Zaena nodded. “This is Saelli of the Ice Elves. She is pledged to my mission.”

  Vokasin reverted to his elven form. “Explain the human treachery.”

  “Yes, about that.” Agent Lyle offered a nervous smile. “Long story short, our boss got fed intel from inside Morton’s operation that Little Miss Billionaire planned a double-cross. Our boss felt it was more important to maintain our relationship with you, Princess, than an egomaniacal and unstable billionaire who’d hire black-market mercenaries to ambush you so she could do Lord knows what to you.”

  Zaena stared at a dead mercenary lying in a pool of blood. “Won’t this cause an international incident? Wasn’t that the whole reason we involved Miss Morton?”

  “She’s pulling strings, but they’re pushing it as an emergency op to stop some terrorists,” Agent Lyle explained. “Technically, that’s closer to the truth than what happened last time. Yeah, a little incident. Our boss figured it was worth it rather than let Morton get away with this.”

  Zaena sighed. “That woman has so much, but she wants more. Now I’m at war with a billionaire?”

  Agent Lyle shook his head. “That’s not your problem. Morton violated all sorts of laws by bringing those guys to this country, and she did the stupidest thing she could do: she pissed off Selene D’Arcy.” He grimaced. “Don’t worry. Morton’s not going to be a threat to you or your friends.” He inclined his head toward Saelli. “You bringing her back to San Francisco?”

  “Yes, though she’ll spend much of her time in the mountains.”

  Agent Lyle was indifferent. “Whatever. My orders are to keep everything going through you and Smith and let you handle elf logistics.”

  Zaena nodded. “That’s for the best.” She turned to Saelli. “I can understand if you want to reconsider your position. Your first experience with my alleged human allies is one of betrayal.”

  “You don’t understand, Princess,” Saelli replied with a smile. “I’m at ease now. My fate is yours. We will find our destiny together.”

  Vokasin wiped some blood from his fingers on the cloak. “Only one more easy artifact, Fourth Born, and then the true fun begins.”

  Zaena offered a curt nod. The words of the prophecy lingered in her mind, but there was no path except forward. Morton had betrayed her, but D’Arcy had protected her. Fate might not be guiding her, but she had no doubt it was her destiny to save the elves.

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Saelli sat across from Zaena at her dining room table. The Ice Elf eyed her century eggs with combined wonder and deep concern. “I thought Reykjavik was grand, but this city is like a forest of steel and metal and glass.”

  Vokasin sat on the couch with his feet up. “Humans cover everything with buildings.”

  Karl grunted from a chair. “There’s a lot of us.”

  “Of course there are.” Vokasin chuckled.

  Zaena savored her last century egg before letting out a satisfied sigh. “It might sound odd since I’m so far from my true home, but I’ve grown to love this city.” She smiled at Saelli. “I understand this is challenging for you. Despite your greater number of years dealing with humans, your experiences have been far more limited.”

  “I let the prophecy guide me,” Saelli admitted. “I don’t worry about it now.”

  Karl looked at her and Zaena. “I don’t mean to be an asshole, but have you thought about where she’s going to live?”

  Zaena motioned around the apartment. “On my couch for now, but she’ll take over this place when she’s not communing. I didn’t consider that what I find cold and dreary is warm and stifling by her standards.”

  Saelli poked at her century eggs. “I’ll need to learn where I can buy skyr. I always ate it when I mingled among humans. If I’m to live among them, should I not enjoy the best things they have to offer?”

  “I’m sure the oracles of the internet can help you with that.” Zaena winked. “I’ll be more than happy to aid in your learning, or do you already know how to use the internet?”

  Saelli smiled. “I’ve seen humans use the internet, but personally, I have little experience with it. I don’t seek wisdom from machines. They aren’t alive and one with the elements.”

  “Are you going to be her roommate?” asked Karl. “Again, not trying to be a dick, just trying to get this figured out.”

