Swallowing Darkness - Laurell K. Hamilton [102]
“Time moves differently around Merry, but not in all of faerie,” Doyle said, almost like he was speculating out loud.
Sholto moved up beside us, or rather leaned over me. I was short enough to make that possible. “Are you saying that my court is a few days ahead of the rest of faerie now?”
“So it would seem,” Doyle said.
Mistral added, “The time inside the Unseelie Court changed when the princess was inside last too. Not by days, but hours’ difference in the few clocks that we had, and those outside.”
“I don’t think it’s me, exactly. I think it’s the magic of the Goddess.”
“But it is you who is the nexus for it,” Doyle said.
That I couldn’t argue with.
Captain Page simply stopped walking ahead of us. He turned with Walters at his side. “What are you all whispering about?”
“Don’t bother,” Walters said. “They’ll just lie.”
“We never lie,” I said.
“Then you’ll hide so much that you might as well lie,” he said.
“Why are you so unhappy with me, Major?” I asked.
He gave me a look, as if I should know.
“I am sorry that I endangered your men and the other police and federal agents last time. I would change the level of danger around me if I could, Major. Please believe that I am not having a good time either.”
His face softened, and he nodded. “I’m sorry. I know that you are in real danger, and that awful things keep happening to you. I know it’s not just us mere humans who are in the way of it all.”
It was the way he said “mere humans” that gave me a clue. “Has something been happening on your end of the problems that I don’t know about, Major?”
“Your uncle, the King of Light and Illusion, is demanding that we turn you over to him. He says that he will protect you from your kidnappers.” He motioned to the men around me.
“Let me take the next one,” Page said.
Walters motioned for him to go ahead.
“Your aunt, the Queen of Air and Darkness, is demanding that you return to her court, and she says that she will protect you.”
“Did she really?” I asked.
“You seem more surprised by that one,” Page said.
“The last time she spoke to me she admitted that she could not keep me safe inside faerie and bid me flee to Los Angeles.”
The two men exchanged glances. “Her court has been very adamant,” Page said.
“Her court,” Doyle said. “Not the queen herself?”
“No, but then we haven’t spoken directly to either of them. We’ve been talking to subordinates.”
Page gave a laugh. “You don’t talk to the president to find out what he wants you to do, not without more brass on your shoulders than I’ve got.”
“Who has made the demands on behalf of the queen?” Doyle asked. “Her son, Prince Cel,” Page said.
“Yeah,” Walters said, “he seems very worried about his cousin.” Walters watched my face as he said it.
I fought to keep a blank face and give nothing away. But I knew Cel didn’t want me well. He wanted me dead. Me pregnant meant that the queen could give me her throne now. She’d vowed in open court that she would give the throne to whoever got with child first. Technically, I could have pushed the matter, and demanded a crown now, before the babies were even born. But I knew better. I knew that if I went back to the Unseelie Court pregnant, I would never live to see them born. Cel had to kill us all now.
“Our queen is different from most leaders,” I said. “Trust nothing that doesn’t come from her personally. Taranis is fond of flunkies delivering his messages, but Queen Andais likes the personal touch.”
“Are you saying that your cousin is lying?” Page asked.
“I’m saying that until a few weeks ago he was the sole heir to his mother’s throne. How would you feel if your birthright was suddenly up for grabs, Captain?”
“You’re saying he’s a danger to you,” Page said.
I looked at Doyle. Did I tell the truth? He nodded.
“Yes, Captain, Prince Cel is a danger to me.”
“If he makes an appearance,” Doyle said, “we will have to treat him as a very dangerous person.”
“We would