A Lick of Frost(25)

He looked embarrassed. "Of course. I am sorry. There is something about you people that just makes a poor lawyer forget himself." His words could be terribly true. I was hoping that no one in this room discovered just how true they could be.

"King of the Seelie Court, you insult me, and my court, and through me, my queen," I said.

"Meredith." his voice breathed through the room and caressed my skin, as if it had fingers.

Nelson whimpered.

"Stop it!" I yelled, and there was an echo of power to my voice. "If you do not cease trying to bespell me, I will have this mirror blanked, and there will be no more talks."

"They attacked a woman of my court. They must be given over to us for punishment."

"Give us proof of the crimes, Uncle."

"The word of a Seelie noble is proof enough," he said, and now his voice didn't sound seductive. It sounded angry.

"But the word of an Unseelie noble is worth nothing, is that it?" I asked.

"Our histories speak for themselves," he said.

I wished I could have afforded to have the lawyers to move so that I could see Taranis, but I did not dare. With him blocked from my sight I could think. I could be angry.

"Then you call me a liar. Is that it, Uncle?"

"Not you, Meredith, never you."

"One of the men you accuse was with me when the Lady Caitrin claims he was raping. He could not have been with her, and with me, at the same time. She lies, or she believes someone else's lie."

Doyle's hand tensed in mine. He was right. I'd said too much. Dammit, but these word games were hard. So many secrets to keep track of, and so hard to decide who knew what, and when to tell anyone anything.

"Meredith," he said, his voice pushing against me again, almost like a touch, "Meredith, come to me, to us."

Nelson made a sound like a soft scream. Cortez said, "I can't hold her!"

Shelby went to help him and I could suddenly see the mirror.

I could see the tall, imposing figure. The sight was enough to add weight to his words, so it was like a push. "Meredith, come to me."

He held his hand out to me, and I knew I should take his hand, knew it.

The hands and bodies of my men pressed on my shoulders, arms, and legs, keeping me in my chair. I hadn't meant to, but I must have tried to rise. I don't think I would have gone to Taranis, but… but… It was good that I had hands to hold me down.

Nelson was screaming, "He's so beautiful, so beautiful! I have to go to him! I have to go to him!"

The woman's struggles sent Cortez and Shelby crashing to the floor with her.

"Security." Doyle's deep voice seemed to cut through the hysteria.

"What?" Biggs said, blinking too rapidly.

"Call security," Doyle said. "Send for help."

Biggs nodded, again too rapidly, but he walked to the telephone on his desk.

Taranis's voice came like something shining and hard, as if words could be stones thrown against your skin. "Mr. Biggs, look upon me."

Biggs hesitated, his hand hovering over the phone.

"Keep her in her seat," Doyle said, then he let me go to walk toward Biggs.

"He is a monster, Biggs," Taranis said. "Do not let him touch you."

Biggs turned wide-eyed and stared at Doyle. He backed away, hands up as if to ward off a blow. "Oh, my God," he whispered. Whatever he saw when he looked at my handsome captain was not what was there.

Veducci turned around from where he still stood in front of me. He took something from his pants pocket and threw it at the mirror. Dust and bits of herbs hit the surface, but they stuck to the glass as if it were water. The dry bits floated there, making small ripples on the supposedly solid surface. In that moment I knew two things. One, that Taranis could make the mirror a mode of travel between one place and another, an ability most had lost. Two, that he had truly meant "come to me." If I had gone to the mirror he could have pulled me through. Goddess help us.

Biggs seemed to wake from the spell, and grabbed the phone like he had a purpose.

"They are monsters, Meredith," Taranis said. "They cannot bear the touch of sunlight. How can anything that hides in the dark be ought but evil?"

I shook my head. "Your voice is only words now, Uncle. My men stand in sunlight, straight and proud."

The men in question looked at the king, except for Galen, who looked at me. It was a questioning look; was I better now? I nodded for him, shared with him a smile I'd been giving him since I was fourteen.

Taranis bellowed, "No, you will not bed the green man, and bring life to the darkness. The Goddess has touched you, and we are the people of the Goddess."

I fought to keep my face blank, because that last comment could mean so many things. Did he already know that the chalice of the Goddess had come to me? Or had rumor planted something else in his head?