Page 43 of Winter Goddess
"During the coronation, when the crown was first put on me, I had a... I'm not sure what to call it... a vision. I talked to Angus, Dewi and Flora, and then we were each in a landscape matching our season. It was winter for me but the snow wasn't falling, it was rising upwards. Has this ever happened to you?"
She looks at me with curiosity. "No, I can't say it has. I am able to talk to Angus telepathically, but it means opening myself to him, which is something I try to avoid. We've done it in times of peace when we had to speak to each other urgently, but I've not talked to him in that way for decades. It's curious that it happened to you now, but it also makes sense. The four Gods have taken their places, but with four rather than just two, it will be even harder to maintain the balance. All four of you will have to work together."
She sinks back, exhausted from her long speech.
"Let's hope Angus realises that," I mutter. "I'll let you rest for a while. Do you need anything?"
Beira smiles. "No, but please try and enjoy the celebrations. Bad times are coming, so you ought to enjoy the happy moments while they last."
I really hadn't plannedto join the party, but Beira's advice makes sense. This is the calm before the storm and who knows when we'll have time to celebrate again.
I teleport back into the Great Hall and search for Dewi, but she seems to have left already. The guys are mingling as I asked them to, but Crispin's aura is flashing with annoyance as five female Guardians are surrounding him. I'll need to rescue him soon.
Before I can reach him, a familiar God steps in my way. Thor. His aura is radiant, but it lets me see his face, like with most Gods. The stronger the God, the more I can see their expression.
"Your Majesty." He bows and smiles at me. "Congratulations, this was a most exciting coronation."
"I'm glad you enjoyed it," I say tonelessly, hoping he won't notice my lack of enthusiasm. "Are you going to stay for the celebrations?"
He grins. "Oh yes, I wouldn't miss it for the Realms. Life has been far too serious recently, and we can all do with some fun times."
That's almost exactly what my mother said, and most guests seem to think the same. The dancing is wild and boisterous, and the atmosphere is so relaxed it's almost too much so. Looking at the half-naked Guardians surrounding some of the Gods, I'm worried this might turn into an orgy soon.
"Have fun then," I tell him with a grin. I know he's married and has a daughter, so he might stay away from the naked Guardians, but I'm sure he's going to partake in all the other physical pleasures that will be offered this evening. Tamara has chosen some of the best wines from our cellar, including some from other Realms. The tables on both sides of the hall are overflowing with food and snacks, and I'm drawn to the chocolate fountain that's appeared close to the main doors.
"I need to tell you something," he says, still smiling, but his eyes are flickering over the people surrounding us as if to make sure nobody is listening in. "Dance with me."
Without waiting for a reply, he wraps an arm around my waist, takes my hand and begins to waltz. I follow his lead, hoping I won't step on the toes of the God of Thunder. That would be embarrassing. The crown on my head feels like it's going to slip, but Thor is holding me tight. He lowers his head until he's a little too close for comfort.
"There's a spy in this room," he whispers into my ear.
"I'm sure there's several," I whisper back, not surprised at all. From the beginning, Tamara was always very clear that there are several agents of our enemies living in the Palace. Sometimes, she feeds them the wrong information, and sometimes, she lets them pass on real nuggets of truth to make sure they maintain the trust of their masters.
"Yes, but not all of them have let in an assassin." I lean back to look at Thor, but he keeps his grip on me. "Don't look. There are two Crispins in this room. One is talking to some women, the other is whispering to a man I don't know. They probably didn't expect a God with excellent hearing to be present. I'll turn us in a moment so you can take a look."
My heart sinks. Not another Crispin clone. This is getting old, and having him and the real Crispin in the same room is a little obvious. Is the Morrigan this desperate? She must be aware that we all know of the Crispin clones and that all Palace staff have been warned. There are passwords that change daily... not that it prevented Flora's abduction.
Thor swirls me around in an elegant move. He really is an excellent dancer. If I was into dancing, I'd ask him to give my men some lessons, but I'm not. My hand-foot-coordination just isn't up to scratch.
"In the corner, by the dried fruit stands," Thor whispers. It takes me a moment to spy fake Crispin's blond hair in the crowd. When I recognise the man he's talking to, I'm not really surprised. I should have suspected this.
"That's Magnus, our former treasurer," I explain. "I relieved him of his duties not long ago. He's always been strange, but I thought that if my mother trusted him, I should too."
"The older us Gods are, the blinder we can be to those around us," Thor says sagely. "Sometimes it's staring us right in the face, but we no longer pay attention to the obvious. Magnus wants you removed, and the impostor said he’d be happy to oblige."
Magnus's betrayal is no surprise, but it still leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I'd hoped he just didn't like me, but he actually seems to hate me enough to let an assassin into the Palace. I'm sure it was him who helped with Flora's abduction, too.
"We need to separate them," I whisper. "I'll let my Guardians know and then I'll pretend I don't know he's not the real Crispin. Can you draw away Magnus?"
Thor nods. "I'll think of something. Where do you want me to take him?"
I grin. "Do you know where the dungeons are?"
His cheeky smile is all the answer I need.
We endour dance and I look for my closest Guardian. Storm is leaning against a column, looking bored and grumpy. Good, he'll be grateful for the distraction.
I join him and casually wrap an arm around his waist.
