Page 9 of Queens Will Play

Aeval hesitated for a moment. After the maid left, she said, “Tell me, have you been having any odd dreams lately?”

I caught her eye. Aeval wasn’t into small talk. Everything she asked was for a reason.

“Yes, why?” That feeling I’d had the night before returned. “What’s going on?”

“You’ve seen him, too, haven’t you? In the depths of your mind, you’ve seen him. I’m preparing, Camille. I’m not getting caught off-guard. Not this time.”

“Him?” A knot began to form in my stomach as I settled back against the brocade sofa.

Aeval sat down near me—too close for comfort. She leaned forward, staring into my eyes. “You know who I’m talking about. I know you do.”

I felt poised on the edge of the cliff, that sensation that the next few words you hear will change your world forever.

“I can see it in your eyes,” she said. “You’ve seen him.”

I knew exactly what she was talking about—the man the Moon Mother had shown me. But I had no clue how much I should say. I needed to know more about him before I could entrust my thoughts to anyone outside of my family.

“I’ve seen someone,” I said, scrambling. “I don’t know who it is.”

“Neither do I, nor does Titania. But we need to find out. I’ve got feelers out now, but I don’t know that they’ll lead to anything. I will tell you one thing,” she added. “He comes from before the Great Divide. That’s one of the reasons I told Vanzir to leave. I need someone by my side who can lead my armies.”

I stared at her for a moment. “How long have you known about him?”

“I started having dreams a month ago—and Titania’s been dreaming darkly for the same time.” Aeval worried her lip, and by that simple gesture, I knew she was serious.

“That’s about my time frame, too…and my sisters. It can’t be Shadow Wing—we destroyed him. He’s not Sauron, after all. There’s no magic ring to bring him back.” I closed my eyes. The room had grown close around us, the energy thickening like air that hung too heavy.

“Shadow Wing is long gone. But this man…see what you can find out. As for Vanzir, if he wants to visit Lahi, tell him to call me and I’ll give him time with her. But there’s no way he can move back here, and I won’t let her live outside the Barrow. I don’t trust him to provide a safe haven for her. And Camille, you can’t show your favoritism for him over me. If word gets out that he’s staying at your Barrow, we can’t provide a united front. And we must be united.”

I suddenly realized Aeval was holding my hand. I gave her fingers a gentle squeeze.

“First, thank you for offering him time with his child. But Aeval, never ask me to choose you over my friends. I’m not a puppet and my family—including my friends—comes first before all except the Moon Mother.”

Aeval narrowed her gaze. “The three courts must be united. You can’t just do what you like—there are protocols and unspoken rules. Again: do not give Vanzir your seal of approval. I’m offering more leniency than I should. I could easily forbid him any contact with her.”

“Do that and she’ll grow up hating you,” I warned.

“Daughters often hate their mothers. I can live with that. But…tell Vanzir to call my secretary and set up visitation. In the meantime, see what you can find out. The three of us should meet soon. This is a matter for all three of our courts. Talamh Lonrach Oll is in danger.”

The warning in her voice told me it wasn’t wise to press the issue right now. At least I’d got her to give a little on Lahi. Taking my leave, I headed back to Barrow, thinking about the strange man who was haunting all of our thoughts.

“Why not call Carter?” Menolly asked. Nerissa had left on a business trip and Roman, too, was occupied with business, so Menolly had decided to stay with me for a couple of nights. Smoky, Trillian, and Morio had renovated the Barrow to create a secret room protected from the light. We were the only ones who knew about it, except for Menolly and Delilah. The door was accessible through a panel that opened into my private sitting room, where my maids only entered when I asked them to.

My staff was aware that she was visiting, but that’s all they knew. They also knew I’d string up anybody who tried to hurt her.

“That’s a good idea.” I hadn’t even thought about it. We hadn’t talked to Carter in a while. He was part Titan, part demon. He was also a member of the Demonica Vacana Society—a private organization that had watched over mankind and all of their supernatural activities since…well…since longer than most of us could imagine.

I pulled out my phone and called him, wondering if he was still at the same number, but I shouldn’t have worried.

“Carter Enterprises,” the voice on the line said. “How may I help you?”

It wasn’t Carter, but a woman’s voice. His romantic partners came through a revolving door, but we hadn’t talked for a little while, and I didn’t know if he’d hired help for his business.

“My name’s Camille D’Artigo and⁠—”

“Oh! One moment. Hold please,” she said, and suddenly I was listening to silence.

The next moment, Carter came on the phone. “Camille! How good to hear from you. What can I do for you?”