  “I think I’ll move back in with Grace,” Zaena replied with a shrug. “She has said she misses our free time together, and I’ll be less worried about the defense of this place if another elf is living here. I’m certain I can convince the Sea Elves to loan us one more elf. With me, Vokasin, Lae’yul, Saelli, and one other, we’ll be able to safely attune the nexus. That will make it even less of a problem. After that, we’ll find a Mountain Elf, then it’s a small matter of taking what we need from the Night Elf enclave.”

  Vokasin sat up. “Where we might potentially awaken a great ancient beast. Or do you still deny you believe in the prophecy?”

  Zaena frowned. “I’m taking it under consideration, but it cannot and will not change my course of action. This might be one case where we betray the location of an enclave to the humans.”

  “You want Selene to get somebody to nuke it if it goes south?” Karl asked.

  “I was impressed by the Marines in Iceland,” Zaena related. “That level of support is desirable. Unfortunately, we can’t have a couple of squads of Marines here.”

  Vokasin looked doubtful. “I still wonder how easy this will be.”

  Saelli gave up on the century egg. “We must follow the hand of fate.”

  “Again, I don’t want to be King Asshole, but what about the Azure Knives? You guys mentioned them, then blew it off. I get there’s not a lot of them, but what’s to stop them from coming here and trying to take her out?”

  “None of them are immune,” Zaena noted. “Although their resistance time will vary, I doubt if ideologically committed killers with such a strong hatred for humanity could travel or blend in well. I have made it clear to the DIA that they should consider them terrorists.”

  Saelli looked at Karl. “I can’t say for certain, but I suspect the Azure Knives are extinct. Our threats will not come from them but from those mentioned in prophecy. I will share with you a dark truth about my tribe: we have grown more susceptible to the Creeping Azure over the centuries. I think the elements are punishing us for our past sins.”

  Zaena grinned. “I’m getting used to people trying to kill my friends and me. I don’t like it, but I’m getting used to it. We’ll convince the Sea Elves to help us, and we’ll secure this place. An army of fanatics won’t be able to breach it then.”

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Amanda struggled against the handcuffs and chains binding her to the chair. This was humiliating. How dare Selene treat her like a common criminal? How dare she take the side of an elf over a human?

  The door of the small, windowless room opened. Selene entered and closed it behind her. She crossed her arms and stared at Amanda.

  “Are you insane, Selene?” Amanda spat. “Do you have any idea who I am? Do you have any idea about the protections I’ve set up for this eventuality? If I go down, you go down too, bitch.”

  “Are you referring to the dead man’s switch on your so-called hidden account?” Selene’s tone was cold and indifferent. “Or are you talking about the recordings you left with the law firm? Don’t worry, we’ve taken care of all those and the other efforts you prepared. I admire your thoroughness, though they have proven useless in this situation,”

  “How did you find them?” Amanda asked. “Your people aren’t that good.”

  Selene stood in front of her and leaned forward. “You don’t remember? You told me about them yourself—all of them.”

  Amanda gasped. “That’s not true. You didn’t torture me. I would have remembered that.”

  “Torture is ineffective,” Selene noted. “It’s a crude instrument used by the foolish and the short-sighted. An interrogation tool that makes people tell you what you want to hear is less than worthless. I’ve got better tools for getting information, and you told me exactly what I wanted and needed to know. I will admit to a faint amusement that you don’t even remember doing it. It’s like you betrayed yourself.”

  “I’ve done nothing wrong,” Amanda shouted. “Are you telling me you trust those creatures more than you trust a member of your species?”

  Selene let out a quiet sigh. “You were pushed a little, manipulated a little. I feel fine admitting that, but the all-consuming greed that undid you ultimately came from your own heart. If you were purer of motivation, more selfless, I’m not sure any of this would have happened. You might have escaped this sorry fate.”

  “Pure of motivation?” Amanda snorted. “Like that elven bitch?”

  “You see, Zaena is a wonderful and dedicated woman. She wants to save an entire race.” Selene bent until she was inches away from Amanda’s face. “She’s put her life in danger again and again against dangerous and unpredictable foes to save her people and humans. She’s risked betrayal because she has no other option. She’s many things, not all of them good, but she’s not selfish like you, Amanda. She’s not obsessed with magic pills.”

