Ollie, Ollie Hex 'n Free (20 page)

This time there was no smile, only an endless gaze pinning me where I stood. “Do it again,” he repeated.

My fingers trembled as I reached out toward the kaleidoscope of colors. As I touched it, I glanced at him. His eyes fluttered closed, those enviable black eyelashes lying against his cheeks. The only way I could get lashes like that was to glue them on.

I refocused on my hand, now fully submerged in his aura, only it was completely different now than it had been moments ago. Everything seemed to be headed in one direction, toward me. I splayed my fingers wide. “What are you?” I whispered more to myself than to him. Waves pushed away from my hand and through the aura into him, startling me so much I pulled back.

“Lo—” he started saying just before his eyes snapped open. He took a step back, shaking his head, and his shoulders heaved for several seconds before he finally spoke. “Very close.”

I shook my head, putting another step between us. “I have no idea what happened.”

He didn’t look convinced. “I cannot be compelled.”

Was that what I had done? I stared at my hand for a moment. I could always see auras, but now I could compel them? Was that even possible? “The witch’s power,” I said under my breath. Maybe it strengthened my own gift. I snapped my head back up. “I gotta go. Sorry for the invasion or whatever it was.”

I raced off for the dungeon. The witch was going to talk. This time she wouldn’t have a choice.

Cheney stepped in front of me just before I reached the stairs. I skidded to a halt with a yelp, nearly crashing into him.

He reached out and steadied me. “Why are you running?” He glanced behind me.

“Are you checking if something’s chasing me?” I scrunched my nose. “I could be exercising.”

The corner of his mouth twitched. “A chase seemed more likely.”

I laughed. “Whatever. You’re the one who took your life into your own hands. There was no guarantee I could stop.”

“I was willing to take the risk.” His face suddenly went serious. “I need your help with something.”

I nodded. “Anything.”

His eyebrows pulled together. “Selene has refused to allow the vampire to heal her. And while I respect her right to make whatever decisions she wishes to, I also have the sneaking suspicion of what she will do if she thinks she’s going to die.”

“Don’t give her the choice. If Corbin can save her, I will hold her down myself while he heals her. Her magic doesn’t work on me.”

“I know, but that wasn’t exactly what I was thinking. I won’t force her to take the vampire’s help, especially after he released Jessica.”

I nodded, though I still didn’t agree. “What do you need?”

“If Selene truly believes she could die giving birth she will use whatever strength she has to save me from our bond.”

I definitely didn’t like where this was headed. “That sounds about right. So we need to make sure she doesn’t die.”

“We will do our best, but just in case I want you to make me impervious to her magic.”

“But then you would…”

“Die? Yes. I’m aware. I saw what living without my mother did to my father. So did you. Would you wish that on me or on our child?”

I wouldn’t and I didn’t, but I also didn’t want either of them to die.

“I knew this was a risk when we married.”

Selene would kill me. “Cheney—”

“Can you do it?”

It was a simple spell. All I had to do was make him part of our coven. While he wasn’t a witch, he was an elf and that came with certain innate abilities that weren’t all that far from our own. He had aided our magic with his power before, so I saw no real reason why it wouldn’t work. I nodded. “I can. We just have to make you part of the coven.”

He thought about it for a moment. “Do you need Selene for that?”

I shook my head. “Nope. Leslie and I can do it without her and Jess—but won’t it break the elf and human magic rule?”

He shrugged. “A small price to pay. Technically, so long as I don’t learn to cast, I shouldn’t be in violation.”

I nodded. “I’ll get Leslie.”

So I headed down to the dungeon completely forgetting about the witch in the cell.

“Excuse me, sir?” Rirosson, one of the guard, stood in the doorway of Cheney’s office. He should have been here and waiting for me by now, but Cheney had yet to show up.

I turned to him, holding back a sigh. “Have you seen the Erlking?”

“He was in the garden speaking with the vampire.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Corbin is here then?”

“He is being removed even now.”

I rubbed my chin as I absorbed his words. “Has he seen the queen?”

“The queen has refused his visit.”

I closed my eyes. This was completely my fault. I should have never told Selene what I suspected. Not until she was at full health. “Did you need something?”

The guard folded his hands behind his back. “A report has come from the guard at the gate that one of the candidates has fallen.”

I bowed my head. “Which one?”

“Counsel woman Phoebe.”

“How?”

“As of yet, still undetermined, sir.”

“Where?”

