Fifty-One
I wasn't sure how late it was when I finally fell in a dreamless sleep.
Finally dreamless. I'd been plagued night after night with visions on Robyn in his life but so far, nothing was useful.
In the beginning, after he was gone I dreamt his memories for hours but as the days went by they were shorter, less often and I feared I wouldn't get any answers on what he ultimately wanted from me.
I woke early and showered trying to wake myself despite the short amount of hours I slept.
The marble bathroom was spacious and all sound seemed to echo inside the beautiful bathroom.
I dressed in a robe emblazoned with the hotel name on the front, afraid that I'd wrinkle or dirty the fine clothes that had been picked for me for the day.
I opened the doors that led to the suite's small living room and stopped.
There was a large gold trunk opened with a mountain of chocolate inside.
Large chunks of dark chocolate bark cascaded from it with old yellow gold handmade jewelry hanging on the inside.
The jade was a deep green like I'd never seen.
I recognized the faces etched on the golden cuffs and the circular calendar made in jade that hung on the end of the necklace. It had to be the present from Ix Chel, the Autumn queen who drew influence from the Mayan culture.
Next to it was a case full of blades. Old carved silver etched with beautiful markings that seemed as old as the Nordic legends themselves.
The gift from the Winter Queen, Aira.
Beyond the table sitting in the middle of the room, was another one. It was rich with more gold jewelry that glistened in the light of the morning. Glass pendant earrings were in the middle with fruits and grains spilling over the case it was in.
Sili, the Spring Queen then.
As my eyes settled in the last of the presents, I hesitated.
It was a golden box with mesh in front of it.
It was small enough that it reminded me of the carryon bags people would fly their pets with.
The box itself was gorgeous with hieroglyphics etched throughout depicting a half woman half cat praising the sun.
I swallowed. The present from the Summer Queen, Rai, then.
I looked at the top of it and saw a small note. I frowned as I looked it over. The text was delicate but I still couldn't understand it.
As I peered into the box, I could hear a deep purring followed by a small, delicate noise.
"Mew."
My heart fluttered and I immediately began to open the box. As soon as I lifted the lid, large green feline eyes looked up at me.
I smiled. "Hi, kitty."
I set the lid aside as it began to sniff the outside of the box. I set my hands at my side, non-threatening.
The small gray feline sniffed towards me and looked at me again. "Mew."
I couldn't help my smile as it jumped out of the gold box and lifted its nose at me. I lifted my hand to scratch its head and it pushed its head into my open hand. The more I continued to pet it, the more it approached until it was in my lap.
The cat was too large to be a kitten. The gray coat was shiny and healthy with different black spots all over that made small patterns throughout its body.
It purred as it continued and I completely melted. "What a cute cat you are. Are you a gift from the Summer Queen?"
It turned over to show me its stomach.
I gushed as I scratched its stomach. "Oh, my goodness, you are just the sweetest little kitty ever."
A gentle knock on the room's door startled it, making it scurry away. I swallowed. After what Asmo said the night before I didn't want to see him, much less make conversation with him.
After a second knock, I hurried to it and opened it just enough to poke my head out but not enough for the cat to run out.
Oren's smile greeted me. "Good Morning."
I smiled back and relaxed. "Hey, Oren."
He looked at how I stood in front of the door and laughed. "I'm guessing you opened your present from the Summer Queen?"
I laughed, nodding. "Yes, how did you know?"
"We checked all of the presents before they were placed in your room." He smiled broadly, the laugh reaching his hazel eyes. "Don't worry, the cat is not a shifter."
I laughed again. The first time I had met Oren was when he was in cat form in the back of my parent's house. "How many times that I try to lure you with a tuna can?"
He scrunched his nose. "I've never been a fan of tuna in cans. Or catnip."
I laughed as he cleared his throat. "I've been informed that the queens are waiting to meet you downstairs outside in the patio for breakfast. Dress warmly, it's pretty chilly outside."
I cursed. "Am I late?"
He shook his head. "There was no set time. They met beforehand without letting us know."