  “She’s already an elf, and you’re taking the damned pills, too,” Amanda screamed, her spittle-flecked rant spraying Selene’s perfect face. “Don’t tell me you aren’t. You look like a damned supermodel, but you have no soul, no heart, no personality. You give me speeches about protecting the country. My company has been working closely with the military. I’m doing my part to make this country safe.”

  Selene’s arm snaked up, and she gripped Amanda’s jaw tightly. “Dignity comes with power.” She squeezed. “You disgust me. Karl Smith was nothing. He was less than nothing, but at least he’s offered himself in service for a higher cause, and he’s become more.”

  She released her tight grip. Amanda’s jaw ached.

  “You screwed me from the beginning,” Amanda complained. “You gave me the pills, then you cut me off. Now you’re lecturing me about some worthless washed-up cop? I’ve contributed far more to society than Karl Smith ever will. I’m worth billions of him.”

  “You had a purpose once,” Selene continued, her expression blank again. “It aligned with mine, which meant it aligned with Zaena’s, but I knew it wouldn’t be long before you drifted away. I could have taken stronger measures to bind you to me, but I had to think long term, not short term.”

  “Meaning what?” Amanda wondered how Selene would react if she spat in her face. “What are you talking about, binding me to you?”

  “I’m telling you the truth, but you’re too ignorant to understand it. You said it yourself.” Selene tilted her head and stared at Amanda. “You’re a billionaire. You’re important. If you’d done too many things out of character, people would have had questions. Now you’re useless, broken, erratic.”

  Amanda spat in her face. “You can’t kill me. People will find out, even without my insurance.”

  Selene wiped away the spittle. “You don’t understand. You have no idea what’s happening here, not really. With Zaena’s success in Iceland, things are now close to where they need to be. Everything will be different soon. It’s too bad you won’t be around to see it, but don’t worry. Handling you will bring me closer to Zaena. In the end, you’ll finally be useful again.”

  She turned around and headed to the door.

  “You’re selling out humanity to those pointy-eared freaks,” Amanda screamed. “I get it. You’re just as obsessed with the magic as I am, but you’re making a mistake. They can’t win against humanity. We’ve got the numbers and the tech.”

  Selene stopped but didn’t turn around. “Of course. Even Zaena understands that. She doesn’t want a war with humanity. She says she seeks coexistence, and I believe her.” She opened the door. “Don’t worry, Amanda. I understand selflessness, which is why I’m going to do everything I can to protect my people.” She stepped out and slammed the door.

  Amanda let her head loll forward. She didn’t understand. She’d done so many things in recent weeks and months that weren’t like her.

  She had known better than to betray Zaena so quickly, but something had kept pushing her and feeding her paranoia. Patience had always helped her. It was like she wasn’t herself.

  Selene claimed she’d somehow interrogated Amanda without her knowing. That seemed absurd, but the DIA might have some sort of device or pill that worked better than she realized.

  Everything had gone downhill since she’d met Selene. It was that damned woman’s fault. She was the one who’d introduced her to the pills. She was the one who’d put her on the path to understanding there was something more in the world. A woman couldn’t dangle wonder in front of another person and then complain when they jumped for it without looking first.

  Amanda chuckled. The sound built to a loud guffaw.

  Selene might have been right. Amanda might have gotten too greedy. Whether she was the victim of magic pill addiction or government manipulation, it didn’t matter. She wouldn’t be escaping.

  Greed had brought her down, but Selene was as greedy as she was. The bitch talked a good game about serving a higher cause, but she was a hot woman cheating with magic pills who’d probably slept her way to the top.

  Amanda snickered. “That government bitch thinks she’ll end up on top when this is all over? I’ll see you in hell, Selene D’Arcy.”

  Zaena swallowed and pointed at the news report on the TV, which was almost over. “This was what Agent Lyle meant when he said Miss D’Arcy would take care of it?”

  The news report had been brief and to the point. Amanda Morton had been reported dead in a plane crash attributed to mechanical failure. Some people were claiming it was preemptive suicide because of leaks from federal investigators suggesting major financial irregularities and ethics violations by her company. One of her chief researchers, Dr. Meyers, had been found dead by his own hand.

