.
While Chase was off learning about his distant past, we filled Queen Asteria in on what had been happening in the recent present, with Van, Jaycee, and the Tregarts. I reluctantly revealed the fact that Wilbur had been spying on us, keeping a journal, and that—although he wasn’t a traitor—our info, including the fact that Queen Asteria had the spirit seals, may have found its way to Shadow Wing.
The Queen sighed. “This is sorry news. If Shadow Wing breaks through to Otherworld, we’ll be the first stop on his journey. And even if he does not, surely he’ll enlist the goblins or the ogres or perhaps the sorcerers down in the Southern Wastes to do his dirty work for him.”
“That was our fear. Jaycee is dead. We’re going after Van and Newkirk tonight. If we win, we’ll have another spirit seal to bring to you. If not…then who knows what the hell will happen to it?” I kicked the floor. “What about the Keraastar Knights? You said they were going to be able to help us repair the portals?”
“Not until we have all seven knights. Nine—with nine seals—would be best. But for now, we have only five. I found a match for one of the spirit seals not possessed by Ben, Venus, and Amber. In fact, Amber’s brother Luke possesses the spark…so he has become one of our knights along with his sister. But the fifth seal, it is waiting for the right person—for the right knight to come along. By the way—Amber had her baby and she has a healthy, happy little girl. As to whether the spirit seal’s powers may have altered her in the womb, we aren’t sure. We won’t know what to expect until she grows up and has her first moon-time transformation to werewolf.”>“We can’t stay long—a few hours at most—but we must talk to you and the Queen. It’s imperative. We have some unwelcome news.” I followed Trenyth, trailed by Camille, Smoky, and Chase. Chase, his eyes wide, darted glances every way as we headed to the carriage.
“This is incredible.” Chase caught up to me. “The air is so clear here. I can’t believe how easy it is on my lungs. I feel like I did when I quit smoking. Almost dizzy.” Chase had stopped smoking when we were going out, and he had managed to stay off the cigarettes after we broke up. He cocked his head. “There’s something else…I feel…tingly…”
“Magic.” Camille accepted the driver’s hand as he helped boost her into the carriage. “You’re feeling the magic that permeates the air and the land. Otherworld is magical down to the core of each atom. With the changing nature of your abilities, you’re becoming more sensitive to these things.”
With a nod, he climbed into the carriage after her. The rest of us joined him, along with Trenyth. Smoky’s head brushed the roof. As we headed through the cobbled streets, the horses’ hooves clipped smartly against the cobblestones. Chase was looking out the window, an expression on his face that I’d never before seen.
“You know, even though I’ve seen things that, five years ago, I didn’t even believe existed…I feel like I’ve stepped into Wonderland. I feel like Alice, down the rabbit hole.” He looked so excited and his face was so lit up, that I couldn’t help myself. I reached out and kissed him on the cheek. He pressed his hand to his face, grinning at me, then stared back out the window.
“The houses! They’re so different.”
Trenyth smiled softly, then turned to Camille. “Not to bring up a sore subject, but has your father been in contact with you at all?”
She hung her head, shaking it mutely.
“Why? Did Tanaquar decide she needed a new paramour?” I snorted. “Trenyth, unless you know something that we should, our father is a sore subject. Especially for Camille.”
“I know, but…” He rubbed his chin and let out an exasperated sigh. “There are rumors…I don’t know how true they are, but there are rumors going around that the Ambassador has had a falling out with Queen Tanaquar and she has tired of his attentions. She hasn’t officially labeled him pariah, but reliable sources have told me that your father no longer holds the ear of the Queen.”
So Daddy was on the outs with his lover, and his job might be on the line. I wanted to be empathetic, but after what he’d put Camille—and Menolly and me—through, it was hard. I couldn’t help but have a little niggle of schadenfreude.
Camille, however, said nothing. But a sad smile escaped and she folded her hands in her lap as Smoky rested his arm around her.
As we traveled through the streets, the quietude of the city began to settle through me and I leaned back and closed my eyes, a feeling of longing resonating through me like ripples on a pond. I missed Otherworld. I missed my home…but where was home, really?
“We really are windwalkers, aren’t we? No true home.”
Camille cocked her head. “Oh honey, no. Windwalkers have no place to call home. But we—we don’t have just one home. We have two. We’re so much luckier than some people.” She leaned across the space between the seats and took my hand. “It’s all in the perspective.”
Silent, meditating on what she’d said, I stared out the window as we clattered up the main road leading to the palace. Gleaming with alabaster, the palace was elegant in its simplicity. Surrounded by gardens, the royal courts were as clean and clear as the air. The road leading to the palace was spacious, paved with brown bricks. It ended in a cul-de-sac, with an island of grass at the end, where an oak tree grew so tall it was hard to see the top. A circle of early blooming jaspa flowers—they were a lot like Earthside crocus—surrounded the island, their fragrant white blossoms stark against the verdant green of the grass.
