Armageddon Rules (37 page)

“And I am the one who forged a sword to kill her. I am the one who arranged for a fair prince to wield it. And I knelt by her side as they burned her, holding her power back until the flames consumed her.” A single tear of glitter ran from his eye.

“So, yes. The Black Queen was my daughter. Yes, I am responsible for the evil she caused. And I took that responsibility. I ordered the death of my own child, and held her while she burned.”

I thought of the Root of Lies. How he’d always kept it in his office. Sweet or creepy, I couldn’t quite make up my mind.

“You had limits put on your power. As punishment.”

“Protection, for both of us. My daughter’s power is derived from my own. While I remained limited, she was but a shadow.” Grimm opened his eyes, alert.

That wasn’t right. Couldn’t be right. I’d seen him. Seen his frozen image, the way the black thorns choked the light from his crystal, sapping his power.

“I saved you. There wasn’t any light getting through.”

“My dear, I could have burst through that constraint with only the slightest flicker of thought. Indeed, I had grown tired of the bounds on my power and decided to throw them off, when the time was right.” I hated it when Grimm used that “as you should well know” tone, but this nagging feeling in my stomach said this is what the Fae Mother tried to tell me.

“When would the time be right?”

“In about eighty years, or so. I think that would have given you long enough to live a natural life, expire of natural causes. Then I could release myself, deal with my daughter, and continue business as usual.”

The impact of what I’d done finally reached me. All the anger and righteous offense drained out, leaving me weak. “So where is she? How long do I have?”

Grimm disappeared from the mirror, and the realm where he trained Ari came into view. The thorn tree that loomed over the plain, covered in flowers. “My daughter is no more prescient than I am, my dear. She foolishly anchored her spirit to a tree in another realm. I hope she enjoys an eternity of sunset.”

“You could have told me. I trusted you.”

Grimm put one hand to his forehead, rubbing his eyebrows. “Have you done nothing you regret? Nothing you are ashamed of, or would take back, if the laws of the universe allowed it?”

Ari. I’d give anything if only I could have known what dropping a spellbook in her lap would cause. A single question to Grimm, and I’d have known. Instead, I pushed her, part of me as excited as she was as her power developed. I dropped my eyes, unable to stare, unwilling to show the tears that welled up in them.

“Arianna’s condition is not your fault. Look at me, Marissa.”

“I don’t appreciate you reading my mind.”

His laughter caused the mirror to vibrate, a deep, rolling laugh that turned his face red. “I know you. I’ve watched you more closely than you could possibly realize. If the wind blows wrong, part of you wonders if it was your fault. If the cab pulls away, you blame yourself for not running faster. Some things are beyond your control.”

“Why didn’t you make an appointment for me?” After the shock of learning about the Black Queen, a ball of fear rumbled in my stomach as I ran over the possible reasons.

“You didn’t need it. I’m sorry for the deception with your pills. I wanted to avoid this conversation for as long as possible, and your red blood cell count is always low. I wanted to spare you this pain for as long as possible.” He waited for a moment, long enough for my hands to go numb from the grip I had on the chair. “Marissa, you can’t have children.”

Thirty-Two

ALL THE MAGIC in the world couldn’t soften that crushing blow. I sagged onto the bed, refusing to accept it. The sane part of me remembered the only thing Grimm valued more than magic was knowledge. “How long have you known?”

“Two years, my dear. I needed to be able to plan your maternity leave.”

“Was it something that happened on the job? Something I was exposed to?” The number of things I’d gotten into that might be considered hazardous to my health would fill an encyclopedia. I held my breath while I waited for his answer.

“No. I believe you have always been this way. It isn’t something you did, or something done to you. It is no one’s fault.”

I caught a hitching sob in my throat, trying to turn it to anger. Trying to turn it back on him. The only thing that came out was a squeak. “Don’t tell Liam. I don’t want him to hear it from you.”

