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A Kiss Of Shadows :: Гамильтон Лорел
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"And half goblin," Doyle said, "which you do not have in your background."
"The goblins are the foot soldiers of the Unseelie army. The sidhe declare war, but the goblins begin it."
"You're quoting your father now," Doyle said.
"Yes, I am." I was suddenly tired again. The short burst of humor, the amazing new possibilities of power, a return to the court—nothing could keep me from a bone-numbing weariness. But one thing I had to know. "You said Alistair Norton was worshiping the sidhe. What did you mean by that?"
"I meant that he used ritual to invoke the sidhe when he set up the circle of power around his bed. I recognized the symbols. You saw no ritual because even the most uneducated human would know that he was not allowed to call on sidhe power for magic."
"He did the preparation ritual before the women came," I said.
"Exactly," Doyle said.
"I saw a sidhe in the mirrors, but I did not see a face. Could you sense who it was?"
"No, but they were powerful enough that I could not break through. All I could send you was my animal, and my voice. It takes a great deal to bar me from a room."
"So one of the sidhe is allowing himself—"
"Or herself," Doyle said.
I nodded. "Or herself to be worshiped, and they gave Branwyn's Tears to a mortal to be used against other fey."
"Normally, humans of fey descent would not qualify for full fey status, but in this case, yes."
"To allow worship is a death sentence," I said.
"To allow the Tears to be used against another fey is to be condemned to torture for an indefinite period. Some would choose death over that."
"Have you told the queen?"
Doyle pushed himself to his feet. "I have told her of the sidhe who is allowing him or herself to be worshiped, and the Tears. I need to tell her that you have the hand of flesh, and you are blooded. She must also know that it is not Sholto who is the traitor, but one who spoke using the queen's own name."
I widened eyes at him. "Are you saying that she sent just you, alone, against Sholto and the entire sluagh, when she thought he had gone rogue?"
Doyle just looked at me.
"Nothing personal, but you needed backup."
"No, she sent me to fetch you home before Sholto left Saint Louis. I arrived the night that I sent the spiders to help you. It was the next day that Sholto began traveling this way."
"So someone found out the queen wanted me home, and within twenty-four hours they'd made a plan to have me killed."
"It would seem so," Doyle said.
"And half goblin," Doyle said, "which you do not have in your background."
"The goblins are the foot soldiers of the Unseelie army. The sidhe declare war, but the goblins begin it."
"You're quoting your father now," Doyle said.
"Yes, I am." I was suddenly tired again. The short burst of humor, the amazing new possibilities of power, a return to the court—nothing could keep me from a bone-numbing weariness. But one thing I had to know. "You said Alistair Norton was worshiping the sidhe. What did you mean by that?"
"I meant that he used ritual to invoke the sidhe when he set up the circle of power around his bed. I recognized the symbols. You saw no ritual because even the most uneducated human would know that he was not allowed to call on sidhe power for magic."
"He did the preparation ritual before the women came," I said.
"Exactly," Doyle said.
"I saw a sidhe in the mirrors, but I did not see a face. Could you sense who it was?"
"No, but they were powerful enough that I could not break through. All I could send you was my animal, and my voice. It takes a great deal to bar me from a room."
"So one of the sidhe is allowing himself—"
"Or herself," Doyle said.
I nodded. "Or herself to be worshiped, and they gave Branwyn's Tears to a mortal to be used against other fey."
"Normally, humans of fey descent would not qualify for full fey status, but in this case, yes."
"To allow worship is a death sentence," I said.
"To allow the Tears to be used against another fey is to be condemned to torture for an indefinite period. Some would choose death over that."
"Have you told the queen?"
Doyle pushed himself to his feet. "I have told her of the sidhe who is allowing him or herself to be worshiped, and the Tears. I need to tell her that you have the hand of flesh, and you are blooded. She must also know that it is not Sholto who is the traitor, but one who spoke using the queen's own name."
I widened eyes at him. "Are you saying that she sent just you, alone, against Sholto and the entire sluagh, when she thought he had gone rogue?"
Doyle just looked at me.
"Nothing personal, but you needed backup."
"No, she sent me to fetch you home before Sholto left Saint Louis. I arrived the night that I sent the spiders to help you. It was the next day that Sholto began traveling this way."
"So someone found out the queen wanted me home, and within twenty-four hours they'd made a plan to have me killed."
"It would seem so," Doyle said.