Page 53 of The Innocent Sleep

But what benefit could that have? If she wanted October to be miserable—which she did, of that I was sure—then making Simon treat his changeling child poorly would have been a way to make things worse. Instead, he had created a warm and loving home, one from which Amandine was absent more often than not.

It didn’t make sense.

We reached the manor and passed through the main gate, heading for the receiving room without pause. I knew my way around the knowe in its current configuration better than I had ever known its previous design, and Simon needed no direction. The few members of the staff who glanced our way as we walked looked quickly back to whatever they’d been doing once they saw the expression on his face.

When we reached the receiving room doors, Simon paused and looked at me. “I hate to ask something of a relative stranger, but I would appreciate it if you’d wait out here while I speak to my brother,” he said. “This is family business. I’d like to speak to you when I’m done, however.”

“Of course, sir,” I said.

Simon nodded sharply, and slipped into the room, leaving me outside to consider the situation. I had been back in my little fish’s near presence for only a short while, and already everything had devolved into chaos. Maybe this was going to turn out the way I had been hoping after all. Maybe I was going to get my family back.

Minutes ticked by, and there was no shouting from inside, only silence. The smell of river lupine and limoncello announced Ginevra’s arrival before I heard her footsteps behind me, intentionally exaggerated to keep me from thinking that she was trying to sneak up. I turned.

“What?”

“You didn’t come back,” she said. “You were supposed to come back after you saw October leave the tower, so we could discuss our next steps. When you didn’t, we were . . . worried.” Meaning she was concerned that I had stumbled upon an opportunity to grab October and decided to take it. “Raj is holding the Court, and we did a small supply run last night; he’ll be fine for the rest of the day, if not longer. I needed to know that you were all right.”

I sighed, running a hand through my hair to buy myself a moment to think. Finally, I looked at Ginevra and said, in a hushed tone, “She’s here.”

She didn’t ask who I meant. Instead, she stood a little straighter, rounded pupils turning oval and going narrow in surprise. “Where?”

“In the manor,” I said. “Inside the knowe. Her own squire caused her harm—assaulted her while she was cleaning up after last night’s party, and drew blood. It was odd, actually. I broke into the tower . . .”

“You did what?”

“You knew I was planning to enter as soon as she came out. No one was home at the time, I wasn’t in any danger of being seen.” I waved off her concern. “Amandine is in Silences, Simon was in Goldengreen, and both girls were on their way here. So I broke in to be sure they’d been treating her as well as it seemed they had. And there was no blood trail. Not from October. I smelled blood, yes, but all from other sources.”

“Do you think they just haven’t been letting her do blood magic?”

“Would you, if you were trying to keep her under control?”

Ginevra scoffed. “I wouldn’t try to keep that woman under control. Even if you wouldn’t kill me for even thinking about it, it would be like trying to wrestle a blizzard into compliance. Not the sort of thing you do when you want to keep all your fingers attached to your body.”

“Raj and Helen were watching a program about human hospital services right before the world revised itself. It seems they could put your fingers back on, if you wanted to cross my lady.”

She smacked me in the arm, and I laughed, pleased to have relaxed her so, before I continued: “As I was saying . . . she bled, and the staff removed her for reasons I don’t understand as yet. I was speaking to Grianne when I was notified of Simon’s approach, and now he’s inside, speaking with his brother. But he’s asked me to wait until they’re finished, as he’d like to speak with me.”

Ginevra’s eyes widened. “Do you know why?”

“No idea. But as making nice with her father figure might create the opportunity for us to speak with October, I have to wait.” Belatedly, it occurred to me that if Mary’s prophecy hadn’t encouraged me to take the chance to speak with Simon, I might be in October’s presence by now. Such is the danger of depending on Seers. Prophecy will always cut both ways.

“Then I’ll wait with you.”

She leaned against the wall, folding her arms. I blinked at her, raising an eyebrow, and she looked calmly back, so I settled against her, and we waited.

People passed, going about their duties. Several members of the household staff bustled by, as did some of the courtiers who had chosen to spend the day at the knowe. It was pleasant, domestic, and mind-numbingly dull, and I was beginning to reconsider my patience when the door creaked open and August was there, so close I could have reached out and touched her.

“Oh,” she said. “There’s two of you. Father didn’t say anything about that. Well, I suppose you’d best come inside.”

She turned her back on us, door still open, and vanished into the depths of the receiving room.

Ginevra and I exchanged a look and followed her inside.

The door slammed shut behind us.

FIFTEEN

SYLVESTER WAS SEATED IN the high chair on the dais, and Simon was standing beside him, matching expressions on their shadowed, solemn faces. August continued across the room until she reached the dais, where she sat on the edge, boosting herself back until her legs were dangling, childlike, feet a few inches above the checkerboard floor.