Grimm bowed his head in acceptance, then faded away in the silence. Alone, with only the muffled sounds of Ari’s voice through the walls, I lay my head down on the desk, covered my head with my jacket, and wept for children I would never have.

*   *   *

I SPENT SEVERAL hours alone, until the rational side of me kept nagging. If the world ended, not being able to have children wouldn’t make a difference. I put my hand on my wrist and called Grimm. He snapped into view, his face scrunched up in a scowl. “Do you know what that piper you found is doing? She leads an entire flock of poodles around. Bought them collars. I caught her and Michael playing Frisbee in the park.”

“I’ve got bigger problems. End of the world. Apocalypse, remember?” I liked to face my problems head-on.

“My dear, I am well aware of that. And I think there’s an answer you’ll enjoy greatly.” The smug grin on his face made me wonder exactly what crackpot idea he’d settled on.

“Kill Malodin?”

“No. Settle a score with Queen Mihail. I have no qualms about having someone killed, when necessary, but I want that meddlesome woman alive. She’s the key to getting out of your contract. You see, Malodin made a deal with her before you. Demons are only allowed one active contract, so Malodin is in breach of his until his terms are fulfilled.”

“I want in on this.” Ari stood at my office door, once again eavesdropping. For a princess, she did that a lot.

“Come in, Arianna. I’m glad to hear that, since you are a key component in my plan.” Grimm nodded toward one of my chairs.

Ari slipped into a seat. “I’d like to throw a spell or two Mihail’s direction.”

“I was thinking something more mundane, yet effective. She tried to have Arianna killed, and so can be charged in the Court of Queens. Indeed, it is the only place where you will gain the upper hand.”

“Not a queen. Not even a princess. In case you can’t see from that mirror, I’m a witch.” Ari spat the word
princess
out as if she’d said “dead toad.”

“You are hardly the first princess scarred by Wild Magic, and no power on earth can change the mark on your soul. I’ve checked your soul quite carefully, and you bear no darkness. You can enter the Court of Queens to seek redress from Queen Mihail.” Grimm’s tone allowed no question.

“If it gets me within hair-pulling distance of her, I’m up for it. I haven’t been there in years.” Ari sat up.

I made a fist and pointed it at her. “No pulling hair. Thumbs in the eye socket, smash the nose into your knee. I want a full account when you get back.”

Grimm cleared his throat. “You’ll be going as well, Marissa.”

“Not a princess. I mean, for real, not a princess. You need those glasses adjusted.” My jealousy of princesses’ natural luck faded the longer I watched what Ari went through.

“No. But no queen brings a charge directly against another. They have their handmaiden do it.”

“No.” I sat up and slammed my hand on the desk.

Ari giggled. “If Marissa is my handmaiden, does she have to do what I tell her?”

“No.” I glared at her, which only caused her to laugh harder. “She’s not a queen, can’t pick handmaidens, and I’m betting her stepmother ain’t going to designate me one. Good plan, bad execution.”

Grimm shook his head. “Marissa, surely you expect I have a way for you to enter the Court of Queens.” Grimm had a sly smile on his face. He had something up his sleeves. If he had sleeves, real ones, that is.

“About time you made me a princess.”

He sighed in exasperation. “I will do no such thing. Let us say you went by proxy, for another queen. It was not uncommon for a queen to send her handmaiden instead.”

“I prefer the term
agent
. You know someone who would let me do that?”

He nodded toward the door. “Go to my office.”

We slipped out, passing the temporary offices where my enchanters were loading into cardboard boxes anything not nailed down.

Grimm waited in his mirror. “I have a signet ring, from someone who died.”

“And they’d let me in with it?” I walked over to the wall, looking at the hundreds of tiny containers and bottles, souvenirs from several thousand years of wish granting.

“A handmaiden is considered queen while she wears it.” He appeared in the stainless steel plating at the far end, and I followed.

“Don’t they take them back when queens die?”

“My dear, the authorities were otherwise occupied.”

