Her mouth tasted like ash. Dry. Stale. Old. It tasted like fire and death.

The paper crinkled as Ishmerai unfolded it and began to read, ?Lady Empress, we regret to inform you--?

Jewell was no stranger to sorrow. It had been her constant companion for many years now. Her parents. Her children. Her marriages. Her life.

?On Wednesday, Ms. al Amat started an altercation with two other guests without provocation--?

Pain, death, and tragedy had dogged her footsteps.

?--resulted in considerable and costly damage to the bay of Dionysus.?

So why did this still hurt so bad?

?Although we have been unable to locate any debris, we must assume--?

The words were a buzzing in her ears. She stared at her reflection in the window, thoughts a million miles away. Far beyond the streets of Little Elfhame below. Beyond the city bustling with afternoon commerce. Beyond the woods and the spaceport into the autumn blue sky.

Are you out there?

?--wish to express our heartfelt condolences and our sincere hopes that this incident does not cast a pall over your meeting with Mr. L?Vanis tomorrow.?

The Empress ran her fingers across her forehead, digging them in hard to stave off the oncoming headache. It was no good. ?I should have gone with you last night.?

?Mira,? the knight?s tone was kind. He set the letter aside on her desk. ?You did not know.?

?But the messages yesterday... I thought it was a mistake.? She added in a miserable, quiet whisper, ?I wanted it to be a mistake.? Jewell had soothed away any of her initial uneasiness in the Outback, in the ring, in the bottom of a tequila bottle, in Kal?s arms. She told herself that everything was fine. This was just a routine meeting. Nothing could happen to Lirssa. Not Lirssa. Please not Lirssa.

?Perhaps it is a mistake.?

?But the rumors.?

While Jewell had lost herself in body shorts and tequila kisses, Ishmerai had gone to work. The knight had prowled through countless Stars End dive bars last night. The rumor mill was churning.

Someone had blown a hole in the side of the luxury cruiser Dionysus after stealing a fortune from them.

Pirates had attacked Dionysus. Hundreds had died!

There had been an epic space battle against system invaders.

An entire fleet had entered system space, bent on taking over RhyDin.

A rogue space pirate had tried to attack Dionysus and had been foiled by RASG.

A local transport had been blown out of the sky by RASG pilots by mistake.

Some local hot shot pilot had flown into the sun.

?And what if that is all they are, rumors??

Jewell had tried to tell herself that lie already. She had told it to Margo too when the girl arrived in Little Elfhame yesterday with her messages from Ortiz. It had been an easy lie to believe because they both wanted so desperately to believe it: Lirssa was all right; this was just some misunderstanding; if something really bad had happened, then they would have received word from Dionysus.

Now official word had arrived to snatch away false hopes, comforting lies, and empty reassurances.

She lifted her hand, resting it against the glass and curling her fingers into a fist. What had been the last thing she said to Lirssa? Something stupid, shallow, meaningless. She had been standing in her office doorway, and Jewell had wished her luck on the journey. They may have even made a joke; she couldn?t remember. It had been a conversation of polite courtesy, used to hide the tension that was still alive and well between them.

?Mira, I--?

?Please,? she stopped him, eyes still trained on the streets below. She couldn?t see anything through the blur of tears. ?Just don?t.?

?The bottom needs to go to Lamont and the top one out to the papers,? Jewell pushed the pile towards Anne. Since Lirssa was gone, Anne had received an unexpected promotion to Empress Assistant this morning. Jewell had to take over a lot of the responsibilities for Kids of Summer (in addition to all the work she already did for House of Summer), and she needed some help to keep things from falling to pieces. ?And these can be filed,? Jewell gathered the papers together and tapped them on the desk before handing them over to the red-headed girl. ?Got it??

?Yes Lady Empress.?

?Just Jewell,? the faerie sighed after the girl as she left the office, shaking her head. Anne passed Ishmerai on his way in, shying away from the fearsome knight.

?So, will you be meeting with L?Vanis again tonight?? He asked his lady as he closed the door behind him.

?Nope.? She answered him without looking up, scribbling a note to herself. ?It?s done.? Only then did she spare him a glance. Jewell had no smile though, not even for the way his eyes widened in surprise. She set her pen down and gave him her full attention. ?As usual, Ishmerai, you underestimate my skills.?

?I did not think you were in here long enough for him to experience all of your charms.? She rolled her eyes and didn?t even deign to respond to that. The knight crossed the room and took a seat at her desk. ?Come now, Mira. I know you do so love to brag. Tell me how it was settled.?