I let out a breath in an unladylike fashion, placing my head against the door. "Probably to talk about me before I meet them." I groaned stepping away from the door. "I'll start getting dressed then."
"I will be waiting for you and escort you downstairs when you're ready."
I nodded. "Thanks, Oren." I quickly ran back to the room followed by the small cat. It jumped onto the bed and watched me as I took out an outfit that I'd unpacked the night before. It watched me quizzically as I began to take it off the hanger.
I watched it. "What should I call you?"
It blinked slowly at me and looked toward the window.
I smiled. "Not interested, huh?" I began to take the clothes into the bathroom and once inside, I shrugged the robe off and dressed.
The clothes were black again. The color was deep enough that seemed to absorb the light around it even as I moved the garment against the streaming sunlight of the bathroom window.
At least the maidens chose pants for me instead of a dress.
As soon I buttoned up the dress shirt up to the middle of my chest, I looked like I was ready for a business meeting.
Which, given the circumstances, seemed appropriate.
Large precious diamonds adorned my ears and neck. While they were surprisingly heavy in my hands when I held them, as soon as I placed them on my ears, they didn't seem to be too weighed down. Magic, I supposed.
I grabbed the paper that was attached to the cat's carrier and placed it in my pocket. As soon as I finished a small braid in my hair and pinned it back with one of the jade pins in the Autumn queen's gifts, I made my way to the door where Oren waited.
I left the door slightly ajar as I squeezed through making sure that the cat would not sprint out.
As I began to go down the hall, my cat appeared next to me.
I frowned. "Did you just specter?"
The cat tilted its head as it walked at my side. "Mew."
Oren laughed.
It was funny how as soon as I exited the room my adrenaline began to pulse through me, making my hands shake at my sides as I continued my walk.
Oren must have noticed because he at once stopped me as we walked down the hall, placing his hands on my shoulders. "Breathe."
I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat.
He shook his head. "Take a breath."
I inhaled deeply and did it again until he let me go with a nod.
He smiled kindly. "It will be all right, Emylin."
I only nodded but he couldn't guarantee it.
The hall that connected the rooms on the floor was open allowing me to see the other floors and doors of the rooms. My room had been on the top floor and when I looked up at the glass ceiling I could see the perfect blue sky beyond it.
Below was the lobby we had walked through.
The elevator was in the middle of it and open which let me see the floors pass as we made our way down.
I frowned. "Where is Asmodeus?" He was all over this meeting ever since I asked him to join me, I found it surprising that he hadn't been the one to knock on my door that morning.
But after last night's embarrassing encounter, I wasn't complaining.
He shook his head. "Not here. He requested more guards than what I recommended and when they arrived, he went back to the Underworld. He hasn't been seen since last night."
I shook my head as I leaned against the back of the elevator. "Probably for the best, then."
I closed my eyes as the elevator made its descent and let myself drift to the different energy I was feeling around me.
There were many people around us, not just the human staff but fae as well.
The more I reached out the more I could smell new flowers in springtime and the intense heat of the summer sun on my skin.
I could sense the turning of the leaves in the autumn and the chill of Winter in my bones.
I relished in it. This kind of magic was new. It was uncommon and nothing like I felt in the Underworld.
"Is the cat the gift from the Summer Queen?"
When I opened my eyes, I realized that we had stopped and been back on the first floor. It wasn't Oren that looked at me expectantly, it was Asmo, looking like he hadn't slept at all, standing on the threshold of the elevator.
I nodded. "It can specter too. Follows me wherever I go."
Asmo studied the cat as I exited the elevator. I followed Oren who began to walk through the halls of the first floor.
Asmo fell in line next to me and the cat as we walked through the halls. He kept his hands behind his back as we walked but I could feel his gaze on me, even as I kept my eyes squarely on Oren's back. The cat trotted quietly next to me keeping pace.
Eventually, I heard Asmo whisper next to me. "I want to apologize about last night."
I flinched, my eyes darting to Oren. Anyone else would think something worse happened. What would Oren think of what he just said? "Now is not the time, Asmo," I whispered back.
"It was forward of me and wrong. I apologize."
I looked at him and paused. I could see his hands now and noticed the bruises that were still healing. I recognized what they were from.
