folded her arms over her chest, looking peevish. She might be a warrior, but her people skills sucked. They were even worse than his, something he never believed possible.
“I shouldn’t have,” Chaaya complained. “You kicked me out of here.”
Inga blushed, but she held her ground. “I did it for your own good. My people had become convinced that you not only cheated at cards but that you were stealing from our treasury. They wanted you thrown in the dungeons.”
Chaaya sniffed. “I borrowed one stupid tiara and suddenly I’m a thief?”
Inga arched a brow. “Borrowed?”
“I gave it back.”
“You stuck it on top of a statue of Neptune.”
“He looked like he needed a crown.” Chaaya shrugged. “I gave him one.”
“What about the crystal globes that were a formal gift from the Queen of the Dew Fairies?”
“One of your guards dared me to juggle them.” Chaaya shrugged. “I forgot I couldn’t juggle.”
Inga clenched her pointed teeth. Basq didn’t blame the female. Chaaya was an acquired taste.
Taste… Basq’s fangs suddenly lengthened, eager for a sip of the mysterious woman. Damn. His awareness of her was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
“My job is tough enough without you creating chaos,” Inga said, her tone grim.
“I hear you,” Basq murmured, releasing his shadow. They were wasting time with this bickering. Ignoring Chaaya’s glare, Basq concentrated on the Queen of the Mer-folk. “Perhaps you should tell us why we’re here.”
Inga visibly gathered her rattled composure. “A few hours ago, a guard came to me to say that he’d heard Brigette talking to herself. He also swears that he could see a shadow next to her.”
“What security do you have in place?” he asked.
Inga arched a brow. “You mean beyond being a mile beneath the water and isolated from the world?”
He held her gaze. “Yeah, beyond that.”
The ogress blew out a weary sigh. “I have guards, of course, and no one is allowed in Brigette’s cell but me.”
“How is she fed?” Chaaya abruptly demanded.
“A slot in the door,” Inga responded.
Chaaya absently stroked the hilt of her spear. Basq noticed that it was a habit she had when she was deep in thought.
“Could she have talked to whoever delivered the food?”
Inga shrugged. “I suppose it’s possible, but the guard would surely have noticed if there was a servant there?”
Chaaya blinked, realizing everyone was gazing at her in confusion. “I’m just trying to imagine how she could be in contact with anyone. Who knows that she’s locked in the dungeon? And how could they have created a connection to Brigette?”
Basq nodded in silent approval at the questions. It would be dangerous to leap to the conclusion that Brigette was communicating with the evil beast named Zella. It could easily be that the Were was crazed from her time in the dungeons and that the guard had mistaken a common shadow for something more sinister. Or perhaps another creature was attempting to release the Were for its own mysterious reasons.
They had to approach this with a logical investigation, not panic at the thought of Zella returning to this world.
“What about magic?” he asked.
Inga decisively shook her head. “The dungeons are created to dampen magic. It keeps anyone from creating a portal or using a cloaking spell to escape.”
“Is she still in the dungeons?”
Inga nodded. “Yes.”
“How many prisoners are you holding in the dungeons?” he asked.
“Just Brigette.”
That was exactly what Basq wanted to hear. The fewer factors contaminating the area, the easier it would be to pinpoint what was happening with the Were.
“How many guards?”
“One in the actual dungeons, plus two more at the outer door.”
“Have you made sure that they haven’t been infected?” Basq pressed, sensing Chaaya’s startled glance. Did she assume he hadn’t been paying attention when Chiron questioned her about the endless centuries she’d spent trapped with the beast?
Inga considered his question before giving a shake of her head. “I didn’t notice anything.”
Chaaya determinedly gained control of the encounter. She might pretend to be a feckless teenager, but she was a natural leader.
“You shouldn’t take any chances,” she warned Inga. “Until we know if this has anything to do with Zella, you should have the guards put into quarantine.”
“What about Brigette?” Inga asked. “Should I—”
The queen’s words were cut short at the sound of shouting from the outer corridor. Instantly they all turned to watch as one of the doors to the throne room was shoved open to reveal a guard in scaled armor.
“What’s happening, Jord?” the queen demanded.
“The prisoner has escaped,” the male rasped.
“Brigette?” Inga demanded, although they all