you be careful.”
“All right,” Celestina said. “You go to the shore and I’ll go after Violet. If I find Erris first, I’ll tell him what’s going on, and we’ll meet back here. When we can.”
I nodded, and took off again down the path to the shore. It slanted ever so slightly downhill as it wound its way through the apple orchards, forest, and meadow, making it a little easier to hurry. Still, my heart was leaping from my chest.
I was not surprised to find Erris at the shore. Watching the water was one of his favorite things.
I shouted a brief version of events to him as I scrambled over the rocks.
“Luka has a jinn?” His face drained of color.
“Yes. You have to hide.”
“If a jinn wants to find me, where can I hide?”
“I don’t know, but I’m not about to turn you over without a fight. Maybe we could hide you in one of those shut-up rooms in the house. Maybe ... or maybe in the cellar? Behind crocks of pickles?”
Erris looked understandably skeptical. Supposing we even had time to get him back to the house without running into the jinn, surely he would search the house. There must be places to hide in the woods, but I couldn’t think of any offhand, and did we have time to find one?
“You know,” he said, “I don’t actually have to breathe.” He looked at the water.
“Underwater? But—will it damage your clockwork? Salt water?”
“I don’t know, but if there’s one place he won’t think to look for me, I bet it’s underwater. From all I’ve read, jinn have more natural power than any other being. But they are fire spirits. If anything will foil them, it’s water.”
“But ... it’s so cold,” I said, looking at the waters that suddenly seemed too dark. The waves were gentle, but I didn’t trust the water with Erris.
“Nim, do you want me to be carried off by a jinn or not? I’ll hide behind that rock there.” He pointed. “At least ’til the tide goes out. If I hear anyone coming too close, I’ll duck underwater, so shout when the coast is clear.”
I had no better plan, and I couldn’t dither here forever, so I briefly squeezed his hands, praying the water would be kind to him, and nodded.
“I’ll be all right,” he said.
“You’ll ruin your suit.” I smiled a little, and he smiled a little back, but our eyes were sad. If his suit was the only thing to come out of this worse for wear, we would both be lucky.
He turned to the water and I turned to the trees. I couldn’t watch the water lapping at him.
ORDORIO VALDANA’S MANSION
As the young woman with the dark braids ran away, Ifra stared at the girl holding his arm. She was small and pale, with her hair in bows. She looked afraid too, and the way she peered up at him made him feel sheepish. Her hands encircled the cuff at his wrist, but when he looked at her, she let go.
“Where are you going to take Erris?” she asked softly.
“To the fairy king.”
“Can you take me instead?”
“Why? Who are you?” Ifra hadn’t heard anything about a girl.
“I’m his niece.”
“His niece? You are a Tanharrow too?”
“Yes. I’m Violet. My mother was a Tanharrow.”
“Luka didn’t mention you,” he murmured, and he wondered why. Was it because she was a girl? But fairy society had not struck him as especially patriarchal.
“He doesn’t know about me,” Violet said, her voice flattening.“No one does. My father asked the Queen of the Longest Night to put a spell on me so no one would remember me or know I exist. So the fairy king couldn’t hurt me.”
“Then why would you want me to take you to him?”
“Because ... I want to know ... where my mother comes from. She died when I was little. I don’t know anything about fairies.”
Ifra slid off the horse, but he wasn’t sure what else to do. She looked so sad. “I understand,” he said.
“ Do you? Does anyone? I’ve never had a friend.”
Neither have I , he might have told her.
“When you came out of the forest,
“All right,” Celestina said. “You go to the shore and I’ll go after Violet. If I find Erris first, I’ll tell him what’s going on, and we’ll meet back here. When we can.”
I nodded, and took off again down the path to the shore. It slanted ever so slightly downhill as it wound its way through the apple orchards, forest, and meadow, making it a little easier to hurry. Still, my heart was leaping from my chest.
I was not surprised to find Erris at the shore. Watching the water was one of his favorite things.
I shouted a brief version of events to him as I scrambled over the rocks.
“Luka has a jinn?” His face drained of color.
“Yes. You have to hide.”
“If a jinn wants to find me, where can I hide?”
“I don’t know, but I’m not about to turn you over without a fight. Maybe we could hide you in one of those shut-up rooms in the house. Maybe ... or maybe in the cellar? Behind crocks of pickles?”
Erris looked understandably skeptical. Supposing we even had time to get him back to the house without running into the jinn, surely he would search the house. There must be places to hide in the woods, but I couldn’t think of any offhand, and did we have time to find one?
“You know,” he said, “I don’t actually have to breathe.” He looked at the water.
“Underwater? But—will it damage your clockwork? Salt water?”
“I don’t know, but if there’s one place he won’t think to look for me, I bet it’s underwater. From all I’ve read, jinn have more natural power than any other being. But they are fire spirits. If anything will foil them, it’s water.”
“But ... it’s so cold,” I said, looking at the waters that suddenly seemed too dark. The waves were gentle, but I didn’t trust the water with Erris.
“Nim, do you want me to be carried off by a jinn or not? I’ll hide behind that rock there.” He pointed. “At least ’til the tide goes out. If I hear anyone coming too close, I’ll duck underwater, so shout when the coast is clear.”
I had no better plan, and I couldn’t dither here forever, so I briefly squeezed his hands, praying the water would be kind to him, and nodded.
“I’ll be all right,” he said.
“You’ll ruin your suit.” I smiled a little, and he smiled a little back, but our eyes were sad. If his suit was the only thing to come out of this worse for wear, we would both be lucky.
He turned to the water and I turned to the trees. I couldn’t watch the water lapping at him.
ORDORIO VALDANA’S MANSION
As the young woman with the dark braids ran away, Ifra stared at the girl holding his arm. She was small and pale, with her hair in bows. She looked afraid too, and the way she peered up at him made him feel sheepish. Her hands encircled the cuff at his wrist, but when he looked at her, she let go.
“Where are you going to take Erris?” she asked softly.
“To the fairy king.”
“Can you take me instead?”
“Why? Who are you?” Ifra hadn’t heard anything about a girl.
“I’m his niece.”
“His niece? You are a Tanharrow too?”
“Yes. I’m Violet. My mother was a Tanharrow.”
“Luka didn’t mention you,” he murmured, and he wondered why. Was it because she was a girl? But fairy society had not struck him as especially patriarchal.
“He doesn’t know about me,” Violet said, her voice flattening.“No one does. My father asked the Queen of the Longest Night to put a spell on me so no one would remember me or know I exist. So the fairy king couldn’t hurt me.”
“Then why would you want me to take you to him?”
“Because ... I want to know ... where my mother comes from. She died when I was little. I don’t know anything about fairies.”
Ifra slid off the horse, but he wasn’t sure what else to do. She looked so sad. “I understand,” he said.
“ Do you? Does anyone? I’ve never had a friend.”
Neither have I , he might have told her.
“When you came out of the forest,
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