killed her sister and I cleared her name when she was accused of plotting the destruction of the Queen’s Court; she bailed me out when I got a little too enthusiastic following the Duchess of Dreamer’s Glass. If there was a pureblood other than Sylvester that I’d trust with my life, it was her.
Damn her anyway, for making me care.
“If you’re there, please, please answer your phone. It’s truly essential that I speak to you immediately. Call me as soon as you can. And October . . .” She paused. “Never mind. Just hurry.” She hung up the phone, but before she did, I could have sworn I heard her crying.
The second message started immediately, before I had a chance to move, or even breathe. It was Evening again, sounding even more harried than before.
“October? October, are you there? October, this is Evening.” There was a long pause. I heard her take a wavering, unsteady breath. “Oh, root and branch . . . October, please pick up your phone. I need you to answer your phone right now .” It was like she thought she could order me to be home. My machine was too old to have a date and time feature so there was no telling how much time had passed between messages, but it had been enough for the worry to stop hiding and come out to the surface of her voice, obvious and raw. The only other time I’d heard that much emotion in her voice was when her sister died, and while Dawn’s death had broken the shell of her calm, even that hadn’t lasted long. This wasn’t sorrow. This was sheer and simple terror.
“Please, please, October, pick up the phone, please, I’m running out of time ...”The message cut off abruptly, but not abruptly enough to hide the sound of her crying.
“Oak and yarrow, Eve,” I whispered. “What did you get yourself into?”
I thought I wanted an answer. And I was wrong, because the last message answered me more completely than I could have dreamed.
The speakers crackled, once, before her voice began to speak for the final time.
“October Daye, I wish to hire you.” The fear was still there, but the command and power that was her nature shone clearly through it, brilliant and terrible. She was looking at the end of everything, and it was enough to remind her of who she really was. “By my word and at my command, you will investigate a murder, and you will force justice back into this kingdom. You will do this thing.” There was a long pause. I was starting to think the message had ended when she continued, softly, “Find out who did it, Toby, please. Make sure they don’t win. I need you to do this, for me, and for Goldengreen. If you were ever my friend, Toby, please . . .”
She’d never called me Toby before. We’d known each other for more than twenty years, and I’d never been anything but October to her. I knew then what had happened to her, even though I didn’t want to. I knew as soon as she started speaking, and I still wouldn’t let it be true. I couldn’t let it be true. Not moving, not breathing, I listened in stunned silence as she brought down what little remained of my world.
There was another long pause before she whispered, “Toby, there isn’t much time. Please, pick up. I can’t leave, and you’re the only one I trust enough to call, so damn it, please! Answer your goddamn phone!” I’d never heard her curse before. The night was full of firsts, and I wasn’t even out of my bathrobe yet. “I know you’re there! Dammit, I am not going to let your laziness get me killed! Toby, damn you . . .”
She took a breath then, before continuing in a firm cadence. By the time I realized what she was doing, it was too late; I’d heard the binding begin, and I would listen until the end.
“By my blood and my bones, I bind you. By the oak and the ash, the rowan and the thorn, I bind you. By the word of your fealty, by my mother’s will, by your name, I bind you. For the favors I have done you in the past, you promised that I could ask anything
Damn her anyway, for making me care.
“If you’re there, please, please answer your phone. It’s truly essential that I speak to you immediately. Call me as soon as you can. And October . . .” She paused. “Never mind. Just hurry.” She hung up the phone, but before she did, I could have sworn I heard her crying.
The second message started immediately, before I had a chance to move, or even breathe. It was Evening again, sounding even more harried than before.
“October? October, are you there? October, this is Evening.” There was a long pause. I heard her take a wavering, unsteady breath. “Oh, root and branch . . . October, please pick up your phone. I need you to answer your phone right now .” It was like she thought she could order me to be home. My machine was too old to have a date and time feature so there was no telling how much time had passed between messages, but it had been enough for the worry to stop hiding and come out to the surface of her voice, obvious and raw. The only other time I’d heard that much emotion in her voice was when her sister died, and while Dawn’s death had broken the shell of her calm, even that hadn’t lasted long. This wasn’t sorrow. This was sheer and simple terror.
“Please, please, October, pick up the phone, please, I’m running out of time ...”The message cut off abruptly, but not abruptly enough to hide the sound of her crying.
“Oak and yarrow, Eve,” I whispered. “What did you get yourself into?”
I thought I wanted an answer. And I was wrong, because the last message answered me more completely than I could have dreamed.
The speakers crackled, once, before her voice began to speak for the final time.
“October Daye, I wish to hire you.” The fear was still there, but the command and power that was her nature shone clearly through it, brilliant and terrible. She was looking at the end of everything, and it was enough to remind her of who she really was. “By my word and at my command, you will investigate a murder, and you will force justice back into this kingdom. You will do this thing.” There was a long pause. I was starting to think the message had ended when she continued, softly, “Find out who did it, Toby, please. Make sure they don’t win. I need you to do this, for me, and for Goldengreen. If you were ever my friend, Toby, please . . .”
She’d never called me Toby before. We’d known each other for more than twenty years, and I’d never been anything but October to her. I knew then what had happened to her, even though I didn’t want to. I knew as soon as she started speaking, and I still wouldn’t let it be true. I couldn’t let it be true. Not moving, not breathing, I listened in stunned silence as she brought down what little remained of my world.
There was another long pause before she whispered, “Toby, there isn’t much time. Please, pick up. I can’t leave, and you’re the only one I trust enough to call, so damn it, please! Answer your goddamn phone!” I’d never heard her curse before. The night was full of firsts, and I wasn’t even out of my bathrobe yet. “I know you’re there! Dammit, I am not going to let your laziness get me killed! Toby, damn you . . .”
She took a breath then, before continuing in a firm cadence. By the time I realized what she was doing, it was too late; I’d heard the binding begin, and I would listen until the end.
“By my blood and my bones, I bind you. By the oak and the ash, the rowan and the thorn, I bind you. By the word of your fealty, by my mother’s will, by your name, I bind you. For the favors I have done you in the past, you promised that I could ask anything
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