Authors: J.A. Pitts
Eighty-four
E
veryone was free to go home on the twenty-fourth—Christmas Eve. Jai Li would need to check in with a doctor, but her wound was remarkably light. Qindra had done something to her, I was sure. The scar would be much reduced as well. Her wand had been with Katie when Jim found her. The look on Qindra’s face when he handed it to her was amazing. A détente had been born. That was the final handshake in my mind. I’m not sure how we’d all move forward, but Qindra was no longer “them.” She was part of “us.”
Stuart had stayed with her while she’d taken control of the scene in Chumstick, acting as her personal guard and helper. I’m not sure what happened there, but something. I’d have to keep an eye on that.
Nidhogg’s lawyer, Anne Rokhlin, showed up at the hospital as we were checking out. The drive over the pass had not made her any more pleasant.
“You need to take her home,” she said, handing me a sheaf of papers. I glanced at them and dropped them on the table in the waiting room.
“Say that again,” I demanded.
“With Qindra home again, Nidhogg has formally requested that Jai Li return to her rightful place in her home.”
I punched her. Okay, so maybe I didn’t have the beserker under control after all. Katie pulled me back. “Sarah, no!”
The lawyer stumbled back against the nurses station, holding a hand to her mouth. “Really?” she asked, looking at the blood on her hand. “I’ll tell you this one time, Beauhall. You do not want me as an enemy. If you ever lay a hand on me again, I will bury you.” She took a deep breath, plucking several tissues from the box on the nurses station, and held them to her bleeding lip. “I’m just the messenger. Take the girl home and consider some fucking therapy.”
She turned, snatching her briefcase off the floor, and stalked out of the ward.
“Nice,” Katie said, holding my arm. “Can we not make things worse?”
I took a deep breath. “Yeah, right. We just take her home?”
Katie shrugged. “Let’s take her; I’ll go with you. We’ll talk to Nidhogg, see what happens.”
“Fine,” I said, snatching up the sheaf of papers.
When we got out into the parking lot, Qindra had already hired a car. It was raining and cold, but I had my bike. We rode in the limo. I’d get my bike later.
We arrived at Nidhogg’s place three hours later. Traffic across Highway 2 was miserable as more snow was falling in the higher elevations. Once we cleared Gold Bar, I regretted not stopping there, heading into Black Briar.
Not yet
, I thought.
Business first
.
Katie sat with me, and Qindra sat opposite. Jai Li sat next to Qindra, holding the woman’s arm like she was afraid she’d float away, but she kept looking over at Katie and me.
“How you holding up, kiddo?” I asked.
She smiled, giving me the thumbs-up. The bandage on her neck looked huge, but I knew she’d be okay. Well, depending on Nidhogg, I reckoned.
Eighty-five
W
e strode into
N
idhogg’s house, the main foyer empty and echoing. Jai Li had Qindra’s hand in her left and mine in her right. When the big doors shut, she paused, looked from me to Qindra, then dropped my hand and pulled Qindra left into the entrance to her wing. The gate stood across the hall, and Jai Li pointed at it, then back to me.
“It’s quite beautiful,” Qindra said, looking back at me. “And why is this here?”
Jai Li lowered her face but cast me a glance.
“Nidhogg was afraid the children would hurt themselves,” I said. “She asked me to build it, to keep certain urchins,” I brushed my hand across the top of Jai Li’s head, “from getting hurt among your possessions.”
“Is that right?” Qindra squatted down, taking Jai Li’s face in her hands. “Weren’t you told to never enter my quarters?”
Jai Li pulled her face away, not looking at Qindra.
“Found her asleep in your bed more than once, apparently.”
I pulled the key from around my neck, handing it to her, leather cord and all.
She took it, nodding once.
A sound brought me around. The household had begun to creep into the foyer, dozens of women and children, each coming toward us.
I saw Zi Xiu standing near the back, her hands over her mouth, crying quietly. The children came first, walking forward to touch Qindra and Jai Li.
Katie and I stepped back toward the front door, letting them welcome their missing home. It was bizarre and heartbreaking. The children especially. They had this desperate look on their faces, like Qindra was a ghost or something.
She stepped into the mob of them, touching each of them, calling them by name. Those she touched fell behind her, hugging Jai Li, then turning back to follow Qindra. Some looked back at me, but most did not. This was not my home; I was not one of them.
After the children, Qindra moved to the adults, saying a word, hugging, touching, making human contact with each and every one. The room swelled with the noise of it, the sheer relief and joy of it.
She stopped in front of Zi Xiu and took the woman’s hands away from her face, holding them both in her hands, and said something to her I could not hear. Zi Xiu laughed through her tears, but reached forward and hugged Qindra.
The children cheered. I’m fairly sure this home had not had that form of noise inside the walls, ever. It made my heart ache. Katie clung to me, holding my right hand in both of hers, leaning against my shoulder.
This was a family, not unlike Black Briar. These people loved one another, needed one another. And they lived under the fear of Nidhogg and her erratic moods.
Qindra raised her hands, and the cheering stopped. She was thin, thinner than I liked. By rights she should be in the hospital, but I knew that wasn’t going to happen. Her recovery would be here, among her people.
And that was as it should be.
Jai Li hung back, torn between the crowd ahead of her and looking back at me. I smiled at her. “Go on. This is your home.”
The huge doors at the far end of the foyer opened, and the noise fell to a hush. Nidhogg stepped forward, dressed in an elegant black dress, her hair pinned back in a series of tight braids, a silver pin holding it all together.
She stood there, leaning against her black and silver cane, surveying the scene before her. First one, then another of the servants fell to their knees, heads bowed. Soon, the rest of the crowd followed, including Qindra.
