How on earth is that boat balancing so perfectly on the rock? I don’t feel any magic, and the rock has a distinct pointy top to it, so it’s not like it’s just settled in place. I wonder what would happen if I tried to climb into it?
Quinn bumped Angelique’s shoulders with hers. “He seems like an interesting person.”
“Mmmhmm.”
Odette, standing at the base of the rock the row boat was perched upon, clutched the hood of her cloak as she turned around to face in their direction. “Quinn, Angel.” She made a beckoning motion.
Angelique straightened up and exchanged glances with Quinn, falling in step behind her when the soldier trudged through the shin-deep snow and made her way to the rock/boat.
Once they reached her side, Odette turned back to her informant. “Could you tell them what you just told me, Dodge?”
“Course!” Dodge fluffed his beard as he peered over the side of the boat. “Don’t know nothin’ about no mirrors,” he started, immediately shredding Angelique’s hopes. “But strange stuff is goin’ on round Mullberg.”
“Such as…” Odette prodded.
“Monster attacks, mostly,” Dodge said. “But the odd thing is none of ‘em are happening in these parts.”
“Isn’t that a good thing?” Quinn asked.
“Nope,” Dodge said. “Since the queen and princess live in Juwel—which hasn’t seen even a hair of monsters ‘n other nasties—no one’s taking the monster attacks seriously.”
“Which means the lack of attacks is probably on purpose,” Quinn murmured.
“Right you are!” Dodge thrust a gnarled finger at Quinn. “It’s especially suspicious with what’s going on at the palace!”
Chapter 15
Angelique linked her hands behind her back and peered up at the old man. “Oh?”
“My daughter works in the palace,” the old man continued. “She says Queen Faina is havin’ some health issues. Seems a mite suspicious given how young she is.”
“Isn’t she in her forties or so?” Odette asked.
“Just a babe!” Dodge barked. “And she was plenty healthy before.”
“Do you know what her health issues are?” Angelique asked.
Dodge shrugged. “Nasty headaches—that’s all my daughter said, anyway.”
“Headaches…and a city that is remarkably free of monster attacks,” Angelique mused.
“Nobles can’t seem to do anything about the monsters—whenever they send troops, they arrive too late to see ‘em with their own eyeballs.” Dodge leaned back in his row boat and folded his arms behind his head. “Thankfully, there’s a few skilled hunters out there who are takin’ care of them! But we worry about our Queen.” A frown twitched across Dodge’s face, his expression turning serious. “We like her—and Princess Snow White, too. But these ‘orrible headaches of hers….” Dodge shook his head. “Don’t like it. Not one bit. None of it feels natural—it’s all too tidy for coincidence!”
He’s right. This reeks of the Chosen. It seems their slovenly workers are boils across the country because all their best ones are around and in Juwel.
“Thank you, Dodge, for the information,” Quinn said.
“Course! You need information, just come see ol’ Dodge! I’m sharp—like my name.”
Angelique tilted her head. “What do you mean?”
“Nothing can hit me!” he boasted. “I dodge it all! Go ahead—throw something at me!”
Angelique hunched her shoulders. “No, I believe you.”
“I insist! Odette, you’ve got the cold heart to do it! Throw something at me!” Dodge leaned over the side of the boat—which visibly tilted.
“Dodge, I’m not going to throw something at you,” Odette said in a tired voice that likely meant they’d had this conversation numerous times before.
“Humph. You can’t fool me—you could do it!” Dodge said. “That’s why those sneaky Verglas assassins approve of you!” He calmly scratched his beard as the boat shifted on top of the rock. “Speaking of which, you ask them about mirrors, too?”
“No,” Odette said. “I want to talk to them as little as possible because they’re assassins!”
“Well-organized assassins,” Dodge said. “Got a guild an everything. How about I send them a note—”
“Fine!” Odette bent over and scooped up a fistful of snow, squeezing it into a misshapen snowball. “I’ll throw this at you—will that suffice?”
“Sure will!” Dodge puffed up his chest. “Now go on, give me your best shot!”
Odette shook her head, then tossed the snowball up at him, nailing him in the chest and spattering snow inside his row boat.
“Aha!” Dodge laughed. “You see! Nothing touches me!”
Angelique stared at the snow sticking to his cloak. “Uh-huh.”
“I see, sir,” Quinn said with a gentle sort of respect.
“That’s enough fun time, Dodge. We’ve got to go. Thank you for your insight,” Odette said.
Dodge saluted her. “Of course, Swan Queen! Good luck lookin’ for mirrors!”
When he dug a fishing reel out of the bottom of his boat, Odette latched a hand around Angelique’s elbow and dragged her off, heading back into the trees where Fluffy and Pegasus waited.
“Eccentric people seem to have a great deal of fun in life,” Angelique observed.
“I’d say that’s a true observation,” Quinn agreed.
“Dodge does things his own way,” Odette agreed. “But don’t be fooled. He’s my best informant in Mullberg, and he used to be a part of the Verglas Assassin’s Guild—it’s why he likes to tease me about them.”
Quinn whistled. “You have my respect, Odette, for your cleverness.”
“Thanks.” Odette stopped when they reached Pegasus and let go of Angelique.
Pegasus deemed to lower his front end to the ground, making it easy for Angelique to scramble onto his back. “Are you going to take off now?”
“No—I’ll leave this afternoon.” Odette bowed to Pegasus, then climbed up behind Angelique.
They waited for Quinn to easily hop onto Fluffy’s back, then started the trek down what little bit of the mountain they’d climbed.
“Then shall we return to our rooms in Hurra?” Quinn asked.
“Yes. I’d like to investigate the area for a while before we head directly into Juwel,” Angelique said. “We still have some Chosen dens to find.”
“Do you think the monsters are the mirror’s doing?” Odette asked.
“It’s difficult to say,” Angelique said. “There’s not really much going on in Mullberg for a magical artifact of the mirror’s power. Greater evils have taken place in the likes of Arcainia and Farset. It seems strange that so little is happening here if both Evariste’s and the Snow Queen’s mirrors are in Mullberg.”
“Indeed. Mullberg is a fine country, but it’s not known for its military excellence, so it seems unlikely they are secretly warding the Chosen off,” Quinn said.