Unexpected ultimatum unp.., p.21
Unexpected Ultimatum (Unplanned Princess Book 6), page 21
She didn’t have time to convince Jefferson to like her, and it wasn’t necessary. They’d investigate the incident and return to San Francisco. Trust would come with time.
“Miss Morton is resting,” Jefferson reiterated, “but she’ll be out for our landing in about an hour.”
Zaena nodded. “Thank you for letting us know.”
“That’s not all. There have been some developments. I was told to keep an eye on them and brief you, depending on the situation on the ground.”
Zaena stared at the tablet. Jefferson held it close to his body, making it impossible to see anything.
Vokasin stared at the man, his hostility perfectly visible. So much for elves taking the higher ground on diplomacy. “Something has happened, but you didn’t feel the need to inform us immediately.”
“I do what Miss Morton tells me to,” Jefferson replied. “This means the plan will change.”
Zaena gestured at the tablet. “I’d prefer to have more detail before I go risking my life in an unknown situation.”
“We’ve received some info that there might be anomaly activity on Hvannadalshnjúkur,” Jefferson explained. “Recent activity.”
“What is Hvannadalshnjúkur?” Zaena asked.
“It’s the highest point in Iceland,” Vokasin explained. At Jefferson’s look of surprise, he smirked. “The top of a mountain. I’m impressed you managed to get that out without sounding like an idiot.”
“I’m full of surprises, Keebler Boy.” Jefferson tapped his tablet. “We might have tagged an invisible elf on the mountain. We’ve got a helicopter waiting for us. It’ll be faster than you can fly.”
“You don’t know how fast we can fly,” Zaena countered.
Jefferson smirked. “We know you can’t fly as fast as a good helicopter.”
“That’s fine, but please note that we won’t be initiating any attacks against anyone without proof that they deserve justice,” Zaena noted, locking eyes with the man. “I agreed to come on this trip because I was worried about hostile magical activity. Any samples Miss Morton desires are a secondary consideration.”
“I just do what I’m told,” Jefferson said. “If it’s a friendly elf, you can go to their tree and ask for freshly baked cookies and a meeting for Miss Morton.”
“Cookies?” Zaena blinked. All her time in America, and she didn’t understand why a human would associate elves with baking cookies in a tree. That didn’t make any sense.
Jefferson’s smirk deepened. She could see contempt in his eyes. Before this trip was over, she’d need to make him understand that she wasn’t an employee of Amanda Morton. The CEO’s desires didn’t dictate Zaena’s actions.
“I downloaded something that might be useful, but it’s in Icelandic.” Jefferson frowned. “Either of you elves speak Icelandic? Or do you have a magic spell that lets you understand it? Our people gave us a summary, but I didn’t want you accusing us of holding out on you later.”
Zaena spoke many languages. Icelandic wasn’t among them. She cursed her tutors’ lack of foresight.
“I speak Icelandic,” Vokasin replied with a smile.
Zaena was surprised, but she didn’t express it. There was no reason he wouldn’t be fluent in a variety of human languages, and they didn’t have to be the ones she knew.
Jefferson turned the tablet around. There was a paused Icelandic news report. He tapped the play button.
The elderly newsreader rattled on. The text in the background changed with the occasional cutaway to a serious-looking official or police officer, but there weren’t any graphics or text Zaena could easily decipher. Vokasin listened closely. She’d have to wait until it was over. The report finished after a couple of minutes.
“There was a murder,” Vokasin explained. “The first in the country this year. The victim was the survivor of the glacier accident.”
Zaena frowned. “A murder? Is there any evidence that might link it to elves?”
“They found spear-like weapons made of solid stone,” Vokasin reported. “The police were trying to keep that aspect hidden, but it was leaked. Her window was shattered. There was also water and damage all over, as if other weapons were used that later disappeared. Although the weapon used to kill the scientist was a knife from her kitchen, she has other cuts they can’t explain. They’re collecting evidence, but they are very disturbed by the crime.”
