Now, we were alone with the queen and her babe, which she had, up to this point, refused to let go of. I didn't blame her. In her world, the babe had been gone for two weeks. Far, far too long. How she hadn't gone insane with worry, I didn't know.
"I am forever grateful to the two of you," said the queen, although she didn't take her eyes off the cooing babe, which was now wide-eyed and eager. She should be; after all, she had taken a helluva long nap.
I nearly said: All in a day's work for dark angels, Your Highness. That is, until I heard how lame it sounded in my own head.
Allie said, "All in a day's work for dark angels, Your Highness."
Well, I think it sounds cute. She smirked.
Oh, brother.
"Dark angels, indeed." She looked at Allie. "I saw what you did in the tunnel. And I saw how you protected Rory. And you." She turned to me. "You disappeared before my eyes, and reappeared holding my baby, wrapped in your shirt and, oddly, your shoe."
I said, "Long story."
"You needed to stay clear of the sleeping spell," said the queen. "And use both articles of clothing as a noose."
"Maybe not so long, after all."
"Very ingenious, Lady Tam Tam." She kept her eyes on me. "When I emerged out of the tunnel, I next watched something incredible."
I waited, wondering if I should remove this memory from her mind, but decided to let it play out a little further. She said, "I watched a woman turn into a winged dragon."
"Any chance you imagined that?" I asked.
She smiled at me warmly, which was odd. Surely, she should have been alarmed, or terrified. Then again, she did live in a magical realm, complete with dungeon dragons, wizards, ice trolls, you name it! I could only imagine the other wonders that awaited beyond the castle walls... and in Charlie's extensive notes.
"No, Lady Tam Tam. I saw it with mine own eyes."
I said, "We did what we had to do to save your daughter."
She kept her gaze on me. "Will I see you again?"
"Mayhap you will," I said.
"We're just a prayer away," piped in Allie.
Geez, Allie. Could you sound any lamer?
Sorry. I couldn't help myself. But she didn't sound sorry, even in my head. I didn't have to be telepathic to know she liked being considered a dark angel. And that we had been grouped together as a sort of team.
Admit it, you like it too.
No, I don't.
You could even say we're Charlie's Dark Angels.
Good God, I thought. You went there.
I did. And I will do it again.
The queen looked at both of us, a small smile on her face, seemingly aware of our telepathic tit-for-tat. She adjusted her hold on her mewling babe, whose little hands were reaching up through the fabric to play with the queen's curly locks. I next did the only thing I could think of: I bowed.
Now who looks lame, thought a giggling Allison, as she bowed along with me.
Oh, shut up.
The queen hugged both of us with her free hand and didn't try to stop the tears from flowing. I gave the little booger in her arms a kiss as well, and then led the way into the wardrobe.
Once there, Allie took my hand, and, together, we stepped back through the wardrobe.
Chapter Thirty-six
Allie stumbled into me, and I stumbled into her.
"Is that how it feels when you teleport?" she asked, holding me.
"A bit," I said. "Except I usually don't have a big fat foot standing on mine."
"Oops, sorry."
"Welcome back you two," said Charlie Reed, coming from around his desk, an exuberant look in his wild eyes.
I didn't have to read his mind to know what the man had been up to. "Let me guess: your writer's block is gone?"
"Gone, obliterated, and replaced with even more wild ideas. I can't stop them. All thanks to you."
"Er, how long have we been gone?" asked Allie.
"A couple hours. Maybe more. Speaking of which, how did it go in there?"
"I think you know how it went in there," I said. "You've been writing ever since."
"Yes. The moment you two disappeared. And I mean exactly that: you two literally disappeared in a blink."
"And what happened while we were gone?" I pressed.
"The ideas flowed. And flowed and flowed. It was all I could do to keep up with them."
"And what did you write about?"
"Of the appearance of two dark angels who rescue the kidnapped princess."
"And did one of these dark angels turn into a dragon?" pressed Allie.
"And did Sir Rory suffer a near-fatal injury?" I added.