spirit.”
“It’s true, then. She’s an aetherspirit.”
The syla looked at her sisters without comprehending. They all shook their heads. “The syla do not know this word. Spirit of Little Queen is the fire in the air of Heaven. Makes air sweet and sharp. It is…” She paused again. “It is the Fifth.”
“The fifth element.” I nodded. “The Quintessence. Yes, that’s the aether.”
She shrugged her delicate shoulders. “Little Queen uses to protect, and Fallen Queen sees. So syla see. Then syla see boy who is not boy, who watches Little Queen.”
“You mean Azel Kaeyevich. My sister’s child. But how is he a boy who isn’t a boy?”
“Little Prince has another spirit.” This idea seemed to disturb them all. “Spirit is trapped. Little Queen sees other spirit and she is afraid. She closes eyes.”
“Another spirit. Another element? He has more than one?”
Now she seemed to change the subject entirely. “The syla are grateful for what Padshaya Koroleva has done for us.”
“I didn’t really do anything.” My part in stopping the Seraphim from their campaign of slaughter against the syla at Helga’s behest had been insignificant. The firespirits hadn’t returned to the world of Man because Aeval’s anger at their treasonous support of the revolution had caused her to bind them to the Empyrean so they could never leave it.
“It is because Fallen Queen has protected syla that we tell what we see. Syla wish to protect Fallen Queen. But syla are not accustomed to language of Men and angels. It is tiresome and syla do not always use right words.”
“That’s why they’ve asked me to come.” I looked up and saw Belphagor’s Misha leaning against a column of the arcade. He pushed himself away and came forward. “It’s good to see you, Anazakia.” He gave me his wide smile, his green eyes glowing like a cat’s in the dark as he approached. I’d forgotten the blue-green hint of color in his skin, like a delicately colored paskha egg, as well as the peculiar, vine-like nature of his long hair. Misha was half human, and these characteristics only appeared in the Unseen World.
“And how lovely to see you presiding over the Midnight Court.” He bowed deeply as he reached the daïs.
“I’m not presiding!” I leapt from my seat. I’d feared from the first time I saw the Polnochnoi Sud that they intended for me to take the place of their long-absent queen.
Misha winked at me as he straightened. “I’m only teasing. Perhaps you’d like to take a walk while we speak.” He offered his arm.
I stepped down and took it, pulling the blanket around me like a robe as we passed through the arch into the mirrored corridor that led to the many halls of the Unseen World. “What’s going on? What is it the syla want to say they can’t tell me themselves?”
“It’s not that they can’t tell you. They just don’t want to get anything wrong. They want what I’m about to explain to be perfectly clear so you can make up your own mind about what you wish to do about it.”
I nodded, anxious and impatient with all this hesitancy.
“They have seen what you have, as I understand it. That your little girl is being kept in an oubliette.”
I stopped in horror. “An oubliette!” The only purpose of an oubliette was to forget about someone. I couldn’t believe how cruel Helga had become. “Do they know where she is? It looked like the southern lands of Heaven. Do they know the palace?”
“Not specifically, but it is in Vilon.” Misha looked at me with concern. “Would you like to sit somewhere? We could go to the garden.”
“No.” My last visit there had seemed like a day but had turned out to be weeks. “I have to get back. I can’t linger here.”
“I understand. You won’t stay any longer than you wish.” He turned toward one of the mirrored panels and pushed it open. “Perhaps if we sit here. You can keep an eye on the time.”
I looked through the door and realized
“It’s true, then. She’s an aetherspirit.”
The syla looked at her sisters without comprehending. They all shook their heads. “The syla do not know this word. Spirit of Little Queen is the fire in the air of Heaven. Makes air sweet and sharp. It is…” She paused again. “It is the Fifth.”
“The fifth element.” I nodded. “The Quintessence. Yes, that’s the aether.”
She shrugged her delicate shoulders. “Little Queen uses to protect, and Fallen Queen sees. So syla see. Then syla see boy who is not boy, who watches Little Queen.”
“You mean Azel Kaeyevich. My sister’s child. But how is he a boy who isn’t a boy?”
“Little Prince has another spirit.” This idea seemed to disturb them all. “Spirit is trapped. Little Queen sees other spirit and she is afraid. She closes eyes.”
“Another spirit. Another element? He has more than one?”
Now she seemed to change the subject entirely. “The syla are grateful for what Padshaya Koroleva has done for us.”
“I didn’t really do anything.” My part in stopping the Seraphim from their campaign of slaughter against the syla at Helga’s behest had been insignificant. The firespirits hadn’t returned to the world of Man because Aeval’s anger at their treasonous support of the revolution had caused her to bind them to the Empyrean so they could never leave it.
“It is because Fallen Queen has protected syla that we tell what we see. Syla wish to protect Fallen Queen. But syla are not accustomed to language of Men and angels. It is tiresome and syla do not always use right words.”
“That’s why they’ve asked me to come.” I looked up and saw Belphagor’s Misha leaning against a column of the arcade. He pushed himself away and came forward. “It’s good to see you, Anazakia.” He gave me his wide smile, his green eyes glowing like a cat’s in the dark as he approached. I’d forgotten the blue-green hint of color in his skin, like a delicately colored paskha egg, as well as the peculiar, vine-like nature of his long hair. Misha was half human, and these characteristics only appeared in the Unseen World.
“And how lovely to see you presiding over the Midnight Court.” He bowed deeply as he reached the daïs.
“I’m not presiding!” I leapt from my seat. I’d feared from the first time I saw the Polnochnoi Sud that they intended for me to take the place of their long-absent queen.
Misha winked at me as he straightened. “I’m only teasing. Perhaps you’d like to take a walk while we speak.” He offered his arm.
I stepped down and took it, pulling the blanket around me like a robe as we passed through the arch into the mirrored corridor that led to the many halls of the Unseen World. “What’s going on? What is it the syla want to say they can’t tell me themselves?”
“It’s not that they can’t tell you. They just don’t want to get anything wrong. They want what I’m about to explain to be perfectly clear so you can make up your own mind about what you wish to do about it.”
I nodded, anxious and impatient with all this hesitancy.
“They have seen what you have, as I understand it. That your little girl is being kept in an oubliette.”
I stopped in horror. “An oubliette!” The only purpose of an oubliette was to forget about someone. I couldn’t believe how cruel Helga had become. “Do they know where she is? It looked like the southern lands of Heaven. Do they know the palace?”
“Not specifically, but it is in Vilon.” Misha looked at me with concern. “Would you like to sit somewhere? We could go to the garden.”
“No.” My last visit there had seemed like a day but had turned out to be weeks. “I have to get back. I can’t linger here.”
“I understand. You won’t stay any longer than you wish.” He turned toward one of the mirrored panels and pushed it open. “Perhaps if we sit here. You can keep an eye on the time.”
I looked through the door and realized
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