She hesitated a moment, glancing back at the pile of paperwork and chewing on the inside of her cheek. ?Fine.? This was what she had an assistant for anyway, right? She sat down, slouched low in her chair; the weight of the last few days settled on her shoulders. ?My new friend L?Vanis has agreed to our terms of trade.?

?At the inflated prices you showed me earlier?? She nodded slowly. Normally, she would be grinning, but all the usual pleasure had been sapped from the situation. ?Unbelievable. What about the repair costs??

?He will be covering the repairs to their ship. In addition,? she sat up and leaned forward, ?he will be paying reparations to me for the loss of one of my most valuable employees.?

That was too good. ?You must be jesting!? She shook her head no, slouching back again. Despite the depressing, unmentioned reality--that no amount of money could possibly replace Lirssa--Ishmerai had to laugh. ?Mira, you are truly incredible at times.?

?I know.?

?And so modest.?

She shrugged. ?The reparations were the tricky part. Once he agreed to that? The other stuff was just details. I do have to pack my bags though.? He raised his brow in question and she nodded, finally showing a hint of a smile.

?He invited you to Dionysus??

?He invited me to Dionysus.? That had been a part of her plan since yesterday afternoon, but all their initial inquiries showed the luxury cruiser booked for months. ?Apparently, I?ll be ?a beautiful star amidst the stars,?? she imitated the fop before snorting. ?I wonder how many times he?s used that line before??

?Well done, Mira. Please just tell me you did not agree to go alone with him.?

?You insult me, Merai.? She sniffed delicately. ?You should have seen him. The whole arrangement was rather comical. I dropped my hints so subtly about how stressed I was after this horrible week and all the trouble it has caused me. L?Vanis made his offer, surely hoping I would come alone. A weekend away on the cruiser was the answer to all my problems, you know? The poor man floundered a bit when I agreed that it sounded like just the thing and that my inamorato and I would just looove a weekend away.?

He smiled a little at the scene she described and the way she was willing to mock her own performance, but his tone remained serious. ?I hope you do not intend for me to go with you and play as your lover. That worked so well the last time.?

She rolled her eyes. ?I told you that you were acting too stiff. But no, we?re not trying that again. They know you as my knight anyway.?

He nodded, frowning. ?You plan to ask Lord Ar?Din, then.?

?Already asked him.? He frowned. This was a part of the plan that she had not bothered to share with the knight. ?We talked about it last night. You can?t deny that he?s well suited to the task, Merai. We don?t have to play at being lovers, and he?s sly enough to be useful,? she paused, ?with the right incentive, of course.? The knight?s expression darkened. She knew he didn?t want to hear about whatever incentives she had offered to the shady half-elf, although Kal had been easier to negotiate with than expected last night.

?I do not like this at all. The situation is dangerous, Mira. You have no idea who or what could be waiting for you up there.?

Jewell tried her best to soothe his worries, ?Don?t forget, Merai. Kal can get us out of there quickly if there?s trouble.?

?Get himself out, you mean.?

Jewell shrugged. She had a little more faith in Kal than that, although it was likely misplaced. ?Be hell for him if he came back without me.?

The knight conceded grudgingly. ?Does L?Vanis know why you really want to visit the ship??

?Doubtful. You know I can play a role when I need to, Merai. He thinks I care as much for Lir as I do a speck of dirt on my heels.

But I?m not leaving Dionysus until I find out what really happened to her.?

It took almost two hours before they actually found their way back to the casino floor. Wearing something that would attract attention inevitably got Kal?s as well, but at least she knew her choice of dress was effective. Very effective. Backless, sleeveless, cut down to her navel and up past mid-thigh, Jewell didn?t need a smidge of magic to turn heads.

But the shimmer of gold on her eyes and shoulders was likely bespelled anyway.

As Kal took a seat to play cards, she bent over his shoulder to kiss his cheek and draw the attention of every other man at the table. ?I?m going to get a drink.? It would have been easier just to order from one of the numerous servers, but this way she had to pass by two other tables full of players and could have her pick of a victim.

Lingering at the bar while the tender prepared her drink, she mused over whether the tall brunette or the burly bald guy would work best. She checked out the bartender, but decided he was too old. Lost in thought, she didn?t even notice the man behind her until he settled his hand on her hip and his lips close to her ear. ?Buy you a drink, luv??

Jewell jumped at the unexpected touch and his closeness. She really didn?t care for strangers putting their hands on her these days, not after her time in the Temple of the Divine Mother last winter. Unfortunately, she wasn?t the one who was supposed to punch a guy in the face, so she quickly suppressed her initial reaction and uncurled her fist. With a bit of breathy, embarrassed laughter, she twisted around to face her admirer. He was shorter than her half-elf companion, although he still loomed over her, and a little on the puny side. Hardly a challenge for Kal, but at least he wouldn?t give him much trouble.

