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A Caress Of Twilight :: Гамильтон Лорел
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That reminded me. "Tell Doyle what you discovered at the murder scene today."
He told Doyle about the elder gods and their ghosts. Doyle looked less and less happy. "I did not see Esras do this, but I know the queen gave the command for it. One of the agreements between us and the Seelie was that some spells were never to be performed again. That was one of them."
"Theoretically, if we could prove that a sidhe from either court did the spell, would that negate the peace treaty between us?"
Doyle seemed to think on that. "I don't know. In the actual agreement, yes, but neither side wishes all-out war."
"Siobhan does," I said, "and she wants me dead. Could she have done it?"
They both paused to think for a few silent minutes. Kitto just lay quietly beside me.
"She wants war, so she would have no qualms about doing it," Doyle said eventually. "But whether she is such a power, I do not know." He looked at Rhys.
Rhys sighed. "Once she was. Hell, so was I, once. She might have been able to do it, but that would mean she was here in California. You don't send them out of sight and expect to be able to control them. Out of sight of their magical keeper, they'll just wander around slaughtering people. They won't hunt Merry, not specifically."
"Are you sure of that?" Doyle asked.
"Yes, of that much I am sure."
"Wouldn't Barinthus have mentioned if Siobhan was missing from court?" I asked.
"He specifically said she's being a pain in his … ass."
"So she's there," I said.
"But that doesn't mean that she didn't leave for a time."
"But it still wouldn't get Merry killed," Rhys said.
"Good to know," I said, then I added, "But what if my death is only a sideline? What if the real purpose behind it all is war between the courts?"
"Then why not have the elder ones doing their horror in Illinois near the courts?" Doyle asked.
"Because whoever did it wants war, not an execution for themselves," I said.
Doyle nodded. "That is true. If the queen discovered anyone had performed one of the forbidden spells, she would execute them in hopes that Taranis would be appeased."
"And he would be," Rhys said, "because neither ruler wants all-out war."
"So in order to get their little war started, they have to get away with it," I said. "Think about it; if it's proven to the courts that it's sidhe magic at work, but can't be proven which side did it, then suspicion mounts on both sides."
"And the Nameless," Doyle said, "only a sidhe could have freed it.
That reminded me. "Tell Doyle what you discovered at the murder scene today."
He told Doyle about the elder gods and their ghosts. Doyle looked less and less happy. "I did not see Esras do this, but I know the queen gave the command for it. One of the agreements between us and the Seelie was that some spells were never to be performed again. That was one of them."
"Theoretically, if we could prove that a sidhe from either court did the spell, would that negate the peace treaty between us?"
Doyle seemed to think on that. "I don't know. In the actual agreement, yes, but neither side wishes all-out war."
"Siobhan does," I said, "and she wants me dead. Could she have done it?"
They both paused to think for a few silent minutes. Kitto just lay quietly beside me.
"She wants war, so she would have no qualms about doing it," Doyle said eventually. "But whether she is such a power, I do not know." He looked at Rhys.
Rhys sighed. "Once she was. Hell, so was I, once. She might have been able to do it, but that would mean she was here in California. You don't send them out of sight and expect to be able to control them. Out of sight of their magical keeper, they'll just wander around slaughtering people. They won't hunt Merry, not specifically."
"Are you sure of that?" Doyle asked.
"Yes, of that much I am sure."
"Wouldn't Barinthus have mentioned if Siobhan was missing from court?" I asked.
"He specifically said she's being a pain in his … ass."
"So she's there," I said.
"But that doesn't mean that she didn't leave for a time."
"But it still wouldn't get Merry killed," Rhys said.
"Good to know," I said, then I added, "But what if my death is only a sideline? What if the real purpose behind it all is war between the courts?"
"Then why not have the elder ones doing their horror in Illinois near the courts?" Doyle asked.
"Because whoever did it wants war, not an execution for themselves," I said.
Doyle nodded. "That is true. If the queen discovered anyone had performed one of the forbidden spells, she would execute them in hopes that Taranis would be appeased."
"And he would be," Rhys said, "because neither ruler wants all-out war."
"So in order to get their little war started, they have to get away with it," I said. "Think about it; if it's proven to the courts that it's sidhe magic at work, but can't be proven which side did it, then suspicion mounts on both sides."
"And the Nameless," Doyle said, "only a sidhe could have freed it.