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She looked down her nose at him, even though he was taller. “Oh? I’ve no proof that you aresignificantto me.”
Iggy sighed. “Do those not significant know about the double cherry birthmark on your—”
“Cad!” She raised her hand as if to slap him, and Iggy caught her wrist.
“You are alive at the will of my associates, Gunnora. You are here safely, as you areusefulto us.” The Master Hexen was anything but gentle in his words. “I died because you were untrustworthy, so until—orif–your memory returns such that you might explain yourself, I shall treat you as a hostile entity.”
Nora’s mouth opened and closed.
“He’ll find us eventually. With her in”--Iggy made a sweeping gesture with his hand toward his former beloved--“this useless state, I recommend we exit.”
“And how do you propose we do that?” Beatrice rolled her eyes. “You are too depleted for us to traverse the sea, but even if we did that . . .”
“Not a lot of options here.” Iggy pointedly stared at me. “If there were a way to travel that was . . . magical.”
“Donkey nuts.” I reached over for Eli’s hand. “Is it the worst idea ever?”
“Quite possibly,” Eli murmured, but without another word, Eli opened a doorway toElphame.
Nora whispered, “Avalon!”
“Not quite. Daughter of mine?” Beatrice met my gaze and then looked at my spouse. “Eli? Shall I?”
He nodded.
“In you go.” I stepped through the portal, leading the way. I wasn’t sure that we’d receive a kind welcome by bringing the exiled prince, the queen of thedraugr, and Chester’s resurrected wife.
Or me.
Or Iggy.
I had a sword up and a hex at the ready as soon as my feet touched fae soil. A heartbeat later, the rest of our motley crew was at my back.
“Judas,” Beatrice hissed in greeting as the king stepped forward.
“Dungeons.” Marcus pivoted to leave, and we were at the mercy of the same guards who had once fought at our sides, protected us, called us heirs. He was as much an enemy as Chester now.
“Uncle,” I called.
The king ofElphamepaused but did not look back.
“Do not be so foolish,” Eli said, though I wasn’t sure if he was speaking to me or to Marcus.
“You threatened myvows,” I said, calmly, lightly, not hexing him. “You would sacrifice us both?”
While I was speaking, I ripped open another tear and shoved Eli and Beatrice through it. They landed in the kitchen of our home in New Orleans, a place Chester couldn’t enter, a place Marcus wouldn’t.
That left me, the woman who was to be a weapon, and a Master Hexen. Neither of them was strictly banned fromElphame—nor were they people Marcus would refuse to let out when the time came. I was the only person here that was not allowed, but I wasn’t leaving the weapon here undefended.
“You have the common sense of a viper, Death Maiden,” one of the guards whispered.
It felt like praise.
“Dungeons,” Marcus repeated before vanishing to wherever he went to pout and rage.
We might be captured, but I wasn’t as daunted as maybe I ought to be. The weapon Chester sought—and the man who apparently loved her—were imprisoned inElphame,while Chester was in Scotland hunting us.
It wasn’t exactly perfect, but honestly, I’d faced worse odds earlier in the day. Progress, however slight, was still a reason to smile.