The guard stiffened, a slight frown etching his face. “The same location Lord Tahlik fell, it would appear.”

The city center outside of the castle. Even worse. “Thank you. I will inform the Erlking.” I dismissed the guard and went on a search for Cheney. When I found him he was standing in the archive in the middle of a protection circle with Leslie and Katrina performing some sort of spell. I silently watched, trusting the three of them knew what they were doing.

Katrina lifted a dagger and ran it down her palm, then handed it to Leslie who repeated the motion and passed the blade to Cheney who did the same. Next Katrina lifted a cup and squeezed a few drops of her blood into it. The other two repeated her actions. A few seconds later it was all over. Both women hugged him.

“Is that all?” Cheney asked.

“That’s it. It’s not really a spell. It’s more ceremonial than anything.”

Cheney nodded. “Did you need something, Sebastian?”

I stepped into view. “Phoebe was killed.”

Cheney’s face hardened. “Ladies.” He nodded to the girls. “It appears I must go.”

“That’s okay. I think I know a way to get the witch to talk,” Katrina said.

“If you determine anything, send for us,” I said.

Cheney and I headed for the castle doors. “Where was she?” he asked.

“According to the guard, the same place that Tahlik died.”

Cheney’s strides became longer and faster. “We’re being framed.”

I didn’t disagree. “The question is by who. Who has the most to gain from you not winning?”

“Kalan or Gillivray. Unless it has nothing to do with the election.”

“How would Phoebe fit into this if the latter were true?”

“We cannot dismiss the idea that Jessica is behind all of this. So long as we stay distracted by the election and public opinion we aren’t working against her. All of this has happened in the final days, which happens to coincide with her suddenly coming back.”

She had claimed that she was Tahlik’s source of information from the start, but that didn’t really explain why she would kill him unless she had been once again misdirecting us. “It’s possible. We should have investigated it more.”

Cheney shook his head. “We turned it over to Sy and his bounty hunters. They turned up nothing. You were right that it was more important that we were removed from the situation.”

I sighed. I had been thinking politically. I assumed the bounty hunters would turn up something, but even when they didn’t, it seemed involving ourselves in the investigation would open Cheney and Selene up to more scrutiny. However, had we caught the killer then, or at least knew more, we wouldn’t be in this situation now.

“Did you inform Sy?” Cheney asked.

I shook my head. “Is he here?”

“He’s with Selene.” His mouth settled into a firm line. “Actually, let’s not tell him until we know more. Get Frost instead and meet me outside.”

Cheney went through the door and I headed back to the dungeon to get the necromancer. Frost came willingly as I explained the situation.

“Who worked Tahlik’s case?” she asked.

“Sy would know better than me. He’s with Selene.”

Her lips pursed but she nodded. “I’ll talk to him later then.”

I smiled. “That would probably be for the best.”

As we approached the gates, she glanced at me. “I need you to clear a path to the body for me. Keep everyone away from me so someone doesn’t accidentally touch me.”

I nodded. “Anything else?”

She shook her head and tugged her long black gloves up higher. As we approached the small crowd parted. Cheney stood on the outskirts observing the corpse sprawled on the ground; a shocked looking guard stood next to him. Frost made a beeline for Phoebe while I joined Cheney and the guard.

“So you saw nothing?” Cheney said quietly.

The guard shook his head. “One moment she was fine and the next she fell. There is no wound.”

It was the exact same story Sy had told about Tahlik. No traces or signs of poison had ever been found on him, as well as no wound or apparent reason for death. It all pointed to one thing: magic.

“When is the last time she ate or drank anything?” Cheney asked.

“She has had nothing since I joined her. She spoke in three different locations today, but did not take a break.”

“Not even a drink of water?” I asked. It seemed unlikely.

“There was nothing. I swear.” The guard frowned. “But wait, that doesn’t make sense, does it? There had to be something. . . .”

Cheney glanced at me and I shrugged. So far this was all exactly the same.

“Thank you. You may return to your original post. If I need you again, I will send for you.” Cheney looked back at Frost inspecting the body.

Frost finally looked up from her squatting position, and gave us a single nod. We walked over to her.

“I would like to see Tahlik’s body if that’s possible.”

“He’s gone,” Cheney said. “Elves disappear when they die.”

She sighed and stood up. “Transport her to the castle.” Without waiting, Frost headed back.

“More humans,” someone shouted out of the crowd.

