Seraphina(103)

“Thomas could not have mistaken me for her.”

“I imagine he recognized you and decided on the spur of the moment that he may as well kill you instead. But recall: you saw Josef near the scene.”

“You thought that was too circumstantial.”

“I did until his name popped up just now!” he cried, the stress of the evening overriding his usual circumspection.

We reached the Queen’s study only to find it empty. Kiggs swore.

“We should split up,” I said. “I’ll check back at the great hall.”

He nodded grimly. “I’ll mobilize the Guard. We’ll find them.”

I was already reaching for Abdo with my mind as I scurried toward the hall. Abdo, find Lars. Wait for me near the stage. Can you see Dame Okra?

Abdo spotted the ambassadress near the desserts, then told me he was off to the dressing rooms to find Lars. I reached for Lars to let him know Abdo was coming.

I considered breaking my word and reaching for Dame Okra, but she had been cranky enough earlier and I needed her help now. I needed her power, odd as it was, to live up to its peculiar promise. When I reached the great hall, she was right where Abdo had indicated, having a lively conversation with Fulda, the reclusive dragon ambassador. I skirted the dancing couples, marveling that anyone still had the energy for a volta when it must be nearly dawn. I drew up beside Dame Okra and said, “Pardon me, Ambassador Fulda, but I need to steal Dame Okra for one moment. I fear it’s urgent.”

The good manners were more for her benefit than his. She drew herself up importantly—it didn’t make her any taller—and said, “You heard her, Fulda. Shoo.”

Ambassador Fulda’s eyes shone as he stared at me. “So you’re Maid Dombegh. I am intrigued to make your acquaintance at last.”

I stared back at him, wondering what he’d heard.

“Oh, fie!” cried Dame Okra, swatting him. “She’s no more special than I am, and you’ve known me for years. Come, Seraphina!” She took my arm and hauled me away. “All right, what do you want?” she said when we were off in a corner by ourselves.

I took a deep breath. “We need to find the Queen and Glisselda.”

“They’re not in the study, I suppose?”

I goggled at her. “What does your stomach tell you?”

“My stomach does not take requests, little maidy!” she said haughtily. “It directs me, not the other way around.”


I leaned down into her froggy face, demonstrating beyond all doubt that I was not merely her equal in snarling but would surpass her one day. “You told me your stomach enables you to be in the right place at the right time. The Queen and Glisselda may be in mortal danger this very moment, so I’d say the right place is wherever they are, and the right time is before they come to harm!”

“Well, thank you for the additional information,” she sniffed. “I do need something to go on. It’s not magic, you know. It’s more like indigestion.”

“Is it pointing you anywhere, or not?”

She considered a moment, tapping a finger against her lips. “Yes. Through here.”

She led me toward one door of the hall just as Kiggs came through another. I called and waved; he darted straight across the dance floor toward us, scattering and confounding the dancers. Dame Okra didn’t wait for him but plunged into the corridor, toward the east wing. I followed her at a distance until Kiggs caught up.

“Where are we going?” he asked breathlessly.

“We’ve worked out the location of Glisselda and the Queen,” I said, dreading his next question.

“Where are they?”

“St. Vitt, how should I know?” growled Dame Okra, increasing her speed.

Kiggs turned incredulous eyes on me. “What is this?”

“She has a hunch. I trust it. Let’s give her a chance.”

Kiggs grunted skeptically but followed. We arrived at the door to his beastly tower. Dame Okra rattled the handle, but it was locked. “Where does this go, and do you have a key, Prince?” asked Dame Okra.

“They wouldn’t be up there,” he grumbled, but he fished for his key.

“How would they have gotten in?” I asked as the lock clicked.

“Glisselda has a key. It’s not impossible, but it’s not plausible either—” He stopped short. Hollow voices echoed down the spiral stair. “Saints’ bones!”

Dame Okra made as if to stomp straight up the stairs, but Kiggs stopped her, staring upward intently. He put a finger to his lips and moved silently, a hand on the hilt of his sword; we followed his lead. The door at the top was slightly ajar, letting light and sound drift down toward us. We heard laughter and three … no, four different voices. Kiggs motioned us to stay still.

“That’s plenty. Lovely,” said a voice I took to be the Queen’s.

“Thank you!” chirped a voice that was clearly Glisselda’s. “Shouldn’t we wait for my mother and Cousin Lucian?”

A third voice made a muffled reply, followed by the clink of glass upon glass as another wine goblet was filled.

Kiggs turned to us and counted down with his fingers: three, two, one …

He threw the door open just as the Queen, Glisselda, and Lady Corongi toasted the new year with a glass of wine. Josef, Earl of Apsig, stood a little apart, the wine bottle in his hand.