And he had clearly volunteered for the job when he touched her without consent.

?Oh no, I?m good.? The faerie flashed him a tentative, nervous smile. Few people would dare call The Empress a damsel in distress, but she knew how to play the role of vulnerable female well enough. ?I was just going to take my drink and--?

He took a step closer, cutting off her excuse and any retreat by forcing her back up against the bar. Then he brushed a piece of blue hair off her face. ?Maybe dinner then? Or perhaps just desert? Pretty thing like you shouldn?t be alone.?

It took a lot of restraint not to break his stupid nose right then and there, and she did her best not to gag on the scent of the sweet liquor he must have been drowning himself in prior to accosting her. Instead, she laughed uneasily. ?Well aren?t you sweet? Unfortunately, I really am good at the moment.? His eyes widened as she moved quicker than expected, twisting smoothly to the side to escape him.

Full point for a fancy side step perfectly executed.

?Another time, perhaps.? She brushed past him to return to the table, abandoning her drink on the bar top. She?d get another.

But then he wrapped his hand around her wrist to stop her.

That?s when things got a little messy.

Jewell set her bags down in the foyer with a ?oomph!? and then quickly shook her arm out. She really regretted turning down Kal?s offer of bringing the bags upstairs for her, but the poor man had already had a rough weekend. ?Merai?? she called out, weary and heartsore.

The knight appeared from the direction of the kitchen. ?Mira.? He looked her over once, making sure Kalamere had returned her safe and sound. ?Anything??

She shook her head as she lowered her chin, focused on kicking off her high heels and losing a good five inches of height. ?Sent a security guard to the infirmary.?

It had been easy enough to stay out of the casino fight, although she was still sorry that she hadn?t been the one to punch the guy in the face. Even when the other two men jumped in against Kal, Jewell had stayed back, feigning horror.

But she had quickly lost her cool when the overzealous security guard had stunned the half-elf.

?They said I broke his wrist and may have done permanent damage to his windpipe.? She nudged her shoes somewhat out of the way.

The knight sighed. ?Anything useful??

She dug into the bag on top of the suitcase, pulling out the drive she had retrieved from her desk on the way upstairs. ?Security recordings for when Lir--? Jewell hesitated, struggling to say the words aloud, ?went missing.?

?For the whole ship??

?Mmhm.?

?Impressive, Mira.?

?You can thank Kal for this one. He was indispensably helpful.? Jewell could have probably pulled it off on her own, but Kal?s way had been pretty efficient.

A little violent but efficient!

?Well, at least he was useful.? His tone was hardly glowing with approval, as it had been when he thought she had been the one to secure the recordings. There was likely nothing Kal could ever do to earn the knight?s friendship, but he showed begrudging respect for the half-elf?s skills at times. ?Is there anything helpful on there??

?I don?t know yet.? He followed her as she padded into the living room and collapsed onto the nearest couch. ?We?re going to have to go visit Acid Burn this morning.?

?We??

?Yes, we.? Any other time, she would have been extremely diverted by the expression on his face. Today, she was too busy thinking of the next step. She was trying to order her thoughts and focus on what needed to be done. Dionysus, although technically work, had been a diversion from reality.

She was back in RhyDin now and Lirssa was still dead.

He took a seat across from her. ?And after that??

?Depends on what we find on the recordings. We?ll have to talk to Janel. There was definitely someone chasing Lir. I want her to Find them.?

?And if she cannot? You have to realize, Mira, that they would be rather stupid to return to RhyDin.?

?Then? I don?t know.? She collapsed forward, digging her elbows into her thighs and scrubbing at her face with her hands. ?I have to keep looking even if? even though Lirssa?s not coming back. I just? I want some answers?? The faerie looked up at her knight beseechingly. ?Something?? Her desperation was clear. ?Who did this? Why? Why Lirssa??

She shook her head. ?It doesn?t matter if Janel can?t Find these people. I?ll call in every favor I?m owed and then some until I get a lead.?

He nodded. ?All right.? The knight knew better than to argue with her when she set her mind to something. ?Perhaps you should rest before we go out? You look? tired,? he finished lamely.

Jewell laughed a little, releasing some of the tension building up inside. ?I am tired, but no. I?m going to shower and then--? she was interrupted by a big yawn. ?Unh, then I want to catch Acid Burn early because you know she likes to sleep during the day. And at some point, I?m going to need to talk to Aric. I can?t put that off even for a nap.?

