Chapter 20
“You’re celebrities,” Qip said as he drove the wagon toward his house. He didn’t sound pleased.
His passengers were silent, recovering from what they’d been through in the long day.
Bree, on the seat beside him, had the medallion and she looked at it. It was oval and made of very old gold. On the outside
were nine crudely cut gray jewels, one bigger than the others. When it was opened, painted on a white stone, was the face
of a pretty woman with dark curls and pink lips. Bree handed it to Tam.
Tam looked at the picture, then handed it to Mekos and Aradella.
No one mentioned the name the goat-man had said. “Urah.” It seemed that all bad began and ended with that woman.
“Of what use are the things we got?” Aradella’s voice sounded weak. She hadn’t yet recovered her strength. She knew the middle
of her was badly bruised.
“Why was he changed into a monster?” Bree was looking at Qip.
Qip sighed. “I’m sure the rose and the medallion have uses but I don’t know what they are.” His voice was rising, showing his frustration. “As for the Monster of Sheean, it was probably done by magic, but I don’t know why.”
“It doesn’t take much to enrage her,” Aradella said softly. They all knew who she meant.
Tam was leaning against the side of the wagon. “Was he transformed by the removal of the medallion or by the kisses?”
Mekos looked serious. “Female kisses have the opposite effect. They turn a quiet, peaceful man into a raging monster.”
They looked at him, their faces showing the absurdity of that, then Tam gave a little laugh. “The crowd sure did love the
ugly maid.”
“And my beautiful princess,” Mekos said proudly. “Some man offered me a house and six horses if I’d work for him.”
Bree said, “I’m sure it’s the same man who wants us to do more plays.”
“Ha!” Aradella said. “He wants my cousin for a night of ecstasy.”
“I can’t blame him for that!” Tam’s tone was so truthful, but at the same time so very sad, that they couldn’t retain their
laughter.
They were exhausted, bruised, and bleeding, but they were alive.
For the rest of the way, they were in a better mood. Mekos and Tam argued about who had been injured more.
The two women were silent. When they’d awakened that morning, they’d been lifelong enemies, but now they were . . . Neither
of them knew exactly what they were. But they knew that things had changed.
By the time they got to the house, they were all smiling.
“I hope Darr cooked something good,” Mekos said.
“I hope he fixed Ian’s leg,” Bree said. “It was damaged this morning.”
“We can—” Aradella began, then broke off. Darr was waiting for them, and the green of his eyes was an ugly color, like pond
sludge. Something had made him unhappy.
The young people let out a sigh. What now?
Darr lifted Qip down. They couldn’t understand Darr’s eyelight flashes, but Qip could.
“Why don’t you give him a voice?” Aradella sounded annoyed.
“I agree,” Bree said and went to stand next to her cousin.
Qip snorted. “He and I do quite well as we are.”
Behind them, Mekos and Tam looked at each other with raised eyebrows. The cousins agreeing on something was certainly a change!
They heard a noise then turned to see the big eagle-headed creature step out of the forest.
Mekos went to it, stroked its head, and listened. “Your father sent him. Your baby is coming.”
Tam immediately got onto the animal. “I must go.” He looked at them. “My friends,” he began. “I cannot describe . . .” His
eyes fastened on Bree’s and everyone saw their pain. “I . . .” he began again, but he didn’t seem to know what else to say.
He nudged the animal forward and up. Minutes later, he was out of sight.
They looked at Bree.
“I’m very tired.” Turning, she went into the house.
Aradella looked at Qip. “If whatever that red drink you gave to Qip when he was upset is for calming a person down, I want
some of it for my cousin.” The way she said it was an order, not a request.
Qip nodded at Darr, and Aradella followed the metal man into the house.
Mekos began removing weapons from the back of the wagon. That Tam hadn’t taken time to gather his belongings told that his
family meant more to him than anything else.
The absence of Tam left a hole in the group. At dinner, Bree stayed in her bedroom. Aradella prepared a plate for her along with Qip’s red drink, and took it to her room. When she returned, she put the empty little glass on the table. “She’s asleep.” Aradella looked at Qip and nodded thanks.
They told Ian what happened in the arena, but Tam’s absence took the life out of the story. They thanked Darr for doing some
carving on Ian’s wooden leg so it fit better. His eyelights flashed a very pretty shade of blue.
“He’s pleased,” Qip said.
“Too bad he can’t tell us that,” Aradella muttered. After dinner, she left to take a long, hot bath.
Mekos knew Qip was tired but he wanted him to stay and talk. First, he got the box of magic items that Kaley had tucked under
the dragon’s saddle.
“We need to find out more about Empyrea,” Mekos said.
Qip shook his head. “You can’t go there, just the three of you. You’ll accomplish nothing.”
“Aradella knows plants and Bree knows the recipes. We can use that.”
“With Tam gone, you have no one to ignite the spells. Without that, you just have a bowl of salad, probably poisonous.”
“Cappie?” Mekos asked.
“He’s too old. He’d never live through a trip like that.”
Mekos didn’t know how to plead his case. He put the box on the table, opened it, and inside the little man began dancing.
But Qip ignored it. He took the key out and looked at it. “This has the crest of Empyrea on it.”
“What does it open?”
“I have no idea,” Qip said. “But I would imagine that it’s important. Where did you get it?”
“Papá says Kaley stole it from the warlock, Garen. He was kidding. Maybe.”
Qip was holding it up, twisting it about like it was a jewel of great value. “Yes, that makes sense. Garen is the nephew of
Reena, and she is best friends with Vian.”
Mekos was shocked. “My grandmamá has a friend?”
“Yes! A very powerful one. When it comes to witchery, Reena is second only to her hideous old sister, Urah.”
Mekos considered that. “And Bree is apprenticed to Reena. It’s almost like all those women are working together.”
Qip snorted. “Are you so young that you think men control the world?! Ha! Those women keep all of us in a tight circle, then they lock it down with secrets.”
Mekos sighed. “That’s probably true, but then, Aradella and I killed Valona, so . . .”
“Yes, you seem to have messed up their plans. Not that any of those women have ever confided in me, but I’d wager they were
waiting for Aradella to grow up. Then they’d put whatever their plan was into action.”
“And I was part of the plan?”
“Sure. If that’s what you want to believe.”
The men exchanged looks of understanding. They were part of a very large plan and they had no idea what it was—or how it involved
them.
Qip put the key back in the box and stood up. “I must rest—and we must trust. There are many people involved in this. You’re
not alone.”
Mekos nodded in agreement. Hope was a good thing.