Cheney rolled his eyes and transported the body back without addressing the small group. I took a deep breath and turned to them. “A bounty hunter,” I said. “An impartial investigator.”

“But still a human witch,” the man said. “How do we know she isn’t the one responsible?”

“What would a human bounty hunter care about a fae election?” I held my hands up. “Please. It has been a tragic night. Let us find who did this and bring them swiftly to justice.”

“Will you find the murderer?” Kalan’s voice rose from the back. “You never found Tahlik’s killer. And this looks eerily similar, does it not? Perhaps the Erlking and Queen do not wish for the killer to be apprehended.”

The crowd voiced their agreement.

“Kalan.” I nodded to him. “As you know Lord Tahlik was the Queen’s father. Since the death was so personal to the Erlking and Queen, we thought to distance the castle as much as possible from the investigation. As far as I am aware, the investigation is still ongoing. The loss of her father still pains the Queen daily.”

That quieted the group. Not only had Selene suffered a personal loss, but it also reminded them that she was at least partially titled. Her father, as worthless as he was, was still nobility.

“And Kalan, your refusal to have a guard with you today was quite worrisome. I do wish you’d take more care.”

He smiled, but the implication was not lost on him. “I am sorry to say that having a guard appears to have been more hazardous to Phoebe’s health than helpful.”

I ground my teeth. “Surely you are not accusing one of our loyal, self-sacrificing guards of such a terrible crime.” The crowd of full elves began to mutter their support—of me this time. The entire royal guard consisted of full elves. It was an honorable and coveted position. “Because Phoebe had such a guard with her, we will be able to retrace her steps completely and flush out the true culprit. Whereas, if anything were to have happened to you, it would be nearly impossible.” I gestured to the castle. “Now if you would follow me inside, I know the Erlking has many safety concerns he would like to discuss with you.”

Kalan walked past me. I chose not to transport so I could better keep an eye on the man. It didn’t seem likely that he would have killed Phoebe of all people, but he was still without an alibi. “Did you know Lord Tahlik?”

He charged forward.

I didn’t try to catch up with him. Instead, I watched the determined half-elf go. Could the future of our race truly fall into his hands? Even Gillivray would be better than him. Before he went through the doors, he whirled back to face me.

“You implied that I had something to do with Phoebe’s death.”

“I believe I inferred it.” I watched blood rise to Kalan’s face. He’d indicated that Cheney’s guard had assassinated or had a hand in Phoebe’s murder. If he was prepared to throw out broad, baseless accusations, we would return the favor. How could one expect to become Erlking when he couldn’t take dissension? “Cheney and Selene are not your enemies, Kalan. If you can’t see that, you have no business being Erlking.”

“Oh, I’m positive you are happy with things as they stand. Why change anything when you were born into the top tier?”

I shook my head. “Do not speak of what you know nothing about. You only expose ignorance.”

“So you would vote for a half-elf?” he asked.

“Yes. As would I vote for a dwarf or fairy or goblin if their beliefs aligned with mine. I was a soldier. I have fought next to any number of races. We have bled, cried, and laughed together. I have learned one universal truth: what someone is on the outside is far less important than the way they conduct themselves on the inside.”

He shook his head. “Words are easily spoken. Not so easily practiced. For all of your talk you will stand with the royal family.”

“Not that I have to justify anything to you, but yes, I stand with Cheney who I have known my whole life. I have served with him in wars and accompanied him on countless expeditions. I know what is in his heart. I also stand with Selene who I would continue to support with or without Cheney. Make no mistake when I tell you that she is one of my best friends and anyone who has something bad to say about her or is determined to try to ruin her will have hell to pay by my hands.”

“I have no grudge against the queen,” he said. “I hardly know her.”

“And yet you make demands that would threaten her very existence when all she has done is make personal sacrifices to save others.” I brushed past him. “You must be proud.”

“She made personal sacrifices to save others from disasters that were entirely of her making. Hardly seems as noble.”

“You may be right. She might have caused them, but how many people do you know who would brave being reborn as a human, a journey through purgatory, and would risk her life and all those she loves to set things right again? Selene hasn’t gotten off without punishment. She has been punished and continues to punish herself ten times over. Yet you would have her expose herself to the scrutiny of all those who would love to see her fail. Her life has not been easy. She has worked for everything she has ever gotten. She is the perfect example of how far a half-elf can really go. You should look up to her as a leader of your race, not try to tear her down.”