There was no use arguing with that either. He knew the young man deserved to be told what had transpired. ?I will go make coffee.?

The look she gave him was pure, adoring love. ?You?re the best, Merai. Don?t let me ever tell you different.?

Jewell stopped at the garden entrance, staring longingly at the strip of water she could see around the house. The setting sun was setting the crest of the waves to a brilliant, inviting gold. She wanted to kick off her high heels and walk into it. She wanted to let it embrace her, wash away her cares and worries, and take this burden away.

With a sigh, resigned to her fate, she started up the path to the front door. She hadn?t come across the city, with a dozen other people to still speak to and desperately in need of sleep, just to go for a swim in Matt and Koy?s back yard. There was work to do. Besides, her black and cream dress, with the metallic detail along the neckline and waist, was too nice to ruin with an impromptu swim.

She knocked on the door, hoping her friends were home even though she hadn?t sent word ahead of her. It was quickly apparent that the Simons were indeed at home when she heard the loud wailing of Thia on the other side of the door upon hearing the knock. ?MAAAAAMA, SOMEONE?S AT THE DOOR! CAN I GET IT? SOMEONE?S HERE!?

When the stained wooden door opened it revealed an annoyed Koy with her head turned as she spoke to her daughter. ?Wha did I tell ye ?bout usin? yer inside voice, bee?? Having not expected company, Koy was wearing a strangely casual (but still fitted lest she forget herself) outfit of a black tank top tucked into black jeans with a tailored denim button down thrown over it and left open. Her sleeves were rolled up and the gold bangles on her arm clattered as she waved Jewell in despite the surprise apparent on her face. ?Iffn it isn?t the Empress herself! I?m ?fraid ye?ve jest missed dinner, did I mix up a dinner date? Where?s Kal?? The Masochistic Fashionista peered around behind Jewell to make sure she wasn?t about to shut the door in his face..

Jewell?s smile, born of Thia?s shouting even if her little voice always gave her heart a twist, turned apologetic for Koy when she opened the door. ?So sorry to barge in on you tonight, Koy.? She mustered a little laugh at her question, although it sounded tired. ?It?s just me this evening, but we really should do dinner again if I can rope Kal in for it. He certainly prefers your cooking to mine.? The pleasant, light, small talk carried her over the threshold (only after Koy?s nonverbal invitation) and into the Simon household. ?Unfortunately, I?m the bearer of some bad news tonight.? That?s all she managed to convey quietly, safe from small ears, before she was bending down to greet Thia. ?Mother of Nature! Look how tall you?re getting.?

Thia took advantage of getting close enough to greet Jewell to also examine the detail in the woman?s dress and shoot off everything in her almost-eight year-old brain. ?Who made this? It?s lovely. I?ve been eating all my greens. That?s what Uncle Beld said to do if I want to get big and tall. I?m going to be as tall as Svetliana, Miss Jewell!?

?Oh my, Svetliana?? was all Jewell managed to squeeze in before Thia ran the short distance to pluck one of her mother?s fashion magazines, an older copy of Couture Magazine, flipping it to a well-worn and earmarked page. The intimidating yet intriguing face of the model Svetliana, dressed for drama and clocking in at what could be approximated as at least eight feet without heels on in the editorial spread, would meet Jewell as Thia held up the glossy magazine as a visual aid.

The Empress smiled encouragingly, ?She is beautifully tall!?

?Thia, ye know Svetliana?s tha tall ?cause she?s got giant?s blood in her veins. Ye?re goin? ta grow but it would take some kinda miracle or magic spell fer ye ta reach her height.? Koy?s initial smile at Jewell tightened at the bad news comment but Koy masked her concern, instead reminding her daughter of a matter they clearly had talked about before. ?But no matter how tall ye get, ye?re not goin? ta get very far iffn ye?ve got feathers in yer head. Go on and finish up yer math fer school tomorrow. I?ll come and go over it with ye in a lil, aye??

Thia started to pout but Koy gave her a pointed look that sent the young girl on her way. She did close the magazine, not returning it to the table she snagged it from but choosing to sneak it into her room with an impish grin at Jewell as she went. The faerie winked in return.

Waiting and listening for the girl?s small footsteps to carry her far enough away that Koy felt they were out of earshot of Thia, Koy let the forced smile drop. ?So does this bad news call fer us drownin? it in a drink??

Jewell?s smile melted away quickly as Thia took off to battle math homework. She looked tired like the faerie rarely ever did. ?A drink would be great unless you want to get into a fight here and now?? The hopeful look was playful, a bit of levity she didn?t really feel as she alluded to the coping mechanism both women shared: pain.