Only Katie and I stood, on the opposite end of the hall, facing Nidhogg. She looked different, more powerful somehow. Getting out of the house, flying across her land, perhaps that had changed her. Or, maybe it was her daughter’s coming home. She walked forward, the cane a staccato beat on the marble floor. First, she went to Qindra, pulling the woman up to her feet, and hugged her.
Those on their knees gasped in wonder. This was unprecedented. Many of them began to cry, whether from joy or fear, I couldn’t tell.
When Nidhogg stepped back, Qindra wiped her eyes. “Welcome home, daughter,” Nidhogg said. “You have been sorely missed.”
“Aye,” one of the young boys squeaked. No one else spoke, but Nidhogg laughed. Her voice was paper thin, but the laughter was one of joy. Soon the rest of the room was abuzz with whispers.
Nidhogg turned from gazing at Qindra and raised one hand. The room fell silent. “Jai Li,” she said, her voice stern once again. “Come forth, child.”
“Mother,” Qindra said, her voice quavering, but Nidhogg held up a hand to silence her.
Jai Li strode forward, cutting through the crowd, which shuffled aside to let her pass. She was so tiny.
She stopped in front of Nidhogg and knelt down, her head bowed.
“Do not kneel to me,” Nidhogg said, pulling the girl up.
Those kneeling cast glances at one another, and the whispers began again.
Nidhogg did not quiet them, but when she spoke again, they fell silent.
“You disobeyed me,” she said, her voice stern. I took a step forward, but Katie held on to my arm.
Jai Li nodded.
“You, who have never once set foot from this house, took it upon yourself to leave here, to do what you thought best.”
She nodded once again, keeping her head bowed.
I looked at Qindra, who practically vibrated with frustration.
Nidhogg looked around the room at the upturned faces, each writ with fear once again.
“This is my house, my domain,” she said, her voice growing louder. “I rule here. You,” she swept the room with her hand, “serve me at my whim.”
She dropped her hand onto the top of the cane and looked back at me.
If she made a move toward the girl, tried to hurt her in any way, I was going to kill her with my bare hands.
“You are no longer part of my household,” she said to Jai Li. “I cannot allow it.”
“But, mother,” Qindra said again; the strain in her voice was enormous.
“Silence,” Nidhogg said, slashing her hand toward Qindra. “I rule here.”
Qindra bowed her head, only the shaking of her shoulders betraying her tears.
“Jai Li,” Nidhogg said. “You are banished from this home. Go out into the world and make your way. You have forsaken my bond. You will be casteless, without a master within my lands. I have no claim on you, henceforth.”
Others wept then, not caring who knew.
“We’ll take her,” I said, stepping forward.
Nidhogg stared at me for a long time. No one rose, but many risked glancing back. “She can live with me and Katie. We’ll take care of her.”
Jai Li looked back at us, her jaw hanging open.
“So be it,” Nidhogg said. “Jai Li, you are henceforth indentured to this brigand. You may serve her, at her discretion.”
No one moved. I looked at Katie, who nodded to me. “I love you,” I said, leaning in and kissing her.
Then I walked through the crowd, following the path Jai Li had taken. When I got through the throng, I nodded at Nidhogg and squatted down to Jai Li.
“Do you want to come live with us?” I asked.
She did not move her head but moved her eyes, first to Nidhogg, then back to me. Very slowly, she nodded, her eyes wide.
“Deal,” I said, taking her into my arms and standing. She weighed less than either Frick or Frack. I took several steps back and turned to face Nidhogg.
“I brought Qindra home. My debt to you is cleared.”
She looked at me, and I held her gaze. There was more power there than I’d ever seen, ever imagined. She could call down fear and fire so quickly my shadow would be forever burned into the marble floor at my feet.
“The balance swings to your favor,” she said, finally.
I stood rooted. Did she just declare a debt to me? I was confused.
“Back to your duties,” she called, stamping her cane onto the floor.
People scattered to all four corners of the house.
Nidhogg turned and strode back into her cathedral-sized room, and the great doors swung shut. Only Qindra remained standing there.
“I knew you were brave,” she said. “But to challenge Nidhogg like that. That took some chutzpah,” her voice was quiet but firm.
I shrugged. “My da taught me to stick up for myself.” It was true, another item for the plus column.
“You are definitely strong willed,” she said, grinning. “Take care of Jai Li. She is more precious than you know.”
Katie walked into the main hall and took Jai Li from my arms. “You could come and visit her,” she said. “You’re welcome in our home.”
Qindra raised one eyebrow, studying her. “My thanks,” she said. “While the child is no longer Nidhogg’s concern and therefore none of mine, I would still very much enjoy the ability to check in on her from time to time.”
I glanced back, and Jai Li was stiff in Katie’s arms, nodding in affirmation.
“It seems that would be amenable.”
Jai Li wiggled until Katie set her onto the floor. She ran over, glancing at me as she passed, and flung herself into Qindra’s arms. She held the witch tightly for several long moments before pulling back. She laid her hand on Qindra’s cheek and kissed her.
Then she stepped back, bowed once, and turned, taking my hand.
“Time to go?” I asked.
She nodded, pulling me toward the door.
“Take the car,” Qindra said. “Since getting home on foot would be bad in this weather.”
I stopped, let Katie take Jai Li, and turned back to Qindra, holding out my hand.
“You’re good people, Qindra. If you need my help, you’re welcome to call.”
“Funny,” she said, grasping my hand firmly and jogging it several times. “I was going to say the same thing.”
Eighty-six
T
he car took us back to
B
lack
B
riar.
J
ai
L
i curled up in the seat next to me and went to sleep.