Modern Magick

Royalty and Ruin: 20

Baroness Tremayne lived between the echoes, as she had once put it. Then again, did she in fact live? Her insubstantial shadow world bore little resemblance to the vivid reality I knew. She'd pulled me sideways, as she had done before, and landed me in the middle of it, with all its darkness and distracting, flickery lights. I was still in the vaulted hall, but in some blurred, altered version. Between the echoes. I still did not understand quite what that meant.

The baroness, unchanged, regarded me gravely. She wore the same wide-skirted silk gown, ruffled with lace; the same artfully piled and curled arrangement graced her white hair. 'How curious a mind,' she said. 'Why do you return here? Did I not already satisfy your needs?'

'Oh! Yes,' I said, watching Jay out of the corner of my eye. He was prowling the hall, searching for me, his form shadowed and his movements jerky in my vision. 'May we invite my companion to join the conversation?'

The baroness did not even blink, but in the next moment Jay stood beside me.

'Jay, this is Baroness Tremayne,' I said. 'The lady who gave us the cure. Baroness, my colleague from the Society, Jay Patel.'

It felt a touch peculiar, making so mundane an introduction under such unusual circumstances. But Jay took it with aplomb. He made the baroness a bow, and flashed one of his more charming smiles. 'You saved many lives, ma'am.'

'I could not have done so without you to carry my aid to the afflicted, hence I suffer your presence now.' She spoke coldly. 'But you trespass, and you steal. What is it you now want from my poor Farringale?'

'We are here by royal command,' I said quickly. 'Their Majesties at the newer court, Mandridore, seek to learn more of the fate of Farringale, and sent us to discover what we could.' I opted to keep the other part of their vision, the restoration of the city, to myself for the time being. First things first, and how might the prickly baroness react to the idea?

'And what is your success?'

Any hopes she might be eager to tell all evaporated on the spot. 'Well, we have some theories—'

'As I heard.'

'Are they... accurate?'

The baroness just looked at me. At last she said: 'What will become of this knowledge, if 'tis given to you?'

'Ah... that would be up to Their Majesties,' I said tactfully.

Baroness Tremayne said nothing. I could not even tell if she was thinking it over. Her face was impassive.

'If I may ask,' Jay stepped in. 'Why do you linger, Baroness? By whose will, or order?'

'And, how?' I added.

The baroness drew herself up. 'I remain by order of Her Majesty, Queen Hrruna, and His Majesty King Torvaston.'

I exchanged a look with Jay, my heart leaping with excitement. I saw the same hope reflected in his face. But gently, gently; the baroness was wary. 'Are you here to care for the place?' I suggested.

Her lips quirked. 'Care for a dead land? What would be the use, pray?'

'It isn't dead, though, is it?' said Jay. 'Its people are gone, but the city goes on. The magickal surges. The griffins. The Sweeping Symphony — is that your doing? Everything has changed, and yet, nothing.'

'And nothing has aged,' I said. 'Nothing. Including you.'

'Requires life, to grow older,' said she. 'The life poured out of Farringale long ago, and from me.'