Page 52 of A City of Emeralds and Envy
“What?” I gasp. “No, we—I—he’s—”
“Too powerful,” interjects Alice. “He’s too strong for us.”
“Not if your Fae friends have their natural forms and their magic back. And you—” The Wizard turns flashing green eyes on me. “You have the Tama Olc, and your pretty silver footwear. I know where the shoes come from—my ally, the Witch of the East. You have killed her, and now you possess the enviable power of the shoes.”
Enviable power? All I’ve noticed so far is a mild increase in my energy levels and speed. That, and my seven days of protection from vengeance.
My doubt must show on my face, because the Green Wizard cocks his head. “Can it be that you haven’t yet discovered all the properties of your new footwear? Oh, this is delightful.”
“Will you tell me what they do?”
“Ah-ah!” He waggles a finger at me. “That would be too easy. The East Witch told me about those shoes, but I’d rather you work for the knowledge. A visit to Caislean Brea might prove enlightening. It’s the ancestral home of the royal clan of this isle. And fortunately for you, it’s on the way to the West Witch’s domain. Well—nearly on the way. When you come to the three red hills, a short detour south, off the main road, should bring you there. It was once a magnificent city, ruled by a gifted family. There’s only one of that dynasty left now, since you smashed the East Witch. How tragic.”
“Killing the East Witch was an accident,” Alice puts in.
“Oh, of course it was. I’ve heard all about it. I have eyes everywhere—well, nearly everywhere.” His lip curls. “I used to not need spies at all, you know. I could see everything myself—turn my focus anywhere I liked, until my wretched family dumped me here.”
“You mean the other god-stars?” Alice says cautiously. “They put you here?”
His form judders, fading out and then back in, except he’s taller now—growing taller and more terrifying by the second. His voice is a thin, distant, ethereal wail. “Fallen, fallen. They felled me, banished me, and for what? A small infraction—perhaps several small infractions—petty interferences in the flow of the cosmos—and for that they bound me to this isle, forbade me from interfering in any part of the realm beyond it. I almost outwitted them—I branded my old lover with a curse that would have enabled her to ruin this realm and others. But she was foiled, destroyed.”
His head is nearly out of sight now, high above us in the shadows that hide the ceiling. His body is a slim, swaying column, smoothing itself into a pillar of green—and then the color drains away, leaving shining white scales. The serpent’s head snakes down, its body undulating, coiling around the columns of the hall. It’s immense, long enough to weave itself into a white web between a dozen pillars.
“Witches are wondrous things,” the serpent hisses. “Fae with the power to compel other Fae. I drained that power from the South Witch when I killed them, and the North Witch when I banished her, and the West Witch when I cursed him. I used their powers to enchant most of the inhabitants of the Isle. The enchantment lasts, but the power doesn’t—not for me. I can spend it, but once it’s gone, I have no innate ability to compel anyone. I let the East Witch keep her power so she could help me control the Isle, but I always planned to take it from her eventually. Now she’s dead, so I can’t get more of that delicious ability. That’s why I’m just a littleenragedat you two. You don’t belong here, and you’ve caused a great deal of upheaval. It’s time for you to make it right.”
“By killing the West Witch,” I manage. “Why don’t you do it yourself?”
But Alice speaks up, her gaze fixed on the great ivory serpent. “You can’t, can you? You’re limited somehow. Limited to illusion magic, wish-granting, and shape-shifting. You have the influence of a god-star, some aura that makes Fae muddled and worshipful when they approach you. But other than that, the only magic you’re capable of is through wishes.”
I stare at her, impressed. No wonder Riordan admires her mind.
The serpent slithers out from among the pillars, building itself into a column, coil upon coil, while its white scales shift to a lurid, poisonous green. “Clever little human. Yes, my fellow god-stars thought I should be taught a lesson. They wanted me to spend some time serving others, granting their requests. I am forced to grant one wish to each supplicant.”
“But instead you corrupt every request,” Alice says. “You twist wishes into curses. That’s what you did to your lover, the North Witch. She made a wish—something to do with hearts, didn’t she? Perhaps she wished to have every heart she desired, after you broke hers—and you created the curse that deformed her. You made her crave actuallivinghearts, and transformed her into a monster capable of producing the Heartless.”
“My best work. I’m rather proud of it.” The snake shrinks, transforming back into the tall Fae in the tailcoat. “Her brother the West Witch also made a wish, in a moment of weakness, and—well, you’ve seen him. I turned his skin my favorite color and snatched his power for myself. Unfortunately I also had to grant his request, and I can’t reverse a wish unless the supplicantasksfor a reversal…most irritating. His domain is forbidden to me and my thralls, so I can’t deal with him personally. But he’s the last of those pesky royal siblings, and with him gone, this Isle of Oz will be entirely mine.”
“And the scrying stone?” I cut in. “Why do you want it?”
The god-star narrows his eyes at me. “You know, I think I’ve answered quite enough questions for one day. Your group may remain here tonight—I’ll give orders for you to be housed in the finest rooms of the palace. You’ll have privacy, comfort, new clothes, and the most delicious of dinners. Tomorrow will be the first day of your four allotted days. I’d get an early start if I were you.”
“And my friends?” Alice tries to keep the plaintive note from her voice, but it doesn’t escape me. “Have they been returned to their original forms?”
The Wizard’s body vanishes, and his head expands, growing fearsomely large until it shadows the entire dais. His giant eyes blink, and his great mouth opens, releasing a deafening voice. “Leave my presence, and see for yourself.”
19
I practically run from the Green Wizard’s audience chamber.
My heart is booming inside my chest, so violently I’m afraid it might give out. My mind holds no distinct thoughts, only an agonized swirl ofwanting.
I explode out through the doors into the reception area where Dorothy and I left the others—and there—
And there—
A tall, slim figure stands with his back to me, poised with lazy, lethal grace, his long tail swishing above perfectly rounded ass cheeks. I follow the groove of his spine up to his neck, where silky black hair lies in glossy curls. His black, furred cat-ears twitch.
Caer turns from Jasper, who is gaping at him—and his violet eyes meet mine. His wide, wide mouth stretches in a hideous, glorious grin.
