"Anything for Lennon," Flann said aloud, like a toast.
Griffon nodded. "Anything for Lennon." He reached forward and made an arc in the air with his finger. Along its path, the world opened up like he'd sliced a hole in the wall of a tent, revealing a brilliantly lit universe on the other side.
"Not like the other I've seen," Urban nearly shouted, as a wind rushed out of the hole, swooped around the foyer like a concentrated flock of birds, and blew them all through the ever-widening rent in the air.
A heartbeat later, Brian, Ivy, and Alwyn stood alone in the empty foyer. The only movement was a Ficus leaf fluttering to the floor.
* * *
The wind died immediately.The flock of invisible birds dispersed.
The gap through which the team had flown was gone again. A universe stretched in all directions, erasing all trace of their passage, eliminating all sense of gravity. The ropes had been inspired. Otherwise, they would be floating off in all directions if they couldn't keep a tight grip on one another.
Wickham opened his mouth to speak but forgot what he meant to say.
Griffon waved his hands to gain everyone's attention, pointed to his eyes, pointed at them, then pointed to himself.
All eyes on me.
He unfurled his wings only slightly and propelled himself forward as if by intention alone, which dragged them all behind. They were at his mercy. If he'd planned something nefarious with Orion--a way to remove the gold one's foes--he was more clever than Wickham had given him credit for.
A bright light appeared ahead of them, closing fast. But as the star-like form grew closer, Wickham realized it was the body of a Fae, floating in sleep, its form radiating a dim light, like a flashlight whose batteries refused to die. Griffon barely gave it any attention as they paraded past.
Wickham looked again at the universe spreading out to either side, above and below, ahead and behind. All those stars looked much like the first, only smaller due to distance. This was no universe.
He marveled at Griffon's sense of focus. Obviously, the Fae saw something Wickham could not. And once again, he gave the professor his full attention. If they had to search through this quasi-universe for Lennon, it might take eternity...
Again, they passed a star. Smaller. A woman this time. Sleeping peacefully, she didn’t so much as stir. Her light had a slightly pink tinge to it. Her body was clad in silky material that might have flowed like water if it, too, weren’t suspended.
If this was death for the Fae, it was a peaceful end…
Up ahead, a more substantial golden glow awaited them. Dread flooded Wickham’s hope. He knew of only one golden Fae, and if that one were dead, floating…
No. That turn of fortune would require much more luck than he possessed.
13
The Debris Of The Soulless
Orion…
Orion reposed on his throne, his favorite spot for serious contemplation, and watchedThe Queevnaclustered together to his right. Though they seemed only mildly interested in their surroundings, he noticed each time one of them glanced toward the archways.
Finally, he grew weary of their restlessness. “Your king requires your attendance. You cannot defy your king.”
They smiled politely and spoke in unison, which, he was learning, was not uncommon for them. “We will not defy our king.”
Mollified, he allowed them the freedom of the empty throne room. He’d forbidden anyone entrance until he commanded otherwise, which would prevent Archer Carew from discovering he’d stolen the family servants.
Fools. They couldn’t know what they’d had.
He waved the four tiny women to him again. “Tell me about the DeNoy that Griffon Carew tried to keep from me.”
“A DeNoy?” They seemed surprised. “Were they not destroyed long ago?”
“You are Memory. You have known DeNoy before. You recognized Griffon’s woman as such. Confess it.”
“We know that only the true king can hear—”