“Because of its unusual nature?” Zaena asked.
Vokasin chuckled. “You’ve spent too much time in your violent city, Fourth.” He grunted and glanced at Jefferson. The human didn’t react. Zaena appreciated Vokasin’s restraint concerning giving out any of her personal information.
“Murder is rare in Iceland, Zaena,” Vokasin continued. “That in and of itself makes them concerned. The unusual evidence found at the murder scene only worries them more. They fear it was a ritual murder.”
Zaena tried to keep the surprise off her face. He was right; she had gotten too used to violence. There was almost none in the kingdom beyond tournaments and the occasional foolish criminal, but violence and murder were so common in her adopted city that she no longer paid special attention to their mention on the news. It had become background noise.
Jefferson frowned. “Was it ritualistic? This was some weird human sacrifice thing?”
Zaena glared at him. “My people don’t sacrifice humans for power.”
“Nah, they just run gangs and make mutants.” Jefferson snickered.
“Mark Wong was a criminal by both our standards,” Zaena insisted.
Jefferson scoffed. “The point is you’ve got criminals and freaks, just as we do. You can’t guarantee this wasn’t a human sacrifice.”
Vokasin snickered. “Ignorant human. She can be sure because that sort of thing is unnecessary for magical power. No elf draws power from killing humans. If an elf killed this woman, it’s because he was trying to cover something up. If she was innocent, Zaena will avenge her death.”
“’If she was innocent?’” Jefferson glared at Vokasin. “You’re saying she had it coming?”
“Your employer has mercenaries who are willing to kill innocent people,” Zaena replied. “She isn’t above shedding the blood of anyone she considers questionable. I only deliver justice to those who deserve it, not people who simply happen to be in my way.”
“We can’t be sure this involves an elf,” Vokasin insisted. “And do you want to risk exposing yourself to the Icelandic police to investigate this?”
“The coincidence with the identity of the victim does bother me,” Zaena admitted with a shake of her head. “There’s nothing we can do for that woman now but find the elf who was involved in her death, if it was an elf. Proceeding to the mountain is our best chance. It’s our most recent lead.”
“Yeah.” Jefferson flipped the tablet around. “We have people trying to get blood samples from the crime scene. Anything we should know?”
“You’re not getting those for justice,” Zaena replied. “You’re gathering those for your own reasons.”
“Hey, if we can confirm it’s an elf, that helps you, right?” Jefferson suggested. “The murder and our hit on the mountain were too close together. There’s a good chance our elven killer is there.”
He kept looking to the side. It provided a striking contrast to the contemptuous glares of earlier.
Zaena stood and marched over to the stout man. “What else are you holding back?”
Vokasin scoffed. “Your employer wishes to earn Zaena’s trust. Lies won’t serve you well.”
Jefferson gritted his teeth. “We got something else. There’s a witness, but he was a young kid, so the police are keeping things quiet about him. Whoever was leaking doesn’t know or doesn’t want to endanger him.”
Zaena nodded. “This witness saw an elf? A human-like being with pointed ears?”
“He says he saw two bird-like creatures fighting, including one that could throw ice and rocks with magic,” Jefferson explained. “He was hiding and saw one of the creatures kill the other, then he said blue crystals grew over his body and burned up until it was all gone. He ran away after that and hid. They think he’s just a traumatized little kid making things up. I’m betting that was real. What’s the deal with the blue crystals?”
“You don’t need to know,” Zaena replied. “We’ll share it with Miss Morton when we feel more comfortable with her. I will admit it confirms the presence of an elf on the scene, though I don’t understand the bird creature's appearance. Maybe the distance and the ears confused the boy. There’s no point in questioning a terrified young child who already gave that much information.”
Vokasin gestured at the back of the plane. “We’ll take your helicopter to the mountain, but I need to talk to Zaena alone.”
“I think I should stay,” insisted Jefferson.