Koy winced at Jewell?s response. As much as the Masochistic Fashionista enjoyed sparring inside a ring with the Empress, the answer told Koy that nothing good could be coming with this unexpected visit. She skipped over the daintier options in the limited bar selections they kept in the house (now up high in the kitchen behind a locked cabinet because Koy?s other vices had put Thia in enough danger when Koy was pregnant with her that she dare not slip up by being careless with her liquor) and went straight for freeing a stronger whiskey from a local Dockside brewery. Pouring the amber-hued alcohol over two glasses filled with ice, she returned to offer one to Jewell.

?Ye?ll forgive me iffn I skip over any other small talk ta get straight ta the heart of the matter, grim as it may be. I?m guessin? ye?re not here ta tell me ?bout some horrid fashion crime ye saw in yer travels.? It was a lame attempt at levity as Koy braced for whatever was to come.

Jewell accepted her glass gratefully, pressing her back against the edge of the kitchen counter to better face Koy or perhaps because she just couldn?t stand upright much longer without assistance. The directness of the Fashionista's question was appreciated almost as much of the drink, which she took a sip of first. ?Lirssa?s dead.? It was the first time she had said it out loud, and she quickly decided another sip of whiskey was in order. There probably was not many subjects quite as painful to the two women in the kitchen as a young girl dying. Jewell had to make it a bit worse by explaining, apologetically as if she had done it herself, ?Her ship skirted too close to the sun and was lost.?

Koy barely managed to put the glass down on the counter before she dropped and shattered it completely. There were so many echoes to the simple, dread news that made Koy visibly blanche, suddenly nauseous.

Lirssa. Her own daughter, Lirisa. Both dead now, both so close in names. Like many women who frequented RhyDin?s more social venues, Koy had watched Lirssa grow up and felt a maternal warmth towards her. It was hard not to imagine the enthusiastic acrobatic girl with the loudest ringside cheers instead of the more poised young woman who would have piloted that ship.

And another ship lost in this very kitchen where Robyn Pemberton once visited her with similarly bad news about Matt.

But Matt came back.

She wouldn?t admit it out loud but it was hard for Koy to discern her own inner dialogue from MoonBeryl?s words that frequently coated her mind over the years. The opal had given her a strange hope then, mainly he claimed so that he would not have to listen to her defeatist thoughts which irritated him, but now she wondered if the reminder came from his past advice or her own newfound optimism. She had witnessed her own miracle. Matt came back, more fragile with new broken edges that she had vowed her own life time to repair. But he came back even when all other signs pointed to him being dead.

?Mebbe she?s still out there somewhere hard ta see? It could happen.? Was it cruel to divert from the more possible reality that Jewell?s first statement, the simplest explanation that Lirssa was indeed dead?

Jewell bit at the inside of her cheek, where the skin was becoming a jagged hole from all her abuse. ?I thought maybe. I just? I wanted to believe she was still somewhere?? Instead of nowhere because that was the alternative.

She didn?t like that: A universe where Lirssa was nowhere at all. Where she had ceased to exist.

?I really did.? She took a deep breath and then let it go, releasing the foolish hope before it could take root. ?But Kal and I went up to Dionysus this weekend.? The faerie suddenly remembered the purse hanging over her shoulder. She set her drink down so she could rifle through it, producing a small drive device. ?We got the security recordings from the ship, including external.? She held it out to Koy, the truth hanging between them. ?It?s pretty hard to watch, but I thought maybe Matt might be able to help? There was someone chasing her. I want to know who.?

Koy accepted the drive, another nauseous pang at what awaited Matt?s more knowledgeable review. ?Wha?s tha phrase when ye?re seein? somethin? tha ye?ve already lived through ?fore? De-ju ye or somethin?? I?ve done this ?fore, but it was Matt?s ship on the tape.? Koy rambled, shaking her head. She wasn?t fully processing everything Jewell relayed but one new question seeped in that hadn?t occurred to her at the onset. ?Wha ?xactly was Lirssa flyin? fer ye tha someone would?ve wanted ta harm her? This wasn?t random was it?? The last question held more doubt. Jewell carried not only sorrow but a burden with her that tinged the air with guilt.

She motioned for Jewell to follow her as she led them to Matt?s study.

The faerie came right behind Koy, frustration twisting her delicate features. ?That?s the problem. It kind of was random. Or maybe not? I just? I can?t figure it out. She has been working for me for months now.? There was the source of the guilt. Whether this was her fault or not, it was her fault. ?But this was a completely legitimate trip. She was just going to finish negotiating a contract for me. Nothing nefarious. No skirting the law. No one should have wanted to hurt her. Not for this.?

