Escalla’s mother had sat like a creature with a vile smellbeneath her nose throughout the entire trial. Sitting erect, the woman made a show of wiping clean her hands. “A waste of our time. Your assassin is stillmasked! There is no way to ascertain her identity!”
“Oh but there is!” Escalla hovering in midair before theassembled court. With a theatrical sweep, she addressed the entire room. “Thethief made a mistake! You saw it in the image. We need to find someone who always wears a silver spider ring!”
Tielle immediately put her left hand beneath her dress. Lord Faen, Jus, and Escalla turned to look at the girl and raised their brows. Escalla flew over to join her family, while Lord Faen turned back to the Erlking.
“My King, evidence seems to point well away from EscallaNightshade.”
“Granted,” Oberon replied gravely.
“Oh hoopy!” Escalla clasped full hands to her bosom in joy,then tossed something in the air. “Hey, sis!
A beautiful conical shell fell into Tielle’s lap. Tielle gavea screech of raw fear and hurled the thing off her lap, leaping away in terror.
Hovering above, Escalla flexed her fingers as though unsheathing claws.
“It’s only a little seashell, an empty one from a kuo-toantemple.” Escalla picked up the shell and held it to her ear with a look ofconcentration on her face, as though she were talking to the mollusk inside. “What? What was that? Tarquil’s assassin used a kuo-toan cone shell? But wenever mentioned that to anyone but Daddy and Lord Faen!” Escalla turned big wideeyes upon Tielle. “What? How would Tielle recognize a kuo-toan cone shell unlessshe was the assassin? I dunno. Let’s ask her!”
Waving at her sister, Escalla pulled a severed hand out from behind her back-a hand wearing a silver ring.
“Hey, dimwit! You lost it back at the temple, ring and all!We even got it on the slowglass!” Escalla shook the feminine hand back and forthin a wave. “Gotcha!”
Tielle shrank back in her seat, then shoved both of her hands into the air. “I have two hands.”
“Yep, and a regeneration spell only takes about a minute.”Escalla twirled the severed hand in the air. “If I get a clone spell cast onthis, you think you’ll be twins?”
Tielle didn’t hesitate an instant. With a screech, the girlblasted a black bolt of energy-not at Escalla but at Oberon, who sat staring onhis throne.
Jus whirled, the white sword streaking from its sheath. White light met black in a screaming howl of agony, sparks spraying all across the hall. The black bolt sheared in two, each part ploughing through the palace walls to either side of the Erlking. Jus sank into guard position, his magic sword smoking black as it dissipated the deadly force still clinging to the blade. Cinders snarled, hissing smoke, and the Justicar launched toward Tielle.
As the entire court erupted in chaos, Tielle turned, ripped a flower from a vase, and threw it through a fireplace. A magic gateway flashed into place. She dived and rolled, plunging through the portal an instant before the Justicar’s sword blurred through the empty space. The gateway had gone-openand shut in a single instant.
The court was still sealed tight by the guards’ spells.Escalla ripped open the scrolls in the case on her back- treasures from theunderdark-and trilled out the passwall spell. A hole appeared, leading onto thelawns crowded with refugees. Tielle emerged from a gazebo and instantly dived toward a garden patch, searching for herbs to use as keys for her escape.
Escalla snarled through the air and hit her sister full tilt, both of them tumbling end over end across the grass. Hundreds of refugees stood and stared.
In the palace hall, guards had clustered about the Erlking, too shocked to follow in pursuit. Only Lord Nightshade, Lord Faen, and a few courtiers had followed into the night.
Escalla’s scroll tube went flying. Hair ripped, and lichstaff tumbled. Tielle drew a dagger but took a right-cross from Escalla’s fistthat threw her back against a tree. Tielle turned, seized an orchid, and tossed it toward a garden arch. A gate sizzled into existence, but Escalla smashed a branch across Tielle’s head before she could fly free.
Jus lumbered down the lawn. Other faeries followed, slow and dazed. Tielle and Escalla fought in bitter fury, punching spells at one another that were too weak to pierce through each other’s defensive screens. Each hadexhausted all their best spells battling in the underdark. Escalla now took the fight where it belonged. She kicked her sister in the chest, sending her ploughing through the grass.
“Bitch!”
“Sniveling little daddy’s girl!” Tielle wiped blood back fromher nose. “When I’m queen I’ll have them rip your guts apart.”
Escalla swore and threw a spell-a minor little thing thatricocheted from Tielle’s defensive shields. Tielle laughed and backpedaled gailythrough the air, one eye on the gateway shimmering in the dark.
“Time to bid your comic spells farewell!” The girl spread herwings wide. “Lolth will be back, and I’ll be with her! Time to shoot off andaway!”
Jus and the faerie guards were coming fast. As Escalla made a lunge for her fallen lich staff, Tielle tipped a mocking salute to one and all and headed for escape.
From behind, Escalla’s voice came loud and clear. “Nope! Timeto die and get buried!”
Tielle whipped her head about. Escalla stood in the grass, lich staff at her feet and an open scroll in her hands. “Hey! You like comicalmagic?
Tielle screamed and tried to plunge through the gate, but the powerful spell blasted into her from behind. As Jus, Henry, and a dozen faeries thundered onto the scene, Tielle’s body jerked and turned to stone, slammingdown to the ground.
Escalla stalked forward, looking extremely miffed.
“Framing me was the worst idea you ever had, bitch!” Escallaflicked out the scroll. “Spell number two-for those of you who have come throughthis with a sense of humor-
Frozen in a pose of horror, Tielle’s petrified shapeinstantly dissolved into a pool of mud. Escalla steepled her fingers as she surveyed the results.
“Aaaand for my grand finale, let us just cancel out thatflesh to stone spell, huh?”
The result was a big pink pool with a pair of blinking eyes staring up from the mess. Escalla bit her thumb at her sister, then turned about to see Henry and the Justicar staring at her wide-eyed. Escalla could only roll up her scrolls and shrug.
“Like I said, I have a nasty side!”
25
A splendid day began in the Dreadwood. Sun streamed throughthe trees, lighting upon ruined village roofs and mossy giants’ bones. Woodsmokecarried the scent of bacon in the air. A few faerie courtiers walked along or fluttered above the paths, peering at the astonishing sights of an unknown world. Drifting over it all came the sound of happy feminine singing-a voicethat had not a worry in the world.
Enid the sphinx, freckle-spattered and eternally polite, came loping from the old tavern, batting at a rolled up ball of parchment with her paws. She stopped as she saw a ten-foot hole sitting in the middle of the path, and minced over to peer into the depths.
The hole was deep and looked remarkably comfortable. It had been lined with polished bookshelves that smelled pleasantly of beeswax. Hundreds of books and scrolls were neatly stored in place. Enid’s entire librarylay in the middle of the shelves, surrounded by scores upon scores of new books.
Still singing happily, Escalla came flying out of the tavern. She wore new clothing-black elven chain mail so fine that it felt like sheerblack silk, gloves and leggings, skirt and halter, all as stylish as a faerie could wish. Followed by a floating disk that bore two dozen fresh new books, Escalla whirred over to Enid and waved.
