“Maybe. You were correct when you said Ryese was an expert alchemist. The queen has a few others in her court, but he was the best.”
Great.
“What are we going to do about him?” I asked as we walked across the clearing toward the door to winter.
“Not much we can do while he is hiding in the light court.”
“But he was behind the murders.”
Falin shrugged. “Didn’t you notice? His hands were clean.”
Weren’t they always? He’d also managed to keep the blood off his own hands when he’d been draining fae to create a drug that had killed several mortals and poisoned the Winter Queen. Teaghan, Lunabella, and Jurin had committed the actual murders, but he was behind them. I was certain. Teaghan’s glance at him was confirmation. Though it wouldn’t be considered damning proof to any ruler—especially if the Queen of Light was involved.
Under Ryese’s direction, Teaghan had no doubt killed her two co-conspirators after the revelry. No proof of that one, but it fit. I had a sinking suspicion most of Dugan’s missing courtiers arrived in the light court only to find themselves as experiments when Ryese was searching for a way to harness, weaponize, and cure basmoarte. Unfortunately that would be impossible to prove without access to the light court. And that wasn’t going to happen.
“The queen was complicit at best. She knew about the basmoarte, the cure, and that Ryese had a way to trigger it. She is a threat,” I said, and Falin jerked his hand back from where he was about to open the door to winter.
“I know it, and you know it, but you must not say such things. Not here in Faerie, or back in the mortal realm. But particularly not once we are back in court. You have seen how the queen views her sister.”
I nodded. Ryese and the Queen of Light were out of our reach. We’d found the direct killers in the case, and stopped this particular attempt to overturn the balance of Faerie. For now, that would have to be enough.
Chapter 23
A platoon of guards met us inside the door to the winter court.
“The queen wants to speak with you, immediately,” the foremost guard said.
Falin frowned at him, his eyes narrowing. “I’ll escort Alex to the door to Nekros, and then I will meet with the queen.”
That hadn’t been the plan, and Falin suddenly trying to hurry me out of the court made me even more nervous than the way several ice-gauntleted hands wrapped around their sword hilts. Something was wrong. Of course, our meeting with the Queen of Light hadn’t exactly gone well. The Winter Queen was going to be pissed, and she hadn’t been what one would call stable in a while. Falin was trying to get me out of here and take the brunt of her anger himself.
The guard in front shifted on his heel, the slight movement making him draw back from Falin a few centimeters, but he shook his head. “She has ordered us to bring you and the planeweaver. Now.”
Well, damn. Looked like I was going to see the queen. An angry queen, no doubt. Another one.
The guards took up position around us. Were they afraid I’d turn and run back through the doors and to a different court? Actually, that didn’t sound like a horrible idea. Shadow owed me several favors, and the planebender could deposit me back into my own bedroom. Not that I had that option unless I wanted to fight my way through the winter guards.
I glanced at Falin. His face was blank, maybe even haughty. I recognized the expression; it was his emotional armor and it hid his thoughts perfectly. He didn’t meet my gaze at all, which meant he probably wasn’t about to turn on his own men and make a break for it. I might have just won my first duel, but I had no illusions that I could take on a dozen winter guards. I had no choice but to see the queen.
Tension churned in the hall as we passed down the endless icy corridor. The guards said nothing, but their hands remained near their weapons. They didn’t like being at odds with their knight. For my part, I was tired, hungry, and just plan sick of Faerie. I hadn’t gotten any measurable amount of rest in days, I’d used way too much magic, I hadn’t tended the dagger wounds I’d gotten in the duel, and I really