She pushed her hand through her hair. Jewell thought most of her enemies were harmless. Business competitors and nothing more. She had gotten rid of the truly dangerous ones. But she still couldn?t be sure that this hadn?t been because Lirssa was connected to her.

She wanted to be though. For her own peace of mind, she needed to know that she hadn?t killed Lirssa too.

?I don?t know what else she?s been mixed up in? On the thing,? she gestured to the device in Koy?s hand, ?there are people chasing her. You can see their ship. If I can find them, maybe I?ll know why this happened.?

?Matt?s the better one of us ta ask, but it sounds like one place ta start is with a list of yer enemies and figurin? out iffn Lirssa had any of her own.? Koy gave one warning knock before opening the door to the study. ?Sorry ta interrupt ye, Boss, but there?s somethin? tha can?t wait.?

He watched as she adjusted her sweater for the fourth time, glad that she had remembered that a dress was not appropriate for what she planned to do today. She gave a quick spin, checking her butt out in the mirror. Her appearance was perfect. Flawless.

It was amazing what glamour could hide.

The dark circles under her eyes. The raw and bruised knuckles. The broken spirit.

After spending a portion of the last two days breaking the news about Lirssa to some close friends, and the rest of the time trying to track down any leads she could dig up, Jewell had come home last night, stared at the soup he had made her (one of Sapphire?s ?You can?t possibly **** this up? recipes), and burst into tears.

It was a healthier emotional release than any she had exercised after finding out about her children, but Ishmerai?s worries had not been assuaged by the display. She had reined her emotions in again too quickly, praising the soup after making a show of eating a few spoonfuls, and then she had retreated across the street to the gym to punish the new punching bag he had hung for her that morning.

As always, she was his little ticking time bomb. He was just waiting for her to implode once again. But what the knight really wanted was for her to slow down and breathe. He wanted her to go talk to Dr Bronner again and work through what she was feeling. He wanted her to at least try sleeping!

He wanted to stave off the inevitable breakdown.

Unfortunately, she seemed intent on compounding the problem rather than trying to fix it.

?I still do not think this is the best use of your time today, Mira.? He voiced his concern carefully from the doorway of her gigantic walk-in closet.

She checked her hair in the mirror once more, not looking at him. ?I?m doing this for Lir.?

?There are going to be a lot of children there,? he warned. Normally, that was enough to have her running in the other direction. She just took a deep breath in through her nose, nodding. ?You could just hire someone. It does not have to be you.?

She frowned, ?No, I suppose it doesn?t. But it feels like it should be.?

She stepped back from the mirror and finally looked over at him. Ishmerai straightened from his lean and offered her his arm.

He couldn?t stop her from spiraling ever deeper, but he could be there to catch her when she fell.

Her brow furrowed in confusion. ?You are not training the girls today??

?No. I cleared my schedule to go with-- Oomph!? he barely managed to catch her when she barreled into him, almost missing the ?thank you? mumbled against his chest. ?You are welcome, Mira.?

?And the other houses??

?All the emergency repairs are done.? Margo confirmed.

?And I?ve got a list from the contractors on a hundreds things, big and small, that can be done to prepare them even more for winter.? Theo offered the list to Jewell.

The faerie waved it away. She didn?t care for the details, just that it got done. ?You have my approval for all the work.?

Theo set the list on the table, ?But one of the houses could use a new roof. They said it?s not urgent but advisable.?

?Okay,? Jewell shrugged. ?So have them put on a new roof.?

Theo and Margo shared a private smile. Jewell?s way of spending money and approval of certain projects drove Ishmerai and Lamont crazy.

?Anything else or does that take care of the Kids stuff??

Margo looked over the papers scattered before her, trying to shuffle some together into piles. The three of them had been trying to make up for Lirssa?s absence, but the work was still piling up at times. ?No, I think that?s it. All the kids that are of age have been attending school. I?m interviewing a new worker for one of the houses this week. I did the accounts and sent them to Lamont.?

?And I made sure all the maintenance work was done and the pantries were well stocked. So that should be it??

?Fabulous!? Jewell sat up from her lazy slouch, clapping her hands together. ?You guys are great. I?d be terribly lost without you. Why don?t you go out to dinner, my treat??

The two young people shared that private, amused smile again before Margo ventured to point out: ?I?m not sure Ishmerai would like that.?

The Empress rolled her eyes as she stood. ?Who cares what Ishmerai says? Both of you,? she made a shoo?ing gesture, ?to dinner.?

Margo apparently didn?t need any more encouragement than that. She pushed her papers into a messy pile and looked eagerly at Theo. The young man seemed a little unsure still. ?Are you positive??

