Page 32 of Queen Takes Rook
“Gina, do you know who that might have been?”
Eyes wide, she stared at the package like my massive cobra was about to crawl out of it and strike us all down.
“Gina?”
She gave herself a shake. “Sorry, yes, that was probably Byrnes. He’s Marne Ceresa’s American consiliarius.”
“American, as in she has more than one?”
“Yes, she has seven consiliari in total. Few outside the Triune have ever spoken to her directly, but deal with one of her consiliari instead.”
“Any guesses what she might have sent me?”
Gina grimaced and shook her head. “None whatsoever. She’s not known for sending bombs or threats or anything like that. She plays the game with brutal precision. This is a deliberate move on her part. Any gift from her will have layers of meaning and intention behind it.”
“Hopefully something won’t try to kill me as soon as I take the lid off.”
“That’s not her style. If she decides to kill you, it’ll be a grand spectacle to show the world how brilliant and clever she is.”
I picked up the card lying on top of the box. In beautiful calligraphy, my name was written in the center of the card, withMarne Ceresa, Rome, Italyin the upper left-hand corner. The stationery itself was thick, gorgeously expensive, and smelled of sweet lavender. The envelope was closed with an old-fashioned black wax seal, stamped with what looked like an ancient Roman coin and a curly wand. Something was written in Latin around the edge of the coin, but I couldn’t read it.
I cracked the wax seal and pulled out the small square of heavy card stock. A single sentence swirled in the same elegant script.I look forward to making your acquaintance.
I met Rik’s gaze and he gave me a silent nod of assurance. My Blood were ready for anything. They circled me, braced for attack in any direction.
Taking a deep breath, I removed the lid and handed it to Gina. I pushed back several layers of tissue paper and found a decorative mirror. It was roughly the size of a nice, large dinner plate, though its gilded frame was ornately carved in whorls and leaves. I carefully reached in and picked it up, surprised at how heavy it was.
“A mirror,” Gina breathed out. “Of course. I’ve heard rumors that she secretly communicates with her consiliari face-to-face despite their distance from her seat in Rome, but I wasn’t sure how.”
That almost made me drop the fucking thing. “She can see me through the mirror?”
“I think it has to be activated first, though I admit, I don’t know if she controls the activation, or if you do.”
Tlacel didn’t turn his head away from guarding to look at me, but said, “I know someone who can help with mirror magic. Tepeyollotl. One of his names means Smoking Mirror. Our people used mirrors for divination and communication with the otherworld.”
I touched Mayte’s bond, and she immediately filled my senses so strongly that I could smell the sweet spicy scent of her flowers.
:My queen?:
:Would Tepeyollotl be willing to discuss mirror magic with me?:
I’d barely sent that thought and Gina’s phone rang. “Yes? Of course.”
Smiling, she held the phone out to me. I handed the mirror back to Frank and accepted the phone. “Hello?”
“Sorry, I didn’t have your number, and I’m carrying Bianca’s phone until I hire a new consiliarius,” Mayte replied. “Tepeyollotl will be here shortly. I sent the call for him to attend me at once. Are you well? Did you have a quiet trip home?”
I didn’t want to insult her, but after Bianca’s betrayal, I wasn’t taking any chances. “Are you where you can talk securely?”
“Yes.” I heard a door shut. “I’m in the library, alone.”
“I’ll be right back,” I said to Frank and Gina, giving the mirror a wary look. I stepped outside into the sunlight and lowered my voice, in case Marne could eavesdrop through her gift. “I had a package waiting on me from Marne Ceresa. It’s an antique mirror, and the note only says she looks forward to meeting me. I want to know what I’m getting into before I try to use it.”
“Had it been there long?”
“Frank said about fifteen minutes.”
Mayte sighed. “She probably had someone watching for you to land, so she’d know exactly when to send the package.”