I looked between them and his eyes. "The Magister?"
Slowly, he nodded.
So that's where he had been. He didn't stay the night before, had asked for more guards than Oren had recommended the night before because he wouldn't be there himself at night. He was still interrogating the Magister.
Damien had said he was consumed. Asmo himself had said that there wasn't anything he wouldn't do. Had he taken to interrogating the Magister so personally?
"Fine," I finally whispered, walking again. "Apology accepted. But give yourself a break. Give him a break. I need his help with Azazeal."
"He finally spoke."
I stopped, my throat dry. The cat stopped as well.
Asmo's voice was soft. "He doesn't know anything, Emylin. He only knows Robyn wanted to be King again. That was all Robyn revealed to him."
I felt the floor give out from under me. He didn't know anything. He didn't know why Robyn needed me alive. The thought scared me, it grabbed to my core and made it turn to ice in its dark talons.
I fought the tears that stung my eyes. "A-are you sure?" I asked quietly.
Asmo nodded. "I've never been so sure of anything in my life. I'm sorry, Emylin."
I swallowed. Something else. One more thing to add to my evergrowing list.
I couldn't keep doing this... I couldn't keep putting everything and everyone else before me.
I couldn't keep bartering my life.
I took a breath and continued forward on our walk.
We turned a corner and just as we did, I could see the glass doors that led to the outside patio.
There was lush greenery just beyond the doors and patio furniture.
I could distinctly make out a pool. I didn't pause as I moved followed, didn't flinch as we approached.
As Oren reached for the patio door something fast moved in front of me. Asmo's hand shot out towards me and gripped my arm tightly, pulling me back, saving me from the girl that fell forward in front of us.
The contents of one of the girl's large platters in her hands spilled everywhere leaving a mess of scones and pastries all over the floor. She fell on her face with a loud thud, her long brown hair covering her face as she looked up at the mess and started cursing.
Immediately, I began to bend down to help her when Asmo tugged on my arm again.
"You're queen. It's beneath you to help her."
I pulled my arm back with force making him release me. "She needs help. I'm helping her."
The waitress let out a long string of curses as she reached over to the spilled scones and rounded them up around her.
I bent down and began to gather them up with her, placing the scones from the floor onto my lap.
The girl sighed. "They're going to kill me. They're going to be so upset when they find out."
I shook my head. "It'll be all right, I'm sure." I spectered a nearby decorative bowl into my hands and placed the dirty scones inside of it. "I'm sure the hotel staff will be more unhappy with me ruining one of their special expensive bowls."
The girl moved her curtain of hair revealing her face and smiled.
She wasn't human, she was fae. A stunning fae.
She looked to be my age or a little older.
Her skin was a dark caramel with round pink lips and pink cheeks.
Her earrings were large, golden discs and a septum piercing in pure gold ran through her delicate nostrils.
Her dark eyes were captivating and kind.
I found myself smiling at her. "We'll get this cleaned up in no time. Don't worry. Do you need to take them back to the kitchen?"
She shook her head. "I'll take care of that. Don't worry." She grabbed a scone from the plate in her hands and shoved it in her mouth. She picked up another and motioned at me with it. "Scone?"
I shook my head. "No, thank you. I have somewhere I have to be."
She nodded as she began to stand with the bowl of clean scones in her hand.
Her arms were full of golden bangles that sang as she moved her hands.
"I know where you have to be." She grabbed the bowl of dirty scones from my hand and placed them on the small table next to the patio door.
"Someone will take care of that, don't worry. "
The dark blue chiffon dress moved with her as she made her way to the patio door Oren stood in front of. Tribal tattoos lined her strong lithe upper arms. As she looked at Oren guarding the door, I realized who she was.
"Thank you so much, Underworld Guard, I will take your queen with me from here."
Oren smiled and bowed quickly at her. "Your Majesty."
I looked back at Asmo as I stepped through the door following her. Asmo realized who she was too.
I was wrong. She was no waitress.
Oren shut the door firmly behind us and as soon as he did, the Autumn Queen shouted into the room. "Ladies, I found her!"