“We bargained for Silence here,” Ileana said. “I share your concerns, Jenica. She is with us until her brother can achieve the quest we have set him. Much rides on it. Sorrow has three prizes to win, should he fulfill his task in time.”
Tati stood silent, waiting for more. I could see her trembling.
“He has until midnight at next Full Moon to execute it and 321
return. Fail, and he must leave our forest forever. If he prevails and returns in time, he will win his sister’s release to my realm and my rule. The Night People will move away from our valley.
And we will give Sorrow permission to bring you across, Tatiana, and to dwell with you among us as man and wife.”
“Oh . . . oh, thank you,” said Tati, clasping her thin hands together. “Thank you . . .”
My heart was hammering. I had wanted Tati to get her answers, but not this. This just could not be. “My lady,” I blurted out. “Your Majesty . . . this is not right. Don’t you realize what it would mean, if my sister wed Sorrow? She’d have to leave our world forever. Our father is very sick, perhaps dying. This could be the final blow for him—” I saw Tati’s eyes fill with tears. Ileana’s regal features became glacial, but I didn’t seem to be able to stop myself. “You can’t allow this! There has to be another way!”
“Of course, Sorrow may not succeed in the quest,” Ileana said crisply. I wilted under her stare. “We made it difficult, in recognition of the value of the reward. If he never returns, or does so without fulfilling our requirements, you can keep your sister. For you are right: Sorrow and Silence have been here too long to go back to the human world. Each has developed qualities that would lead to great trouble if they tried to return.
Neither could last long.”
What could I say? That I would rather my sister not marry the man she loved, even if it meant she would be unhappy all her life? When I looked at it that way, it did not seem to matter what Sorrow was or what he might have become. How 322
could I wish his quest to fail, if that meant he and the fragile-looking Silence must return to the dark world of the Night People? But if he succeeded, Tati would say goodbye to her family and home forever. We might never see her again. Torn two ways, I held my silence.
“What is the nature of this quest, Your Majesty?” Tati’s voice was trembling.
It was Marin who answered. “He must journey within both your world and ours. Five items are to be brought back. A jewel from the ceremonial headdress of the Caliph of Tunis. A tail feather from the sacred phoenix of Murom-Riazan. A cup of water from the healing well of Ain Jalut, filled to the very brim, but not overflowing.”
“A tooth from the loathsome bog-beast of Zaradok,” added Ileana. “And a lock of hair from the head of a truthful man.”
“In one turning of the moon?” The incredulous voice was that of Paula, whose knowledge of geography was extensive.
“You can’t be serious! There’s no way a person could travel so far in so little time.”
“You’ve set Sorrow up to fail,” said Tati in a whisper. “You never meant him to—”
“Enough!” Ileana’s voice was imperious. “Perhaps you do not comprehend how rarely such an opportunity is offered—
how privileged the two of you are, to be granted our approval for your union. If Sorrow’s will to succeed is strong enough, he will complete the quest. If not, he does not deserve our favor.
Step back, Tatiana. Your audience is over. Jenica, you spoke out of turn. Leave us now.”
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I cleared my throat. “I have something else to say,” I croaked, trembling with nerves.
“Be brief.” The forest queen had risen to her feet. She towered over me, eyes baleful. “You have offended me.”
“I—it is possible I and my sisters may not return here after tonight,” I said. “Our cousin . . . He has a plan to get the secret of the portal from us. He intends to come through and use violence against you. We need to protect you: we owe you that, and much more. I think this may be our last visit. Even so, I can’t be sure we will be able to stop him—but we’ll do our best.”
Around Dancing Glade there was total silence.
“So . . . I want to say thank you. We have been so happy here, so honored. I know few human folk are granted the privilege of crossing over as we were, and the joy of meeting so many wonderful friends—” Across the circle, Ildephonsus broke into noisy sobs and flung his short arms around Stela’s neck. Sten was wiping his eyes on a crumpled gray rag. “There is no way we can thank you enough.” I was struggling now, my own tears welling.
“Of course,” Ileana observed, “there is a way to thank us.
Should Sorrow achieve his quest, you can agree to let your sister come across to us—to become one of us. That would balance the ledger perfectly. Or don’t you set such a high value on your lovely Tatiana?”
“You know I do,” I said, blinded by tears. “I understand what you said, that everything has a price. But that’s too much to ask. Tati’s my sister. I love her. It’s too final.”
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“Death is final,” the forest queen said. “The felling of trees is final. What we ask of you is simply the recognition of change, Jena. Yours is a world of constant change. You must learn to change, too. You spend a great deal of time worrying about others: trying to put their lives right, trying to shape your world as you believe it should be. You must learn to trust your instincts, or you are doomed to spend your life blinded by duty while beside you a wondrous tree sprouts and springs up and buds and blooms, and your heart takes no comfort from it, for you cannot raise your eyes to see it.”
Gogu made a sudden movement, as if in anger.
Ileana regarded him gravely. “I’m growing weary of this audience,” she said. “Young man, have you something to say?”
He stepped forward, bowed courteously, then lifted his hands and indicated his mouth and throat. Then he spread his arms wide, palms up, as if asking a question.
“You’ve lost something?” Ileana queried. A new warmth had entered her tone.
The young man nodded, pointing to his throat again.
“Ah,” said Ileana. “Dr˘agu¸ta’s been up to her tricks again.
Not content with tormenting the young lady, she’s decided to play games with you as well, frog boy. You want your voice back?”
So that was it: not that he would not speak, but that he could not. A spell of silence. I had been less than fair to him.
Ileana sighed. “The witch of the wood is overfond of such charms,” she said, snapping her fingers. One of her attendants came forward with a wand of plain willow, with a small star 325
at the end—the kind of thing I would have loved as a child when I was playing at fairies. “You’ve been a model of control over the years, young man—so much of one that even your best friend failed to see what you really were. Kneel down!”
He obeyed. The cloak he wore, my cloak, brushed the ground before Ileana’s throne. Anticipating magic, the crowd hushed again. The forest queen stretched out her arms, and the sweep of her vivid peacock garment caught the lights of Dancing Glade. “Speak again, young man,” she said quietly. “You have been silent long enough.” She touched Gogu gently on his bowed head with the tip of her wand.
There was no sudden flash of light, no explosion, no flying through the air. The young man said, “Thank you,” and got to his feet. He turned toward me, his eyes blazing. “Jena,” he said,
“don’t you know me?”
I stared at him. In my head, the mask of sweetness peeled back and I saw the monstrous reality beneath it. Don’t trust, don’t trust, don’t trust, a little voice repeated inside me. Don’t put your sisters at risk.