“I know. But I had to try.”
“That you did, dearie.” She stood up from the stool in front of the booth and handed the coin back to me. “The call’s on me. Just press the edge of the mirror and speak clearly the name of the person you want to appear in the mirror. If they hear the hum, they can respond. But you know that already, don’t you?” she said with a smile on her face.
“I do.”
“Strange. I feel an odd aura about you.” The hedge witch reached out her hand to touch me, but I pulled away before she made contact. Stepping quickly into the booth, I closed the door behind me.
The booth was cozy. A circular mirror hung on the wall; a padded bench on the floor in front of it. On the sides of the booth were small windows to let in sunlight and fresh air. Candles lined a table in front of the mirror, giving even more light to the calling booth. A sweet smell hit my nose, and I saw the incense burner hanging from a hook on the wall.
Before I began, I ran my fingers through my hair, tucking away stray strands that had come out of the braid. My eyes had dark circles under them from lack of sleep, and there may have been a smudge of blood on my cheek. Using my sleeve, I wiped it away as best I could and wished that I had another cloak.
“Do you think you could ask Rhea to make another enchanted weapon?” Rumple pleaded.
“No. I’m not bothering Rhea.”
“Why not? I bet they miss me. They probably want to hear my voice. Especially sissy hands.”
“They are on their honeymoon and a tour of the kingdom. I would be daft to interrupt them. And I’m still mad at you for going off with Percy and not alerting me.”
“You hadn’t slept in days. We were only trying to take care of the werewolf problem for you.”
“I thought dwarves didn’t get along with elves.”
“He’s an elf? He sure doesn’t act like one,” Rumple muttered.
“You don’t necessarily act like a dwarf, either.”
Incessant grumbling followed, and I had to remind myself to be nicer to Rumple. It wasn’t his fault that he had been displaced or brought back as an enchanted weapon.
I took my knife and nicked the tip of my finger, then placed a single drop of blood on the mirror. It wasn’t needed, but I knew the extra precaution would make the call more stable—and keep people from eavesdropping.
“Rosalie,” I commanded, picturing my raven-haired sister.
The mirror shimmered, and I felt a hum. I waited, imagining where my eldest sister could be at this time of the morning. Last I’d heard, she was back in Baist after having established Maeve and her brother as the rightful heirs and rulers of Florin.
A few moments later, a room came into focus, and I could see Rosalie sitting in front of a small desk.
“Why hello, Honor.” Her eyes lit with joy before her perfect mouth turned down into a frown. “You look horrible.”
I chuckled. “Why hello to you, sister dear. You look unspeakably well. Is that rosy glow to your cheeks called motherhood?” Rosalie was wearing all white, her glossy dark hair flowing over one side of her face, hiding the silver scars she’d received in the battle with Allemar years ago. Behind her, I could make out a giant four-poster bed. Violet, her daughter, slept in the middle of it on a mass of covers, and beside the bed, a bassinet.
She had only weeks ago borne her second child. A boy named after his father, Alexander.
“You will know it soon enough,” she teased.
I frowned. “I highly doubt that.”
“You’re like an angel,” Rumple blurted out.
Rosalie laughed. “Is this the magnificent Rumple I’ve heard so much about?”
“You’ve heard of me?” He preened. “I can guarantee you, whatever you’ve heard, it’s all true.”
Rosalie shook her head and laughed. Before she could say more, I interrupted. “We have a problem. I just came across a woman who was the sole survivor of an attack by werewolf-like creatures.”
“Not werewolves, surely? For we have been tracking all the rogue werewolf packs with a tracking spell, and they are all in the southern part of Baist. None have been sighted in Kiln for years.”
“She said they were werewolf-like, but their bite was the same. She turned at the next full moon. Do you know of anything like that? A creature that is a werewolf, but not?”
“She’s sure it wasn’t a shifter?” Rosalie asked.
“I don’t know. But a shifter’s bite doesn’t create werewolves.”
“That is unfortunate. We’ve had our hands full with similar cases,” Rosalie said. “Always striking in the middle of the night. In Baist, it was ogre attacks; in Florin, a nasty group of omnis. There have been about one a week. All spread out, never attacking the same place twice, leaving little trace. Eden, Meri, and I are in communication trying to track them. It definitely smells of dark magic . . . and him.”
“Do you think—?” I asked, trailing off.
Rosalie gently touched the scar on the side of her face.
“I don’t want to think about anything yet. Allemar’s reach and influence are far and wide. But if this is someone posing as his protégé, they must be stopped.”
I agreed and quickly explained my fear for little Polina and how I was sending her family there.
“Of course. We will send someone to fetch the family right away, and we’ll prepare for her arrival. If anyone can teach a werewolf how to control her curse, it’s another werewolf.”
I sighed in relief, grateful that King Xander, a werewolf in secret, was willing to help others of his kind. He had been bitten when he was younger and had to overcome the werewolf curse for years. My mother helped him by creating wards in his palace. Polina’s family would be safe on the castle grounds. Over the last few years, the stray werewolves had made it to the hidden sanctuary, and it was moved out into the woods. The wards and lands had grown in acreage as well. It was the perfect safe place . . . especially for Polina.
“Allemar was tough enough on his own, and if there are more . . . A true son of Allemar? I’m terrified of what it could mean for the seven kingdoms,” I said.
“I will do what I can to find out more about these creatures. But Honor, there is another thing to consider. This is the year of the high council.”
“Already?” I leaned forward. The high council was when all the royal families of the seven kingdoms got together to speak of peace treaties and marriages between the kingdoms. “Where is it held this year?”
“The summer palace of Sion,” she said. “And all the daughters of Eville have been banned from attending.”
“What?” I asked in surprise.
“It seems that King Leonel still has a grudge against Mother. He’s accused her of using magic to unnecessarily influence the outcomes of the last six royal weddings, and he fears that our presence will only muddle the murky waters since he has a brood of his own that he’s trying to marry off.” She smirked. I knew she was thinking of the arranged marriage that Mother had forced Rosalie into with the Prince of Baist. Luckily, it had turned out to be a love match in the end.
“I don’t like that. All the kings gathered together in one place while these rogue magical attacks are happening? It seems suspicious.”