Page 23 of The Silver Spider
Chapter Eight
They took a public conveyance, having it drop them off two blocks from the fae quarter. Sere wanted to control her approach and preferred to go on foot.
“What’s the plan?” Amnan asked when they were ‘alone’ again.
He was beginning to annoy her. Well, he always annoyed her, but this was the start of teeth-gritting annoyance. He strolled at her side, hands in his pockets like his dilettante of a brother, Hrutha. Seemingly at ease and perfectly prepared to follow her every lead, as passive as a puppy on a leash. Until it turned and bit its owner’s hand, streaking off into the distance with mad, triumphant yelping.
“Find the sigil. Talk to the head of the demesne.”
Annan stopped. “Serephone. You just can’t request to speak to a fae Lord. And if you suspect him of wrongdoing, that’s even more dangerous.”
“Won’t do much talking once I know for sure.”
He stared at her, gaze steady. “And you think killing one will be easy? They are not dragons, but they are still dangerous.”
She shrugged. “Danger is relative.”
“Have a care for my oath to your mother.” Amnan sighed. “You should see your expression. My father warned me you were mad. I should listen to him more often.”
“Stop whining. I should do nothing? Allow a criminal to continue to prey on young girls and women?”
He crossed him arms. “I simply expect you to act with more discretion than, say…Hrutha.”
How insulting. “I have discretion.” Her voice was flat. “You are still living.”
She whirled away as he grinned. “Threats again, sweetheart?” he called after her. “I’m starting to think you’re wanting to pull the dragon’s tail. Let’s wait until we’re alone, hmm?”
* * *
The difficultythey had walking into the fae quarter wasn’t what she’d expected. To stay any longer than a few hours for shopping of visiting required a permit from a Lord, but otherwise one could simply sign in. Serephone was aware all the non-human races guarded their communities the same as Maddugh guarded his town, but since this was a multi-species city, under a Dome, and technically on a human-owned dimension, she’d thought the entry would be a simple formality. More of a type of traffic control. And it was, until the magic seized her.
She began sweating as they approached, a strange tightness behind her eyes. The checkpoint was a simple man-sized entry in a wrought iron fence stretching across, what she assumed were, the boundaries of the quarter and easily three stories tall. When she looked up she thought she saw a glimmer.
Magic.
For a moment, she thought her corset was too tight—but she wasn’t wearing the ridiculous garment. Perhaps the fae had a magical barrier erected that her own small, latent skills were reacting to.
“What’s wrong?” Amnan asked.
“I feel faint.” She couldn’t believe she said the words, even as she said them.
His glance was sharp. “This is the first time you’ve encountered fae?”
“What does that have to do with it?”
“I’m not sure.” He frowned. “I feel like I’m forgetting something.”
“Well, you’re old.” She’d never considered how the concentrated auras of so many magic users of, apparently, her own blood would affect her. “You really think I’m fae?”
He took her arm as they approached the entrance. There was a single guard who appeared weaponless, dressed in a long tunic, jacket, and loose trousers in slate gray, a dark gold trim at the edge of the v-neck collar. It was the oddest ensemble she’d ever seen, a far cry from the tailored denims and vests and trousers of her hometown—and most of the residents in this city. It must have been the kind of thing they wore in their own dimension.
As they approached the guard, a female with black eyes and loose golden hair, Serephone stifled a gasp. “I really can’t breathe.”
“We’re turning back.”
He sounded grim, but Serephone overrode his decision with her curt response. “No.”
Whatever was happening—it needed to happen. She needed the knowledge. Amnan ignored her, halting as the person in front of them in line was waved through, and began to turn her around.
