“Vervain?” Que laid a hand on my shoulder.
I squeaked and jumped, dropping my tracking sight. Or smell, rather. Sight-smell.
With a grin, he said, “Sorry. Did you want to see where I kept the Wind Jewel?”
“Oh. Yes, please.”
“This way.” Que led us around a corner, up an incline, down another hallway, up some stairs, along another hallway, then up a final set of spiraling stairs.
“Here we are,” Que said as we stepped into a circular room with a balcony attached.
“Are you sure we don't have to climb more stairs?” Blue drawled.
I giggled. “It was a ways. You should think about installing an elevator.”
“I usually just fly up to the balcony but an elevator is a good idea.” He went to the stairwell and set his palms on the archway.
A shimmer of magic enveloped the space beyond Que. When it cleared, there was an elevator door within the arch.
Que dusted off his hands and turned back to us with a grin. “Well, at least I still have my territory magic.”
“Actually, thatisgood to know,” I said. “Now, where did you keep the breastplate?”
Que went to what was basically a padded pit in the center of the floor. Pillows rimmed it and blankets were folded neatly in the center. It looked like a nice place to lounge, especially with the balcony doors open to give a view of sharp, green mountainpeaks. There was no railing around the balcony, so maybe it was better classified as a ledge. But then a railing would get in the way of Que landing.
Around the walls stood dressers, a side table, and a desk made to fit the curve. The walls here were stone and painted pale blue—a shade that perfectly matched the sky so that the room seemed to be a part of the view even though it was mostly closed off. The ceiling was peaked, crossed by beams, and painted that same blue. The floor, however, was natural rock, the drab color concealed by several silk rugs and the pillows in the pit. I expected Que to go to one of the dressers, or maybe even a secret panel in the wall, but he climbed down into the pit and pulled a few pillows away from the side.
“This is where I sleep,” he said. “I only take the Wind Jewel off when I go to bed. I remove it and put it in this drawer.” He pressed a button and a narrow drawer slid out. It was empty but lined in blue velvet, and the velvet bore the impression of the Wind Jewel.
I went down to inspect the drawer. I wasn't expecting to find a scent, but I was hoping to find another clue. I poked at the edges of the drawer, testing the velvet to see if I could pry it up. It didn't budge.
“Can you remove the drawer?” I asked Que.
He pulled the drawer out completely, and I peered into the cranny. I felt around in it. Peered inside again.
“Nothing?” Blue asked.
“This isn't like him.” I looked around. “Search the room. Maybe he left a clue somewhere else.”
Que slipped the drawer back into its spot, and as I climbed out of his bed, he put the pillows back.
“What was that?” I stopped halfway out.
“What?” Que asked.
“I heard a crinkle.” I waved him back.
As Que moved back, I pulled the pillows away again. There was nothing on the mattress or between it and the wall.
“Dang it,” I muttered and replaced the pillows.
There was that crinkle again.
I jerked a pillow back and felt the fabric. No, not fabric, suede. And suede shouldn't make that sound. “There's something here!” I tugged at the suede and it tore away from the pillow, the sound of Velcro parting making me wince.
“What is that? A false back?” Quetzalcoatl asked in shock. “When would the trickster have time to sew that onto my pillow?”
“While you were sleeping,” I said. “And it wasn't sewn. These are peel-and-stick strips. He probably had the piece prepared.”
