The similarities between the fachan and nixie attacks weren’t lost on me. Both types were water creatures, and all had seemed much more interested in killing Storm King’s daughter than fathering her child. Recalling how Dorian had said someone powerful would have had to force them to come out to the desert, I decided that figuring out who that could be needed to move to the top of my list of priorities. Rape was horrible. Death was…well, final.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t really sure I trusted my new gentry contacts to give me unbiased advice. So I turned to my next-most relatively neutral sources.

Like always, my spirit minions took a long time in answering my question. Nandi and Volusian were compelled to answer eventually, but I think they always sort of tried to wait each other out. This time, it was Nandi who finally gave in.

“Mistress, there are many among the shining ones who could summon such creatures. Far too many for you to hunt down or investigate. To do so would be akin to counting grains of sand on a beach. The task is impossible. Were you to try, you would fall into a despair so dark and deep that it would undoubtedly shatter your mind and force you into insanity.”

Volusian sighed loudly and shuffled so that he stood farther into the shadows of my bedroom. “Metaphors aside, mistress, she is correct. Perhaps there are not quite so many suspects but still enough to make a search difficult.”

Finn, moving around my room in lazy circles, stopped his flight and scoffed. “Why are you wasting your time with all these other people? It’s obvious who’s doing it. Maiwenn is.”

I sat cross-legged on the bed and swallowed a piece of my Milky Way. “Maiwenn can’t control water. Besides,” I added bitterly, “everyone keeps going on about how weak and sickly she is lately anyway.” I honestly didn’t get what the big deal was with her being so debilitated by pregnancy. I’d worked at a restaurant in high school, and there’d been a waitress there who’d stayed on her feet until the day she delivered.

“Maiwenn doesn’t have to do it herself,” argued Finn. “She’s the mastermind. Other people hated Storm King. She’s probably collaborating with them and directing them to attack you.”

“That seems kind of elaborate.”

I swear, Volusian almost smiled. “Spend more time around the gentry courts, mistress, and you’ll find a plan like that would be childishly simplistic. Nonetheless, I find it unlikely the Willow Queen is involved. It is not in her nature. She would not kill without provocation. She is more likely to wait and observe than act on her emotions.”

“Unless there was something more personal involved,” said Finn slyly. “You know, maybe a little jealousy…”

Apparently my romantic difficulties were no secret. Honestly, I didn’t get how gossip spread so fast in the Otherworld, particularly considering how they had no telephones, TV, or Internet.

I glared at him. “She has nothing to be jealous about. Not anymore.”

“Agreed,” said Volusian. “Besides, the Willow Queen is not an adolescent girl who would risk her rule to take petty revenge. She-and her peers-are far too clever. And ruthless.”

Finn crossed his arms and glared at Volusian. It was kind of a bold move, considering Finn looked like a cartoon character and Volusian looked like he ate the souls of small children. For all I knew, he probably did.

“Of course you’d say that. You’re trying to throw Odile off Maiwenn’s trail. Makes it easy, doesn’t it? Then Maiwenn’s assassins can do your dirty work for you. We all know you’re just waiting to kill her off.” Finn jerked his thumb in my direction.

Volusian went rigid, his eyes narrowing to red slits. “Make no mistake. When I kill our mistress-and I will-I will not depend on some gentry to do it. I will rip her flesh and tear her soul apart myself.”

Silence fell.

“Truly, mistress,” Nandi said at last, “it is a wonder you even have the will to carry on.”

“Enough,” I groaned, rubbing my eyes. “Being around you guys is like being on the Jerry Springer Show sometimes. As much as I hate to admit it, I agree with Volusian.” Finn started to speak, and I cut him off with a gesture. “But I still want to talk to Maiwenn. If she is guilty, maybe I can find out. If she isn’t, maybe she’ll help me figure out who is.”

“You’re crazy,” exclaimed Finn. “You’re playing right into her hands.”

“And your opinion has been duly noted for the record. I don’t need to hear it anymore.”

He disappeared with a huff. I shook my head and turned to the others.

“Show me where the closest crossover to her home is.”

It turned out to be an hour and a half drive from Tucson, but considering how much Otherworldly travel I probably would have had to do by crossing somewhere else, I didn’t mind. This proved doubly true when the crossroads in the Willow Land deposited me within eyesight of her castle.

It was only a small consolation, considering it was still freezing in her land. Back home, the weather had been hot and perfect. Worst of all, today was Cinco de Mayo. I should have spent the rest of the day drinking copious amounts of tequila, followed by a blissful blackout under a table somewhere.

At least there was no wind now, but the air held a sharp, biting chill. It was dry too; I could sense its lack of moisture. Ice and snow drifts glittered with crystalline beauty in the stark winter sunlight, but it was a dangerous beauty. If you stared at the blankets of white too long, you could almost get afterimages from the brightness.

I trudged down the cold road, admiring the castle in spite of myself.

Unlike Aeson’s and Dorian’s, it lacked the blocky, fortress look. It was…well, pretty. Graceful, fluid spires rose up, their silvery white surface gleaming and sparkling. The entire structure had a curved, almost sinuous look, like a calla lily. I wondered if this simply resulted from the difference between male and female monarchs. Maybe Maiwenn just had better taste.

The guards turned rightfully alarmed when I informed them who I was. They tried to coax me inside to wait for Maiwenn’s admittance, but I refused to take one step until they’d requested hospitality for me. It took awhile-during which time the number of guards circling me doubled-but Maiwenn finally sent back word that I could see her and would be under the protection of her home.

A lady-in-waiting led me to Maiwenn, and she made it clear in both body language and words that I had no business disturbing her queen. She led me through twisting halls, at last leaving me in a cozy, brightly lit sitting room. Maiwenn rested in a comfy plush chair, propped up by pillows. A heavy satin dressing gown wrapped around her, and someone had tucked a blanket over her lap. Even pale-skinned and messy-haired, she looked gorgeous.

She smiled at me and gestured for the servant to leave. “Lady Markham, what a pleasant surprise. Please, sit down.”

Uneasily, I eased onto a delicate plush pink chair. “Call me Eugenie.”

She nodded, and we both sat there awkwardly. Watching her, all I could think about was how she was carrying Kiyo’s baby. It would create a lifelong bond between them that I could never share. Not that I wanted anything like that, of course. Kiyo was out of my life.

Maiwenn’s sense of propriety, being better than mine, soon kicked in. “I’m happy to receive you, but I suspect this isn’t a social call.”

“No…I’m sorry. I wanted to talk to you about…” I hesitated, suddenly feeling foolish. What had I been thinking to come here and ask her outright if she wanted to kill me? Well, it was too late to back out. Might as well go for it. “I’ve had a couple of nasty attacks lately. Attacks meant to kill me. And I was wondering if…if maybe you knew anything about them…”

Her turquoise eyes regarded me knowingly. “Or more to the point, you want to know if I had anything to do with them.”