Part 23 (1/2)

A headache was building behind my forehead. I rubbed it, not for the first time, wis.h.i.+ng I could rewind my life and start this section over. ”Because I'm hoping that if I bring proof to the mare of what happened to Hope, they will excuse the last trial and give me another shot at it.”

”Yes, but if you're no longer a virtue, how are you going to make with the fog?”

I glanced at Theo. His jaw was tight, his eyes a light grey that indicated he was not a happy camper. ”Evidently, even though I failed the three trials, I am not de-virtued until someone strips the power from me.”

”I hope so, otherwise you'll be in even hotter water than you are. So, we're just walking in the front door?”

”There is more than one entrance to the Court,” Theo answered. ”We will take the one nearest the library, so Portia's talents won't be overly taxed.”

”Good thinking.” Sarah sat back to make a few more notes. I spent the rest of the way to the castle mentally sorting the events of the last few days, looking for something we might have missed. I had an uneasy feeling that something significant had happened that I'd failed to acknowledge, but a quick survey of the last three days didn't come up with anything to a.s.suage my uneasiness.

”Someone is bound to notice this fog isn't normal,” I murmured to Theo forty minutes later, as we stopped just beyond a small doorway cut into the stone wall that surrounded the Court. Ahead of us stood the building we'd visited earlier, the library where the Akas.h.i.+c Record was held.

”We will be gone before they can trace the source.” Theo's voice was m.u.f.fled, oddly contorted through the heavy fog that now rolled through the area surrounding the library. Even though he was just a few feet away from me, I could barely see his silhouette.

”Just a little more, sweetling, then we can go in.” ”I resent being put on watchdog duty,” Sarah hissed from somewhere behind us. ”I won't be able to see anyone until they are right on top of me.”

”No one knows who you are,” I whispered back, taking Theo's arm. His fingers closed around mine, rea.s.suringly warm and strong.

”All you have to do is distract anyone who comes to the door. It's not rocket science, Sarah.”

”Hrmph.”

Theo guided us to the main doors of the library, opening them wide. I summoned more fog, and sent it into the building, thick white rolls of it slowly filling all available s.p.a.ce. We crept along the now-fogged hallways, hands outstretched to avoid colliding with obstacles. There were a few exclamations of surprise from people who found themselves caught in the fog, one person shouting for someone to find the mare.

We don't have much time,Theo said. I clutched the back of his s.h.i.+rt, my other hand holding Sarah's arm, so we wouldn't get separated.

I know.”Sarah, this is the doorway to the archives. Stand here and keep anyone from coming in.”

”Will do.”

I released her arm and followed Theo into a small, dusty-smelling room, shutting the door behind me to keep the fog out. Theo flipped on a light switch, and stood considering the cases around us. The room was, thankfully, empty of people.

”We can split up and search for it,” I said, moving to the nearest gla.s.s archive case. ”What does it look like?”

”I have no idea, but since it is one of the most valuable records in existence, I a.s.sume it will be found in one of the more elaborate cases.”

I quickly examined the books contained in the climate-controlled case in front of me, but nothing had a t.i.tle even remotely similar to Akas.h.i.+c Record. I skirted a giant library-sized dictionary opened on a book pedestal, and started for the next case.

Something tickled at the back of my head. I looked back at the dictionary, giving it a closer examination.

Ofaniel, also known as sefira Wisdom. Primary residence: Court of Divine Blood, Grand Apartments, second floor. Mundane residence: Ma.r.s.eille, France. Mundane name: Clementine Ma.s.sier.

Oglien, demon third cla.s.s, servant of Bael, twenty-second legion. Mundane residence: none. Mundane names: Will O'Bannon, William Bannock, Will the Decapitator.

I closed the dictionary to read the t.i.tle.The Akas.h.i.+c Record: Being a List of All Immortals Possessing Members.h.i.+p in the Court of Divine Blood and Abaddon.

”Theo, I found it. It's very large.”

He hurried over, frowning slightly. ”They keep it out here in the open?”

”Evidently. I thought it was a dictionary. F, G, H...ah. Here it is:Hope, originally internuncio, later designed virtue by request of holder. Primary residence: Court of Divine Blood, Grand Apartments, third floor. Mundane residence: Seaton. Seaton?” I looked up at Theo.

”That's near Newton Poppleford.”

”That would explain why she was around the faery ring, then.Mundane name: Hope Campbell. Is that ink blotch covering another name, do you think, or is it just a blot?”

Theo bent over the book, squinting at the black area next to Hope's name. ”It's hard to tell. It could be either.”

”Hmm. I'm willing to bet she covered up her mortal-world name on purpose.”

”She could have.” Theo looked thoughtful as he tapped his chin. ”If she thought she was in danger, she might have destroyed any proof of her name as a safety precaution.”

”That's lovely. Is there anywhere else we can go to find out what name she is using now?” I asked, miffed that our lead had fizzled out.

”Not that I know of.”

I sighed. ”Well, at least we have one of her names and a town to go on.”

”Indeed you do. That was very clever of you to think of consulting the Akas.h.i.+c Record.”

I spun around at the sound of a man's voice coming from the doorway.

Terrin leaned against the door, a slight smile on his face. ”I particularly liked the fog. Very effective. h.e.l.lo again. Is that your friend guarding the other side of the door?”

”Yes, she is. She wasn't supposed to let anyone in,” I said, trying to come up with an excuse for being in the Court when I'd been forbidden entrance.

”Good morning,” Theo said, giving Terrin a little bow. ”You have us at a disadvantage. It is somewhat disconcerting to be caught breaking and entering into the Court.”

Terrin's smile widened. ”And yet you managed it with such ease. A very admirable feat.”

”Is my friend all right?” I asked, a bit nervous about Sarah.

”She is right where you left her. I'm afraid I had to obscure her vision for a moment or two while I slipped past her, but she is unharmed.”

I relaxed a little bit. I was willing to take responsibility for my own actions, but I hated for anyone else to suffer on my behalf. ”I suppose you'd like to know why we're here when we were told to leave.”

”I a.s.sume your purpose is two-fold: to consult the Akas.h.i.+c Record, and to conduct your final trial.” Terrin strolled over to the window, looking out at the still-dense fog. ”Yes, a very clever use of your Gift. Quite effective.”

Theo and I exchanged glances. ”You're partially correct: We did come here to see the Akas.h.i.+c Record. But as for my trials...well, even if I hadn't been disqualified, I would only have been on trial number four, not seven.”

”No, that cannot be correct.” Terrin frowned, walking over to a desk on the other side of the room and sitting down to access the computer there. ”You have completed all the trials but the last one, I'm quite sure.”

”I'm afraid not. Trial number four got put off. I skipped ahead to five, which I did when I was in the Akasha. The two women who did my first trial came back earlier this morning for the fourth trial, but I...er...I failed it.” ”How very odd.” Terrin's fingers tapped out a few words on the computer's keyboard. He perused the resulting screen, a puzzled look in his eyes. ”That's not what it says here. According to the official records, you have completed all trials but the last one: four of them successfully, two failures.”

”How could I pa.s.s the fourth and sixth trials? I didn't do them!”

”What elements did the fourth and sixth trials test?” Theo asked, looking even more thoughtful.

Terrin consulted the monitor. ”The fourth was logic, the sixth grace.”