I shook my head. “If she’s dead, they’ll throw me out again.”

Grimm pointed to a tiny metal case on the lowest shelf. “Ah yes, but first they’d need to convene and prove it. And with the other queens present . . .”

“I could charge Mihail for attacking Ari.” I opened the case to find a dozen different rings. Some dazzled with diamonds, some that shimmered and moved. One was solid back with serpents engraved on it and a purple sheen to the metal. I spent minutes looking at each, trying to pick out the right one.

The ring I kept coming back to was a simple silver ring. No decoration, and it didn’t feel like magic. I slipped it onto my finger next to the engagement ring, contemplating the look. “What do you think?”

Grimm hadn’t spoken the entire time I looked at the case. “I think I expected you to choose that one. You are correct. They’ll throw you out, but with charges leveled, the damage will already be done. Then we negotiate. She holds Malodin in breach of contract in return for us not demanding retribution.” He watched me fidget with my hands. “You do know you are supposed to wait until Liam asks to accept his ring.”

I smiled at Grimm. “I already know what my answer is. Keep an eye on the piper. Let me grab something from my office, then we’re going into Kingdom.”

“Keep it hidden in your pocket; don’t put it on until you reach the Court of Queens.” Grimm’s tone took on the same deathly chill he used to inform people their son would be remaining toadish.

“Am I going to become a ringwraith?”

“Hardly, but the queens have prying eyes everywhere, and it wouldn’t do to give your enemies any warning. And regarding your potential engagement, I suppose I should offer you congratulations in advance, Marissa,” said Grimm.

I smiled all the way to the car.

*   *   *

THE ENTRANCE TO the Court of Queens moves. I have no idea where the court actually is. Not sure anyone really does, but the entrance is what counts. We drove down into Kingdom, then walked to the old castle.

“You’d make better time if you weren’t carrying a package.” Grimm watched us from a storefront window. I slipped my Bluetooth earpiece off. With it on, in the city, folks figured I was on my cell or insane.

“Ask yourself a question. What has Marissa got in the box?” I handed it off to Ari to carry for a moment, letting my aching arms rest.

Grimm disappeared, off to slaughter some bunnies and check the auguries. We made it two more blocks before he reappeared, coming from every single reflective surface in sight.

The look of horror on his face shocked me. He practically shouted. “Marissa! You said nothing about the Gray Man.”

“Nothing to say. She sent him after Ari. He won’t be harming her.” I took my box back. “I figure there’s a reward on his head.”

Grimm whistled, long and low. “You have no idea how many young ladies that monster killed. Once he discovered bone magic, even I couldn’t take action against him.”

“Dad used to say that he’d creep into my room and take me if I didn’t go to sleep. I never dreamed he was real.” Ari switched sides with me, as if the head in the box might bite her.

“Never should’ve called me princess. Anyway, like I said, might be good for a dime.”

“Marissa, Rip Van Winkle is the subject of one of the earliest bounties. Nearly a pound of Glitter offered by the Sixteenth Royal Family.” Grimm beckoned up the street, no longer on every surface.

“Seven. There are seven royal families. All of whom are assholes.” I glanced over at Ari. “Except you.”

“And Wyatt. And his mother.”

“Jury’s still out.”

“There were thirty families at one point, but most of them were slaughtered. The men were slaughtered, the women married to the sons of the survivors. The Sixteenth Royal Family was devoured by, let us see . . .” Grimm faded out again.

We finally reached the entrance to the Court of Queens. The old castle. The castle the government used to operate from, so long ago.

“Ready?” I glanced over at Ari. Beads of sweat lined her forehead.

“No. I hate this place almost as much as you hate the post office.” Ari took my hand and marched toward the castle door. She knocked, and the massive doors slid open.

I’d never quite gotten used to moving entrances. The room that the doors revealed looked like the waiting area for a posh restaurant. A short man, more reminiscent of a barrel with arms and legs than a human, stood beside a short podium.