Careless Wishes Page 13

  Raza roared.

  The entire camp went silent except for the Pukas, who whimpered.

  “I have just been separated from my daughter for the first time since she was born!” Raza shouted. “I am not in the mood to put up with nonsense. Those who annoy me further will serve as a target for my anxiety. And by that I mean: I shall fucking incinerate you. Is that understood?”

  “Yes, Your Majesty,” Conri and Rodaidh said together.

  “Good.” Raza settled down. “Now, both of you, go far away from me.”

  Rodaidh scrambled to his feet and hurried to another group while Conri tossed Gradh over his shoulder and ran into the forest. I snorted and shook my head. Con had probably been searching for an excuse to run off with his girlfriend and my husband had just handed it to him.

  “You good now?” I asked Raza.

  Raza grimaced. “I'm sorry, mo shíorghrá. I'm not myself.”

  “I know, babe,” I said, then realized I'd just used the endearment Gradh hated.

  Raza, who could read my face like a book, chuckled, then said, “I don't mind it. I know you mean it affectionately and I will gladly accept any affection you wish to give me.”

  “Good,” I said in relief. “Because dropping that word from my vocabulary would be difficult.”

  Killian started dishing out the stew and passing the filled bowls around our circle. As I got mine, a howl came from the woods. I stared in the direction Conri had headed with Gradh, then rolled my eyes.

  “Well, I guess we know what his priorities are,” Killian said as he passed Raza a bowl.

  “Yes, the same as mine evidently,” Daxon drawled and sent me a hopeful and lascivious look.

  “No,” I said simply and dug into my stew as my blue-haired husband pouted.

  “What color are your balls now?” Killian asked Dax.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Sunshine had brightened the forest by the time we headed into the cool darkness of the India rath. I walked in a line between my men and they walked between our reduced group of guards. When you're royalty, it doesn't matter how strong or capable you are—you must be protected. So, our knights went through the rath first and last.

  We wore heavy coats over our human clothing and it wasn't because it was late September. This region of Twilight, similar to the area where Castle Twilight stands, is warm most of the year, just like the corresponding lands of California and India. However, we were headed to a high altitude in the Himalayas and that meant it would be cold no matter what time of year it was. We were lucky that it wasn't earlier in the year because then the cold would have been upped to freezing. As it was, we stepped out into a balmy fifty degrees or so.

  The rath let us out into a cave and the cave opened onto a wide shelf of rock. Frigid wind whipped my hair back from my face as I squinted against a blazing sun. Something glinted far below. I stepped to the edge and peered over the side. A small body of greenish water laid within a cradle of rocks. There was something strange about it. Or, rather, something strange about what lay within it.

  “Are those... ?”

  “Bodies,” a voice answered me—a voice that didn't belong to anyone in our party.

  Our guards had let the speaker approach but watched her warily, their hands filling with magic. The woman was alone and smiling serenely. Her long, dark hair hung down her back to well past her waist and her features had a hint of India to them. Dark, golden skin added to that effect, but her flowing robes were of Fey design.

  “Stand down,” Killian said to the knights. “She's a Naga.”

  The woman's eyes—reptilian like Kill's—widened. She opened her mouth slightly and the pink tip of her tongue flicked out to taste the air. She bowed deeply.

  “And you are the renowned Nathair-Sith, Killian Blair, Ambassador between the Realms,” she noted reverently. “Welcome to the Naga Sanctuary.” She expanded her gaze to include all of us. “Welcome, all of you. I am Chameli, the Rath Guardian. I will escort you into the Sanctuary.”

  “Thank you,” I said. “But before we go... you mentioned bodies?”

  “Ah.” Chameli grinned. “Yes, of course. How could I not offer an explanation after such a statement?” She stepped over to my side and waved a hand at the lake below. “That is Roopkund Lake. Humans call it Skeleton Lake, but I don't feel that's accurate since several of the bodies within it still have flesh attached to their bones.”

  “But why are there bodies in the lake?” Killian asked as he looked over the edge.

  “A very long time ago, the humans tried to attack our Sanctuary,” Chameli said simply.

  I blinked. “And you defended it?”

  She nodded. “They were buried beneath snow and the valley formed a lake around them. Ironically, our efforts to keep humans away are now the very thing that draws them near. Humans come here to gawk at the remains. However, they don't know we're up here anymore so it doesn't overly concern us.” She turned and waved ahead of her. A path appeared, leading away from the ledge, while the entrance to the cave disappeared. “Please, follow me. The Lady is waiting.”

  Stone tiles lined the path we walked and the temperature warmed the further along it we went. Mountain peaks rose to either side of us, their tops coated in snow. Beautiful in a stark way. I almost wished we had come earlier so we could have seen the sunrise from there, it was probably spectacular. But showing up as a guest with a rumbling belly was something to be avoided, especially when you're a queen. It's bad form.

