“We don’t know, Your Majesty. There was no one in that hall,” Harper said meekly. All the color had drained from her cheeks. I thought she might faint.
“By the time Archibald and I deactivated the automaton, the driver escaped,” Edwin explained.
“It was a boggart,” Agent Rose interjected.
“A boggart?” Victoria said, her voice thick with annoyance.
Agent Rose nodded. “He could have slipped into the hall in any form. Even as a mouse. No wonder he was overlooked. They are easy to miss if you don’t have an eye for them. I tracked him into the Dark District but lost him there.”
Edwin nodded. “A boggart. Yes, that would make sense.”
“This just gets better and better,” the Queen said then turned to me. “Who tried to kill me? Describe him.”
“Robed. Male. Long white hair. Pale skin. Blue designs, not exactly tattoos, on his skin.”
Victoria inhaled deeply and slowly, setting her fingertips on the table. “Shite,” she murmured under her breath.
I raised an eyebrow at Her Majesty.
Across the room, Harper covered her mouth so she wouldn’t giggle aloud.
“Here. I’m here. I’m here, Your Majesty,” a rushed voice called from the hallway. A flood of footsteps approached the room. A moment later, a little man with large spectacles, an armload of papers, and an untucked shirt raced into the room. He dropped his parchments on the table then took a moment to smooth down his wild hair. “Agent Albertus Stone, Your Majesty.”
Agent Greystock cleared her throat, swallowing some embarrassment. “Agent Stone is the Red Capes’ best symbologist, Your Majesty.”
“Oh my god,” Albertus Stone said in an awed whisper when he spotted the dagger lying on the table. “Oh my god,” he repeated again. Without waiting for an invitation, he lifted the dagger—it didn’t glow. He pushed his spectacles onto the top of his head then dipped into his pocket. After pulling out a few miscellaneous items, tossing them carelessly onto the table, he stuck an optic into his eye. He activated the lens, which buzzed and clicked, his eye growing huge. He studied the engravings.
“Well?” Queen Victoria asked.
“Where did you get this?” Agent Stone asked.
“Irrelevant,” Victoria snapped. “What is it?”
The man set the blade down then removed the optic. He looked at the Queen. “Faerie metal. Star metal, it’s sometimes called. This blade is from the Otherworld.”
“And the symbols?” Agent Greystock asked.
“The symbols,” Agent Stone repeated, looking at the dagger once more.
“Are they Golden Court?” the Queen asked, referring to the mostly-friendly Seelies, faeries who occasionally visited our world.
Agent Stone chuckled. “No. No. Far, far from it, Your Majesty. Oh, no. These are Unseelie symbols. These belong to the Silver Court.”
“Unseelies,” Edwin said, his voice thick with alarm.
Edwin was right to be upset. The Unseelies were dark faeries who hated humans at best and wanted to kill us all at worst. But the Unseelies were rarely seen in the human realm, save the brief visit by Krampus the holiday before. Before him, an Unseelie hadn’t entered our world—that we knew of—for many, many years.
Queen Victoria sighed. “As we feared.”
“Perhaps we should—” Edwin began, but Victoria raised a hand to stop him.
“You are dear to me, Edwin, but no more suggestions. It’s not your fault, but your last idea nearly got me assassinated. No. Greystock, work with Agent Tiwari to research the artifact taken from the India division. Agent Rose,” the Queen said, her voice dark. Did she dislike Agent Rose? Why? “Why don’t you and your gentlemanly friend skulk about and learn which of our dark friends are throwing in allegiance with the Unseelie. You spotted the boggart. Let’s see if you can spot him again.”
Agent Rose nodded. “As Your Majesty commands.”
Queen Victoria rolled her eyes and gave Agent Rose a sidelong glare but said nothing else. Instead, she turned and looked at me. “You disarmed the assailant, Louvel?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“In hand-to-hand combat?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Well done. Shame that you lost him.”
“I’m very sorry, Your Majesty.”
“Who was he?” Archibald Boatswain IV asked.
Queen Victoria sighed. “We don’t know for certain, but I have an educated and rather frightening guess,” she said then turned to Edwin. “Are all of the Pellinore assets still at Willowbrook Park?”
The previous summer, Edwin, Harper, and I had assisted the Pellinore division of the Red Capes with a case that involved, of all things, a living descendant of King Arthur. We’d managed to help protect a girl named Rapunzel from a bunch of thugs who were trying to kill her and her faerie guardian, Gothel. She was the last true decedent of the ancient king. She and her interesting pets were in hiding at Edwin’s family estate, Willowbrook Park, along with the Pellinore division of the Red Capes who were her sworn protectors.
“Yes,” Edwin said with a nod.
“Good. I want you and Agent Harper to go to Willowbrook Park and try to connect with the faerie Gothel. Let’s see if she knows anything. Louvel, rustle up Sir Richard and head to Cornwall, please.”
My heart clenched. To the summer country? “Cornwall?”
“Yes. It’s time our druid friends came clean. If they are still in communication with the Golden Court, then it’s time to communicate,” the Queen said.
“Your Majesty, what’s happening?” Harper asked.
“An Unseelie tried to murder me today, Agent Harper. What we don’t know yet is if he is a rogue actor or if the Silver Court is about to attempt the unthinkable.”
The unthinkable. I remembered the Unseelie’s words. I own the future. Something told me the unthinkable was about to get very real.
Chapter 6: Rose Petal Chocolates
After Victoria dismissed us, I motioned to Harper, and we turned to leave the room.
Agent Rose snatched the enchanted dagger off the table. “I think it would be wise if this stayed with Agent Louvel.”
“But, but—” Agent Stone began in protest.
Queen Victoria raised her hand to silence him. The Queen stared at Agent Rose for a long moment. “Very well.”
Rose nodded to me then we left the room.
“I didn’t know Agent Hunter had a faerie stashed at Willowbrook,” Agent Rose said as she fiddled with the dagger.
I nodded. “We worked a case with the Pellinores. The faerie was connected to them.”
“Pellinores? Interesting. Willowbrook Park is a fine estate. Surprised Hunter lent it to the agency,” Agent Rose said as she studied the dagger once more.
“You’ve been there?” Agent Harper asked.
Agent Rose paused. “What? Oh. Long ago,” she said then handed the dagger to me.
I took the weapon. Once again, the instrument glowed blue.
“Whoa,” Harper said. “Wait. What…what is that?”
“That is an excellent question. Good luck in the summer country, Louvel,” Agent Rose said with a wink. “Send the alpha my greetings.”
“Clemeny,” Harper whispered, looking at the blade in my hand.
“I know,” I said with a shake of the head.
“Star metal,” Harper said, her brow scrunching up. “Is it really faerie metal?”
“Not sure.”
“Hmm,” Harper mused. “Well, at least we know a couple of things.”
“And that is?”