ZILITRON
KADREA
He had better not drop feathers all over the floor, Onyx warns. If he does, I will have no choice but to play with them.
Ruby sniggers through a mouthful of cupcake. "I can't wait to see what he looks like. I bet he looks terrible."
"Addy is hoping the lamya root tea will help." Maya sits poised at the foot of my bed, exuding quiet glamour. She wears a pale yellow chiffon dress that somehow manages not to clash with her hair, with lemon earrings and diamante shoes that resemble gloves for feet.
"Just everyone shut up when they get here," I snap. "Addy's nervous about it as it is."
The past few weeks of Addy and Prince Marsi's lives have been dominated by two words: moulting season. The prince is only half griffin, but his griffin genes are becoming more prominent.
I will laugh at him privately, Onyx promises. He has distracted Adamantine enough this week. She is tired for work because of him.
I roll my eyes. "They only went out three times, cat. Thee times."
That is three times too many.
I look around for a sock to stuff in his mouth, then remember he speaks through telepathy. I focus my own thoughts until they become beads of energy, strung together like a broken necklace. I fling the necklace at Onyx, and it sinks into his mind like melted butter.
You had better behave, the energy beads say. I don't want you upsetting Addy. She likes him.
Onyx licks his paw. Your telepathy is improving, Lily. But you will never be as good as me.
I shoot an ice dart at him. He sniggers and ducks.
When Prince Marsi waltzes into the room, he doesn't look that bad. His mahogany skin has a golden tinge to it, and there's a feather peeking out of his robe sleeve, but he looks human enough to fool anyone.
Addy trots in behind him, resplendent in a charmed gown of dazzling silver. Sleeveless and with a sweetheart neckline, it hugs her frame gently. The skirt flows in torrents of silver glitter studded with magic emerald roses.
"Greetings all." Prince Marsi beams. "Miss Lily, Miss Maya." His smile falters slightly. "Ah, Miss Ruby....how lovely to see you here also..." Then he brightens. "Ah, Master Onyx!"
He strides towards the scowling cat, a grin lighting up his face. "Aren't you a handsome devil? Would you like a petting?" He laughs indulgently. "Of course you would! All cats like - arrgh!"
"ONYX!" I yell.
Addy rushes over to tend to the prince's hand. "I'm so sorry, Marsi! I'm sure it was a mistake. Onyx usually never bites."
Onyx settles into a smug loaf. I bite when the situation calls for it.
Addy considers the bead of blood dancing on Prince Marsi's fingertip. "Lily, do you have any healing potion?"
Prince Marsi, somewhat recovered from the shock, chuckles. "There is no need for that, my lady. It is but a scratch."
Maya eyes Onyx suspiciously. "Maybe we should tuck Onyx away? I think he's ready for a nap."
I am as energetic as a wild acanthine, Onyx insists.
"That's exactly what I'm worried about."
I put my hands on my hips. "When did he start talking to you?" I demand.
Maya smiles. "It was back in Naemar. He climbed up some tree branches and got stuck. Then he calmly said, 'Maya, please get me down'. I almost died of fright."
I guess it's just Ruby who's out of the loop now.
While the prince admires my cactus collection, Addy pulls me aside. Her eyes, now charmed a wicked green, are full of worry. "The lamya tea is working," she tells me. "I'm still worried, Lily. It's not fair that people don't accept him for who he is. He shouldn't need to poison himself with that stuff."
I sigh. "People are like that, Addy. Whether they're Kadrean or Sactaphranian, it's all the same. They see something different and they panic."
Addy steals a glance at her boyfriend. He's telling Maya about the baby succulus he tended to in the Deadly Desert. Maya is politely feigning interest. "He's never known his father, and his mother disappeared when he was tiny," Addy says. "They disowned her, Lily."
I've heard of Princess Siphini of Sactaphrane. No one knows what became of her.
"We'll solve that mystery one day," I assure Addy. "We'll find both his parents."