?Yep. Don?t ask me again though or date night becomes let Jewell pummel you at the gym night.? Theo?s eyes widened in alarm and Margo laughed as she wrapped her arm around his. ?See, she knows what I?m talking about.? The blonde woman nodded towards Margo. ?Just tell them to send me the bill wherever you go.?

?Come on, Theo.? The young lady pulled her beau towards the door.

?Tell the girls I?ll be working out if anyone needs me!? she called to the couple before looking down at the paperwork they had left her with and sighing.

There were three bodies on the ground, covered in blankets. Jewell lifted the edge of the one, and dropped it back down again with a scowl.

Death did not suit Theo.

She lifted the other two blankets, but those faces were unfamiliar. Faces without names. Faces without distinction. Dead faces. The only things she was sure about were that they were not the men who had attacked Lirssa and that she had never seen them before.

The pieces were right here in front of her, but she couldn?t put them together. It was frustrating beyond belief. She stood back up, brushing dirt from her knee, and looked at Ishmerai. This was not Jewell the sweet socialite who would mourn the loss of another dear employee. She was The Empress now. A faerie born cold. ?Where?s Margo? Have you spoken with her??

?Briefly. Samantha brought her to Meric and Rosemary. She was injured, but it did not seem to be a mortal wound, so I spoke with her first.?

She nodded curtly. ?Aella,? she called to the nearest House of Summer girl, ?stay with the bodies. I don?t want anyone but our people touching them, understand?? When the girl gave her a nod, Jewell stepped away from the bodies on the ground and the growing crowd. By the time she had arrived on the scene, there had already been a few dozen people there. It was too late to cover anything up. Instead, she would take the matter in hand shortly.

But first, she needed to know what she was dealing with. ?What the hell happened here, Merai??

The knight frowned, glancing back towards the bodies before looking down at the petite woman in front of him. ?They were returning from dinner. Two men approached them asking for directions. The one tried to grab Margo. Theo stepped between them to defend her, but they cut him down. Margo killed the one as he was finishing Theo. She got the other on her own. She used the knife you gave her. She wanted you to know that. When Samantha and Haizea arrived, she was cradling Theo?s body and both attackers were already dead.?

?Shame that.?

?I know. She kept apologizing. She said she did not mean to kill them. I told her it was well done.? He touched her arm, ?Perhaps Janel can still find something with the bodies.?

Jewell nodded, her teeth working furiously on the inside of her cheek. ?What did they want? Money? Her??

He hesitated, admitting reluctantly: ?She said they did not ask for anything other than directions.?

She nodded slowly. ?All right. Go get Janel and send the girls out, and make sure they take care of the bodies. I have to go speak with the press.?

She turned to walk away, but the hold he kept on her arm stopped her. ?Wait, Mira. You must know. When they asked for directions, they were asking for directions to you.?

She sat back against the bathroom wall, breathing heavily. Her hand shook as she tried to brush her hair back off her face, but her skin was slick with sweat and some strands were hopelessly stuck to the drying blood from the cut on her forehead, a token from when her face met the ground about an hour ago. Her attempts pulled and tugged at the wound, provoking a whimper of pain.

Giving up on that task (and everything else), she let herself slink down until she was curled up on the floor, her flushed cheek pressed against the cool tile. That was better. Much better. She closed her eyes, blocking out the lights that made her head pound and vision blur.

Maybe if she just rested for a little while, everything would stop hurting.

She was in Eva and Mason?s kitchen, telling the couple about the bad news all over again. Their untouched breakfast of bagels and coffee sat on the counter between them, growing cold.

Eva looked over at Mason a moment. Then she looked back at Jewell. "So it was an accident?"

Her jaw tightened, teeth grinding together. "No. Someone was chasing her."

Mason turned back towards them quickly. ?What??

"Someone was chasing her." Her eyes darted over to Mason and then back to Eva. "I don't know who or why. I tried to find out, but... I've got nothing still."

?What was the job she was on?? Mason asked.

She shifted her hold on her coffee mug nervously. "It was for me. She's been working for me for months. But it was a luxury cruiser. She was just finalizing a contract for me, so nothing should have gone wrong. It was 100% legitimate."

He growled or sighed in response; it was hard to tell. ?And who is after you??

?Mira. Wake up.?

Who is after you?

?Nngh!? Jewell flailed wildly, eliciting a grunt of pain from Ishmerai when she hit him in the leg.

It had been the same last night when Noah tried to help her.

?Stop stop!? The knight urged, placing a restraining hand on her shoulder despite her swinging arms.

