Page 67 of Be the Serpent

I took a deep, slow breath. “Objection overruled,” I said. “I’ve touched and unraveled enough spells at this point that I know I can disenchant her. And I’m the only one who can do it, because we need Oberon to put her back in the box before everything gets out of control. More than it already is.”

“It should work,” said Cassandra, firmly. “And I know how we get Titania here.”

Oberon frowned. “How’s that?”

“If she has any of Mom’s reflexes left, she’ll pick up when I call,” said Cassandra. “I tell her we’re ready to come home, she’ll be here if she has to hotwire a car.”

“That sounds like it might work,” said Arden. “At the very least, it’s simple. I like simplicity. Fewer things can go wrong when we keep it simple.”

“All right.” I looked to Oberon. “We call her, she comes, and when she goes for the Browns, I unbind her and you re-bind her immediately, to something a little less child-murder-y? Maybe with a nice, specific goal, instead of a vague, subjective, ‘be a better person’?”

“I will compose my restrictions with the greatest care,” said Oberon ponderously.

“And what happens after that, when I have a pissed-off Queen of All Faerie in my knowe?” asked Arden.

“If I spin the spell this time as I did the last, she’ll vanish at once, off to begin her new life nestled in a safe place. Watch for news of a family suddenly taking in a foundling, or a changeling child being found wandering the fields without memory of where they came from, and you’ll be able to find her before she can become a threat. My daughter here”—he indicated the Luidaeg—“was an excellent mother. Bring Titania to her, and we’ll see her brought back up in better form.”

“That’s about ten thousand shades of creepy that I don’t have the time or the energy to get into right now, but when all this is over, you and me, we’re going to have a talk about grooming and ethics and how they apply to everybody the same,” I said, and took a deep breath. “So I guess we’re doing this.”

“I suppose we are.” Arden crossed to Cassandra, offering the girl her hands. “I know you hate this, Cass, but I need you to force it. Please. Tell me what to do.”

Cassandra sighed and stared off into the distance, eyes unfocused as she watched the motion of the air. “Evacuate the knowe,” she said, after a moment. “Everyone who’s not actually a part of this plan needs to leave, or things will turn out very poorly. They may turn out very poorly anyway. Success is by no means assured, and the presence of two out of the Three means I can’t See clearly enough to map any sort of safe path through. When she comes, let her come. Post no guards, offer no resistance. She needs to believe you’re showing her the proper respect, or she’ll hurt you.”

Arden nodded. “I can do those things. Those are easy things. Was there anything else that would make this easier?”

“Yes,” said Cassandra, looking back to Arden. “You can straight-up order October to eat three more of those sandwiches, or I’m not going to call my mother.”

“Anthony has a phone, you know,” I protested, taking a sandwich in each hand. “He could call her.”

“He won’t.” Cassandra smiled thinly. “He agrees that you have to eat more.”

I looked to Nolan, who had been standing by quietly for most of this. “What do you think?”

“I think a lady should feel free to eat—or not eat—whatever she likes, and it’s nobody’s business but her own.”

Cassandra narrowed her eyes and just looked at me, so intently that it made me want to squirm. Then she turned to Arden. “I am the bait in this trap, but I am also your chatelaine, Your Highness. What can I do to expedite the process of clearing the knowe?”

Arden hesitated, staring off into space. It wasn’t the intent staring Cass had been doing before; this was the stare of a woman who’d forgotten something, nothing more. “There was an alarm,” she said, slowly. “We heard it on the night of the earthquake. If you consult your house book, it should have the instructions on finding and activating it. If the process requires someone of royal blood, either myself or Nolan can accomplish that for you. Only call.”

I leaned toward Nolan, murmuring, “House book?”

“A token of the chatelaine,” said Nolan. “The knowe can answer any questions she has about the structure, and help guide her to spells that have declined in efficacy and need to be reestablished.”

“Huh,” I said.

Meanwhile, Cassandra and Arden embraced quickly before Cass walked out of the room, brisk as anything. Nolan watched her go, shaking his head.

“Our Cassandra, Firstborn,” he said. “Who would ever have thought it?”

“All of us were young once,” said the Luidaeg mildly. “Now, Toby. I have a very important and possibly terrifying job I need you to take care of for me while the young Miss Brown is getting all her ducks in a row.”

“What’s that?” I asked.

She smiled. “You get to convince your friends and family that it’s time for them to get the hell out of here.”

SEVENTEEN

May looked at me with the flat, affectless stare of someone who had won arguments against better adversaries than me and wasn’t particularly concerned about losing this time. “No,” she said.