Page 10 of Queens Will Play

“Do you have time for us to come and talk to you? Something’s going on, and I thought you might have some information on it.” If anybody could tell me who the mysterious man was, it would be Carter.

“Of course. I’m free now, or we can set a time if you like,” he said. Carter was smooth—a gentleman with a quiet demeanor, at least to his guests.

“Just a sec,” I said. I looked over at Menolly. “Want to go over tonight? He’s free.”

She nodded. “I’ll come with, no problem.”

“Carter? We’ll be over in about an hour, if that’s all right?”

“I’ll be waiting,” he said.

As I tucked my phone into my bra, I glanced over at the men. “We don’t all have to go, but I’m sure he won’t mind if you come with us.”

Smoky shook his head. “I think I’ll wait here.” When I gave him a long look, he added, “I promise, I won’t touch a hair on Vanzir’s head. Dragon’s oath,” he added, raising three fingers.

I snorted. “Right. That’s the Hunger Games salute, but whatever. What about you, Morio? Trillian?”

“I’ve got some business to attend to,” Morio said. “So, I can’t.”

Trillian glanced at Smoky. “I’ll wait here with the dragon.” He gave me a look that told me he’d keep Smoky in check if need be. The two had become good friends ever since the end of the war, and he’d helped pull Smoky out of a deep funk after he lost his arm.

“Okay, let’s head out,” I said.

Immediately, one of my bodyguards stepped forward. “We’re ready when you are, milady.”

I sighed. “All right, but you stay outside in the car.” I knew better than to fight them on this. Going into downtown Seattle in the middle of the night wasn’t exactly safe, not anymore. I had become more lenient in letting them do their job, but I always put boundaries on it.

As Menolly and I grabbed our coats, two of my bodyguards in tow, I turned back to the men. “Vanzir, Aeval said to call her secretary and set up a time to visit with Lahi.” And so we headed out.

While Talamh Lonrach Oll didn’t allow cars in the main area, I had broken that rule as much as I could. There was now a mini-parking lot near my Barrow, and a private road we used to get to the outside world. Titania and Aeval had fought me on it, but I managed to win the battle.

I insisted on driving, and my guards reluctantly settled in the back seat. But I was a better driver than either of them. As we eased out onto the main road and headed for the heart of the city, the rain began to drown the world around us, slashing down in that sideways fashion that always happened in Western Washington.

The wind whipped past the car, and I slowed my speed. The roads were so wet that there was a good chance of hydroplaning. It had been a while since I’d been out at night, and I glanced over at Menolly.

“I miss this—taking off somewhere in the middle of the night. I’m glad you came with me. Should we stop and pick up Delilah?”

She thought for a moment. “Two kids, remember? She can’t take off without warning. Even though Shade’s there, she’s definitely the one who rules the roost.”

I nodded. “Speaking of…when we were there the other night, I thought I saw Chase’s ghost hanging around. Has she said anything about it to you?”

Menolly gave me a sharp look. She cleared her throat. “You think his spirit is still bound to the earth?”

“Well,” I said, thinking, “she is watching out for his daughter. And she and Chase had a thing at one time. So…”

“So, it would make sense,” Menolly finished for me. “I don’t know, but we should ask her. If he’s still around, he might need help to cross over. Or maybe he’s sticking around as a guardian or guide.”

“Like Maggie’s mother did,” I added.

At one time, we’d had a ghost in the house and had discovered that it was the spirit of Maggie’s mother, come to make sure her baby was okay. Now that Maggie was living with me at Talamh Lonrach Oll, I had occasionally sensed her mother drop in for a quick visit with her daughter. I made sure that the Barrow wasn’t warded so heavily that she couldn’t get through, because Maggie loved those visits.

“Right. Anyway, we need her to tell us the truth. Sometimes the feline side of our sister comes out in the oddest ways. I found out the other day she sprained her ankle a few weeks ago and didn’t tell us.”

“Cats hide their pain,” I said. “How’s she doing? I didn’t notice a limp.”

“Oh, she’s healed up, but I told her next time, let us know. Just because we live in different places doesn’t mean that we aren’t a team,” Menolly said.

She’d always been protective of Kitten. So had I. Even though Delilah was a little older than Menolly, she had always been the ‘little’ sister, though over the past few years, she’d grown stronger. Ever since Delilah had transformed into a Death Maiden, she’d had to grow up—probably more than she wanted to. Dealing in death brought a sobering side to life.