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wonder you even have the will to carry on."

"Enough," I groaned, rubbing my eyes. "Being around you guys is like being on the Jerry Springer Show sometimes. As much as I hate to admit it, I agree with Volusian." Finn started to speak, and I cut him off with a gesture. "But I still want to talk to Maiwenn. If she is guilty, maybe I can find out. If she isn't, maybe she'll help me figure out who is."

"You're crazy," exclaimed Finn. "You're playing right into her hands."

"And your opinion has been duly noted for the record. I don't need to hear it anymore."

He disappeared with a huff. I shook my head and turned to the others.

"Show me where the closest crossover to her home is."

It turned out to be an hour and a half drive from Tucson, but considering how much Otherworldly travel I probably would have had to do by crossing somewhere else, I didn't mind. This proved doubly true when the crossroads in the Willow Land deposited me within eyesight of her castle.

It was only a small consolation, considering it was still freezing in her land. Back home, the weather had been hot and perfect. Worst of all, today was Cinco de Mayo. I should have spent the rest of the day drinking copious amounts of tequila, followed by a blissful blackout under a table somewhere.

At least there was no wind now, but the air held a sharp, biting chill. It was dry too; I could sense its lack of moisture. Ice and snow drifts glittered with crystalline beauty in the stark winter sunlight, but it was a dangerous beauty. If you stared at the blankets of white too long, you could almost get afterimages from the brightness.

I trudged down the cold road, admiring the castle in spite of myself.

Unlike Aeson's and Dorian's, it lacked the blocky, fortress look. It was...well, pretty. Graceful, fluid spires rose up, their silvery white surface gleaming and sparkling. The entire structure had a curved, almost sinuous look, like a calla lily. I wondered if this simply resulted from the difference between male and female monarchs. Maybe Maiwenn just had better taste.

The guards turned rightfully alarmed when I informed them who I was. They tried to coax me inside to wait for Maiwenn's admittance, but I refused to take one step until they'd requested hospitality for me. It took awhile - during which time the number of guards circling me doubled - but Maiwenn finally sent back word that I could see her and would be under the protection of her home.

A lady-in-waiting led me to Maiwenn, and she made it clear in both body language and words that I had no business disturbing her queen. She led me through twisting halls, at last leaving me in a cozy, brightly lit sitting room. Maiwenn rested in a comfy plush chair, propped up by pillows. A heavy satin dressing gown wrapped around her, and someone had tucked a blanket over her lap. Even pale-skinned and messy-haired, she looked gorgeous.

She smiled at me and gestured for the servant to leave. "Lady Markham, what a pleasant surprise. Please, sit down."

Uneasily, I eased onto a delicate plush pink chair. "Call me Eugenie."

She nodded, and we both sat there awkwardly. Watching her, all I could think about was how she was carrying Kiyo's baby. It would create a lifelong bond between them that I could never share. Not that I wanted anything like that, of course. Kiyo was out of my life.

Maiwenn's sense of propriety, being better than mine, soon kicked in. "I'm happy to receive you, but I suspect this isn't a social call."

"No...I'm sorry. I wanted to talk to you about..." I hesitated, suddenly feeling foolish. What had I been thinking to come here and ask her outright if she wanted to kill me? Well, it was too late to back out. Might as well go for it. "I've had a couple of nasty attacks lately. Attacks meant to kill me. And I was wondering if...if maybe you knew anything about them...."

Her turquoise eyes regarded me knowingly. "Or more to the point, you want to know if I had anything to do with them."

I averted my eyes. "Yes."

"It's no wonder Dorian likes you so much. Your bluntness must amuse him to no end." She sighed and leaned her head back in the chair. "You may believe me or not, but the answer is no. I neither ordered nor know anything about any attempts on your