  There were no plants growing along the path, only bare rock and sheer drops. The drop didn't bother me since the path was wide and the extinguisher in me appreciated how it could aid in defense. The location alone was enough to keep trouble away but if that didn't work, an attacker would have to scale a mountain, then navigate this path before they reached the Naga sanctuary. Impressive. The path came to an end and Chameli stepped into another cave, her long, vivid robes sweeping over the stone behind her. It wasn't dark inside the cave; a Fey lantern waited for us, hanging from a wall hook. The Rath Lord, or Lady rather, retrieved the lantern and continued forward to a wall of rock. Or so it appeared.

  Chameli touched the stone and the illusion vanished. A door revealed itself—tall, grand, wood, and banded with steel. It swung open without Chameli touching the handle. She passed through the doorway, then stepped aside, waiting nearby for us to pass. When we were all through, Chameli shut the door firmly, then waved her fingers at a massive steel beam. It fell into place across the door.

  The more I saw, the more I wondered how anything could have been stolen from this place. But then again, Fairies are capable of a lot. A mountain and a door with a steel bar were nothing to a powerful fairy, even if the mountain was steep and the door hidden.

  Our path sloped downward and in places necessitated stairs. There wasn't much to see at first, we walked through a stone tunnel, but then the way opened up and we suddenly found ourselves navigating another steep drop. But where our view outside had been bleak, the one inside was a visual assault of colors and light. A massive cavern spread out before us with a small city filling every inch. From that height, I could easily trace the lines of roads that wound between palaces and parks. Some of the structures had pointed towers that reached the level of our walkway. Trees, grass, and flowers grew in the parks and also among the buildings, freshening the air and making it feel more like a town you might find at the base of Trishul rather than within it.

  But it wasn't the spires or plant life that had me pausing to stare. The palaces sparkled vibrantly in the magical sunshine and a nearby tower revealed why—jewels encrusted them. Not only gems but also precious metals worked into intricate settings for the jewels. And the architectural design of the palaces themselves wasn't simple either. Boxy foundations were enveloped by petal-like wings and the lines of their slim towers were broken up by spherical protrusions with stairs swirling around them. They looked impractical and impossible but were also stunningly beautiful.

  Nagas
congregated in the streets and parks, looking too relaxed for people who had just been the victims of theft. Happy voices softened into indistinguishable murmurs as they floated up to us.

  Chameli noticed that I had stopped walking and turned to lift a brow at me.

  “Do they know about the theft?” I asked her.

  She glanced down, then back at me. “The Lady has not seen fit to inform the entire sanctuary. The Cintamani's guards and I are the only ones who currently know about the situation.”

  “Do you know how they got in?” Killian asked.

  “Please, I only guard the rath.” She held up a hand. “The Lady is better equipped to answer your questions.”

  “But there's one question you should answer,” Daxon insisted. “Did anyone come through the rath that day?”

  “No. No one used the rath that day—not in either direction. Your group is the first to come through the rath in years.” She grinned. “We don't get a lot of visitors.”

  Chameli turned and started the downward trek again but I was still gaping at the gemstones. It was as if someone had emptied several museums of everything sparkly and slapped the loot all over the Naga city. Yes, it was impressive but it was also a little much. Gaudi would have loved it.

  Raza came up beside me. “Nagas are like dragons; they love treasure. Unlike dragons, they can appreciate treasure without feeling the need to possess it. Many important fairies have entrusted their most precious possessions to Nagas for safekeeping and many of those possessions are on display before you.”

  “You're saying that they decorate with the jewels they're paid to guard?” I asked in surprise.

  “The sanctuary has never before been breached,” Tiernan jumped in. “Having the items on display makes them harder to steal. They'd be missed immediately, as opposed to something in a vault that never gets opened. It reassures the patrons.”

  “Huh.” I made a face at the city.

  Chameli cleared her throat.

  “My wife wasn't told about your hoard,” Raza explained as we started moving.

  “Ah.” Chameli nodded in understanding. “We do not call it such, but yes, the wealth can be startling if you're not prepared for it. Even for Fairies, we seem excessive. But I assure you, we are not a frivolous race.”

  “The thought never occurred to me,” I vowed with my fingers crossed behind my back.

  Chameli nodded, then went back to leading us down the path. We made it to the cavern floor faster than I thought we would and were soon walking the pristine streets, nodding at the Nagas who paused to bow to us.

  “You've made an impression as well,” Chameli said over her shoulder. “As I mentioned, we don't often receive visitors and royal visitors are even rarer. But nearly all of the Royals of Fairy and Earth visiting? That is unheard of.”

  “In the past, it would have been impossible,” I agreed. “But now, we are united.”

  “A fact that we rejoice in, Your Majesty.” Chameli paused before the grandest palace in the sanctuary.

  The structure sat in the center of the city and its main tower brushed the top of the cavern. Every inch of it was covered in gems; it was almost dizzying to look at. Up close, I could see that most of the treasure wasn't individual stones but instead were pieces of jewelry. Crowns, broaches, bracelets, earrings, pendants, and even scepters had been carefully placed within glass-covered nooks along with gemstones that had been set directly into the building. It was one giant display case.