She opened her eyes at the shout, realized it was Ishmerai, and breathed a sigh of relief before immediately settling her head back onto the floor. Even that little bit of motion was disorienting. Her brain exploded inside of her head, her stomach flopped over on itself, and her mouth tasted like the attractive combination of last night?s alcohol, blood, and vomit.

Consciousness was a bitch today.

She didn?t bother with an apology; she just flopped her arm in the knight?s general direction. ?Go ?way.?

?No. Time to get up. I need you to be done wallowing. We have work to do.?

?Not wallowing,? she objected pathetically. When he didn?t leave her alone to die in peace, she pushed herself back up to sit against the wall and immediately regretted it. The world spun. She groaned and covered her face.

Letting Sal beat the hell out of her had sounded like a good idea at the time. Now, she was seriously reevaluating her decision making abilities.

?Right. Well then when you are done feeling sorry for yourself, we can start figuring this out.?

She lowered her hand to scowl at him, eyes red and squinting. ?I don?t feel sorry for myself. Stop--? she struggled to find the right word. Her thoughts moved like molasses but then slipped away like water. ?Just stop.?

He didn?t though. ?How about you stop punishing yourself?? Her eyes darted down to study her bruised shins. ?Mira,? he softened his tone, ?I understand why you feel guilty--?

?They?re killing them, Ishmerai.? Her throat and chest locked up as the panic and anxiety that had been chasing her since Tuesday night finally slammed into her. It made it hard to breathe. ?They?re killing them just like they killed everyone else. Because of me. And I didn?t even see it. How didn?t I see it?? She wrung her hands in her lap, fingers knotting together and tugging apart. They were looking for something to hold on to. ?They tried to get Sapphire first.?

He nodded, confirming what she already suspected. It seemed obvious in hindsight that Sapphire had been the first target. Lirssa was the second. Margo was supposed to be the third.

Who would be next?

?How many more people have to die because of me, Merai? I just?? she ran her hands up into her hair, digging her fingertips into her skull. It wasn?t the pounding headache she was trying to stop. It was the other pain. ?I can?t handle it. I physically can?t handle it. I feel like I?m going to lose my mind. I?m already losing my mind. There?s a pressure on my chest--? She let one hand fall, placing it over her heart. It felt like it was going to burst. The blood was running too quickly through her veins.

Everything was spinning out of control.

He crouched down in front of her so they were at eye level. ?None of this is your fault, Mira.? He reached out to take her hand, forcing her to release the death grip she had on her stained and bloody dress. He didn?t wait for her to offer up whatever excuse she had ready, ?But it will be if you do not do something about it now.?

Everywhere she went these days, she was shadowed by someone. It was for her safety. She knew that. Ishmerai insisted upon it, and Jewell was done arguing with him. It was obvious that no one was coming after her directly, not yet at least, but it made her knight feel better to know she wasn?t alone.

Happy knight, less miserable lady.

The only time she insisted she be left alone was when she was at The Line. No one was to wait outside for her there. ?I?m the ******* Overlord of the ******* Duel of Swords! Kalamere can try to kill me if he really wants to.?

So anywhere but The Line, they were there. Ishmerai waited upstairs during her Overlord challenge. Haizea stood at the door of her office. Samantha lingered at the entrance to the Mills. They took turns camping out in her living room. They followed her on the rare occasions when she walked Mr. Fitzy. And there was a girl waiting outside of Summerlane right now to walk her home when she was done telling stories to the kids.

It was one of the only things she was really good at aside from making sure all the houses were taken care of financially. Ishmerai had encouraged her to give up on her mission and just hire more help. Jewell had responded by hiring more help and continuing to try to fill Lirssa?s shoes. Unfortunately, she could not cook, change diapers, or clean (so she said!).

On nice days, she was willing to teach some of the older ones fighting techniques in the yard or give basic magic lessons. She could sing to them; dance with them; and on rainy days, she told them stories.

The wind drove the water against the window panes, but inside it was snug and warm and the faerie made visions dance in the air with her glamour. The kids gathered all around her. One of the little ones had even climbed into her lap. She went rigid when the little girl?s head rested on her shoulder, the sensation familiar and strange and heartbreaking. Instinct had eventually overcome distress, and her arm was wrapped around the little girl now. ?What story do you all want??

?The day the faerie princess rescued her knight!?

That was a particular favorite of hers.

?No no. I wanna hear about the lady of the sea.?

Before they could start to bicker, one of the little ones at her feet spoke up loudly. ?I want to hear about a Knight Named Lirssa!?

Jewell smiled. ?That is a good one. Let?s see, how does it go again? Ah yes, there once was a young girl named Lirssa born on the streets of this very city??