Page 51 of When Sorrows Come

“Doppelgangers can mimic anything in Faerie, even if it means changing size, within a certain limit,” I said. “It probably couldn’t emulate Danny, but it can copy any one of us.”

“What happens if we get confused about which one is which?”

“We willnot,” snarled Tybalt.

“In the event that Tybalt lets go of me for long enough for the Doppelganger to replace me, just stab us both,” I said, eyes on my double. “The one that recovers immediately is me. Hey, Fiac, howis it you’re not scratching this lady’s eyes out? Her whole body is a lie right now.”

“If we reacted to silent lies, we would have to assault everyone who wears mascara,” said Fiac, sounding amused. “As long as she keeps a civil tongue in her head, she remains safe from me.”

“Got it, cool.” I frowned, turning my attention back to the Doppelganger. “There a reason you’re impersonating me? Did you just want to see how badly you can piss my fiancé off before you go too far and he causes a diplomatic incident?”

“Your form is the most useful one currently in this room,” said the Doppelganger. “I’d prefer the one I wore earlier. She was a pleasure to be.”

“Okay, cool,” I said. “Nice to know you have aesthetic preferences, and I can’t deny that she’s objectively hotter than me.” Tybalt made an annoyed noise. I shrugged. “What? It’s true. She’s Gwragedd Annwn. Being hot is literally her superpower. Mine is more useful.” I smiled at the Doppelganger, making a point of showing every single one of my teeth. Sensibly, the thing flinched away, stopping when its hip hit the counter.

It wasn’t restrained in any way, no rope or cuffs, which was a little disconcerting, given the cuffs on Fiac, and made it more concerning that the High King was with us. Did these people have no concept of basic security protocols? I took a step forward, still smiling.

“Do you know what my superpower is?” I asked.

“Being terrible and serving the oppressive, illegitimate government of the Westlands?” asked the Doppelganger.

Tybalt glanced to Aethlin. “I knew your rule could be considered oppressive. Every effective rule can be, by the people it constrains from running rampant. But how, pray tell, have you rendered yourself illegitimate?”

“I have no idea.” Aethlin shook his head. “I inherited from my parents, and I was their only born child. If someone’s staged a coup, no one’s bothered to tell me.”

Cassandra made a smothered sound of amusement.

I fought to keep my attention on the Doppelganger. It was hard, with the lot of them at my back, but if I asked them to stop, it would break whatever air of menace I had managed to construct.

“No,” I said. “Healing. No matter what’s done to me, I’ll recover before they pull the blade out of my body. Can you say the same?”

The Doppelganger wavered, and then it wasn’t me anymore. Itwas the High King instead, an uncharacteristic look of fear on his handsome face. I backed off, before the guards could decide that even menacing a representation of their liege was grounds for a stabbing.

“Why is this thing not restrained?” I asked, gesturing to the Doppelganger. “I don’t think free-range prisoners are the best plan.”

“We tried,” said one of the guards. “It simply... stopped having hands.”

The Doppelganger looked smug.

“I guess that took cuffs out of the equation, but did you consider tying it up?” I asked. “Most living creatures need a torso, if only so they’ll have someplace to keep their lungs, and iron chains would probably make it harder for the thing to shapeshift.”

The Doppelganger’s smugness melted into displeasure.

“Ironchains?” it asked. “It’s true, then, what they say of the Mists. You spent too many years under the hand of a monster, and you’ve all become monsters yourselves, unable to tell the difference between right and wrong...”

The High King touched my arm. I turned to look at him. He shook his head. “We do not use iron for disciplinary purposes, Sir Daye,” he said. “It concerns me that you would.”

I blinked, several times. “I’m sorry, sire,” I said, and bowed my head. “I was trained and spent most of my life under the false queen’s rule, and she was less discerning with her subjects. I intended no offense.”

“Truth,” said Fiac, sounding almost bored. “Can we get back to the interrogation?”

I guess when you’re a living lie detector with a legendarily vicious temper, you don’t have to show deference. I flashed Fiac a quick smile, then returned my attention to the Doppelganger.

“We won’t use iron on you, but you have to see that you can’t escape,” I said. “This room is secured and sealed, everyone here is prepared to commit violence to protect the High King, and you have nowhere left to go. Tell us why you’re here.”

“To kill a tyrant,” said the Doppelganger. It opened a cupboard and took out a plastic tumbler, which it proceeded to fill from the tap. “I don’t see why that’s so difficult for you to understand. The word on the street is you’ve taken out a few of those yourself.”

“We knew they were tyrants when we went up against them,” I said. “We know no such thing about High King Sollys.”

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