Thorn Queen Page 0,34

expect me to believe some vagrant has that kind of power?" I asked. "Why isn't he off working for a noble?"

"He was a noble, one of Aeson's advisors. He preferred to live a rough life, rather than work for someone like you."

"Aeson did have a noble named Cowan," Rurik said. "Her story isn't implausible."

I suddenly felt weary. None of these were the answers I wanted. No leads on the girls, and now I had a rogue noble who could summon demons. "Okay," I said. "That's all I've got for now."

"What are you going to do with us?" the woman demanded.

"Another excellent question," I murmured.

"Aeson would have killed them," said Rurik.

"And you know I'm not Aeson."

Would setting them free accomplish anything? Much of what they'd done had been from hunger and desperation, not that that justified robbing and potentially killing and kidnapping. If I freed them out of guilt, I doubted they'd learn their lessons and go on to become upright citizens. I certainly wasn't going to kill them, though. I didn't even want to hold them in this cell much longer.

The guard who'd accompanied Rurik cleared his throat. "Your majesty, you could sentence them to a work detail."

"A work detail?"

"There are others like them, other criminals, who serve a term doing labor as punishment for their deeds."

"Like digging your aque...whatever," said Rurik.

That didn't sound so bad. And hey, it might actually be useful. I gave the order and was assured the two prisoners would be transported to their work site. The whole thing felt a little strange. Here I was judge, jury, and-if I chose-executioner. No one argued with my decision. No one questioned the time I set-six months. Although, Rurik's arched eyebrow made me think he would have sentenced them to life.

"Okay," I said when we'd emerged out of the lower levels of the castle and I'd sent away Volusian. "Now I'm going home."

Shaya suddenly rounded the corner. "There you are," she said anxiously. "I've been looking for you."

"I'm leaving."

Her face turned confused. "But Prince Leith is here to see you."

"Who...oh." The image came back to me. The moderately cute guy from the party. The Rowan Queen's son, who hadn't been all that annoying. "Why is he here?"

"After your last visit, I dispatched those with any affinity for metal out to search for copper. They found a lot of it-thought it's been difficult to extract-and I sent out word that we'd be in a position to set up trade for it soon. Leith is here to negotiate on behalf of his mother."

"Man," I said. "You guys move fast."

Her looked turned wry. "Well, yes, but there's also the fact that you invited him to visit sometime. He's taking you up on the offer. In fact, I suspect seeing you is more important than the trade negotiations."

"Good thing. Because I'm not so good in the way of negotiations." I never wore a watch and had left my cell phone back in Tucson. I had no idea what time it was, only that I was spending more and more time in the Otherworld. Seeing Leith was only going to delay me further. "I'll see him. But it's going to be fast."

Shaya looked relieved. I think she'd worried I would bolt, which was a very good fear to have. As we walked to the chamber Leith was waiting in, she gave me a curious look. "Perhaps you'd...like to change and clean up first?"

I looked at my clothes. They were pretty badly wrinkled, and I didn't doubt that I had grass in my hair from last night.

"No," I said. "The less appealing he finds me, the better."

Unfortunately, that proved impossible. When we entered the room, Leith leapt up, face aglow with delight. "Your majesty! It's so wonderful to see you again." He swept me a half-bow and kissed my hand. "You look amazing." He was apparently into the grunge look. "I hope you don't mind me arriving like this. When my mother heard the news of your find, she wanted to make sure we could get in on it as soon as possible."

"Sure," I said, taking my hand back. "No problem."

The room was a comfortable parlor that still bore the signs of Aeson's tastes in decorating. Tapestries, lots of velvet, and dark colors. Everyone waited for me to sit on one of the plush sofas and then followed suit. I made a point of kind of sprawling on mine. It wouldn't have been out of the range of gentry etiquette for Leith to come