  The main door of this bejeweled palace was the only sparkle-free zone but it was covered in polished gold so it was still shiny. It had a pointed top that looked deadly and two male Nagas on guard outside it. They came to attention when Chameli approached them, then said something in a language I didn't recognize. It wasn't Fey or Hindi but possibly a combination of the two.

  Chameli replied in kind, then waved toward one of the guards. “Aadesh will take you to the Lady. It was an honor to escort Your Majesties but now, I must return to my duties.”

  “Thank you,” Raza said dismissively.

  Chameli bowed deeply and left.

  “Your Majesties, please follow me.” Aadesh, like the rest of the Nagas we'd seen, shared Chameli's dark coloring and Indian-esque features along with her slit-pupil eyes. His robes were shorter than hers and had the addition of loose pants and a sword. I found it interesting that he would wear a weapon when the Rath Lady didn't. She probably didn't need one.

  Aadesh opened the pointed door and led us into a surprisingly sedate hallway. Walls, floor, and ceiling were all done in cream stone. The floor was polished but the rest was left raw—sanded but still matte. Framed art hung on the walls but it was sporadic, almost an afterthought. The further in we went, the more luxuries were revealed—carved wooden furniture upholstered in Fey silk, thick Persian rugs, and statuary from several cultures.

  Our escort stopped outside the open door of a sitting room. “Your guards may wait in here.”

  Conri started to grumble.

  But then Aadesh added, “Refreshments have been laid out for them.”

  “In that case...” Con hurried inside.

  The other guards followed Con with less obvious enthusiasm. We were safely ensconced in the sanctuary so there wasn't a need for them to accompany us. Frankly, my husbands and I could do more damage than all of them combined.

  “Behave yourself,” I called to Conri.

  “Always, Your Highness,” Conri said around a mouthful of something.

  I rolled my eyes and continued with my husbands.

  The corridor curved gradually, then brought us to a silver door which Aadesh opened for us, then ushered us through. We stepped into a room of vibrantly colored fabric, overgrown plants in glazed pots, and low wooden couches. A soaring, arched window with an impossible pane of glass let in massive amounts of light, making the multiple Moroccan lanterns that hung from the high ceiling superfluous, at least for the time being. A woman sat upon a grand chair before the window, directly below its arch, as if she'd been posed for the most dramatic effect. Her dark hair had a green sheen to it that matched her Naga eyes. She stood gracefully, her layered robes shifting around her. Aadesh bowed to her, then to us before he left, closing the door behind him.

  “Welcome to our sanctuary, Royals of Fairy and King of the Undergrounds,” the woman said in a strong but feminine voice. “I am Ladli, Lady of the Sanctuary, and I humbly thank you for coming to our aid in this dark time.”

  “We're happy to help, Lady Ladli,” Killian spoke for us since this was technically his assignment. “Anu visited my wife to ask for her assistance on this and her other husbands decided to join us.”

  “The God of the humans?” She asked in surprise, then blinked and processed. “Yes, I suppose this could potentially affect his people more than ours. Still, I'm shocked that he showed himself to you on behalf of the Cintamani, Your Majesty.”

  “I as well but knowing Anu, at least the little that I do, I'm sure there are layers to his request that have yet to be revealed.”

  “Yes, I've heard of his... ways. Please, sit down. Join me. There is tea, coffee, and hot cider to warm you. You may leave your coats on that couch there.” The Lady waved her hand to a loveseat near the door.

  We shrugged out of our coats and left them where she indicated before taking the seats that formed a curve before hers. Only after we were seated did she resume her chair. Ladli then waited patiently for us to choose our beverages before she spoke.

  “The mountains are inaccessible for all but a few months a year,” the Lady began. “Except, of course, via the rath. The Trishul are usually quite cold even when the way is manageable. The only exception is from mid-September to October when the temperature rises enough to melt the snow in certain areas.”

  “So, the thief was likely someone outside of your community,” Killian concluded. “Someone who did enough research to know when the best time to travel here would be. If it had been a Naga, they could have simply used the rath t
o escape and they wouldn't be limited by the seasons.”

  “But using the rath would have attracted the attention of the Rath Lady,” I noted.

  Ladli didn't take offense to the possibility that a Naga could have stolen the stone. Instead, she calmly disputed it, “All of my people are accounted for. No one has left the sanctuary.”

  “And no one has used the rath,” Daxon noted. “So, whoever they are, they had to make the trek to and away from the mountain on foot.”

  “Yes,” Ladli agreed. “The Roopkund Lake is a popular place for humans to visit but they prefer—for reasons I can't fathom—to come in May or June when the way is passable but still covered in snow.”

  “So, better conditions and fewer witnesses make this the ideal time of year to attempt the robbery,” I said.