either the most corrupt prison I've ever been in, or the most incompetent."
The colonel grew purple with rage. I could have sworn he was about to hit me. The Darkness inside me laughed, excited by the prospect. Fortunately for him, Trevor stepped in.
"Colonel, I am going to call in my people to do a full audit and inspection of the surveillance systems and the guards. They will also be in charge of the murder investigation. In the meantime, I need access to the cell."
I could have sworn the colonel's face grew even purpler. If he wasn't careful, he was going to keel over from a stroke. He gave a short nod and marched out the door, barking, "Roberts. Let 'em in."
Roberts's freckles stood out even more than usual against his unnaturally pale skin. His eyes were wide as saucers. "Yes, sir!" he shouted after the colonel, then opened the cell for us.
I stepped inside, and that was all I needed. Beneath the copper tang of spilled blood was the scent of greenery and something darker, something rotten. And it didn't come from the body.
"Morgana."
# # #
"You're sure it was the queen?' Trevor asked for what seemed like the thousandth time. I noted he didn't say her name out loud. I was the only one brave or crazy enough to do that.
"Yes, I'm sure," I said, leaning back in my comfy seat. We were on the plane, headed home, and I couldn't get out of Area 51 fast enough. If the SRA didn't replace that colonel fast, I'd be writing a strongly written letter. Or detonating a thermonuclear can of whoop-ass.
Trevor had called his people before we left. I wondered at leaving the colonel running amok without supervision, but Trevor knew what he was doing. I had bigger things to worry about.
I took another deep draft from my ice cold water bottle. I felt drained from the heat of the desert. Even my clothes looked wilted. Trevor, on the other hand, still looked perfectly pressed and polished, as if the heat hadn't affected him in the slightest. As long as he left his sunglasses on so you couldn't see his exhaustion.
"So much for portal-proof prison cells," Inigo said.
I nodded. "Only way to get in there. She is the only one who could have opened the portal. No one else carries quite that stench, and no one else but me, and maybe Emory, can open a portal from the Otherworld anyway. The queen would have to have been really mad to stab him that many times."
"Or just crazy," Trevor pointed out.
"Or both," Inigo chimed in.
"Thank you," I said dryly. "I doubt I could have figured that out on my own."
"Your sarcasm is noted," Trevor said. Inigo grinned at me.
"But why?" I mulled, leaning back to stare at the top of the cabin. "Why would Morgana kill Darroch? Why would she care? She'd already used him for what she needed and thrown him away. He didn't matter anymore. Why go the extra mile?"
"Revenge, maybe?" Trevor suggested.
"What could he have done to piss her off that much? I mean, that's some serious overkill."
"Maybe someone asked her to do it," Inigo suggested.
"I don't know," Trevor said. "It seemed more personal than that. Besides, the queen isn't one to play errand girl."
"Unless Alister and the queen are in on it together," I mused.
"How would that make a difference?"
"Because then the queen likely didn't kill Darroch. She just opened the portal. Alister Jones killed Brent Darroch, and it was very, very personal."
"Shit," Trevor muttered, scrubbing his hands over his face. "Darroch ratted him out to save his own hide. Not to mention his backdoor dealings with the queen."
I nodded. "He tried to snatch the power of the amulet from under Alister's nose. That would have pissed him off big time. Not to mention what he and the queen got up to with Jade."
"But why kill Darroch and not do anything about the queen?"
"Because he can't kill her. She'd be more likely to kill him, and Alister isn't a stupid man. He knows she can be useful to him if he can work the right angle on her."
"Alister Jones is a smooth talker," Inigo
The colonel grew purple with rage. I could have sworn he was about to hit me. The Darkness inside me laughed, excited by the prospect. Fortunately for him, Trevor stepped in.
"Colonel, I am going to call in my people to do a full audit and inspection of the surveillance systems and the guards. They will also be in charge of the murder investigation. In the meantime, I need access to the cell."
I could have sworn the colonel's face grew even purpler. If he wasn't careful, he was going to keel over from a stroke. He gave a short nod and marched out the door, barking, "Roberts. Let 'em in."
Roberts's freckles stood out even more than usual against his unnaturally pale skin. His eyes were wide as saucers. "Yes, sir!" he shouted after the colonel, then opened the cell for us.
I stepped inside, and that was all I needed. Beneath the copper tang of spilled blood was the scent of greenery and something darker, something rotten. And it didn't come from the body.
"Morgana."
# # #
"You're sure it was the queen?' Trevor asked for what seemed like the thousandth time. I noted he didn't say her name out loud. I was the only one brave or crazy enough to do that.
"Yes, I'm sure," I said, leaning back in my comfy seat. We were on the plane, headed home, and I couldn't get out of Area 51 fast enough. If the SRA didn't replace that colonel fast, I'd be writing a strongly written letter. Or detonating a thermonuclear can of whoop-ass.
Trevor had called his people before we left. I wondered at leaving the colonel running amok without supervision, but Trevor knew what he was doing. I had bigger things to worry about.
I took another deep draft from my ice cold water bottle. I felt drained from the heat of the desert. Even my clothes looked wilted. Trevor, on the other hand, still looked perfectly pressed and polished, as if the heat hadn't affected him in the slightest. As long as he left his sunglasses on so you couldn't see his exhaustion.
"So much for portal-proof prison cells," Inigo said.
I nodded. "Only way to get in there. She is the only one who could have opened the portal. No one else carries quite that stench, and no one else but me, and maybe Emory, can open a portal from the Otherworld anyway. The queen would have to have been really mad to stab him that many times."
"Or just crazy," Trevor pointed out.
"Or both," Inigo chimed in.
"Thank you," I said dryly. "I doubt I could have figured that out on my own."
"Your sarcasm is noted," Trevor said. Inigo grinned at me.
"But why?" I mulled, leaning back to stare at the top of the cabin. "Why would Morgana kill Darroch? Why would she care? She'd already used him for what she needed and thrown him away. He didn't matter anymore. Why go the extra mile?"
"Revenge, maybe?" Trevor suggested.
"What could he have done to piss her off that much? I mean, that's some serious overkill."
"Maybe someone asked her to do it," Inigo suggested.
"I don't know," Trevor said. "It seemed more personal than that. Besides, the queen isn't one to play errand girl."
"Unless Alister and the queen are in on it together," I mused.
"How would that make a difference?"
"Because then the queen likely didn't kill Darroch. She just opened the portal. Alister Jones killed Brent Darroch, and it was very, very personal."
"Shit," Trevor muttered, scrubbing his hands over his face. "Darroch ratted him out to save his own hide. Not to mention his backdoor dealings with the queen."
I nodded. "He tried to snatch the power of the amulet from under Alister's nose. That would have pissed him off big time. Not to mention what he and the queen got up to with Jade."
"But why kill Darroch and not do anything about the queen?"
"Because he can't kill her. She'd be more likely to kill him, and Alister isn't a stupid man. He knows she can be useful to him if he can work the right angle on her."
"Alister Jones is a smooth talker," Inigo
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