I'm only saying it to make her feel better, but Addy smiles warmly at me. "I'm glad the Tanerian ambassador has left, at least," she says. "That's some pressure taken off him. He was overdosing on the lamya tea to appear human in front of him."
The news of the Tanerian ambassador's departure was met with delight by more that just Prince Marsi. There are Tanerian refugees hiding in Kadrea, having escaped its oppressive regime. Our friend Talia and Owen were able to return to Zilitron.
"By Illyria," Talia had exclaimed. "I thought he'd never leave."
Maya set her up with a job as a hairdresser for a celebrity friend, and Owen wants to apply for a crystal cutter job position at Crystal Corp.
Addy's communications monitor buzzes. Eamonn appears on screen. At least, I think it's Eamonn. It's more like a giant puff of golden feathers with eyes and a beak sticking out of it.
Ruby bursts out laughing. "He looks...terrible! He looks like..." She puffs her cheeks out and waddles around with her arms outstretched.
Eamonn is not impressed. "I wish to speak to His Highness," he says, his merlot eyes fixed steadily on Addy. "I have brewed the next batch of lamya root tea. The taste is much more pleasant when it's warm."
"I'll tell him, Eamonn," Addy promises. "And I think you look...very nice."
That's obviously a lie.
The communications monitor blinks off, only to light up again, this time with Queen Irine's face centrefold.
Great. My favourite person. Addy's one and only mother.
Waves of mermaid-blue hair fall over her lithe frame in layers. Each strand is tipped with a pearl. Her gown is pure white silk embroidered with silver fairy dust. "Adamantine," she says. "I am returning to Mamauri. Ivy is struggling."
"Oh no," Addy whispers. "Is she alright? Should I go back too?"
"That will not be necessary, shari. I will handle the situation. You have your career to attend to. I will comfort the child. I knew her sister better than anyone else. She was a loyal guard, and it is my responsibility to care for those she left behind."
I squirm. Ivy's sister Bronna left this world because of me. I sent her right out of it with a blast of witch magic. I know I had to. I know she would have killed me if I hadn't killed her first. But still, if I was better trained, I could have disarmed her instead of killing her. I gave away the guilt in my heart, and the wound of that memory healed right over. Now that Bethany's pendant makes my heart whole again, I feel that guilt once more. I won't let it eat me up though. I'll find a way to help Ivy, even if she never forgives me. I'll make things right.
"I should go back," Addy insists. "I'm the tribe's leader. I should be there for Ivy."
"Nonsense," says Queen Irine. She peers to the side, and her face lights up with mischief. "You must also take care of..." She winks. "...My future son-in-law."
"Hami!" Addy wails. She shoots a horrified glance at Prince Marsi, but he's busy extolling the virtues of the lamya tree an uninterested Maya and Ruby. ("Blood-red leaves melting into the haze of the desert! Have you ever seen such magnificence?")
"Do not lie to me, shari," Queen Irine grins. "I can see the affection you have for him. I still have my old wedding gown, and I would like for you to wear it - "
"Hamiiii!" Addy wails again.
I glance at the clock and let loose a sigh of relief. "It's almost time for my next case," I announce. "I'm heading to reception."
"Me too," Ruby says.
I groan inwardly. She's like a stinky cauldron I can't offload.
She trails behind me as I make my way to the waiting room. "Marsi doesn't look as stupid as Eamonn," she muses. "I guess Eamonn doesn't need to take the lamya root tea, since everyone already knows he's a griffin. Still, it wouldn't hurt for him to look less stupid."
"It's not like he's walking around Zilitron scaring everyone," I say. "Let him be as fluffy as he wants."
We reach the waiting room.
"I wonder who I've got this time," Ruby says. "I bet you've got an interesting one. Big Boss always gives you the biggest losers."
A fair-haired woman looks up from her magazine.
I go deadly still.
Oh, hell no.
Ruby squints. "What? Do you know her or something?"
The woman stands up in cloud of rustling silk.
"Oh, I know her," I say. "She's my stepmother."