Bone War by Steven Harper

riddles.”
    â€œAisa!” Danr said. “This is Death! You can’t talk to her like that.”
    â€œWhy not?” Aisa shot back. “We know she will not come early for me. In fact, she will not come for me at all. Not if I will be taking Pendra’s place one day.”
    â€œThat’s not entirely true, dear,” Death said amiably. “I do enjoy our verbal sparring—so few people are willing to talk back to me, and I’d almost forgotten what it was like. Tikk does it, of course, but only when he wants something. At any rate, you aren’t a Gardener yet, and I can come for you just like anyone else if you take an arrow to your heart or a sword to your neck. Besides, you have mortal tasks to complete.”
    â€œSuch as?” Aisa said, unfazed.
    Death cocked her head. “You do remember the reward I gave you after the Battle of the Twist, don’t you?”
    Here, Aisa did pause, and her hand went to her naked belly. She was remembering, and Danr remembered, too. Humans who remained among the Fae long enough lost their fertility, which was why the Fae needed a steady supply of slaves. Aisa’s time as a slave among the Fae had cost her the ability to have children. Death had returned it to her. It wasn’t something she and Danr had discussed. In fact, they had discussed very little since they learned Aisa would be . . . leaving eventually. Talking about it made it more real.
    â€œI cannot forget,” Aisa said softly.
    â€œJust checking,” Death said. Was she smiling in that shadow? There was no way to tell. “Anyway, as I was about to say, Grak-Lor-Who-Flits-Through-the-Emerald-Stars here died from wounds he received while capturing Pendra last year. Poor thing has been suffering for months.”
    Now Danr came fully alert. “Capturing her? Who captured her?”
    â€œQueen Gwylph,” Death said grimly. “Gwylph has imprisoned Pendra in a great ash tree at the foot of the Lone Mountain in Alfhame and she is draining Pendra’s powerfor her own use. This sprite was wounded in the capturing, you see, and eventually died of his wounds. Now he sings for me.” Death poked Grak-Lor-Who-Flits-Through-the-Emerald-Stars, and he squeaked again.
    Danr cast about, feeling cold and vulnerable and very aware of his nakedness as chilly fingers slid down his spine. Queen Gwylph. He could still see her on the shore of Lake Nu, resplendent in her gleaming armor with her golden hair spilling down her back and her silver scepter in her hand. She gathered up power from thousands of
draugr
, spirits of the dead, and used it to decimate countless trolls, dwarfs, and giants until Danr faced her down with the Iron Axe in his hand. He had intended to kill her, but she had Twisted away at the last moment, and that was the last anyone had heard from her, though he supposed she was still ruling Alfhame. Now it was clear she was up to far more than that. How could she have captured one of the Gardeners?
    â€œThis is . . . outrageous!” Aisa sputtered. “Beyond filth!”
    â€œFor once, we agree, dear,” said Death. “Queen Gwylph is using Pendra’s power to create . . . life. New life.” She poked the sprite again. “Isn’t that true?”
    â€œTrue!” squeaked Grak-Lor-Who-Flits-Through-the-Emerald-Stars. “Who knew? You blew true.”
    â€œLife?” Danr repeated. “But that’s only possible for . . .”
    â€œA god,” finished Tan, sliding into view.
    â€œA deity,” said Nu, arriving with her.
    There was a pause, and both Gardeners looked at Aisa hopefully. Death nudged her with one elbow. “You know it makes them unhappy, dear,” she murmured, “and they’ve already been through enough, don’t you think?”
    â€œI am still becoming accustomed to the whole idea,” Aisa murmured back, then raised her voice. “The