“No.” Vokasin glared at him. “You were trying to keep something from us. You wanted an advantage. We’re going to take the advantage now. Leave, or we’ll go investigate this mountain without you.”
“Freak prick.” Jefferson snorted and stomped into the back of the plane. Zaena raised a sound curtain.
“Even if the Creeping Azure hasn’t killed the other elf,” she began, “he risked much by exposing himself so boldly. Bird-like creatures? Might these be Desert Elf shapechangers?”
Vokasin looked annoyed. “It’s possible, though I don’t know any other of my people who have left the enclave in many years, and few can take such a shape. It’s difficult, and they can’t fly without other magic anyway.”
“They could have left recently,” Zaena suggested. “The Creeping Azure takes some elves quicker than others.”
“One, maybe, but two leaving the desert?” Vokasin shook his head. “Why would they travel to a land of ice and snow? A serious day or two of fighting, and my magic will be drained. We’re going to an ice-covered mountain. The other one has to be either an Ice or a Mountain Elf.”
Zaena dropped back into her seat and furrowed her brow. “An elf killing another elf complicates things. We might not find someone who can help convince their tribe to help. We might be in a similar situation with you and your kin. We might be following a rogue and criminal.”
“What if this is an internal tribal matter?” Vokasin asked. “Will you involve yourself?”
“It depends on what is happening.” Zaena sighed. “I’m not here to solve all problems human and elven. Your kinsman came to my city and building. That was why I dealt with him. It’s hard for me to ignore the blatant murder of a human by an elf when I’m already here.”
The rarity of violent crime made it clear there was no Mark Wong-like mastermind preying upon the country. Resolving the most recent incident would leave Iceland safer and less likely to discover elves before the time was right.
Vokasin looked toward the back. “There’s another problem. I feel no strong, compelling reason to let Morton and her people take whatever samples they want, regardless of what we find. I’m not above producing a fake accident to bury such things.” He stared at Zaena. “Are you going to fight me if I do that?”
Zaena shook her head. “I’m not going to attack her people to prevent it other than in self-defense, but you must do what your conscience tells you to do. I’m not worried about the scene. Given the presence of the Creeping Azure, all the elven blood should have disintegrated.” She frowned. “Unless the other elf was wounded and immune.” She gave him an uneasy look. “In that case, Morton’s people will get their samples.”
“Then they’ll have to be happy with those,” Vokasin suggested. “I’m not going to track them down to battle them. We still need their help to get back to San Francisco without it being annoying.”
“You think we can’t trust Amanda Morton concerning such things?” Zaena asked.
Vokasin laughed. “You’ve dealt with them more than me, Fourth Born. What you’ve told me doesn’t inspire confidence. I’m here because your human friend couldn’t come. You need someone to watch your back.”
“Thank you.” Zaena nodded. “You do what you must, then. That brings us back to the mountain. I’m concerned, given the magic on display, that we might end up close to the Ice Elf enclave.”
“If that’s the case, be cautious of using your title,” Vokasin insisted. “Out of all the tribes, the Ice Elves are the least likely to respond well to a Tarilan princess.”
Jefferson stepped out of the back. Zaena nodded at Vokasin before dropping the sound curtain.
“There’s a nasty storm around the mountain right now,” Jefferson explained with an annoyed look. “As far as we can tell, it looks natural and didn’t come out of nowhere.” He inclined his head toward the back of the plane. “Miss Morton says we’ll land and wait for the storm to clear. Then you two can do your thing.”
“That’s fine,” Zaena replied. “Please note that on this endeavor, we will be taking the lead. Your people have been extremely clumsy in handling elven matters in the past, and we don’t yet know if the murder was an accident.”
Jefferson replied, “Whatever. That was our plan. We’ll have teams on standby at the base of the mountain if you need help, but we figure let elves deal with elves. We’ll leave the operations to you.” He narrowed his eyes. “What if this was some elf who decided to slice and dice that woman?”
Zaena’s expression darkened. “I will deliver justice.”
