Grave Visions (Alex Craft #4)(24)
The last fae at the table was another male Sleagh Maith. He had dove-white hair pulled back in a stern knot at the base of his skull. His brown frock coat was austere and unadorned aside from holly leaf buttons and cuff links. He gave me only a cursory glance before his attention returned to his queen.
My gaze also slid back to the queen, who still paced the length of the clearing. She whispered something under her breath in that chimelike language I’d heard other fae use in the past, but while the language might sound pretty, by her tone I guessed it was a curse.
“My queen?” Falin said, his head still bowed.
She whirled around. Her ice blue gaze landed on us with the weight of a glacier. She radiated power, anger, and . . . distress.
The last caught me off guard. I let my eyes wander to the fae at the table again, but none betrayed anything.
“You took your time, Knight.” The queen shoved the skirt from her hands and turned to me. “Lexi, I require your abilities.”
I cringed inwardly at the nickname, but it was the request that made my spine stiffen. My abilities? She couldn’t think I’d merge realities for her, could she? Hell, even if I could fully control the ability, I wouldn’t use it for the queen.
I cut my gaze to Falin, trying to read his take on the situation. He still hadn’t moved and I couldn’t tell anything from his posture. My legs shook from curtsying so long, my knees locking. Shrugging Falin’s hand off my arm, I straightened. The queen lifted one perfectly sculpted eyebrow as I moved, but she didn’t comment on the break in protocol.
“Your majesty, I think there has been some mistake.”
“Oh, there have been mistakes. I’m confident that you will ensure this is not one of them,” she said as her eyes bored into me, sending ice down my spine. “And it is not something you can refuse. You may dismiss my offer of kinship, but as long as you reside within my borders you may not refuse my summons.”
“And I am here, as requested.” I tried to keep my voice light, but the ache in my jaw betrayed the fact I’d been clenching my teeth. I focused on pasting my best professional smile on my face. “But, I have no training in my planeweaving ability. I doubt I can accomplish whatever task you desire.”
It was the truth, and she knew it as I couldn’t lie, but admitting the weakness to her stung. In this situation though, I hoped admitting the shortcoming would prevent her from commanding me to perform whatever task she had in mind.
The queen cocked her head to the side, studying me. For a moment I thought she’d laugh, like I’d done something childish, but she only pressed her palms against the front of her skirt. “That is a matter that must be addressed some other time. Today I don’t require your planeweaving, I seek your grave magic. I am told you often hire yourself out for this purpose?”
“I—er, yes.” I glanced at Falin, who finally straightened, the movement smooth despite his extended bow.
“My queen, may I inquire—” he started, but she whirled around, eyes going wide, angry, and cut him off.
“No. You may not. Knight, had you been here, this . . .” She took a deep breath and squeezed her eyes closed. When she opened them again she was once again calm, cold, and as deceptively harmless as an iceberg. “Yes, Knight, you need to see this as well. I must know your thoughts.” She turned back to me. “What you see today, you may not discuss with anyone outside this clearing. It is court business. My business.”
Her tone held authority and just a touch of power. I could feel the command on my skin, but her words didn’t sink through my flesh like an oath would have. They didn’t bind me. Would they have if I’d been part of her court? And does she realize she’s not binding me? I kept my mouth closed. I didn’t know what it was she wanted to hire me for, but I’d rather not end up oath bound not to speak of it—that always ended up inconvenient. Still, I’d keep her command in mind. I had no interest in aggravating the queen further than my refusal to join her court already had.
“And who is in this clearing?” I asked, my gaze moving to the fae at the table.
The queen frowned and glanced back at the table. “This is my council. Had you attended the revelries I have thrown in your honor, you would be familiar with them already.”
I waited. I wasn’t going to be baited into defending my choice to decline all her invitations. She would introduce her council, or she wouldn’t.
She studied me and then nodded over her shoulder.
“Ryese, you know. Beside him is Maeve and then Lyell.” She pointed first at the woman and then at the man, whom I was still unsure whether or not was Sleagh Maith. Finally she turned to the last fae. “And that is Blayne.” Introductions done, she nodded at the fae gathered around the table. “Come, all of you, follow me.”
Without another word she swept past me, her gown swishing lightly over the snow. No footprints marked her path as she strode toward a group of trees to my left. A doorway appeared between a small gap in the trees, and she vanished through it.
That door couldn’t have been the one we’d entered through—I had made it barely a step before Falin had dragged me to a curtsy and the door the queen had just used was a good half dozen yards away from where we stood. Of course, this was Faerie, maybe the door had moved. I glanced at Falin. He gave me a half shrug that told me nothing.