“Um, not sure what breed he is, but he’s for you,” I started. “His name’s Benito.”
“Like Mussolini?” Need she ask?
“Uh-huh,” I confirmed. “Look, he’s a guard dog. A really good one. And even better, he’s trained for the hearing impaired. He’s a really good listener.”
Given what I’d just told her about what happened, Mom could see where I was going with this, and I could tell she was wavering, so I exploited her moment of weakness.
“Doug got him for you. Thought he might help keep you safe.”
“Okay, then,” she sighed, patting her lap and encouraging the huge dog to jump onto it. “Welcome, Benito,” she said, touching his eyelids in the ancient Aegiran greeting. And then, thoughtfully, “But what are we going to do with you when we go back? Last I heard dogs can’t hydroport. And they certainly can’t breathe water.”
Did I hear right? Why did Mom think she was going back to Aegira? I mean, I definitely needed to go back, but there was no reason she needed to. Mom needed to stay a million miles away from there. Just run this town and stick close to Benito.
“That’s what I was about to tell you, Ransha,” she started softly. “A herald came again. The Queen wants me back. She’s having a meeting. She wants me there.”
I sighed. Great.
No way would Mom ever refuse a herald. Let alone one from Imd herself.
“Mom,” I started. But where do I start? Someone’s tried to kill me three times now?
“Don’t Mom me,” she berated me gently. “There is no question about this. I am going. Even if it hadn’t been for the herald, I would not let you go there alone.”
“When?”
Even though the sick agony of my nicotine withdrawal and the soft bruise of my raw guilt were messing with my capacity to think, I tried to work out what I needed to do before heading back. See Aldus. Call Dad. Check on Doug.
“The meeting is tomorrow night, but we’ll lose a few hours traveling. We’ll leave in the morning. We need a few hours sleep before we travel again.”
It made sense, even though my body itched to be back. I knew hydroporting close together was dangerous. It didn’t only sap your strength, it could kill you. I remembered Carragheen, disoriented in the shower after hydroporting twice in quick succession. And I knew I would need every ounce of strength to do what needed to be done once I got to Aegira. Now that I had more information, and more leads. There was finding Imogen, of course, and trying to solve this riddle. But there was more as well. I needed to face Carragheen. I needed to find out what he knew, and why he’d been deceiving me. One way or another, he was gonna talk.
Even if I had to kill him.
Somehow I knew that this confrontation would take the greatest courage of all.
So Mom was right, we should sleep first. A little. But if I could manage to sleep at all, which I seriously doubted, I’d be doing it at the hospital. Close to Doug.
“Okay, Mom,” I conceded. “Dawn then.”
She nodded, and I wondered what the Queen was asking her to do. Why did Imd want her there? I wondered how the Queen was faring, back in Aegira, whether the poison was leaving her system. Whether Lecanora had been able to keep her safe. Whether the Princess was safe herself. I wondered what the herald had shared with Mom, if anything.
“Do you know what she wants?” I wasn’t sure if Mom would tell me, even if she knew. “What do you think the meeting is about?”
“I don’t know much,” Mom acknowledged, and I could tell she was telling the truth. “But I do know she is bringing the whole of the leadership grouping together.”
“Hmm.” I nodded, digesting. The whole leadership grouping. So Zorax would be there.
Good. I was gonna nail that little worm to the wall.
But Mom had already moved on. “Now, Ransha, I have a lot to do. There are things this town needs while I’m gone.” She motioned with her head to the papers spread out in front of her. “I need to take these down to the chambers.” She looked me up and down. “And I suppose you have things to do, too. Can I suggest you start by cleaning up? I’ll help you dress those cuts.”
For the first time, I looked down at myself, focusing on what Mom was seeing.