  Grace grimaced from the couch. She set her popcorn aside like it’d become poisonous. “This is straight-up Triad-like stuff, but I don’t know, Zaena. Morton tried to ambush you with a bunch of mercenaries. Technically, that wasn’t even the first time. From what you told me that guy said, there was no mistaking her intentions. She wanted to kill you. What was your plan if D’Arcy hadn’t done this? There’s a good chance you might have gone to her building and delivered justice yourself.”

  Zaena sighed. “I can’t deny that, but it might have been difficult for me to deliver justice to a woman who was not directly fighting me. It’s one of my problems in dealing with duplicitous humans. Even Mark Wong fell to my hand in battle.”

  “It’s a good lesson,” Grace replied. “You need to understand the people involved with you in the government are super-top-secret-black-ops types. They’ll do what they think is best for the country, not necessarily what they think is the most honorable. Call me a cold bitch, but I’m glad that someone who tried to kill my best friend got taken out.”

  “Your best friend?” Zaena smiled. “Truly?”

  “Weird best friend, but still my best friend.” Grace picked up the popcorn. “We’re roomies again, but are you sure it was okay to leave Saelli alone?”

  “Karl is there if she needs help, and she’s satisfied now that I had a large amount of skyr delivered.”

  Grace looked confused. “What’s that?”

  “It’s an Icelandic dairy product.” Zaena furrowed her brow. “Half-cheese, half-yogurt. It’s no century egg, that’s for certain.”

  “I think I’ll stick to my Dannon.” Grace grabbed some popcorn. “I’m not a Viking or a Viking elf.” She tossed the popcorn into her mouth and chewed.

  “Let’s get to our movie,” Zaena suggested, eager to be free of her lingering concern about Selene D’Arcy’s ruthlessness. “Does The Joy Luck Club involve any lone heroes taking on overwhelming odds in skyscrapers or boats?”

  Grace grinned. “You spent too much time around Karl. I need to deprogram you. It’s my mom’s favorite movie and the only one she ever pushed me to watch, if only so she could guilt-trip me later.”

  Zaena stared out over the glacier. Unlike what she’d seen in Iceland, the snow and ice didn’t dominate the horizon. The snow seemed to be struggling against the trees and rocks surrounding it. Saelli knelt in the snow, her hands clasped and her eyes closed.

  “I know it’s not as glorious as your homeland,” Zaena offered. “You probably laugh when they say San Francisco is cold right now, but at least this glacier is reasonably close to San Francisco. I was glad Grace was able to find an acceptable place. I was worried we’d need to travel out of the state to locate a place for you to commune.”

  “This is sufficient,” Saelli replied, her eyes still closed.

  “We can come here at least every other week so you can commune, though if you find you end up using more magic than expected, we can come sooner.”

  “This is sufficient, Princess.” Saelli opened her eyes and stood. “I might not have the shrine, but I can easily dig myself something here and protect it from prying human eyes. I knew when I left with you that it’d be less comfortable for me.” She smiled. “I bear you no ill will for that. A snowflake can’t complain where the wind blows it.”

  Zaena smiled. “If you want to return to your enclave on occasion, I won’t oppose you.”

  “It would be unwise,” Saelli replied. “Even without the Azure Knives, my presence will complicate the efforts of the High Priestess. Curing the Azure should come first unless there’s a critical need for something from the enclave. My discomfort can wait.”

  “You don’t have to suppress all your desires,” Zaena insisted. “I know you believe strongly in the prophecy, but it doesn’t say you have to suffer.”

  Saelli flashed a warm and bright smile that invited one back from Zaena. “You misunderstand. I’m not suffering. My entire life, I’ve questioned my place in the tribe, and when my gift emerged, I worried it’d forever mark me as different. I cursed it at times, wondered what I’d done to offend the elements. I grew to accept it, but now I know that every experience in my life was necessary to lead me to you and this moment. How many elves or humans get to stand at the precipice of something grand and contribute to its conclusion?”