“Then let’s go over the plan.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
Zaena enjoyed the beautiful snowcapped mountain outside the window. Riding in the helicopter was almost as good as flying herself. The roaring of the engine and the thump of the rotors were the only parts she didn’t enjoy.
Human machines were impressive in their speed and power, but they were always so loud. She didn’t understand why it didn’t drive their operators mad.
That was something she missed from the kingdom: quiet. Even the White Ruby Building was full of constant background noise and hums that denied her true silence and relaxation.
It was different in the forest. The noises there were natural. They soothed her soul.
“Let’s go over this again,” Jefferson began over his headset. “I’m going to stay on board and head down the mountain to the rendezvous point. It’s too dangerous for us to land here, but you two said you had no problem with an aerial dismount.”
Zaena agreed. “We can both fly as well as protect ourselves from the elements.”
“You need to find out what the hell is up, but we’ve got a narrow window for this,” Jefferson explained. “About six hours, and that’s pushing things. Our visual on the possible elf was from four hours ago, but we’ve been watching the mountain with drones, and we don’t think they’ve left unless they slipped out in the storm.”
Vokasin frowned. “What happens after six hours?”
“Miss Morton can only pull so many strings,” he replied. “We got this whole place cleared for six hours. After that, we can’t guarantee more people won’t show up, and I think we’d all rather avoid questions. D’Arcy’s made it clear that if we screw this up, she’s going to throw us under the bus.”
English had so many idioms centered around violence. It was another thing living in San Francisco had helped Zaena get used to.
“It’s fine.” She took a breath before raising her hands and concentrating. She layered a pocket of air around her body to hold in her warmth. Once she activated her armor, it’d be less of a concern, but she didn’t want to do it in front of Jefferson.
The helicopter circled the top of the mountain. A touch of warmth tingled her skin.
“Do you feel it?” Zaena asked in Elvish.
Vokasin responded in the same language. “Yes.”
Jefferson frowned. “What are you two going on about?”
“It’s an old Elvish joke,” Vokasin lied with a grin. “Something we tell each other before dangerous actions.”
“I don’t like inside jokes,” Jefferson complained.
“Too bad for you, Mr. Jefferson.”
“Yeah, well, try to not die before you find something useful.”
Jefferson leaned over to the door and threw it open. Cold air rushed inside.
Zaena undid her seatbelt and moved to the open door. Fields of pure white stretched in every direction, gray rocks occasionally jutting up. Farther down, hardy trees gave her a taste of home, though she doubted she could commune with a few evergreens halfway up a mountain.
“It doesn’t feel strong enough to be the enclave,” Vokasin offered in Elvish, shouting over the roar of the wind.
“It might just be the entrance,” Zaena replied.
“Enough damned jokes,” Jefferson snarled. “Go investigate. I’ll see you down the mountain.”
Zaena leaped out of the helicopter. She kept up her warmth wrap but didn’t bother with invisibility. Any elves on the mountain needed to see her coming and understand she didn’t intend a surprise invasion. She stopped and hovered, the frozen beauty of the land making her wish she had come for another reason.
Vokasin jumped out of the helicopter, and fire erupted beneath his feet. His cloak fluttered from the heat.
The helicopter descended and flew away. Zaena had been surprised by the plan. Given how distrustful Jefferson had acted, she’d assumed he’d insist on coming along to ensure he got his employer’s precious samples.
Had she misjudged Amanda Morton? Perhaps. Or maybe she’d misjudged Jefferson.
Vokasin rocketed closer to the mountain. Zaena soared after him.
He was right. Despite the power they’d felt, the level of magic they’d expect to sense from an enclave would be much higher. Even without being close to the nexus, all the passive and active magical defenses radiated enough power that an elf this close would notice.
Zaena turned to the side and dropped lower. The magic grew stronger as they moved away from the peak.
That made sense. Putting the entrance to the enclave on top of a mountain climbed by a lot of humans wasn’t smart.
